I have the great privilege of spending two nights in the wonderful town of Lynton once again. We chose to come once again to Sinai house because it was so good last year. Deb and Nigel are great hosts, the room is fantastic with it's views over the Bristol Channel and over to South Wales which holds some of the most precious memories that we have in our married life.
The weather last time was ideal and so we walked for miles and thoroughly enjoyed the freedom that we have on two feet. It could not have been more different this time. The weather is grey and very, very wet and so our views of Wales re shrouded in mystery and hope. We might wonder whether it is still there at all but every now and then as if ti tease us it showed something of it's glory through the thick cloud and mist.
We are so glad that it has not disappeared because that is our next destination, three days are to come in our adopted homeland and we are looking forward to seeing old friends and above all worshipping with the church once again. Ogmore-by-Sea has such wonderful memories but before we get there I have been impressed by three commandments written on the wall of our room in Sinai house. They are not inscribed by a Divine Hand but are there by courtesy of Deb and Nigel for the encouragement of all who stay there.
It would do us Christians well sometimes to consider these 3 commands even though they are not divinely inspired. They are vitally important for our human well-being.
We are created to live, not simply to exist. Life was always intended to be LIVED. Some of us grovel our way through our lives as if they were nothing but inconvenience. We are made to live life to the full. Every moment of it! That means that in good times and bad times life is wonderful. I recently read a book by Philip Yancey about the purpose of pain. In it he recounts a statement of a person who was in the advanced stages of cancer who when asked what it was like to be dying of cancer said that she was not dying but living despite cancer. She was joyous in her sufferings and truly living every day and enjoying every moment despite the pain, disability and distress that the disease was causing. Are you truly living life with that mindset?
How could they be so at ease?
Faith in Jesus certainly helped.
Misery is one of the sins that Christians are most guilty of. We often sing songs stating how wonderful life is because of our Saviour but it is often said that Christians do not tell lies; they sing them!
Life, people and circumstance is full of humour and it is not sinful to laugh. It takes many less muscles to smile than it does to scowl so I must ask the question "why do so many of us prefer to waste our energy in misery?" The old Christian hymn "Oh happy day" has an added chorus which says: "At the cross where I first saw the Light and the burden of my heart rolled away" and that has caused me to be"happy all the day!" But is that true? As a Christian I have received amazing grace and forgiveness from God Almighty, surely that should bring more than a smile but true happiness. remember Jesus called His disciples to be "fishers of men" and not viscous old men which is what so many of us appear to be from our faces.
Let us never forget to laugh everyday; at least once!
The bible tells us that we are to love God because He first loved us. We are then in turn to love other Christians and through this outsiders will see that we belong to Jesus. We also read that God so loves people who are not yet His and so because we do not know who will one day be called by Him we ought to love all people because it is by love that the Kingdom is built. It is of course God's love but we must show His love as we live our 70-ish years upon this planet.
Do we truly love as Jesus loves??
These are three very modern commands which are designed for the benefit of all but I do believe that we Christians need to take notice of them and live with them in mind every day
Thanks deb & Nigel for the challenge.
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