Abundant Living

I recently saw a simple sign that grabbed my attention: Life is a gift - each day is to be celebrated to the fullest. It clearly reminded me of the words of Jesus:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew. 6:25-33 - NIV)
Abundant living begins with the knowledge that our lives are in the hands of a compassionate and love-filled God.
God loves us and wants what is best for us no matter what happens each day. How often we try to do life on our own, making the best of what comes our way. Yet, God has an abundant quality about Him. We all know that God is so large we cannot contain His size nor comprehend it. Right now, while you read this, stop and thank God for His care over you and your cares. He loves you more than you know. Our God is not sitting on a throne far away – He is in the midst of the good -- the bad -- even the ugly of life. A few years ago I took time for an exercise in which I was asked to draw out a time-line of my life. As we looked at the time-line we were then to go back and see the trials/tribulations areas, the victories/triumphs and the times we knew that God was moving on our behalf. We also saw where He placed people in our lives as, what were called, “divine interventions.’ Upon closer examination we could see God’s fingerprints all over our time-lines and of course all over us. I challenge you to stop and look at your life and how God has been with you and for you. God was there at the best of times in our celebrations and God was there at the most difficult times -- carrying us -- rescuing us when we couldn’t’ make it on our own. He brought people into our lives at strategic points and they were used as His extensions of grace and mercy. God cares about you and desires that you have a relationship with Him in which He is allowed to see His best lived in you and then through you.
Abundant living begins with God, ends with God, is centered in God.
A dear friend of mine used to say: “It ain’t all about you sweetheart.” Then he would go onto say, “It started with God before you were even a thought in your Daddy’s mind or a twinkle in his eye.” God gives us birth and each morning when we wake up He gives us 24 hours of a new day to be lived for with Him and for Him. That day is filled with everything we need -- the choice is ours in how we use the gift of each new day. In our work, in our play, in our relationships, in this thing called living. God offers us opportunity and then empowers us to make the most of it. A simple poem I found online will help drive the point home:
"Give Lavishly! Live Abundantly!"
The more you give, the more you get --
The more you laugh, the less you fret--
The more you do unselfishly,
The more you live abundantly...
The more of everything you share,
The more you’ll always have to spare--
The more you love, the more you’ll find
Than life is good and friends are kind...
For only what we give away
Enriches us from day to day.
Poem entitled Give Lavishly! Live Abundantly!. From Someone Cares, The Collected Poems of Helen Steiner Rice, Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey, p. 54
Within each of us lives God’s presence that can touch our world to make life extraordinary. A smile here, a hug there, a word of forgiveness, a touch of kindness enriches the lives of others and gives us life in abundance. What we give of ourselves every day reflects the abundant life that God has entrusted to us.
Abundant living happens in the present moment.
How many times do we hear ourselves saying things like this: - "If only this would end, then I would be happy." - "When I go on vacation, I’ll feel better."- I can’t wait till Friday." In this moment right now we have the opportunity for God to be near and for us to sense Him. In this moment right now we can think and pray, serve and work, feel and be happy. We don’t have to wait till another day or moment. If we’re worrying about past or worrying about tomorrow - we’re missing life in this present moment.
What’s happening right now -- the person sitting next to us, working across the room, watching television over there - the sounds that we are hearing, what we are seeing with our eyes -- is life in the present moment. Learning to be present in the present moment is the blessing of abundant living. We don’t have to wait for a special occasion to celebrate and we don’t need to wait for Easter to feel God’s power, alive in us. Life in abundance has the potential to be in the moment -- slow down -- take a deep breath and watch what can happen.
Abundant living begins with the knowledge that our lives are in the hands of a loving God today. God cares and is in the present moment. Abundant living begins, ends, and is centered in God. As we give freely we will be blessed in abundance. In the present moment life new life, abundant life is being born. Don’t miss it. May we show up for all the moments of our years.