A day filled with gratefulness
Yesterday started with worship, prayer and fellowship. Then in the cool of our sunny, fresh Minnesota weather, my husband and I traveled to Harriet Island in the Mississippi River located on the edge of St. Paul to take part in the last day of Irish Fair Celebration.
We experienced a wide variety of Irish dance, song, bands, art, and culture. It was great to see very young dancers who had already mastered the intricate stomping steps of the Irish Jig. They were so cute in their elaborate customs. Of course, the more advanced groups were truly talented as they kicked up their heels and made the dance seem so effortless as they floated back and forth across the stages located in various large tents scattered throughout this picturesque island.
As we walked from one entertainment to another, I was so thankful for so many things. Throughout the day, it was impossible not to be aware of the many blessings we have here in our country. Every person we met was gracious, polite, concerned, and joyful. The whole atmosphere was to me, a wonderful reflection of what this world is meant to be and what it will be on the day when Christ returns in glory to unite heaven and earth.
Then the great questions rose in my mind: Why here? Why are we so blessed when people in Iraq can’t walk to work without fearing they will be killed on the way? Why can we choose to stop at any or all of the food booths and taste a wonderful variety of delicious foods when thousands in Africa are starving to death everyday? If I am so blessed, what is my place, my calling, my responsibility in this world to help spread this kind of peace and wonderment to others?
All the answers were not immediately evident to me. I did come away with a renewed spirit of thankfulness and a tremendous desire to be guided by the Spirit Who lives in me so that I will use every opportunity to help spread the spirit of peace to those around me. I was humbled and grateful for all the wonders of the gifts that God grants me everyday.
From a human standpoint, we can never hope to see the purpose and plan of God in everything. We humans with our fallen natures are the cause of the evils that befall others. If we have pledged to accept Christ in our lives, we can hope to make changes. He has taken out our hearts of stone and replaced them with a new heart. He begins a wonderful transformation in us. It takes a lifetime but we have the means to enjoy the journey while it is being done. When we acknowledge that we can do nothing without His saving power, He sends us The Helper, The Holy Spirit, to dwell in our hearts. If we think that we can make it on our own, then there is no need for a Helper.
Join the family of God and help spread peace and prosperity throughout the world. That is why we were created. That is the focus of our lives as children of a merciful God.