Lightworker

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “All right then, have it your way.”

C.S. Lewis

Most of us retract what we say we are going to do in the Third Step. WE turn our will over then when the heat is on, we grab it back and do it our way. If we do this often enough, and for long periods of time, the Higher Power sighs like an exasperated parent, determines we are not ready for His help, and lets us bungle our way until we hurt enough to try it again, His way.

When we let go of our Higher Power, we latch on to those around us in a tottering dance of dependency. And when we drop from exhaustion from trying to do it our way, we can either stay down or retrace our steps and do it His way. The choice is ours.

Today I will let my Higher Power work miracles.

When we lose God, it is not God who is lost.

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.
–George Bernard Shaw

It’s easy to let circumstances determine how we think and behave. While it’s true that some events seem devastating, our relationship with a Higher Power can help us accept and even grow from experiences that seem impossible to cope with.

We all have known men and women who’ve handled grave upsets far more easily than we have. How did they do it? They have no magic. Rather, they may be more comfortable letting their Higher Power help them accept and understand unfortunate circumstances. Once we accept our anger or disappointment, we’re free to move on to better feelings. We begin to realize we have choices in how we look at problems.

We are never given more than we can handle. We can develop acceptance of any circumstances, but our success in doing so comes mainly through our reliance on God to show us the way.

God will help me handle the uncontrollable events of today. Through acceptance, I can change my feelings at any moment - even right now.

You are reading from the book:

In God’s Care by Karen Casey

UNANSWERED LETTERS
Author Unknown

There are many times when we begin a certain task that God lays on our
hearts and because we think our efforts are minimal and not making a
difference, we quit the job that God told us to pursue.

The enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt and lure us into thinking that
we are not capable of making a difference in this world, but with
God’s help we can overcome and fulfill the destiny that God has for
every believer.

If you are going through a situation of doubting your task unto the
Lord, then I hope this story will bless and encourage you to never
quit what God has laid on your heart because you may never know of the
lives that you are touching.

I read of a man who was involved in a tragic accident. He lost both
legs and his left arm and only a finger and thumb remained on the
right hand.

But he still possessed a brilliant mind, enriched with a good
education and broadened with world travel. At first he thought there
was nothing he could do but remain a helpless sufferer.

A thought came to him. It was always nice to receive letters, but why
not write them–he could still use his right hand with some
difficulty. But to whom could be right?

Was there anyone shut-in and incapacitated like he was who could be
encouraged by his letters? He thought of men in prison–they did have
some hope of release, whereas he had none–but it was worth a try.

He wrote to a Christian organization concerned with prison ministry.
He was told that his letters could not be answered because it was
against prison rules, but he still decided to commence this one-sided
correspondence.

He wrote twice a week, and it taxed his strength to the limit. But
into the letters he put his whole soul, all his experience, all his
faith, all his wit, and all his Christian optimism.

Frequently he felt discouraged and was tempted to give it all up. But
it was his one remaining activity, and he resolved to continue as long
as he could.

At last he got a letter. It was very short, written on prison
stationery by the officer whose duty it was to censor the mail.

All it said was: “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your
letters are passed from cell to cell till they literally fall to
pieces.”

No matter what your situation may be like, you still have the ability
to encourage someone who is discouraged and lift up someone who is
feeling low.

Take this story as an encouragement to give your all for someone else
and do not worry about the results. No good work will go unseen and
only God knows of the impact that your life can have on someone else.

Let us not do our good works so that we may be praised, but let us do
good works so that others may be lifted up and God be praised because
of our intervention.

The only thing that we can take with us into eternity is what we have
done for the Lord. There are no bank accounts in heaven to show how
much your net worth was on the earth, but there will be accounts in
heaven of what you did to show your life as an example in leading
others to Him.

Friendship that insists upon agreement on all matters is not worth the name. Friendship to be real must ever sustain the weight of honest differences, however sharp they be.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Prayer of Self Surrender

God, what do you want me to do?
What decision do you want me to make?
Where do you want my life to go?
The only way I can decide, is to put myself in your hands.
Like a potter takes clay and makes something of it,
Like you took a rib and made a woman,
Take me and give me whatever shape you want.
Or if you want, break the clay to pieces and start over again.
Do with me whatever you want.

It doesn’t matter if I am loved or hated,
praised or calumniated, consoled or friendless.
What matters is that your will be done in me.
Help me to follow the example of your Mother
and say “Let it be done to me according to your Word.”

I’m not looking for any big sacrifice,
or any heavy cross. Something like that would
only make me proud. Help me to do your will in little things.
To put up with misunderstandings, rash judgments,
confusion and frustration. To be patient and peaceful
with the jerks who drive me crazy.

Let me love you by doing the little things that will
not bring me any satisfaction.

Amen.

Please!

The family was sitting around the supper table.

“Give me the bread,” said little Lilly. Her mother did not react. “I said I want some bread,” half shouted Lilly. And what did the mother do? She told her a little story that went like this:

“There was once a magic garden. It was full of springing fountains and beautiful flowers. But no one could get inside because of the big garden gate. People tried to climb over the walls, but when they reached the top, the walls would grow higher. So then the people took a big crowbar and tried to break down the garden gate. But the crowbar broke. So the people tried to set fire to the gate and the garden wall. But they would not burn. Then along came a little child, walked up to the big gate and said, ‘Please!’ And immediately the gate opened and the child went inside.”

After little Lilly heard her mother’s story, she blushed and said, “May I have some bread, please?”

Wings of Prayer

Just close your eyes and open your heart
and feel your worries and cares depart,
Just yield yourself to the Father above
and let Him hold you secure in His love-

For life on earth grows more involved
with endless problems that can’t be solved.
But God only asks us to do our best,
Than He will “take over” and finish the rest-

So when you are tired, discouraged and blue,
there’s always one door that is open to you,
and that is the door to “The House of Prayer”
and you’ll find God waiting to meet you there-

And “The House of Prayer” is no farther away
than the quiet spot where you kneel and pray.
For the heart is a temple when God is there
as we place ourselves in His loving care-

And He hears every prayer and answers each one
when we pray in His name “Thy will be done”-
And the burdens that seemed too heavy to bear
are lifted away on “The Wings of Prayer.”

- Helen Steiner Rice