Her questions made me realize how much of a divine appointment this had been. Here was a woman who was searching for God. Here was a woman who was thirsting after the life that He offered, but who did not know how to find it. And God sent me, who had just an hour earlier been so unwilling to work, to find her and help guide her along the way.
Devotionals
This is a cry from the heart, as you call it. It's the loudest tick-tock in my life... I pity my Vova and Lena; what about their Egor? He loves his parents so much: I can hardly express it in words. But, unfortunately, he doesn't know how they can love each other. For they did love! Who knows it better than I?
As we sat comfortably enjoying our lunches, the nagging feeling in our hearts began to tug louder and louder with each bite. Was it guilt? Undoubtedly guilt was involved -- guilt, not because we had food, but because we knew that with each passing moment we were losing an opportunity to truly live out our Christianity. Finally, we decided to act. Pitching in a few dollars each, we introduced ourselves to the homeless individuals, asking if it would be alright if we could buy them lunch that afternoon.
The first half of the day was rough -- in a period of about three hours, I had only seen one book leave my canvassing bag. At this point, I was discouraged. A few days prior, books had been going out like crazy. But this day and the day before were so slow, and it became a mental battle to even go out into territory. I felt as though I had been praying to deaf ears, and that God no longer heard my cries. Over lunch, I decided it was time to do something different.
You live. You're happy just because you're here on this Earth. And you're here for a reason. The One who created you has given you unique possibilities. You possess the heart to love and the hands to create. Your smile has power to turn someone's dull day into a lovely one. You can do so much to make this world better by using your talents...
There is such an abundance of information in the world today. The internet alone is an endless resource for any topic you wish to research. But with such access to sharing and gathering knowledge, the problem of trustworthy sources arises. What makes the internet so great, is also what makes it so overwhelming. You'll read, for example, in one place that heirloom tomato plants need plenty of sunlight to grow and develop tasty tomatoes, but in the next article you read, you'll discover that someone else believes they do much better tucked into the shade, to absorb the heat of the day, but avoid direct exposure to the sun. Both writers claim to be avid gardeners with excellent results from their methods, but how do you know which one to trust?
On our path with God, whether we want it or not, not one of us can escape studying this science because in it is where the very essence of Christianity exists. Living in a human body, Jesus also sat for this exam. The powers of His soul were strained to the greatest extent and the scarlet drops of His blood were showing to the sleeping garden of Gethsemane and to the ages to come. What does it mean to LOVE? Other people sat for this exam as well. Do you remember the family from Bethany—the close friends of Jesus? All of us know this gospel story with the happy-ending very well; but, have you ever, even once in your life, put yourself in the place of Mary and Martha in the beginning of the narration?