What Are You Staring At?

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."   ... 1 Peter 3:15

*****


So at 5:50 on this dark morning, I flipped on our kitchen radio (which sits on the floor so I have more counter space) and Nat! Nat King Cole filled our tiny rooms with enchantment.

Suddenly, fixing Tom's morning snack and his breakfast burrito felt like the most anointed thing on the planet and our rooms whisked back to their beginning 84 years ago, contentment practically oozing from the walls, leaving a suspended golden glow.

Then later, Sammy The Cat and I stepped to the kitchen stairs to tell Tom good-bye and after venturing to the invigorating outdoors(again) to close the garage door, I made hot chocolate, sat on the red couch and watched a local news story about a woman whose upstairs' tenant accidentally burned down her house where she was still living after 51 years and 5 children (firemen saved family photos from the walls!). 

Then a young man across the street whom she'd never met, began a T-shirt campaign for her so to raise money. That's how Buffalonians roll.

Well, I came here to my computer and ordered 3 shirts because actually? That's the kind of thing God has me doing these days. He asks that I keep my eyes and ears open during conversations (mine and others around town) and that I read between lines at Facebook, blogs, emails and tv news and give and encourage and spread light.

I can do that. Especially since God's not a big tease--He would never ask me to do something that He and I couldn't do together.

I watch lots of Christians spend hours, in churches and at home, consumed praying about their own needs or The Next Big Thing like nationwide revival and yes, some folks are called to specifically pray that way. 

But the majority of us? I think most of us are called to spend our hours with eyes wide open, watching like hawks with muscles prepared to pounce upon the needs God shows us. Then obeying, doing, giving out of our multi-faceted abundance and shining our light toward the Source from whom all blessings flow.

And if there's a better way to live I've not yet found it.

Morning from my back window...

*****

"A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."   ... James 1:27

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might ..."... Ecclesiastes 9:10

*****

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” 


― John Bunyan

“We only have what we give.” 


― Isabel Allende

*****

Last week our local news shared this story about a young boy who runs to raise money for veterans. I watched this boy running and running, alone in the countryside, and brushed tears away. Oh my ... stories like these do my heart great good and I feel so blessed that our local news' morning program also shares what's going right!

*****