March 14: EVERY TIME WE SEE PEOPLE AS ORDINARY, WE TURN THE WINE BACK INTO WATER.

Affirmation: Asking for help is a gift to myself and others.

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Ponder, Personalize: Consider the second verse: “…Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭‭6. Personalize this verse/sentence. Ask God to remember His great mercy and love. What comes to mind when you ponder and talk to God about His great mercy and love?

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.“ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭5‬-‭6

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown Cultivate Self-Compassion and a Resilient Spirit. Let Go of Perfectionism, Numbing and Powerlessness.

This Lesson's Intentions

"I will talk to myself the same way I talk to the people I love."

"I will stay mindful of numbing. I will remember that when I 'take the edge off' pain or stress, I take away my own joy. We can't selectively numb emotion, and I want more joy, meaning and purpose."

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

March 14

EVERY TIME WE SEE PEOPLE AS ORDINARY, WE TURN THE WINE BACK INTO WATER. 

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 

JOHN 2:11 

 

I've never met a new parent who isn't positive their baby is the cutest on planet earth. Even the so-so ones in their minds could rival George Clooney. The thing is this: parents give their baby the benefit of the doubt. Even the things that drive everyone else nuts they find worthy of celebrating. Parents see an emerging personality when the rest of us hear a scream. They see affection when the rest of us see a toothless child gnawing on a table leg. Every giggle, every curve of the mouth, every grip of the finger. We see squirming behaviors, they see Einstein in a diaper. Parents know something about their babies that some of us forget about ourselves. Parents are certain that their kid is a miracle. 

We come across people at all different stages of life, and sometimes we decide that someone is ordinary based on what we observe. All that happened is this: we've missed their quiet moments of courage, their tender moments of inexplicable compassion, the sleepless nights filled with despair. We've caught them in chapter seven of a book with twenty-two chapters, and we evaluate the whole book without knowing how it began and where it will end. 

Jesus worked countless miracles while He was here on earth. He brought people to life and brought life to groups of people. Just like the time He turned water into wine when a celebration had jumped the tracks, Jesus was always in the business of restoration. Nothing He touched remained ordinary, and His fingerprints are on every person who shows up on the scene. 

Look closely at yourself Think about some of the people you work with or live with. Look closely at them too. Every time we miss the miracle in ourselves or the people around us, every time we see people as ordinary, we turn the wine back into water. 

What miracle is happening in the growth of someone around you that you haven't noticed before?