Skip to main content

Spiritual Journeys Start Here

                 When Dianna Rasing woke up on November 21, 2016, she had no idea that her life was about to change.
                While swimming laps at the Pam Am pool that morning, she noticed that the left side of her body felt numb.  As she made her way to the side of the pool, lifeguard Andrea Orobko realized that Rasing was in distress and came to her aid.  Rasing was having a stroke and without Orobko’s help she would have been in big trouble.
                One year later, Rasing went back to the pool to meet the woman who had saved her life.  She gave Orobko a big hug, a package of lifesavers and a super hero card.  Each woman said that they had thought about the other one every day since the incident and each felt that they were somehow connected to one another even though they had not officially met until that moment (To read the full story go to the CBC’s “Now or Never” homepage).
                When I heard that story on the radio, I thought it sounded like something that Jesus would have used to illustrate the truths of his kingdom.  For example, just like Rasing, we are unable to save ourselves.  However, we too have someone who can rescue us.  Romans 3:23-24 states that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.  Jesus has jumped into the pool with us, so to speak, and he can pull us to safety if we let him.
                The part of the story that I liked the most, though, was the fact that it was gratitude that connected these two women.  Dianna simply had to meet, honour and thank Andrea, not because someone was forcing her to, but because she was so thankful that she could not stay away. 
                Similarly, when we realize what God has done for us, nothing will keep us from him.  We will honour him and tell that story, not because it is commanded, but because our hearts will not let us do otherwise.
If you want to find your faith, think about what you have been given.  Gratitude is the fuel for every spiritual journey.
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more