With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

I am so excited for today’s devotion! Such a cool “God-thing happened while John was at the hospital! This story is a true one and the main character is a health-care worker named Roy. Roy Dillard, if you are reading this, thank you, again, for your dedication to others and to the Lord. You never had to tell me you were a believer. I just knew. Your name tag read “Clinical Associate” but you were a much-needed angel that day. Thank you for giving me permission to share this story.

The following is what I actually wrote on April 13, while John and I were at the hospital for about 12 hours. This may be the beginning of a book I want to write, so it is a bit scary to start. There are so many stories of love to tell:)

Love’s Story

I met the sweetest Carillion employee today. Although his tag said “Clinical Associate”, I would call him a much-needed angel.

So, I am sitting in a hospital room, all set up for a long day of tests for my husband John. His heart has several serious issues that need looked at, so today is an information-gathering day for us all. The surgeons will poke and prod by way of a scope and then a catheterization. They will put a camera down his esophagus and a catheter to his heart. It dawns on me this moment that God knows the condition and issues of his heart, even though we do not have a clue. The doctors are going in to see what God already sees. I trust You, Lord, to help the doctors get to the root of his heart issues. Thank you for them as they are making a difference in our lives for the better.

I am considering how caring and compassionate the healthcare workers are. Do they ever get tired of serving others? Just then a “Clinical Associate” comes in to hook John’s heart monitor up. He is wearing a wooden amulet of sorts, around his neck. I wonder about it, but instead I blurt out, “Don’t you ever get tired of taking care of everyone?”

He looked kind of shocked, but then slowly answered… “People come in here all vulnerable and scared. They have serious conditions. They face their own mortality.”

I wondered how this answered my question, and seeming to catch my thoughts, he said, “Tina, It’s not just me helping people. It’s how they help ME. Their strength, their courage helps ME.” Can I tell you a story?”

“Of course,” I replied, intrigued. Here is the story that Roy told to me about a lady patient that I will call “Helen,” although Roy never told me any names.

“Helen” was in here for a serious heart condition, as are most of the people I see. She asked me if she could tell me a story. She patted the bed for me to sit beside her. I did. I felt bad that she was having to face difficult things. What she told me was a story from her youth.

When this lady was about the age of 14 or so, she was on a school bus on her way to school. She and her friends always sat together in the front of the bus. At one of the bus stops, some black kids got on and instantly went to the back of the bus, as was the norm at the time. She wondered why that had to be, so she turned to the back and told some of the black kids to come sit with her. However, as the invited kids considered it, Helen’s own friends thought she was crazy. They were saying things like, “What are you doing? You can’t do that! and Don’t let them come up here. They belong in the back.” So, after consideration of losing her friends, “Helen” turned back around to them, not wanting them to be mad at her.”

Helen felt such regret for years and years that she did that. She never told anyone until she told me. She dared, after seventy-some years, to ask me, a black man, to sit with her, something she did not have the courage to do when she was young. She apologized to me, saying something like, “I know you are not one of those kids, but I feel so bad that I never apologized to those kids, so I want to apologize to you and anyone of your race. I am so sorry I did that. I did not stand up to my friends and did not make friends with the kids in the back. They did not deserve to be treated that way. I was so very wrong.”

I forgave her and thanked her for sharing that with me. It meant a lot, her having the courage to tell me that story. That’s what I mean when I say I get more from them than I give. She blessed me that day!”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

I teared up. He told me he teared up, too, when Helen told him the story. I felt the pain and regret of Helen. It had been building up for years. I also felt the love in the story. Helen loved and appreciated Roy’s care of her and that must have given her courage to tell him a difficult story and admit her wrongdoing. I told Roy this..

“Roy, love made her do that. You cared for her, then she cared for you. She told you a love story, then you told me one and now I will tell others with your permission. As Helen blessed you, you have blessed me, Roy. You are a black man and I am a white woman. You told me that story with courage, knowing I would love and accept it, didn’t you? Helen’s love went to you and yours comes to me and now mine will go to someone else. Love travels like that. Love has many stories to tell. Thank you for sharing that with me. You are here to take care of John and you just worked on MY heart real good.”

