Hello from snowy Illinois!
Well, we finally got the snow Steve has been wishing for. It started coming down Friday night and didn't stop until late Saturday.
As Steve was coming home from work Saturday night, the truck caught a patch of snow and the wind carried him off the road into a ditch. After trying unsuccessfully to get out, he called emergency road service to see about help. He was told it would be 2-4 hours before anyone could come and he would need $150.00 to pay the tow truck driver. He didn't have that kind of money on him and didn't want to wait in the cold for 2 or more hours, but he didn't know what else to do. So he prayed and asked God for help. Almost immediately a couple came by and stopped. Soon they had the truck pulled out of the ditch and he was on his way home again. He came in the house filled with praises to God and a renewed faith in the power of prayer. Once again we witnessed that God's power is mightier than the power of the situations we get ourselves into!
Because of the snow, our church was canceled but did a Facebook live message. Pastor relayed how he was out with a shovel clearing his driveway when a neighbor saw him and took pity on him. The neighbor came out with his snow blower, and what would have taken hours, was done in minutes. Why? Because of power, and not just any power, but the power needed at that moment to get the job done.
As I was making bread this afternoon (using a power mixer), God started speaking to me about His power. We rely on the power of dishwashers, washing machines, electric irons, mixers, and snow blowers every day to make our lives easier. But that power can fail. However, there is one power source we often overlook, and it never fails. That is the power of God.
The power of God is available to us as His children. It is there to work with us in every situation we face. Unfortunately, so often we don't ask, we don't tap into that available power. We go about our daily lives shoveling snow and kneading bread by hand. After all, we can do it on our own, we don't need to ask for His help. It may take a little longer and use a lot more effort, but we can do it ourselves. We think we should ask for His help and power to accomplish only those things we can't do on our own. We don't realize that God wants us to ask him for more. He expects us to tap into His power every day to get the job done. He is a never-ending supply, He is not going to run out. There is no limit on what we get to use. It's not like He will say: "Oops sorry, you used your allotment of power this week, so you have to wait until next month for more." Lamentations 3:23 tells us His mercies are new every morning. 2 Peter 1:3 says His power has been granted to us for all things that pertain to life. All things means all things; big and small.
In order to really thrive this year, we need to access that power. But how do we learn to tap into that power? Ask God to show you how and practice. Remember the first time you tried to use a power tool? I remember the first time I used the Kitchen Aide stand mixer we have. I turned it on and flour went everywhere! Steve walked into the kitchen and asked me what happened, as he laughed at me. I had to learn how to use the power it had. It has taken practice, but I can now use it without throwing flour all over myself and the kitchen. It is the same when learning to work with the power of God that is available to us. It takes practice to get it right, and learning may get messy. That's ok, you will give God and the angels watching a good laugh, just like I did. So learn to use it before you absolutely have to have it. That way, when we are confronted with situations where we need to tap into that power, we know how. We have faith that God will use his power to help because we have experienced it.
As we learn to work with His power, we strengthen our relationship with God. Allowing Him to teach us to use it is fun; fun for us and for Him. Do any of you remember working in the kitchen, learning to cook with your Mom or Grandma? Or working with your Dad using his power tools? The most important part of those times was the relationship forged with the person you were with. The food might have been inedible, the table you made might be wobbly, but you had fun doing it. Did you know God wants to have fun with you? Jesus gave His life so we could have a relationship with the Father. God longed so much for a relationship with us, that Jesus volunteered to take on human flesh and die. Hebrews 12:2 says He endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. That joy was you and me. After all Jesus went through to enable us to have this relationship, don't you think He wants to enjoy and have fun with us?
This is my year to thrive. It is my year to access the power of snow blowers and electric stand mixers. I will be watching for opportunities to tap into His power to make that happen. Every morning I will ask for His grace, which is God's empowering presence. James 4:6 say he gives grace to the humble. We only need to humble ourselves to ask for it and He will give it to us. His empowering presence will be with me to guide, to teach and direct me in all things I do that day.
I'll leave you with this question today. What are you doing today that you can ask the power of God to help you with?
Until next week, stay warm and
This is my go-to bread recipe. It easy, especially, with a stand mixer and bread hook. It makes two loaves of bread or 24 rolls.
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1 comment
What a cool story about your husband getting unstuck! I think all too often we think we have to do things in our own power instead of leaning on Jesus to supply the power for us.