THINKING!

I guess I am thinking - so many things running through my mind that I can't decide what I thinking the most about. I guess I am thinking mostly about how to encourage someone. I always want to be uplifting and not negative. We see so many negative things in this life. I suppose the best way to do that is to tell you how someone encouraged me.

We all go through times when it seems things go wrong. Sometimes they come one valley behind the other and we don't have time for a mountain top experience. I have a song somewhere that says I'm not in the valley, I'm just changing mountain tops. I think it seems to be just the opposite with me sometimes. I want to say I'm not on the mountain, I'm just changing Valley drops. It is in those times that I could really be negative about life, but I have learned to look around me and see needs far greater than mine. I debated with myself about putting this little writing on. I know it has to be condensed but here goes:

A couple years ago my husband and I were going through a very trying time. We don't usually make our request known at church. We just have special request. But a young mother with nine children was very sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leadings. She pulled up in our driveway one day with a little potted mum and said "I just wanted to stop by and let you know that you are loved and the church is praying for you." She did not stay but that visit meant the world to me. Last Christmas I gave her a Christmas card with a little letter inside and reminded her of the little mum and what a blessing it had been. I don't remember all I wrote but she had stuck it in her purse and forgotten it until several days later. She said she got up real early before her children- trying to get some things done. She came across the letter and said that I would never know what that letter did for her. I wrote this little story about the little mum!

MY LITTLE MUM

"Yes, my Little Mum! What a blessing you have been! You came from the hands of a friend when I was at a very low point in my life. No big plant were you, just a little golden plant with your pot wrapped in red paper. At the time - I sat you on the table and watered you- but eventually you were dropping your blooms and turning a little frizzled at the leaves. Little did I know what part you would play the next couple years. The message I got with you was "You are loved and we are praying for you." Thanks to someone who took time to pass you on to me! You were planted outside in the winter months and not really much to look at. You made it through the winter months because you were protected with a coffee can. You were really out of sight waiting for the Spring to come so you could make an appearance. I started thinking about you weathering the the freeze and the rain and wondering if you would be there when Spring came. Usually what I plant seems to die. I don't have a green thumb! It seemed you were different! You were waiting for the coffee can to be lifted so you could get light. The can was finally lifted and way down close to the ground I could see you had a little green sprout. You were going to make it! You had weathered the storm!"

That made me think of what my life would be without my Savior. Not very significant, nothing much for the eye to behold. Until one day I was handed a Gift! The gift of salvation! I was forgiven and life would be easy. Or so I though. Like my little mum - there would be dark days and days when I felt like I really did not feel like I would amount to anything. I was given the this Gift Of Salvation at any early age. I thank the Lord many times over that I was sensitive to Him as a child. But even then there were days that I did not understand a lot of things. But the Holy Spirit let me know that whatever I went through that He would be there with me. I had a lot of growing to do. Like my little mum, I needed to get out from under the "coffee can" and get a lot more light. The Light of The Holy spirit would help my little sprig of green to grow.

"Well, little mum, I got side tracked. Where was I? Oh yes! You had weathered the winter and now was getting the sun light. You did pretty good and I was looking to the Fall Season when you would bloom. I cultivated around you and then forgot all about you for awhile."

This particular year was a bad year for me physically! I had trouble with my eyes and could hardly see. Everything was a blur! It really was not a serious matter, just aggravating. A simple 45 second prodedure with laser to put my implants back down and I saw perfect. Next, I had trouble with constant pain in my side. The doctor could fine nothing. Knowing I had already had two surgeries for cancer - I feared the worse. In July, one of our hottest months here in Louisiana, I was really discouraged. I was looking out the front door wondering why God's children must suffer so. I happen to look down at the little mum and there to my surprise the plant had buds and flowers. I thought, "You silly little plant, don't you know you are not suppose to be blooming now?" Then I remembered " We love you and are praying for you." I knew then that if God can make flowers bloom out of season just to lift me up, He can take care of the situations in my life and He had everything under control. Tears flowed and I knew that regardless of the outcome of my physical and no matter how the devil had fought in other situations - that He could work out my life to His glory. I just surrendered it all to Him and took my hands off. What made me think I could work out my problems anyway?Wasn't He God, the God of this universe and wasn't He my God? Hadn't He worked so many times on my behalf? I prayed for His forgiveness and once more had my priorities right. Oh, how Satan likes for us to get our Spiritual priorities out of prospective!

I don't know what I expected of the little mum except for it to eventually die. But not so! It lived on and blossomed! I guess I just took it for granite for a while. It did quit producing a lot of it's blossoms but a few were still coming on. Seems it was strugggling a little!

Much like a Christian life! I seem to do fine for awhile and wham! Satan hits like a brick. I won't go into all of my writing but I will tell you that I knew " I was love and someone was praying for me." I also learned that we can have peace in every situation in our life. Nothing is impossible with our God!

In January of this year I had to go to the emergency room for the severe pain. As I walked out the door I looked down at the little mum. At this time it was again covered except for one little branch. There before my eyes, when it should have been frozen, was one blossum that seem to be saying, "I love you and am praying for you." I knew then that God loved me and was going to work on my behalf. It meant surgery and a hospital stay. The day I came home, as I was going into the house I looked down at the little mum and on the stem was one little petal waving in the breeze. It seem to be saying, "I am still here waiting to encourage you and to let you know you are loved!"

What a special little plant! It taught me so much. Mainly that "little things" matter. If a youg mother could take time and stop by with a little mum, what could I do? Surely someone needs a hug! Someone needs a special card sent to them Someone needs to know they are being lifted up in prayer. Someone needs to know that they are appreciated. I seem to have passed up so many opportunities because I thought a little mum didn't matter. Oh! How wrong I was. I went to the Lord in prayer and ask His forgiveness for sitting back thinking that "little things" didn't matter. I ask Him to help me pass out some mums. Maybe not a plant - but other things matter, also. I started looking around church and seeing needs I had never seen before. I started getting out of my seat to tell someone that I loved them. I started sending cards to those that are sick. Sometimes just a note of encouragement. The needs are many and the opportunities plenty. I just started watching for opportinities. The Lord has blessed my life and helped me. Who ever said "small things" don't count?

My little mum is spreading out and getting greener even to this day. I'm waiting to see what else it can teach me. This one thing I know- if it never blooms again - it has done it's work! I know that I have work to do that only I can do. Only at the end of my life will my work be done. I want to hand out a few mums "to make a difference." I want to be a blessing and see more with my spiritual eyes than my physical. I want to be an encouragement to others!

"Thanks, little mum, for making such an impact on me. I hope I will never be the same."