Sonshine

This morning as I sat on the couch with my usual cup of coffee in my usual spot and thought about what I had to do today, suddenly the rising sun shone in my face and I closed my eyes to enjoy its rays. There is something about the sun that can lift your spirits and fill your heart with gladness. My thoughts turned in anticipation, "What would God do today?"

Every day you can see him working in big ways and small ways if you’ll just take the time to enjoy simple things. My thoughts turned again, "What does a person really need to have a fulfilling life? Money? Job? Success? What is the definition of success?" You can have a great job and be living the American dream and have a “successful” life on the outside and be totally unfulfilled on the inside.

Recently, my hubby and I have been doing some soul searching. What is it in life that we are most passionate about? We have asked ourselves this question and the answer was not about where we live or what we do or what we have, but about lives in need of Christ. This answer came not from us but from the passionate heart of God within us.

The rays of his love have begun to penetrate our lives changing our viewpoint. What is it we want to accomplish with these lives we’ve been given before its time to go home? We have begun to crave those God appointed meetings that happen throughout the day when he gives us a chance to open our hearts wide and share the love of Jesus with others.

For me, it isn’t all the time that I'm looking for these encounters though, I'm still human and sometimes my flesh takes over and distracts me but I’m realizing more and more that this is a process, a work lovingly being done in me by the tender hands of my Father. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

He is the one who does the work for his glory in us and through us. Just as we cannot make the sun to shine, so we cannot do the work that only the Father can do. But when he flows through us touching the hearts of others as only he can, it warms our souls and brings encouragement to all like the sun shining on our faces after days of grey gloom.

Never forget that it is the work of His Spirit that accomplishes lasting good in our lives; we are totally dependent upon him. I am encouraged today to lift my face to the SON and let the rays of his love fill my heart and prepare me for what he has in store. I am confindent that no matter what it initially looks like, his golden goodness will be woven all through it.

What an amazing journey we’re on…the road to knowing him, lit by his forever shining love.