Overcome the world

"…I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
These words from Jesus are meant to be a comfort to us, aren't they? While speaking to His disciples in John 16, Jesus is warning them that He is going away, physically speaking, but that He will send to them the Holy Spirit. He tells them about the peace they will receive in the Holy Spirit. Lastly, He assures them that even in the midst of trouble they can rest in that peace because the world and all of its trials are already overcome.
This should provide a soft pillow for the children of God to rest their heads upon. The battle has been fought. the war is won. The victory is ours. Hallelujah! Now I can curl up, get comfortable and sleep like a baby.
But in the name of full disclosure I must admit that I don't always rest easy in this truth. In fact, there are times I don't want to have to cling to this scripture at all. In the midst of my suffering and trials I want to tell God, "Look, I know you have overcome and that's great. I'm glad. But I'm a little tired of being the poster child for all of this overcoming power. So I have an idea… You can go overcome in someone else's life for a little while and I'll just take a little break. You can lay off the trials so I can get a breather and you go use someone else as a testimony for a bit. I'd really appreciate that. Thanks."
Yes, I know, these are terrible prayers! Full disclosure, remember? That means the good, bad and ugly and I know, that prayer falls into the latter category.
On my own stamina I am nothing but a coward. Instead of proclaiming victory I want to hide in a corner. "Come get me when the storm is past" is the sign that I wear, covering my human flesh like a sandwich board. Admittedly, sometimes I forget that I no longer wear just my human flesh. I forget that the old sign has been removed and thrown away. My sign has been replaced, my body and spirit made new.
Inscribed on my heart is the peace of God. He has removed my cowardly, fearful, weak, faint-hearted (insert your favorite word to describe lack of courage) human nature and replaced it with His spirit of peace. When I look to myself to find overcoming strength all I come up with is weakness.
True strength that can give us peace comes from looking at the beginning of that scripture in John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble…." Peace isn't found in ourselves. It can't be dependent on our circumstances. We can't find it by hiding in our closets with a blanket over our heads. Peace is found in Jesus Christ.
When we read this scripture we might want to run the other direction, away from the trouble. The peace sounds divine but the trouble sounds terrifying. Dear Reader, God wants to use our trials as a testimony of His power. This is a great privilege and honor. Human beings - weak, faint and sinful - are His preferred method of use for displaying His world dominating power. Through Jesus Christ, you have overcome of the world. Through the power of Jesus Christ living in and through you, you will defeat the darkness of this world. Your victory won't be for your glory. It can't be on your own because you are utterly weak, doomed to be on the losing side. But when you are in Jesus Christ you are victorious already.
In moments of weakness when you're are tempted to revert to weak human and cowardly ways, remember the great privilege that is being bestowed on you in the midst of your struggle and the peace that is available. God is using you to show the world that He is still Lord, still reigning, still all-powerful. The most daunting trials are the greatest stories of God's overcoming power. This is wonderful news for the suffering Christian. Every struggle is an amazing role in telling the victorious story of Jesus Christ.
Friend, come out from your hiding place. Remove the blanket that you are cowering underneath. You are an overcomer through Jesus Christ. You can have peace while He overcomes for you. Through Jesus Christ you can have limitless strength that defeats the darkness of the world and proclaims God King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God wants to make you part of that. Praise the Lord!

Legacy of love

Every time I buy a newspaper I have a certain order in which I peruse the different sections. First, I start with the national headlines. This makes sense because they are right on top. I scroll through the different pages, reading what interests me and skipping what doesn't. I end with the Letters to the Editor and a quick glance of the weather.

Then it is on to the obituaries. Local news can wait. Sports never gets touched. But obituaries take high priority for me when reading the newspaper. 

Reading obituaries might appear a bit morbid but I don't think of it that way. To me, obituaries aren't about death at all. They are actually the exact opposite. They are about life. 

Every obituary is a gold mine of life lessons. The stories are full of community involvement, family ties, dedication to church, fun-filled hobbies and golden anniversaries. In every obituary there is a legacy.

This morning I happened to have yesterday's paper on the counter, untouched except for one lone article cut out for my niece's school assignment. I decided to do my usual scan. I started with the headlines at a rapid clip. I read a Letter to the Editor. And then it was on to obituaries. 

Half way through the page I ran across one that caught my attention. Desiree passed away at the young age of thirty-four. The cause of death wasn't listed and there was no reference to a long fought battle with a terminal illness. The date and age of death were quickly stated and then the legacy was revealed: a "devoted daughter," "loving aunt" and "inseparable sister." Her life was brief but it was profound and beautiful. 

Desiree's story didn't list any awards or accolades. There wasn't an impressive list of schools attended, companies worked for or organizations in which she participated. Her obituary shared a simple legacy of dedicated love. She left a mark on the world by the care she poured out on her family and friends. 

Her tribute, condensed into a small, unassuming paragraph on page B4, provided a glimpse into the understated and often overlooked beauty of a life of love. 

What mattered most to Desiree is something that death can't extinguish: love. She lived in such a way that at the end of her journey she was able to leave behind an indestructible, incorruptible, eternal legacy of love. 