THE END

Or maybe the beginning. Love does have many stories to tell. Maybe I will tell you another story sometime:)

I truly love and appreciate you all. May God bless you real good today!

Christina

It is a poem/song day, but it is always a “God’s Word Day!” We all need encouragement and there’s no better place to find it than in God’s Word. Isn’t it awesome that we have a soft place to fall when we need it? The Lord is so good! Here are a few verses that reassure us that He is compassionate and totally there for us. Here is a song also, with a tune that is still in the making. (I am no musician!) It’s about falling into Jesus’ arms. He has never dropped anyone:)

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:9,13b,14 NIV

If I Fall

I approach You, beating heart makes me want to fall apart. I’m so scared you won’t like what you see. Can’t stop now, I’m coming Lord, closer than I have before. Show me the last steps before I fall. And let me fall on You, fall into your arms, arms of love I need to feel. Keep me close and help me heal, Catch me now Show me how. Catch me Keep me Make me more like you. In your arms I feel relief, stress and problems at your feet. All I want is your will to obey. Use my feet, my heart, my all. Make me strong but if I fall, show me things I don’t know that I need. And let me fall on You, fall into your arms, arms of love I need to feel. Keep me close and help me heal Catch me now Show me how Catch me Keep me Make me more like You.

Have a great day and a restful weekend! I will be praying for you:)

Christina

Paul was in chains for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. His letters to Timothy are touching in their appeal to have Timothy continue to spread the gospel. Paul is driven, inspired, even eager to reach more and more people for Christ through Timothy’s efforts. So how can this happen while Paul is in chains? Paul says it best himself here:

 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 2 Timothy 2:8-9 NIV

God’s Word is not chained! It cannot be chained, contained or put in prison. It is living and active and enters and changes hearts and souls. The catch is, the gospel needs a spreader. Much like a farmer uses a spreader for seeds, we can be a spreader for seeds of God’s Word. Paul is a spreader! He is spreading what he calls, his gospel, through Timothy.

Not only is Paul a spreader, he is a leader-maker. He tells Timothy:

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2 NIV

Paul is telling Timothy, a leader in the making, to copy Him, not for his own glory, but to make more spreaders and teachers. That is the Unchained Gospel on the move!

Some questions for us to think on…

Am I a spreader? How so? Who do I tell about our Savior?

Am I a leader-maker? What would that look like in my life? Who would I entrust with the gospel and encourage them to tell others, as Paul did?

Personally, I pray I can be a better spreader with the goal of encouraging others to tell others, who tell others. I humbly believe this can only happen if we desire all glory go to God and the glorious gospel and not ourselves. Let’s not chain the gospel but spread it everywhere. People need to hear the message of a loving Savior and God before it is too late to tell them.

The music in my ears this morning? I Serve a Savior by Josh Turner. The chorus reminds me of Paul’s goal…

I serve a Savior
It’s what I was made for
His grace and love I don’t deserve
I will be faithful
Humble and grateful
My life is greater ’cause I serve a Savior

With love from our wonderful Father, have a wonderful day!

Christina

Do you, like me, ever get so wrapped up in handling trials that you feel down without realizing how you got there? I had a hard day yesterday and got so turned around so quickly by the enemy. On Monday, I was on a spiritual high, praising God for His care of mine and my husband’s health issues. The same day, I was made to wear a huge boot for my foot issue that hasn’t resolved, our laundry room pipe busted and we have to have the floor jack hammered and a few feet of pipe replaced, or perhaps many more. Unknown to us until Monday, John’s license was suspended three years ago! That was news to us! He found out when he got pulled over for expired car stickers. The suspension was related to a CDL work certification thing and them not receiving the paperwork that we mailed them twice, all for a CDL certification he no longer needs.

And the expired stickers? That got missed in the shuffle. We requested three times that the car be registered here in Roanoke, but Campbell County can’t seem to make that happen no matter how many people I talk to. I am pretty sure they mailed our plate stickers to our old address. Fortunately, the officer was sympathetic and John was not fined for any of this, but it will take a couple months to get his license back with the DMV slowdown, so he can’t drive for awhile. There are a couple more trials but I will not bore you with the details. I told John that I felt like laughing about it all, but it wasn’t funny! (I am laughing now…it IS funny!) We all have these trials, of that I am VERY sure and yours may be much worse than mine. So how do we stay joyful while trying to handle them? Well, we shouldn’t do what I did and let it weigh us down, lol! We need to use our faith in God.

