Saturday, May 26, 2007
SUMMER BLESSINGS
| F O O D F O R T H O U G H T |  |
| Subscribe Unsubscribe Change E-mail View Archive SUMMER BLESSINGS By Rich DeVos May 26, 2007 |
A few weeks ago, my son Doug competed in the Port Huron to Mackinac
Island sailboat race and not only won, but set a record. His sailing
skill comes from growing up with boats. Picturing him crossing the
finish line on the Great Lakes waters at the tip of Michigan's Lower
Peninsula brings back memories of summers of family boating.
Our family loves to race. But sailing also is a time for us to slow
the pace of life that, at times, can become hectic. Boating is a
chance to really hear friends and family members, and to look and
listen for God through His creation. On boats, I've experienced God in mild southern breezes and northern gale-force winds, in sunrises and sunsets, in light reflected on calm water and waves that crash over a bow, and in the laughter and conversation of people who simply are enjoying the ride and being together.
I've also experienced God in family and friends. A boat is the ideal
place for togetherness. You stay pretty close to each other on a boat, and the best entertainment available is conversation. On our boat we do something we call "Your Turn in the Box Tonight." If it's your turn in the box, you tell your life story. It's amazing to discover how little we really know about each other, even our best friends, and how much we can learn from just listening.
We're plugged in today with everything from cell phones and iPods to
email and hundreds of TV channels. In this digital age, I've said I
feel more analog than most, but I still know how easy it is to forget there's a world where sounds and sights come from nature instead of an entertainment center.
And summer's a great time to experience this world, and to look and
listen for God in a special place far from the interference of
civilization. A boat on the water is a wonderful place to appreciate
the blessings of summer. But, for you, it might be a hike in the
mountains or camping in a forest. Your favorite summer place might be
a stretch of beach, a country road, a bike path, your backyard garden
or a picnic blanket in a park.
God created summer and has filled the season with wonders to behold if only we take the time to look and listen. In this last full month of summer, let's all make time before the start of the busy
back-to-school school season to experience God in the stillness and
beauty of the world He created before we created so many of the
distractions that can separate us from Him. You just might hear in a
birdsong, smell in a flower, see in a sunset, taste in a fresh ear of
sweet corn, feel in a summer breeze, or notice in a comment from a
child a lesson from God that will refresh and sustain you when you
return to your daily routine.
Rich DeVos is the former chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
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TRADE UP
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| Subscribe Unsubscribe Change E-mail View Archive TRADE UP By Rhonda Rhea May 26, 2007 |
high school. We try to graduate one of our kids every couple of years
so that our house can get a good cleaning. We pull out the list of all the major projects we want to get done before one of these significant life event-type parties. Paint, carpets, new curtains here and new table there. Sadly, we spent so much money getting the house ready for the party that now we can't afford to send that son to college.
Okay, just kidding. We wouldn't really trade college for curtains. Bad trade. It's good to remember that if you're going to make a trade, make it count. Always trade up.
Spiritually speaking, trading up is all about exchanging one destiny
for another. Trading hell for heaven? Now there's a trade up. Way up.
Up in the highest, most glorious sense of the word.
Jesus came to earth to make a trade on our behalf. Sin had to be
punished. As sinners, we had nothing whatsoever to trade. But God had
a plan. Before the foundation of the world He planned to redeem us
back to Himself through Jesus. Jesus died on the cross as payment for
our sin. He was the propitiation- the trade- for us.
You are God's glorious project. You are loved and adored and worth
even the life of His only Son. Trading the old way of life for a life
sold out to Christ marks you as His child- His very own.
Hmm, if the trade marks us as His child, I wonder if we could we call that a "trade-mark" ?
Rhonda Rhea is the author of "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge" and other insanely fun books, including "Amusing Grace" and "Turkey Soup for the Soul--Tastes Just Like Chicken." She is a radio personality and humor columnist and speaks at conferences and events nationwide. Rhonda lives in the St. Louis area with her pastor/husband and their five children. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea. net.
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