Today’s scripture: Romans 1:16-17 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
Jamin is a volunteer at his church. During one Easter season, he was asked to arrange palm leaves in a couple of vases for the church sanctuary. Being reluctant to say no, he opened the boxes of tightly stacked, lifeless-looking leaves and promptly thought, “How can I possibly take these things and make them look half-way decent? I’ve never done this before and there is no set of instructions.” He said a prayer of request for guidance and proceeded with the task.
Much to his surprise, some ideas popped into his head about what additional materials might be used to accomplish the goal. Some borrowed dowel rods and chicken wire provided support to hold the greenery securely in place. A tall container allowed the base of the long leaves to stay moist until Easter. He went about his endeavor with decreasing apprehension. Eventually, the arrangements were finished.
On Sunday, the attractively-arranged palms caught the attention of several congregants who commented on how nice they looked. These unsolicited comments helped Jamin to realize that his ability to do this small thing for God would never have occurred if he hadn’t stepped out of his comfort zone and given it a try. Each little step of success along the way helped to fuel his further steps.
Later, Jamin was asked to make some artificial flower arrangements for the tables in the church’s café/socializing area. What he was given to work with were the remnants of previously-used flowers and some painted clay pots. Reflecting on his earlier success, he welcomed the challenge to take those leftovers and make them look new again. Once more, he let each small step in the process provide him with assurance that he could continue on with the task. These arrangements, too, were much appreciated by others.
“…springing from faith and leading to faith…” reminds me that sometimes my brain has to tell my heart and soul, “You already know you possess faith that God will lead you. Now get going and act like you believe it.” Once this pattern gets started, it can turn into a continuously self-feeding cycle of increasing faith.
Thought for the day: The walk of faith has to start with a first step.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.