More than...?

(11.10.21– Good Endings! –Numbers 33: 1-49)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Do you wonder sometimes how people like that make it look so easy? How did they do it? Were they just lucky?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

I opened up the paper the other day to a picture of a fifty-something man sitting inside of his car smiling from ear to ear. The headline was "Franchising has become popular among people in their 50s, 60s." Here was this guy, only a few years older than me, sitting in his beautiful car and smiling from ear to ear; smiling because he had made it, he was on top of the franchise world and life just couldn't get any better than this. I stared at that picture, stroking the few strands of hair on my chrome dome, and wondered how he had been so lucky. Not only was his hair full and in place, he was looking at a retirement that would be full of promise and material rewards. Man how I wished I could have rocketed to success like that. Sitting atop the franchise world looked pretty good to me at that moment. It also seemed like a much better path to success than this daily plodding that I was doing.

Do you wonder sometimes how people like that make it look so easy? How did they do it? Were they just lucky?

Amy Carmichael writes: "Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step, by little bits of wills, little denials of self, little inward victories, by faithfulness in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment. (Amy Carmichael quoted in: Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 130.)

"Step by step little bits!" It's hard to see sometimes that what appears like instant fame and success may really have been nothing more than a whole bunch of enabling baby steps. I went back and finished the story about franchising and dis- covered that the path to the featured entrepreneur's success had been deliberate and slow. It took years, a lot of work and a whole bunch of mistakes to be in that photo. The article chronicled the laborious process that took him to the top. It had not been an easy journey, but there was one thing that he had done right all along. When he made a business mistake, he learned from it and moved on, trying not to repeat that same mistake twice. He had kept a careful log of his progress throughout his career, a business diary of sorts. This was his real key to success; being able to identify failure, build on the experience and move on always with an eye on improvement, never dwelling on the losses. How about our success as believers? Would keeping a similar spiritual diary, a record of successes and failures, be a good way of avoiding costly mistakes that we don't wish to repeat; not a bad idea if you're willing to be deliberate and take those baby steps!

We pray. Heavenly Father, You have shown us that the real key to success; being able to identify failure, is to build on the experiences we have and move on always with an eye on improvement, never dwelling on the losses. You also remind us that this holds true for our success as believers. Encourage us to keep a spiritual diary, a record of successes and failures, to help us avoid costly mistakes we don't wish to repeat. Help us by Your Spirit Lord to be deliberate and take those baby steps when we need to! In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

More than...?

(11.10.21– Good Endings! –Numbers 33: 1-49)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Do you wonder sometimes how people like that make it look so easy? How did they do it? Were they just lucky?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

I opened up the paper the other day to a picture of a fifty-something man sitting inside of his car smiling from ear to ear. The headline was "Franchising has become popular among people in their 50s, 60s." Here was this guy, only a few years older than me, sitting in his beautiful car and smiling from ear to ear; smiling because he had made it, he was on top of the franchise world and life just couldn't get any better than this. I stared at that picture, stroking the few strands of hair on my chrome dome, and wondered how he had been so lucky. Not only was his hair full and in place, he was looking at a retirement that would be full of promise and material rewards. Man how I wished I could have rocketed to success like that. Sitting atop the franchise world looked pretty good to me at that moment. It also seemed like a much better path to success than this daily plodding that I was doing.

Do you wonder sometimes how people like that make it look so easy? How did they do it? Were they just lucky?

Amy Carmichael writes: "Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step, by little bits of wills, little denials of self, little inward victories, by faithfulness in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment. (Amy Carmichael quoted in: Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 130.)

"Step by step little bits!" It's hard to see sometimes that what appears like instant fame and success may really have been nothing more than a whole bunch of enabling baby steps. I went back and finished the story about franchising and dis- covered that the path to the featured entrepreneur's success had been deliberate and slow. It took years, a lot of work and a whole bunch of mistakes to be in that photo. The article chronicled the laborious process that took him to the top. It had not been an easy journey, but there was one thing that he had done right all along. When he made a business mistake, he learned from it and moved on, trying not to repeat that same mistake twice. He had kept a careful log of his progress throughout his career, a business diary of sorts. This was his real key to success; being able to identify failure, build on the experience and move on always with an eye on improvement, never dwelling on the losses. How about our success as believers? Would keeping a similar spiritual diary, a record of successes and failures, be a good way of avoiding costly mistakes that we don't wish to repeat; not a bad idea if you're willing to be deliberate and take those baby steps!

We pray. Heavenly Father, You have shown us that the real key to success; being able to identify failure, is to build on the experiences we have and move on always with an eye on improvement, never dwelling on the losses. You also remind us that this holds true for our success as believers. Encourage us to keep a spiritual diary, a record of successes and failures, to help us avoid costly mistakes we don't wish to repeat. Help us by Your Spirit Lord to be deliberate and take those baby steps when we need to! In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.