Acts 4:12
Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It has been a long, emotional day. I spent most of it at my mother’s house, sorting through her books and personal belongings. It’s all part of the process…but I have to admit, I’m weary of it – and more than a little ready to be at a point where I can at least take a breather. Right now, our house looks like a bomb went off, because I have boxes and bags of books, photos, and other “treasures” everywhere.
Greg and I spent more than 2 hours this afternoon sorting through two giant containers of photos. You know those 5-gallon tins in which flavored popcorn is sometimes sold? Mother had one of those filled with loose photos! She also had an old hat box filled with more of the same…not to mention envelopes, photo boxes…and probably 2 dozen or more photo albums, which are now on a shelf in one of our closets until we have the energy to peruse them.
We found some real gems…a few of which I will share on Facebook soon to see if others in our community can help me identify the persons photographed…or determine actual locations depicted. We laughed and reminisced, and it was actually fun. My mother was a pack rat, like her dad before her. And I admit, I have inherited many of those same traits. So as I look around my office at just a handful of the books I brought home and think of all I sorted through today, I see a constant and pervading theme…Jesus. I recall the countless booklets, programs and more that my mother saved in a box from Vacation Bible School, Training Union and other church-related events of my childhood and that of my siblings. I think of the notations she made in my “baby book” over the first seven years of my life, and how she made a special effort to mention when I first attended church and other church-related events.
My mother made sure that my siblings and I knew about Jesus. Even in her last days on this earth, she shared Jesus with others and encouraged them to give their hearts to Him. I am pretty sure that I would be a blithering idiot by this point if I didn’t have the peace and comfort of knowing without a doubt that my mother sits at the feet of Jesus for all Eternity, alongside countless other loved ones…and that not only will I join them someday, but so will my family members and those I love and hold dear. And I want even MORE people to join us!
The only way this can happen is for each person to commit his/her heart to Jesus…to recognize that He is the only One with the power to save…and to surrender completely to Him. If we will only ask Jesus to wash us clean of our sins and fill us with His Holy Spirit, He will do this. Don’t do it for a “ticket to Heaven.” Do this because of how much better everything about your earthly life will be if you make this choice.
There will still be heartaches…there will still be diseases, trials and challenges. People you love will still die, and life might not ever be easy. But with Jesus, all things will be more manageable. He will give you hope and courage, strength and perseverance. With Jesus, you can still have joy in the midst of sorrow and struggle. Because of Jesus, we could laugh and enjoy photos of my mother and dad and others who have left us, even though their passing makes us sad. Jesus makes EVERYTHING better! And I want you to know Him, just like I do.
I was blessed to have parents and grandparents who took me to church and taught me about Jesus at an early age. But it’s never too late to discover Jesus and start living for Him. And there is no time like today. Do you know the power and presence of Jesus? Isn’t it time you did?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
It has been a long, emotional day. I spent most of it at my mother’s house, sorting through her books and personal belongings. It’s all part of the process…but I have to admit, I’m weary of it – and more than a little ready to be at a point where I can at least take a breather. Right now, our house looks like a bomb went off, because I have boxes and bags of books, photos, and other “treasures” everywhere.
Greg and I spent more than 2 hours this afternoon sorting through two giant containers of photos. You know those 5-gallon tins in which flavored popcorn is sometimes sold? Mother had one of those filled with loose photos! She also had an old hat box filled with more of the same…not to mention envelopes, photo boxes…and probably 2 dozen or more photo albums, which are now on a shelf in one of our closets until we have the energy to peruse them.
We found some real gems…a few of which I will share on Facebook soon to see if others in our community can help me identify the persons photographed…or determine actual locations depicted. We laughed and reminisced, and it was actually fun. My mother was a pack rat, like her dad before her. And I admit, I have inherited many of those same traits. So as I look around my office at just a handful of the books I brought home and think of all I sorted through today, I see a constant and pervading theme…Jesus. I recall the countless booklets, programs and more that my mother saved in a box from Vacation Bible School, Training Union and other church-related events of my childhood and that of my siblings. I think of the notations she made in my “baby book” over the first seven years of my life, and how she made a special effort to mention when I first attended church and other church-related events.
My mother made sure that my siblings and I knew about Jesus. Even in her last days on this earth, she shared Jesus with others and encouraged them to give their hearts to Him. I am pretty sure that I would be a blithering idiot by this point if I didn’t have the peace and comfort of knowing without a doubt that my mother sits at the feet of Jesus for all Eternity, alongside countless other loved ones…and that not only will I join them someday, but so will my family members and those I love and hold dear. And I want even MORE people to join us!
The only way this can happen is for each person to commit his/her heart to Jesus…to recognize that He is the only One with the power to save…and to surrender completely to Him. If we will only ask Jesus to wash us clean of our sins and fill us with His Holy Spirit, He will do this. Don’t do it for a “ticket to Heaven.” Do this because of how much better everything about your earthly life will be if you make this choice.
There will still be heartaches…there will still be diseases, trials and challenges. People you love will still die, and life might not ever be easy. But with Jesus, all things will be more manageable. He will give you hope and courage, strength and perseverance. With Jesus, you can still have joy in the midst of sorrow and struggle. Because of Jesus, we could laugh and enjoy photos of my mother and dad and others who have left us, even though their passing makes us sad. Jesus makes EVERYTHING better! And I want you to know Him, just like I do.
I was blessed to have parents and grandparents who took me to church and taught me about Jesus at an early age. But it’s never too late to discover Jesus and start living for Him. And there is no time like today. Do you know the power and presence of Jesus? Isn’t it time you did?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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