John 16:12-15
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One of my biggest regrets from the 9 years that I taught elementary school is that I didn’t take very many photographs. This was pre-digital cameras, and it just was not as simple as picking up a camera or a phone and snapping pictures that were saved on to a memory card. So I have a couple dozen snapshots…and an envelope of the “school pictures” of several of my students.
I found the school pictures this week, and as I looked at them, I thought about many of those little faces and recalled incidents from the time we shared. I also considered what has happened to those children – many of whom are now adults with children of their own. I know these “children” became teachers, an orchestra director, a nursing instructor, a dentist, a sheriff’s deputy…and one student tells me he is working on a Ph.D. in bioinformatics (Google it!)! Several of my students own their own businesses – and even more manage a business for someone else. I am very proud of each one of them and their “success stories”.
But as I think about this time in my life, which encompassed most of my twenties, I regret something else… that I was not as in tune with the Holy Spirit. I did not fully understand the mission and ministry that God gave me with these precious children. Oh, I loved them fiercely – like they were my own. And I showered them with attention and affection. But I see now how I could have embraced them even more fully – how I could have nurtured and encouraged these children and their families…had I truly heard from the Holy Spirit on their behalf.
“Well, that’s just part of growing up,” you might say. Yes…and no. The Holy Spirit is available to us at any age. We don’t have to “grow into” our relationship with Him…but we have to understand Him and recognize His presence. Once I learned that the Holy Spirit (or “Holy Ghost” as I was taught to call Him as a child) is not a nebulous spirit – or truly some scary “ghost” – I was eager to really feel His presence in my heart. Who wouldn’t want such a direct line to God?! Who wouldn’t want a constant companion to guide your thoughts and actions as God directs them?
My message to you this day is that you can have the presence of “The Friend” – or Holy Spirit – in your heart…now…today…this minute! You can recognize that Jesus is with you in this form…speaking God’s word into your heart, mind and soul. You can call on Him to guide you as you make daily decisions and choices. You can learn to recognize when the things you “hear” or “see” are from Him…and when they are not. All it takes is a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps…and a commitment to pay attention to His “voice”.
None of us get a “do-over”…but we can start today to do better. And “The Friend” – God’s Holy Spirit – will help us with this. Won’t you invite Him into your heart and see what a difference His presence can make? Will this be the day that you say, “Come, Holy Spirit!” – and get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One of my biggest regrets from the 9 years that I taught elementary school is that I didn’t take very many photographs. This was pre-digital cameras, and it just was not as simple as picking up a camera or a phone and snapping pictures that were saved on to a memory card. So I have a couple dozen snapshots…and an envelope of the “school pictures” of several of my students.
I found the school pictures this week, and as I looked at them, I thought about many of those little faces and recalled incidents from the time we shared. I also considered what has happened to those children – many of whom are now adults with children of their own. I know these “children” became teachers, an orchestra director, a nursing instructor, a dentist, a sheriff’s deputy…and one student tells me he is working on a Ph.D. in bioinformatics (Google it!)! Several of my students own their own businesses – and even more manage a business for someone else. I am very proud of each one of them and their “success stories”.
But as I think about this time in my life, which encompassed most of my twenties, I regret something else… that I was not as in tune with the Holy Spirit. I did not fully understand the mission and ministry that God gave me with these precious children. Oh, I loved them fiercely – like they were my own. And I showered them with attention and affection. But I see now how I could have embraced them even more fully – how I could have nurtured and encouraged these children and their families…had I truly heard from the Holy Spirit on their behalf.
“Well, that’s just part of growing up,” you might say. Yes…and no. The Holy Spirit is available to us at any age. We don’t have to “grow into” our relationship with Him…but we have to understand Him and recognize His presence. Once I learned that the Holy Spirit (or “Holy Ghost” as I was taught to call Him as a child) is not a nebulous spirit – or truly some scary “ghost” – I was eager to really feel His presence in my heart. Who wouldn’t want such a direct line to God?! Who wouldn’t want a constant companion to guide your thoughts and actions as God directs them?
My message to you this day is that you can have the presence of “The Friend” – or Holy Spirit – in your heart…now…today…this minute! You can recognize that Jesus is with you in this form…speaking God’s word into your heart, mind and soul. You can call on Him to guide you as you make daily decisions and choices. You can learn to recognize when the things you “hear” or “see” are from Him…and when they are not. All it takes is a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps…and a commitment to pay attention to His “voice”.
None of us get a “do-over”…but we can start today to do better. And “The Friend” – God’s Holy Spirit – will help us with this. Won’t you invite Him into your heart and see what a difference His presence can make? Will this be the day that you say, “Come, Holy Spirit!” – and get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment