Category: Encouragement

Sing Sweetest in the Dark

Sing a little song of trust,

Oh my heart!

Sing it just because you must,

As leaves start;

As flowers push their way through dust;

Sing, my heart, because you must.

Wait not for an eager throng —

Bird on bird;

It’s the solitary song

That is heard.

Every voice at dawn will start,

Be a nightingale, my heart!

Sing across the winter snow,

Pierce the cloud;

Sing when mists are drooping low —

Clear and loud;

But sing sweetest in the dark;

He who slumbers not will hark.

And when He hears you sing, He will bend down with a smile on His kind face. As He cheerfully listens, He will say, “Sing on, dear child. I hear you and I am coming to deliver you. I will carry that load for you. So just lean hard on Me, and the road will get smoother by and by.”

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! – Philippians 4:4

~ Taken from Streams in the Desert, December 28th

Photo Credit: Singing Nightingale, an acrylic painting by Laura Milnor Iverson

Using Worry as an Opportunity

In the midst of the legitimate concerns of life, we need not quiver with fear. God will sustain us by His power. When we feel vulnerable, we become distracted by our concerns. God can sustain us during those worrisome times, not by promising that nothing bad will happen, but by reminding us that we were made to trust Him above all else. In a broken world, we have no guarantees except that God can be trusted, and that He wants us to draw on the depths of His love and grace in every circumstance that He gives or allows. We too can use worry as an opportunity to say, “Therefore we will not fear” (Psalm 46:2).

~ from Overcoming Worry, by David Egner

I was greatly encouraged by reading a section from Overcoming Worry – Turning Fear into Faith last night. I felt very burdened at the time, and God prompted me to pick up this little booklet and to meditate on what it said.

The section that I read referred to Matthew 6:25-34, so I wanted to share that with you as well. Wow–did it ever challenge me to trust that God will take care of me, and that I do not need to worry!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So the next time we are tempted to worry, let’s use worry as an opportunity to trust that God is in control and that He has our best interests at heart! ❤

the-birds-of-the-air

Photo from: HD Nice Wallpapers / Edited by: Me 🙂

Blessed to be a Blessing

I’ve been blessed to sponsor a beautiful, 12-year-old girl from Mexico named Perla for about seven years now. I support her through Compassion International, an organization that seeks to “release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” The idea is for me to be a blessing to her, but I have to say–she is just as much a blessing to me.

We send correspondence to each other as often as possible, so that we can learn about the circumstances going on in each other’s lives, and can understand how to pray for each other better.

I received a letter from Perla recently, and it really brightened my day. I had been feeling pretty down, but hearing from her and knowing that she was thinking about and praying for me helped to lift my spirits. I would like to share with you the letter that she sent to me. Please take note that the letter has been translated from Spanish to English, so sometimes the wording is a little different.

Hello dear godmother,

I’m very good, thanks to God. I’m glad to know you like to read my letter. Thank you very much for remember my birthday and for been thinking in me, I get very happy when I receive a letter of you, those are always good days.

I sad to know that you haven’t find a job already; I hope you find one soon and your day get better. I’m glad to know that God have help you and I hope he keep doing it. Thank for you prayers and blessings. I send greetings to your family, and especially to you and Roy. May God keep you safe to you and your family. Hugs and kisses.

Perla

The photo at the beginning of this post is a picture that Perla colored for me. “Te quiero mucho” is Spanish for “I love you very much.” It is so special to know that Perla cares for me, and that my support of her makes a positive impact in her life.

If you have ever considered sponsoring a child, I would definitely encourage you to do so. The relationship you can build is something that you will always treasure, and your sponsored child will be as much a blessing to you as you are to them. ❤