When Julie was 18 months old and going trick-or-treating for the first time, we practiced the drill several times before ringing the first bell. My perky pink ballerina with the diaper under her leotard was a quick learner and practice went smoothly: "Ring the doorbell! Now wait for me to open the door; say, "Trick or Treat" - okay, Twick Tweat works, too. Now I'll give you a piece of candy. What do you say? ("Ta-du!") That's right! Where do you put it? In your pumpkin. Yea! Good job!" We were ready on our end.
Our first stop was across the street to Lola's house. Lola was like family and a good first experience, or so I thought until she got so excited about Julie's costume that she didn't follow procedure at all. She opened the door, oohed and aahed, picked Julie up and went into the house where she proudly presented my baby with a dollar bill. Julie looked at the piece of paper with the man's picture on it, realized it wasn't edible and looked at me as if to say, "Somebody should've practiced with Lola!" She asked, politely under the circumstances, "Where tandy?" At 18 months she didn't know she could buy any "tandy" she wanted with the money she held. It wasn't a gift she expected or understood.
God, knowing what's truly valuable, gives us a gift we don't often appreciate or prefer. When we're looking for the immediate gratification of a problem solved, a direction given, or a crisis averted He gives us His Peace.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
God will be going through the drill with me until I cross into heaven because honestly, I just want some problems to go away rather than taking the time to learn to let His Peace reign in me through the problem. Money in the bank, health, and comfort sound pretty good to me, but God says, "Wisdom, Discipline, Peace, and Strength of character are vastly more important." He knows my spiritual growth depends on me learning to depend on Him. He allows trouble to touch me because trouble drives me into His Arms. He paid a high price for the relationship we have with Him and He's not going to let a few pieces of candy stand between us.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
When he found one of great value,
he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
Matthew 13:45-46
Father, considering trouble as pure joy opposes every fiber of our human nature. We need Your Wisdom to understand how this is possible and we need Your Strength to practice it. You love us with a love that understands our deepest, long-term needs in spite of what we think we need - A.S.A.P.! Open our hearts to accept the eternal value of Your Peace and Joy. Help us latch onto You in the middle of every kind of problem and even when trouble seems to have missed us. The world sees You as irrelevant, but Satan has blinded the world with the soul-decaying candy of quick and easy answers. Flood our lives with the Peace and Joy of remembering that You have overcome the world.
In the Name of Jesus Who has overcome the world and Who left His Peace which is sweeter than anything the world can offer!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
James 1:2
Inspired by Jesus Calling
Photo from Photobucket.com
Photo from Photobucket.com
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