Live the Thrill!

I have to admit that I had been getting a little concerned over the last month or so.  As I looked around our rural neighborhood, I noticed that just about everybody’s grass around their properties was beginning to turn green EXCEPT for mine!  Due to the weather patterns out here, the lawns go dormant in late fall and usually begin to turn green again in spring as the temperatures rise and warms the ground.  My back lawn seemed to be following the correct pattern, but the front was a different story.

Thoughts of having to reseed began to fill my mind as I found myself considering all the worst things that could happen!  But then I had the thought (like duh!!!) “Why not seek the Lord’s wisdom on this?”  So I did and I kept getting the idea that all was going to be fine… even though I didn’t see any changes as time went by.  But He said what He said and I knew that I needed to get my thoughts on what He said… and not on what my eyes were seeing!

Then it happened!  I was out back tossing the ball to Fiver one afternoon when something caught his interest and he dropped the ball near the left side front fence line and went off with his nose to the ground… most likely he caught a whiff of one of the squirrels who like to sit on the fence posts, leaving behind a powerful scent!  So I ambled off across the yard to the ball and bent down to pick it up… and that’s when I saw it.

While reaching for the ball which was wedged between the fence slats, I glanced through the fence into the front yard and noticed little green blades of beautiful grass pushing up from the ground, fighting their way to daylight between the thick brown dormant grasses.  I have to tell you… it was a Hallelujah moment for me!  Thank goodness that there are no neighbors on that side of the yard for they may have thought that I slipped a cog or something… then again… maybe not… they might have just seen it as normal for me!

But the point is, that at that moment of discovery, I was THRILLED to have a visible representation of what the Lord said was happening… even though I could not see it at the time He spoke to my heart!  Dictionary.com defines the word or action of being THRILLED as “to affect with a sudden wave of keen emotion or excitement, as to produce a tremor or tingling sensation throughout the body!”  And that is exactly what I felt as I continued to stare at the front lawn and see green blades beginning to push up all over the lawn!  A few days later we had a good rain and now it looks like the green blades of spring and summer lawn have finally won the fight to stay!

Now some of you may think that my reaction to the return of our green lawn is a little over the top… but you know… with everything going on in my life, in particular the daily struggle I fight in caring for my beautiful bride, I have learned to enjoy each day and every new positive event in that day as a special celebration of life!  I don’t know how much longer that I will be blessed to enjoy my wife’s physical presence in this life and I want to make each day happy and encouraging for her… as well as for me.

So yes… I tend to be THRILLED at the seemingly smallest of victories each day.  I want my existence to radiate the joy of the Lord to my wife as well as to those who step onto our little piece of heaven here in North Carolina.  I want to see the hand of the Lord in everything I do.  I don’t want to be swayed by the fears that I face every time I look at my wife’s changing physical countenance.  I want to surround myself with people who will encourage the two of us, those who are free to face, laugh with and reach out to my wonderful wife.

And how do I do this?  By establishing the foundation of each day on the THRILL I discover in the written Word of God each and every time I read it, meditate on it, speak it, sing it and act on it.  Psalm 1:1-3 tell us that we are blessed when we do not “follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners or join the company of mockers.  Instead we THRILL to God’s word and we chew on scripture day and night and are therefore like a tree planted besides streams – a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither.  For we thus succeed in everything we do!” (God’s Word ©/The Message Bible/personalized)

So according to the Word, the THRILL of our lives has to start with being THRILLED each and every day with and in the Word!  I’ve said it before, but the one thing that THRILLED me the most in our years of ministry was seeing the light of understanding suddenly go on in the eyes of the youth and children we ministered to as we shared God’s Word of spirit and life with them. (See John 6:63)  It was the light of life that seemed to catch their entire lives on fire for Him.  These young folks suddenly saw life a little different than they had before.  There was a new joy awakening within them that we prayed would continue to burn for the rest of their lives.

So maybe I do get a little over-excited when I see the hand of the Lord in our daily lives… no matter how big or small it may be.  I used to get a bit annoyed at how emotional my Dad would get as he got older… but you know… I’m the same way now… and probably a little worse!  But I don’t consider it an annoyance anymore.  For I want to be glad and rejoice as much as I can… whenever and wherever I see the move of the Lord!  How about you?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do ,keep asking yourself… “How THRILLED am I expecting myself to be when I observe the hand of the Lord in my life today?”