If Only

The only abilities of those that we don’t have are rewind and fast forward. Those options really would change the game entirely. Can you imagine? So many things…

Who would we be if we could redo our pasts and jump ahead to our futures at will? Would those people we choose to meet and reach out to in our lives choose to keep memories and connections with us? If we erase and avoid past traumas, will we find ourselves and the places and people we otherwise get to?

And what if everyone had telepathy, as well as being empathic, and absolutely truthful? If everyone could hear each others’ thoughts, feel each others’ emotions, always spoke the truth. Who would we be if everyone could see/hear exactly what we think and feel all the time? The world would be Amazing? Terrible? Inconceivably different.

Can’t relive or change the past. Can’t fast forward to the future. Can’t hear or fully trust everyone’s thoughts, feelings, and words.

But marvel at what we have: the abilities to choose, communicate, learn, comprehend, apologize, feel, consider, pause, compose our words and actions — we can compose our words and actions! We can make the choices to be who we are and do what we do, rather than being subject purely to our impulses, bare feelings and exposed thoughts. We can remember, we can change our paths, our minds; we can reach out as we choose and close away too. And no one can take our past and no one can change our future because no one has those buttons; we’re all in this together.

Adapted from Ferrydust

The Faithfulness of God

Here's today's post from Our Daily Bread.

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Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God." —Mark 11:22

Some of Jesus' words to His disciples about having faith in God leave me wondering if I can ever exercise that level of trust and confidence in prayer. I can't recall telling a mountain to relocate itself into the ocean and watching it happen.

Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, said that Jesus' words in Mark 11:22, "Have faith in God," could be translated, "Hold on to the faithfulness of God."

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of London's Westminster Chapel, appreciated Taylor's insight and said: "Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties. . . . Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith looks at God . . . . Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man's faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God. . . . He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered."

"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations" (Ps. 119:89-90). — David C. McCasland

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever—
He is faithful, changing never;
Neither force nor guile can sever
Those He loves from Him. —Kelly

Life is not always fair, but God is always faithful.

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When we talk about faith, hope and love, we oftentimes forget that without "trust", we can never realize these 3. Many times we talked so boldly about loving God, and putting our hopes and faith in Him, but at the back of our minds, we have numerous doubts on the extent of His might. Human as we are, the Lord understands and forgives, simply because of love. This alone should awaken us, that God's faithfulness in us is so huge, all we could ever do is to leave everything up to Him. It is so easy to say, "Thy will be done", but do we really mean it when we say these words? Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, to check the status of our faith each day.... I guess it's a healthy and humble way to keep in touch with God, and at the same time, ourselves.

In times of worry and confusion, I always remind myself -- There's a time for everything. Trust in God and you will never go wrong. The best is yet to come.

May we have that constant communication with Him. May we continue to pray for each other so that we continue, re-gain, or deepen, our trust in the Lord. Have a wonderful Wednesday. God bless everyone!

Blessed

You are free
When you fear nothing but God
You can express what you feel
Without worrying if others
Will agree or disagree
On matters that make you
Sad or happy
You are not shaken
By their opinions
Objections or reactions
You are pleased
Even by the smallest things
That seem to pour down
With overwhelming abundance
Counting each one as a blessing
Till there's nothing else left
For you to do but
Thank Him
Praise Him
Love Him
And trust in Him
Little by little
You feel how He sees
Your innermost desires
And you learn to hope
Without expectations
Because later on
Your desires
Will become so irrelevant
That you will wonder
How could you have yearned for more
When in fact you already have so much....