Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James 1:25 (NIV)
But first ...
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Enjoy the feel of this week's Mary's Musings inspirational post!
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My great niece’s offering was precious and, to my great surprise, impactful.
I’d had the joy of interacting with her (7 going on, oh, 28) during a visit with family in Texas.
One evening, she was sitting down at the kitchen table, enjoying a Jimmy John’s sub. On the crinkly wrapper beside it lay a pickle wedge.
Pickles. One of Mary's favorites—second only to Peanut M&Ms..
If there isn’t a support group for pickle enthusiasts, there should be.
Gaze zeroing in on it, I asked her if she liked pickles. Please say no.
She returned an enthusiastic nod.
Drat.
"Well," I said, "if you get too full and don't want to eat all of it, Great Aunt Mary would love to have it.".
Brow wrinkled in thought, she returned a sheepish “get your mitts off my pickle” smile.
Leaving the burden of decision with her, I returned to the front room and sat at a writing desk. Minutes later, she approached the desk and raised her palms, inside which lay two slabs of pickle on a napkin.
They weren’t hers. I suspect she’d nabbed them from the refrigerator, giving Great Aunt Mary double the amount.
But it was her words that impacted me ...
“I thought about what you said.”
Innocence, simplicity and refreshing honesty.
Her action required a childlike pondering to consider the needs of another.
It demonstrated the heart of Jesus.
What if we approached scripture with the same vigor and readiness to act on his directives.
“Lord, I thought about what you said.”
... not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it.
❤️ Give to those in need. (Proverbs 14:31)
❤️ Speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15
❤️ Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he raised him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)
❤️ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6, NIV)
❤️ Trust in him at all times. (Psalm 62:8)
❤️ In everything give thanks. (I Thessalonians 5:18) And yes, that said everything
❤️ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.( James 1:2)
You get the idea.
Ever since the pickle offering, I get the idea too.
To be the recipient of someone—in this case, a young, simple soul—who gave consideration to what I said and acted on it was humbling and astonishing.
Admittedly, I pride myself on daily Bible reading. But, being honest here ... so what? If you and I and others aren't propelled to action by all that devotion to study scripture, we've only invested an admirable amount of time reading and thinking about what God said. If anyone can ponder herself into a coma, it'd be me.
Taking notes, maybe filling a large volume of journals for future generations.
But what a world-wide difference it could make if I—if we—acted on those things God illuminated in our mind and heart and soul.
When was the last time you were the recipient of someone who'd acted on a Spirit-led prompt to say or do something? When have you blessed another by acting on something God had said?
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✏️Here's a link to the talk I gave April 20th with a dear friend of mine. Shining Your Light in Brokenness has received over 120 views!! May it encourage you in seasons of hardship and give you proper pers