When the Storms Break

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your Seat Belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, “We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened.”

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, “We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.”

And then the storm broke…

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, “As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.

“Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently, the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

“Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvellous child was completely composed and unafraid.” The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising, therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behaviour of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, “Cause my Daddy’s the pilot, and he’s taking me home.”

There are many kinds of storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don’t worry!

— Author Unknown

Meditation: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. – Psalm 46:1-3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Ideas may become feasible

Ideas may become feasible by talking about them, but they will neither become tangible nor grow until you start working them.

-Babatunde Oladele

How to Increase in Grace (2)

 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
– 2 Peter 1:2

Grace is endowed as required to carry out the responsibilities of an office, spiritual or secular. Grace answers to purpose, assignments, and calling, as allotted by God. But no two individuals have the same measure of grace, even if they hold the same office and have a similar calling.

The scripture above sheds light on the one reason people have different portions of grace. The apostle, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says grace is multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, His Son. The Bible does not say that grace is multiplied to anyone based on his office, background, assignments, or any such consideration. While there is grace available to execute them, that grace becomes multiplied only in proportion to one’s knowledge of God. That means the extent you know God is the extent you would increase in grace. And because it is not possible for two or more individuals to know God in the same degree, that is why it may, perhaps, be difficult to see people who share the same measure of grace.

Grace rules in every area of life. That is why your relationship with God will influence your bearing, performance and results in different aspects of life such as work, business, career, marriage, ministry, academic, and other such spheres.

It takes grace to be among the high flyers in whatever setup you find yourself in. And, whilst you have enough grace to get by, you need an increasing measure of grace to get to the top and to remain there. To receive this, your personal altar must be in place; you need a closer walk with God in addicted prayer life, Bible study, fellowship with the brethren and selfless service. The more of these you do, without leaving other important diligence of life undone, the more you will increase in the knowledge of God, and the more aura of grace you will enjoy to be more and do more.

Try it and you will testify.

You will succeed in Jesus’ Name!

Prayer Won't Avert Every Mistake

 

There are some mistakes prayer will not avert until the lesson is learnt and adjustment is made.

How to Increase in Grace (1)

 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
– 2 Peter 1:2

Grace. That beautiful word. How sweet it sounds in the ear, how melodious it is in the mouth. It does not just sound good in the mouth and the ear, it is also pleasant in meaning. It is pleasing to receive, it is nice to ascribe.

It is an often-used word that never becomes redundant. Almost everyone who is aware and achieving appreciates its essence. Nobody is too big or too good for grace, neither is anyone too small for it or unworthy of it. The apostle needs it, the archbishop needs it; the clergy needs it, the laity needs it; the adult needs it, the young ones need it; the saint needs it as much as the sinner.

Oftentimes, it is the distinguishing factor between an achiever and a struggler; it separates the high flyer and the no-performer. Without it, anything will be laborious, with it, things become easy.

It is commonly described as “unmerited favour.” How true. But its manifestation is not restricted to favour alone. Depending on the peculiar circumstance or need, grace could be strength, capacity, supplies, encouragement, inspiration, deliverance, healing, and so on to whoever it is endowed with at a point in time.

By divine providence, everyone has a measure of grace. But there is a difference in the degree of grace that each individual enjoys. We do not all have the same measure of it. That is why different individuals with the same training or calling, using the same resources, will not always turn in the same results. One or two of them will achieve greater success than others. That is grace at work, setting some apart from the rest.

To be continued…

You will succeed in Jesus’ Name!

Life Is A Hard Teacher

 

Life is a hard teacher. In its Academy, there is no progress to the next phase until the lessons of the current state are well learned and imbibed.

-Babatunde Oladele

You Make A Choice

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

“When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued, “I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

“Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team but, as a father, I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay… As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all teammates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first! Run to first!’

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball…. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’ s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay!’

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third! Shay, run to third!’

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.”

“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”

“Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!”

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’ So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.

Meditation: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. – Romans 15:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!