The offering?

04.02.21 –Brotherly Love! – Revelations 2:6

My friend, may I ask you a question? It’s easy to overlook these offerings of love from those we love, especially when we’re preoccupied with our own comforts–isn’t it?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

It was a pretty chewed-up, old fetching toy drenched in dog saliva with bits of stuffing beginning to poke out here and there. It was also Jubbie’s favorite toy. Now it was nestled in my hand because it was also my daughter’s Labrador’s more precious offering. I had just come home from the office years ago and she was excited and anxious to show me how happy she was to see me. To her it was a special offering of affection. To me? Well, I just had to overcome the feel of the thing to dig down deep enough to see the object of her affection.

It’s easy to overlook these offerings of love, especially when we’re preoccupied with our own comforts–isn’t it?

Here’s a story: According to a legend, a desert wanderer found a crystal spring of unsurpassed freshness. The water was so pure that he decided to bring some to his king. Barely satisfying his own thirst, he filled a leather bottle with the water and carried it many days beneath the desert sun before he reached the palace. When he finally laid his offering at the feet of his sovereign, the water had become stale because of the old container in which it had been stored. But the king would not let his faithful subject even imagine that it was unfit for use. He tasted it with expressions of gratitude and delight, and the loyal man went away with a heart filled with gladness. After he had gone, others sampled the water and expressed their surprise that the king had even pretended to enjoy it. “Ah,” said he, “it was not the water I tasted, but the love that prompted the offering.”

When someone in your life does something special for you, no matter how little or insignificant (or, for that matter, however inconvenient), are you there with praise or indifference? Those little “let me help you with your coat” or “I’ll do that for you” offerings are common in life. They are expressions of love on the part of those who care about us. Often they come from a child or just some kind person we often take for granted. The fact is that each of these kindnesses is an offering. We can receive these with indifference or with gratitude; choosing to fill a heart with gladness or sorrow. Our love is often a choice of digging down deep enough to discover the hidden joys in the little kindnesses of this life.

We pray. Heavenly Father, When someone in our life does something special for us, no matter how little or insignificant, help us to be there with praise and not indifference. Those little “let me help you with your coat” or “I’ll do that for you” offerings, as common as they are in life, are often the very objects of our scorn or impatience. Please forgive us, for these are expressions of love on the part of those who care about us. Each of these kindnesses is an offering. We can receive these with indifference or with gratitude; choosing to fill a heart with gladness or sorrow. Lord, our love is often a choice of digging down deep enough to discover the hidden joys in the little kindnesses of this life.

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!”

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

The offering?

04.02.21 –Brotherly Love! – Revelations 2:6

My friend, may I ask you a question? It’s easy to overlook these offerings of love from those we love, especially when we’re preoccupied with our own comforts–isn’t it?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

It was a pretty chewed-up, old fetching toy drenched in dog saliva with bits of stuffing beginning to poke out here and there. It was also Jubbie’s favorite toy. Now it was nestled in my hand because it was also my daughter’s Labrador’s more precious offering. I had just come home from the office years ago and she was excited and anxious to show me how happy she was to see me. To her it was a special offering of affection. To me? Well, I just had to overcome the feel of the thing to dig down deep enough to see the object of her affection.

It’s easy to overlook these offerings of love, especially when we’re preoccupied with our own comforts–isn’t it?

Here’s a story: According to a legend, a desert wanderer found a crystal spring of unsurpassed freshness. The water was so pure that he decided to bring some to his king. Barely satisfying his own thirst, he filled a leather bottle with the water and carried it many days beneath the desert sun before he reached the palace. When he finally laid his offering at the feet of his sovereign, the water had become stale because of the old container in which it had been stored. But the king would not let his faithful subject even imagine that it was unfit for use. He tasted it with expressions of gratitude and delight, and the loyal man went away with a heart filled with gladness. After he had gone, others sampled the water and expressed their surprise that the king had even pretended to enjoy it. “Ah,” said he, “it was not the water I tasted, but the love that prompted the offering.”

When someone in your life does something special for you, no matter how little or insignificant (or, for that matter, however inconvenient), are you there with praise or indifference? Those little “let me help you with your coat” or “I’ll do that for you” offerings are common in life. They are expressions of love on the part of those who care about us. Often they come from a child or just some kind person we often take for granted. The fact is that each of these kindnesses is an offering. We can receive these with indifference or with gratitude; choosing to fill a heart with gladness or sorrow. Our love is often a choice of digging down deep enough to discover the hidden joys in the little kindnesses of this life.

We pray. Heavenly Father, When someone in our life does something special for us, no matter how little or insignificant, help us to be there with praise and not indifference. Those little “let me help you with your coat” or “I’ll do that for you” offerings, as common as they are in life, are often the very objects of our scorn or impatience. Please forgive us, for these are expressions of love on the part of those who care about us. Each of these kindnesses is an offering. We can receive these with indifference or with gratitude; choosing to fill a heart with gladness or sorrow. Lord, our love is often a choice of digging down deep enough to discover the hidden joys in the little kindnesses of this life.

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!”

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