The pleasure is in the little things; a few little things that have made me happy recently:
- I was given a beautiful, slender, pink rose, which came in a package worthy of a work of art, which was difficult to remove; it currently sits on my table in my beautiful Bulgarian vase.
- Renée called me again to thank me for what I do, to encourage me and to tell me that she is praying for me.
- The welcome I received last night at my hotel couldn't have been friendlier. For frequent travelers like me, it's so nice to arrive somewhere where they celebrate your return, greet you by name, and exempt you from formalities and ID because they know you. It makes you feel a bit at home.
- An old friend of almost three decades paid me this lovely compliment: 'I think I can safely say that you remain the most wonderful person on the planet', I of course agreed with him, wouldn't you have? Don't tell me otherwise, flattery will take you far.
What are some nice things that have happened to you lately?
It's past midnight. I'm returning from our prayer meeting, which ended at exactly 10:00 PM. It's the Pastor's custom to ask us what we thought of the articles posted on this blog. But our long silence after such a question is proof that we're not curious or even responsive, or perhaps not responsive enough... And yet, as we browse this blog, we quickly realize that there's plenty of material to exchange a few words...
What inertia! What immobility!
How long does it take us to get off the beaten track?
How long does it take for us to finally get moving and accept the transformations that God wants to bring about in our lives?
It is very painful to make this observation every time.
To tell you clearly what I think: I am tired of tiring myself and doing the same to others...
I think this is the case for many of Christ's followers at Abba House.
I was late (again) to the prayer meeting this evening.
What made me happy was that I repented (again) for the umpteenth time and promised the Lord not to do this to Him again (hum, let's wait and see what happens next...)
What pleased me this evening was the momentum I felt, the desire to be more than useful to God.
What a great feeling to know you are useful for something!
This week, a friend expressed her gratitude and called me a “gift.” I looked at myself without really believing it. I think that God makes anyone who devotes themselves to him a “gift,” pleasant to look at… (hum, we shouldn’t believe it too much either, because it’s him who makes the package and who offers it. So we must simply let ourselves be offered)
I was pleased to know that I am “God’s walking gift” :)
Hmm.
I have noticed something surprising in our prayer meetings.
We often find ourselves "inactive" when asked if we have a story to share. But one person, not without difficulty, always steps forward to share.
At the beginning, without a plan of action or basis for a story, she is convinced that 1 or more events experienced a few minutes/hours/days before can give glory to God. And, surprisingly, when she opens her mouth she distinctly remembers each element, and therefore recounts “these things” experienced and received during the day/week, things that are certainly “simple” and ordinary, and can therefore be taken for granted.
Curiously again, this first impulse, clearly very communicative, gives rise to a collective enthusiasm: that of testifying! And there you have it! Once the amnesia has gone, the desire to express our gratitude to God takes over! Instead of 1, we give a plethora of testimonies! The meeting room fills with endless “hallelujahs”. One testimony leads to another. God is simply glorified!
Recently, a friend told me this: “I’ve noticed that you’ve changed a lot.” She added, “A few months ago, you weren’t the same person.” And, referring to some of the services I had provided her, she concluded with this praise: “You are a gift to me.”
I, of course, returned the compliment.
And here is what recently made me happy:
I recently had the pleasure
– to realize that I am surrounded by “quality” people who constantly lift me up,
– to experience joy and peace during difficult times.
What constantly pleases me is:
– knowing that God wants me to know Him (to certainly move forward better)
– to take pleasure in His presence in my home (out of church)
– to know that with Him, there are no regrets for “failures”, because He always gives us a way to make up for them, and even to do even better!
– to know that He is simply taking care of me. Hmm. I am happy to know that God is keeping an eye on me.
– finally, as Pastor Bola writes on this blog: “I enjoy taking pleasure in Christ so that He may be glorified by the pleasure I take in Him.”
I enjoy serving Him at Abba House…
Scoop: “La Pastora, I am pleased to serve Jesus alongside you” 🙂
You'll probably be pulling my ears for a while longer, but there's hope: I certainly won't be the same in a few months :)
To my fellow readers: “Let’s keep contributing to this blog. It’s very enriching.”
Happy reading… 😉