Holy Encounters of the Best Kind

Holy Encounters of the Best Kind:  Sacred Moments for 2011
 I thought I would take this pre-2011 moment of opportunity to share something that God has challenged me with the last while.
Duane Elmer, in his excellent book, Cross-cultural Servanthood, makes a very profound statement. It kind of goes like this:  Every time we encounter someone, anywhere, we have a choice whether to make that moment a Sacred one or a profane one. Recognizing that every person on this earth was made in the Image of God, how I respond to or treat each person I meet will make a Sacred moment (I accept and value them as my equal, as God’s creation, as someone special in God’s eyes) or a profane moment (I view that person with suspicion or think of them as unworthy of my time, money or energy…and thus accuse God of making a mistake.)
Think of this, Sacred or Profane, the next time you run into a foreigner, the next time you get irritated with your co-worker, the next time you see someone who is different from you.  You and I have a choice: to value people who are different from us, and thus reflect God’s glory (Sacred moment) or to de-value them and thus, (in a blunt way of putting it) curse God (profane moment).

I confess, sometimes I find this very difficult; some people can be very difficult to love, and I tend to be impatient and proud. I know I will fail many times, but I believe God is at work in me, wanting me to make each moment a sacred one.
Will you join me in seeking to make each encounter this next year a sacred moment ?
Together we can make this world a bit better place… more reflective of His glory,  more full of His grace, as we accept and value those around us.
Have a very Sacred 2011!
In His Strong Arms,

Better late than never?

Ok, so it's been over half a year since I put something down on this blog. That either means I am very undisiplined, or there were better things to do, or I have different priorities than some other people, or I am still kind of "old school"...(or I have a different blog elsewhere - though that one also is lacking in "posts" . no matter. What is really important is that all this time I have been in His Strong Arms. Yep, we all kind of think that what happens in our life is very important... but at the end of the day, what really matters is our relationship to the Creator. I don't consider myself of that much importance that I need to prove myself. I am satisfied that I have a Creator/Saviour God who bestows His Grace on me each day. And my goal is to be a channel of that grace to those around me. If you are one of the very few people who happen upon this blog, take a moment to reflect on Who God is, how awesome He is, and how amazing His Grace is to you. In the long run, we are all In His Strong Arms.