The world is one big ocean of  people and I am the Lord's skipping stone. I will touch here and there as He sends me forth with a purpose, a direction. When my journey is done the ocean will see me no more, but it will have hopefully been touched by God by me. And although the ocean will see me no more, He will and will pick me up and keep me forever.

A Caring Prayer

Lord open my eyes.

Help me realize.

That all the people You send my way.

Are people for whom I should pray.

No matter if they are people I don't know.

Or if they are people I love so.

Help me to see very clear.

That You hold all people dear.

Use me to bring them to You.

That they may find the One who love them true.

Lord keep me ready everyday.

Lord fill my heart with what to do and say. Amen

The Ocean

I like to sit and look at the ocean. On a sunny day at high tide the waves come sweeping into shore as far as they can go. At low tide on a sunny day they barely come in at all, they just seem to lap at the edges. The ocean it's self that exist behind the waves of high and low tide never seems to come in to shore (so it appears to my eyes). When it is very stormy the ocean seems to be in great turmoil. It affects the waves sending them crashing into the shore as far as they can go. A little bad weather makes the ocean choppy which to my eyes seems angry, but not as traumatized as a big storm. A little bad weather and the choppy ocean seems to give the waves an urgency as they rush to the shore. The waves seem to rush forward a  little quicker, snappier. At times it seems like people around me are a lot like the ocean and waves; and I am like the shore. People come and go out of my life like waves. Some rush into my heart as far as they can go like a high tide. Then when they go back out into the vast ocean of  people the leave the shores of my heart empty. Then there are some who are like the low tide the come into my life and hang at the edge of my heart's shore. I wonder what holds them back? Are my shores not inviting enough? Or is this just the order of things that God has planned for my life? Gives me something to think about. When these low tide people leave to go back into the big ocean of people, I hardly notice. This to me seems sad. Is it because they added so little to my life? What a shame I didn't appreciate them for just being them. So what if their encounter with me was brief! If  I had just paid more attention maybe the would have came further into my heart's shore. Maybe then they would have found Jesus. What about the people who are in urgent need, that rush past the shores of my heart when there's trouble. Perhaps if  I drew them further into my hearts shore they too would see Jesus and calm down. What about the people who come crashing by my heart's shore in great turmoil? Maybe if  I draw them into my heart's shore, they will find Jesus also and He will bring them peace and rest. But I must not for get the ocean (the world full of people around me). When the ocean is calm I should give God thanks and enjoy them. When there is a little storm I should look around and see a need and fill it (with Jesus, food, clothing, shelter, and an extended hand of fellowship.) When there is a big storm I should offer a place of refuge (by loving them to Jesus, comforting them, and by being stable, steady, firm, dependable, reliable.). How can I do this when the ocean (world of people around me) is so vast? By prayer. By reaching out to as many people as I am able to. By putting my shoulder of love and support with that of other brothers and sisters who are reaching out to help.

As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25 The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that is I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

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