Good day all! It is another beautiful yet blustery morning!  The sun is shining but the air has a very strong chill and nip in the air. No matter though God has allowed us to stay another day to work for Him. I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day with the one’s you love or your true love. I got the surprise of a lifetime last night though. My friend who is like the little sister I never had (and let me say to my sister that if I gave you a bad time growing up….I am sorry. I now know what it’s like to truly have a younger sibling. Lord knows you had to have some patience with me.) pulled the shockers of all shockers. You see, she had received cards and my dad had got mom her Valentine’s Day gift. I had it figured that I would get nothing but as I said yesterday God had already given me a gift through Christ. Anyway I was not expecting anything and was very content with it. Well, last night when she (my friend) had gotten off work she had to do some shopping as we are expecting bad weather. When she got home in she came with one of the big balloons. She had bought a bag of mixed chocolate and a little stuffed flying pig and had them put it in the balloon. Well if any of you know me I tuned up and cried that she would even think of me enough to get me something for Valentine’s Day. It however does not surprise me for she has what some might say would be a disability; to me I just see it as a special gift from God…she is ADHD. I also know of another young lady who has this similarity because she has a different disability and for her it to is a special gift from God.

        Why you ask do I see it this way…..because they truly show what being in this world but not of it means. As I continue to write (and as I said yesterday….I think just as you all do…..I let God work my fingers), I want us to think of this exact question…….Are you like these people in that you are in  this world and not of it or are you in and of this world ?

    This world is a rough old world and as we know it will only continue on until the time our mansions are ready for us. As I see it now I know that growing up, our generation truly had a lot easier time of growing up in this world than kids do today. Granted, growing up in my generation we still had the peer pressures that there are today, we still had bullying, and some of the other things that are taking place today, BUT it was not as bad as it is today. I have to say though that when God made man (and woman of course), that He knew there needed to be special people within this world to help others such as myself to continue to keep the faith of a child and believe. He also placed them here though to help us remember the one most important lesson of life and that is ……we are in this world BUT we are not of it; those being special people like my friend who has ADHD; the young lady who has Autism; those who have Down Syndrome; those who people see as “special” needs children and see as strange. I see them as a blessing though and as a normal child or adult and with that special gift because they are in this world but not of it.

 When we choose to walk the Christian walk it is a walk that by no means is easy. For God did not promise a smooth and easy ride through it. Look at all Jesus went through when He was on earth; I mean really, we should have seen then that it was going to be one tough ride. The thing is that if we hold on and true to it then after it is all over God promises the prize….for we are told to fight the good fight and keep aiming for the prize. The fact of the matter is though we should have noticed when Jesus was on earth that when we choose that road it is going to be a tough one for most. He even discusses the fact of being hated in John Chapter fifteen. He is talking to His disciples after giving the greatest commandment….to love one another. He then goes on to discuss the fact that the World hates the disciples. Jesus tells his disciples in chapter fifteen that:

              18- “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated

                   me first

               19- If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.

                  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen

                  you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Jesus then goes on and reminds them that if they persecuted him that the disciples would also be persecuted and if they obeyed his teachings they would obey his. Ok…so we can see that the Christian walk is going to be one that is going to be difficult and we need the reminders that we are in this world but not of it. I therefore say to you this…..can you see the connection…..can you now understand the reason that people (adults and kids alike) that have “ a disability” or are “special” needs individual…..do you now understand the connection of truly why God allows them to stay on this earth ? I have heard many ask the question when seeing a child with problems, “why were they even allowed to live?” Well, right here is the answer to that question…..they are here to remind us to have the faith of a child; just believe; never to give up but most of all that as God’s children we need to remember that no matter what we encounter on this earth; no matter what happens in this life, that we only are in this world but not of it.

Lord willing and until tomorrow-

God Bless-

Love-

Marla

Psalms 121 <><