Press On, Your Efforts Are Not In Vein

This Christmas I was drawn to “the little things with big meanings”. My oldest & youngest daughter, who most of the time were like oil & water were as soothing to the spirit as John Coltrane. My son, who would normally with something new, monopolize any electronic equipment in the house, stepped back and shared not just his space but all spaces without being angry or intentionally irritating to his sister and god brother. They set tables, did dishes (without being asked & not just a plate or two…all of them…pots included). The little ones took their allowance and bought gifts for everyone, not holding on to the majority to buy something for themselves. The oldest one’s thought and care of the gifts she purchased resonated more than the actual gift itself. My heart beat to a different rhythm as I prepared our Christmas pot of Gumbo from my Great, Great Grandmother’s recipe knowing if Gaga (my grandmother) was here this would have been the pot she’d have told me “Ok, Kay, you make the Gumbo from now on”. To cap it off, our church service on Sunday was about the “gift of family” and the goodness of our family unit, reassuring me my true present was, is and always will be the presence of God in my family and the love we have for one another. Not always easy, but always worth while.

No family is perfect, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but we all have a critical role to play in that unit and the ability to lift ourselves to the standards laid out to us in our faith that our example lifts others is absolute, expected and a vital part of our existence. Just when you think everything you’ve done this far has fallen on deaf ears, was forgotten or completely ignored…God shows up in all of those hearts around you, true to HIS Word, letting you know your efforts were not in vein…returning to you an abundance of happiness and joy that not only represents our Father in you, but in your parents & their parents.

Today’s Scripture Message: Isaiah 55:11 (King James Version)
11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Prayer for the day:
Father, thank you for the gift of our savior, for your presence in my life, my family & friends, my church family, my prayer family and for the lives you touch through our example. May we continue reaching deeper within ourselves to elevate our walk with you that your legacy lives on forever through each and every one of us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thought for the day:

“My goal is to live the truly religious life and express it through my music. If you live it, when you play it there is no problem because the music is a part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being”. – John Coltrane

Goal for the Day:

Resolve to work on yourself and be the change you wish to see in others.