However…our faith is not faith unless we enact it. So, how do we enact our faith? I think Paul said it best when he prayed for the Ephesians:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3: 16 NIV

Our faith comes from the glorious, rich abundance of God, and not from our being strong enough to handle it all. The more trials we have, the more prayer and stillness we need. That sounds kind of counter-productive at first but it’s true. We need to stop and think about how great and loving God is instead of focusing first on how big our trials are. Paul describes God’s love. I used to think Paul contradicted himself in the verses below:

…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 18b-21 NIV

How can we both know God’s love but it be more than we can think? We can grasp and know and be filled! We do not have to understand our trials to grasp His goodness. Though our joy sometimes depends on our circumstances, His joy and strength do NOT. He is always enough, more than enough and totally capable of filling us with joy, no matter what.

Love and prayers to you all for a blessed day in our Father’s abundant love,

Christina

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23 ESV

I wrote this poem/letter to God last January, but changed it a bit. As in any relationship, but especially in our relationship with God, we need to reevaluate often to make sure we are giving our all and telling God what He already knows, that we love Him and want to serve Him better every day.

The Vessel

Dear God,

I think I may be overdue

to tell You of my love that’s true,

to ask You for right things to do,

to act in ways You taught me to.

May my life a mission be,

serving others so they see

a vessel sold out all to Thee

and not a cup that’s filled with me.

Make me thine and thine alone.

Fill this vessel from Your throne.

Pour me out to friends unknown.

Help me point them to Your home.

Open up my eyes to see

Where I don’t give all to Thee.

Grant me opportunity

And I’ll a better vessel be.

© Copyright 2020, Christina Crute

The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel 3:22 NIV

You remember the story of Shadrach. Meshach and Abednego, who got thrown into the furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar? There was one huge battle of wills that day. Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to bow to his golden gods. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego elected not to obey his will. They desired to do God’s will. Some astrologers, or Chaldeans, noticed their disobedience to the king and “tattletailed” on them.

Nebuchadnezzar was so enraged that the three Jews would not obey him that he probably was as hot under the collar as the furnace was! He made the furnace seven times hotter than normal and told his strongest soldiers to tie them up and toss them into the furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar was determined that his will would be obeyed.

Something amazing happened next! The soldiers that took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the furnace? The flames burned the soldiers up, so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego actually FELL into the fire, all tied up! (Daniel 3:22) They were not burned up by the fire like the soldiers. Not even a hair on any of them was singed, and Nebuchadnezzar’s heart changed to one that demanded everyone follow the God of these three men.

So many things jump out to me this morning and I thank the Lord for His goodness.

1. The battle of wills will always be won by the Lord.
2. Obedience to the Lord should always be our priority, no matter the consequences.
3. Obedience to the Lord sometimes looks like disobedience to those in control.
4. God is already at work battling for us when our will matches His.
5. We can have faith in the fire because God is faithful.
6. God fights for us!

Aren’t you glad God is with us in the fire but also before the fire? I am! I am getting blessed here in my office. God is so good! He thinks of everything when it comes to carrying us through fires. Are you going through a fire today, a trial? I think this story shows us that we can do God’s will and know that He will take care of us. He is the God of everything and everyone:)

With love from the Father to you,

Christina

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7 NIV

When we have a problem we go searching for an answer; otherwise the problem will not just go away, right? We have to seek help from a reliable source though. There was a time period in our lives that my daughters and I lived alone. I was not very knowledgeable on how to handle maintenance problems with a house, so when we needed a plumber, electrician, or a water heater repairman, I panicked for a bit. Luckily, we had a neighbor across the street who apparently knew how to fix everything!

What a blessing! Not only did he know a lot, but he offered his services for free. He and his wife were older and experienced and I knew, that by going to them, I would find my answer. I also knew I would not be considered dumb or needy for asking for help. It seemed to make them happy to help. It also seemed they preferred to help me rather than giving me a number for someone else. What an example of Christ they were to me!

