Where have you seen Jesus

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” Proverbs 1:5

This Scripture is part of the opening statement in the Book of Proverbs. It is applicable there and throughout life. As we are being prepared for eternity with Jesus, one gains Kingdom insight from the daily events of life.

This past week three events brought a smile to my face. In each instance, I experienced the joy of having these Kingdom life lessons reinforced.

In the beginning of the week, I had my bi-annual skin exam. He is my new dermatologist. I made the recent decision to find a younger doctor who will hopefully outlive me. Dr. D is in his late thirties and wears his skin proud of the profession. As I sat naked with only my shorts, he exam my body for any unusual markings. He found two. One on my thigh and the other on my chest. With help from his nurse, he removed both of them and sent them to the lab for inspection. Band aids covered the new extracted skin holes.

The good news is no serious cancer. The bad news is he had to dig deeper to remove tiny bits of unwanted cells. The incision and stitches afterward caused an inkling of discomfort. A temporary pain and inconvenience for the long-term confirmation that all is OK. This reminded me of how the Spirit works to remove parts of the harden heart. The short-term pain is worth the long-term gain.

Earlier this past weekend, I also checked-off an item from my to-do list. A palm tree had died from a recent cold freeze and left me with the stump to be removed. This is the third tree planted in the same spot over the last fifteen years. It will not be replaced. But it was here I experienced the grace of Jesus.

I started digging around 7am and by 9am the body was near exhaustion. While sitting on the stool making plans to finish the work later in the week, my neighbor stopped by. A very successful business man in his late thirties. Collects sports cars as a hobby. Most of the work around his house is done by outside professional services. But today I saw Jesus come alive in him.

He looked at the fun I was having the last two hours and didn’t want to be deprived of sharing in it. He quickly reviewed the situation. Went back to his house and returned with a six-foot, 30-pound steel rod and a handheld spear cutter. In less than five minutes, we had the stump out of the ground. After thanking him, I smiled and teased him for being my Jesus at the moment. He actually blushed. But the lesson was learned. I gave my best effort to remove the tree stump; didn’t have anything left to finish the job but help came to finish it. Like so many times in life, we put forth the effort and God supplies us with HIS grace to complete the work. Most of the time He shows up hidden behind the life of another human.

Lastly, my wife and I recently picked up a new hobby to share. Putting together puzzles. I chose the first one. A five-hundred-piece portray of the Statue of Liberty lit up with fireworks around it. Yesterday we finished it. At the start she grumbled how difficult and uninspiring it was. I looked at it as a challenge and time we could bond together.

We laid the pieces on a small table in the living room. As we walk by it, we would stop and put a few pieces together. One day she would stop her busy schedule and do a few; the next day I did. Sometimes we were fortunate to come together and each grab a section of the puzzle. Yesterday, we both had time and sat together to finish the last few pieces. When the last piece was placed, I thought we were finished. But she proved me wrong. She showed me places where the pieces didn’t seem to properly blend or fit together. I then realized why I married her.

I am the business-minded person who focused on results. Perfection was an illusion in my field. Effectiveness or getting the job done is my priority. She on the other hand has an artist mind-set. Beauty and perfection are her giftedness. Though the puzzle was completed it wasn’t perfect. So we both sat down and put our heads together. In a matter of a few minutes she had disrupted several corners. Beauty was not recognized there. As I took my logical mind and together with her artistic eye, we began to move pieces around. We both began to experience the joy of sharing our giftedness toward a completed project. When we were finished, we had a perfect masterpiece to show the world. We did it together. Like a faith community coming together and living out the ways of Jesus in unity and love.

Yes, the doctor, the tree stump, and the puzzle were my Kingdom lessons of the week. What were yours?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

^{Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler}

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“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)