One Of Those Days

I'm having one of those days.  You know, the sort of day you wish didn't bother showing up this morning.  In fact, I've been having one of those weeks.  Too much to do, too little time etc. - we've all had them.

But in the middle of my busyness, in the middle of my panic, in the middle of my must-rush-to-get-this-done-ness, God speaks.

I have just been finishing off a bit of work I needed to get sorted this evening and one of the font choices on the website I was using was called "Loved by the King."

That was it.  Right there.  God speaking into my situation.

I wasn't looking for Him, I wasn't thinking about Him, I wasn't particularly fussed about Him if I'm honest.  But that doesn't stop God looking for me and it doesn't stop Him thinking about me.

We are always on His mind.  Not in a creepy, omniscient Big-Brother kind of way, in a can't-get-you-out-of-my-thoughts kind of way.

God says, in Isaiah -

         "Can a mother forget the infant at her breast,
         walk away from the baby she bore?
         But even if mothers forget,
         I'd never forget you - never.
         Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands.
         The walls you're rebuilding are never out of my sight."

           [Isaiah 49:15-16 MSG]

Even if He tried, God couldn't forget us.  And He longs for us to lift our eyes from the stresses of our days and to remember Him.

And as we look to Him, the worries of the world melt away. 

When we see Him we find strength to face the day.

And that strength comes from knowing that we are the loved by the King and that nothing else really matters.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I've always wondered why 'Nice' biscuits are called 'Nice'.

 

Apparently they were originally made in the French city of Nice, and were called 'Fait a Nice' biscuits.  However, this name was considered too long and so it was shortened to 'Nice'.

 

I think it would be really helpful if all food was labelled in the same way.  You would know before giving it a go whether or not it would be tasty.  Sprouts, for example, could be labelled 'inedible' and save us all a lot of time.

 

I sometimes think it would be helpful if situations or events in life, or jobs, or people had similar labels, too.  It would be clear whether or not to apply for a job or who to trust.  You could easily sort out the 'good' and the 'bad' in life.

 

But, unfortunately life doesn't come with labels. 

 

The Bible says that the only real way that we can tell what people are like is by looking at their actions.  Our actions are our labels. 

 

"Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."

 

[Matthew 7:20 NLT] 

 

Our actions are the 'fruit' in our lives, the things by which we can be identified.  Our actions are the things that people will remember.  They will last longer in the minds of others than the things we say.

Actions speak louder than words. 

 

What are you saying?

 

 

 

Short-Term Memory and Cups of Tea

I have an awful short-term memory. 

When it comes to jobs I need to do, unless I write it down on something that I can't lose (usually my hand), I will immediately forget whatever it was.  There is not even a trace of the thought or an inkling in my mind.

This is most annoying for other people when they have asked me to do something and I completely forget.  I don't even remember until they remind me.  It would be annoying for me, too, but I never even remember that I have forgotten something ...

However, this isn't always bad news: it is a long-standing joke in my family that almost every time I make myself a cup of tea, I forget that I have made it.  Even if it is right next to me, if I am not looking directly at it, it is quite literally a case of "out of sight, out of mind."  Just as I start to think I really fancy a cup of tea, I turn around to be reminded that I have already made one!

I think I sometimes have a similar attitude with God.  I forget the little things that He has done for me - out of sight, out of mind - and I need to remind myself regularly.

I realised this when I came across an old journal the other day.  It was full of things that I was praying about and working through at the time, things that have now been resolved.  But until I found that book, I had completely forgotten that God had answered and resolved those prayers.

It was really special to read back over that journal and see the ways in which God has answered those prayers, even in the last few months. 

That's why, for me, it's so important to write things down - I don't want to forget what He has done, so that I don't forget what He is capable of.

I love this passage in the Psalms which reminds us to remind ourselves of what God has done -

"Once again I'll go over what God has done,

lay out on the table the ancient wonders;

I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished,

and give a long, loving look at your acts."

[Psalm 77:11-12 MSG]

Whilst I may have an awful short-term memory, God never forgets the promise and the covenant that He made with us:

           "He remembers, remembers his Covenant—

           for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word."

 

           [Psalm 105:7 MSG]

 

Let's remember to regularly remind ourselves and each other of what God has done (and continues to do), for us.

And if you ever want me to do something for you, write it down.