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us to seek Him. Why? He has the answers to our heart’s problems. He knows what we do not. He will never judge us as too needy or too uneducated. He WANTS us to seek Him constantly. He will not send us somewhere else for help, unless it is to the Bible. When we ask, we receive, every single time. Just as I knew that Buddy and Ada were always there for a sometimes overwhelmed single mom, Jesus is always there for us. All we have to do is ask!

It constantly amazes me that Jesus makes it so simple for us to grow as Christians, because He supplies all we need and He makes it super easy to come to Him. He is “one-stop-shopping” for all that soul longs for.

With the love of the Father from me to you, have a great weekend!

Christina

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NIV

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 NIV

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 NIV

Jesus set the model for our prayer time when He would go alone to be with His Father. In the verses above, notice the method and place of prayer…”alone, solitary, lonely, while it was dark, secret, with the door closed.”

If you have never experienced waking up around 5 am and sitting in a dark room, all alone with Jesus and nothing else, I highly recommend it. Seriously, a simple act of sitting still for a few minutes with Your creator in the dark and the quiet just might change your life. It is dramatic and holy what stillness and darkness, combined with the presence of God feels like. Have you spent time with Him alone lately, with no distractions? Do you think you may want to try it? Do you not have enough time to do so?

God understands. He really does. Although He is perfect, He understands we are not; we do not always give Him the time alone that He deserves. Our time is limited and has daily pressures that need to be addressed. He wants to be with us, though, as we face each day. Even if you only have five minutes, try sitting in an empty dark room with no phone, tv or to-do list, or anything you may want to check, watch, read or worry about. Make it just about you and God and that’s all.

I am still learning, but this is one of the things it took me decades to grasp and value. Being still and just communing with God is one of the most powerful connectors to Him. God showed me that simpler is better, quieter is better and, many times, less asking and talking is better. It honors Him when we make the time to just abide with Him and in Him. It really is that simple and that wonderful to be with the One who made us and knows us and loves us more than anyone else. Try it! You will like it, I promise. He always meets You where you seek Him:)

Because I love you all with the love of the Father,

Christina

Here is a poem about for today! When we ask in prayer, Jesus takes away the darkness and strife in our souls and replaces it with joy and light!

ASKING FOR LIGHT

Dark clouds in the morning

Then joy and light, refreshingly bright

Open wide in my soul.

I talk to the Savior

A friend to all, He comes when I call

Wanting me to be whole.

Though I tend to worry

He makes me know , refreshingly so

He has all in control.

As I pray for some peace,

Joy comes to me, by His light I see

All my burdens He stole.

Now I praise Him for all

He’s done for me, my soul starts to sing

Let His due praises roll.

©Christina Crute 2021

I opened randomly to the book of Jeremiah and started reading; I found myself in the middle of a dramatic story. God was mad at Judah! Why? It was because they were worshipping other gods. Apparently, Israel and Judah broke the covenant with God! They had so many gods! “As many gods as you have towns,” God told them. (Jeremiah 11: I3 NIV) I would be mad, too, if someone I loved and made a promise with, turned against me, especially to gods made by human hands. What could wooden or golden or metal creations do for someone anyhow? Jeremiah quotes God as saying,

“They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them,” Jeremiah 11:10 NIV

Can I be real here?…don’t we do the same thing in a way? Do we go on social media to catch up on how everyone is doing and spend too much time there? Do we spend more time watching tv than reading our Bible, when we need to relax? Do we spend more time making our own plans than praying for God’s guidance? We may even watch and talk about the news more than we read and talk about The Good News. We choose our own ways and sources of being served, entertained and counseled, rather than always looking to God. I am not saying these things are wrong at all, but our proportion of time can make these things our gods in a way.

I am always harder on myself than anyone else, so no judgement here. I am guilty of letting other things besides God soothe me when I am down or life feels chaotic. My goal is to defend God and His need for our love, time and attention also. Let’s be careful about where we go for comfort:)

I love you all. Thanks for accepting my simple words, in an effort to glorify and love on our awesome God:)

Christina