I want to live my life in such a way that I, too, leave a legacy of love. Lists of accomplishments, dollars earned and exotic travels will certainly fill the space on a newspaper page but the influence it will have is fleeting. The legacy of love is anything but fleeting. It is the only legacy that lasts. 

1 Corinthians 13:2 says, If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 

Every day my actions, words and deeds form the legacy I will one day leave behind. What will that legacy be? It is a question worth asking. Is the legacy I'm leaving a legacy of God's love? Is my legacy one of relentless, unshakable devotion and dedication? 

When my legacy is spoken of, be it tomorrow or fifty years from now, I want it to be undoubtedly one of love. I want to hear the words "devoted daughter," "loving aunt" and "inseparable sister." I don't care if I don't get any letters by my name or impressive awards for outstanding accomplishments. The greatest story that could ever be told about my life will be one of Christ-like love. That is the legacy I want to leave and the life I want to live each and every day. 

Choose joy

Have you ever met a person who is, undeniably, unashamedly, an upper? No matter what the circumstances or day's agenda they emit an aura of positivity. They wear a permanent smile that is practically painted on their face. They see challenges as opportunities, detours as adventures. Rainy days are perfect for puddle jumping, clouds perfect for reading outdoors without having to squint. There is nothing that can bring their spirit down. They see the bright side of every situation.
On the flip side of that coin is the Negative Nancy, Davey Downer type who lives under a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. They are continually complaining, looking at every glass as half empty - or perhaps even less than half empty! They wear a frown and carry with them an air of annoyance and unhappiness.
Yesterday, in the space of just a few hours, I had the opportunity to come across two such diametrically opposed people. Both worked at the same job, both were about the same age, yet they couldn't have been more different.
The first man talked of his job with thankfulness and appreciation for the work. His job is not the least bit glamorous. He is a shuttle driver for a service department at a car dealership. He spends his days driving customers back and forth from the dealership to their desired locations. Yet, he didn't appear to resent the mundane work. He looked on the bright side. "I get to meet all sorts of good people," he said of his job. He shared with me that his pay is only nine dollars an hour. Needless to say, he isn't in it for the big paycheck. What this job provides him is the opportunity to interact with all sorts of people that he would, otherwise, never have the pleasure of knowing. His attitude was entirely focused on the bright side.
When the time came for the ride back to the dealership, I looked forward to the sunny reappearance of the upbeat driver!  But, the afternoon brought a new face behind the wheel.  And it did not take long at all to discover that the afternoon shuttle driver had an entirely different perspective.  His description of his job was much different and much gloomier. When I asked him if he enjoyed his work he replied, "I meet a lot of people I'd rather not know." Wow. The difference in perspectives stunned me.
One man looked at his job behind the wheel as the meeting place for new friends. The other viewed the same customers with disdain.
How can two men, with the same job, in the same age bracket, have such opposing views of the same set of circumstances?
It all comes down to attitude and attitude comes down to choice. The problem isn't that one driver gets all the kind, generous customers while they are in good moods, only to turn over the keys to the afternoon driver when all the customers have turned rotten and mean. No, the one man has chosen a joyful, thankful spirit and the other has not.
God has made available to us an attitude of joy and thanksgiving. It is our responsibility to claim that spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God desires for us to have a thankful heart that sees the good in our circumstances. This is a choice, it doesn't just happen by chance. Giving thanks is a decision. When we choose to be filled with this joy we are continually thankful and unable to possess the attitude of a complainer. The two simply cannot co-exist! You cannot be praising God and complaining in the same breath. When their is a song of thanksgiving on your lips, when you choose to sing that song, you don't give negativity a foothold. 
Every day we wake up with a choice: face the day with a joyful, thankful spirit or choose to view the world through eyes of negativity. The choice is ours. God has given us boundless, overwhelming, unstoppable joy if only we will accept it. We can decide to make His joy our own and carry it with us everywhere we go, regardless of circumstances.  Or we can deny God's gift of joy and allow complaints to fill our minds, spewing them out through our words and attitude. 

There is no doubt about which choice will please our Heavenly Father. He desires from His children a spirit of thanksgiving and a heart of praise. He wants us to be filled with joy. He has made it available. Now it is up to us to choose. 

Growing good things

Attention all single ladies! I have amazing news for all the women of the world who have searched in vain for Mr. Right! The search is over! There is finally a sure way to find a man, and it won't take years of searching or an online account.
Does it sound too good to be true? Have you spent years yearning for the love of a male companion? Have you daydreamed of how you will meet him and what your life together will look like?
Well, dream no more. A husband can be your reality thanks to "Grow Your Own New Husband"!
Yes, you read correctly, you can grow your own husband! The package says so... and all you have to do is add water or, as the label notes, beer! You can't mess this up, just buy the little figurine for a bargain price of $5.99, submerge in water and, voila! You have a new husband!
But wait, the best is yet to come. This husband comes with guarantees!
"He won't get fat." Score….
"He loves 'chick flicks'." Perfect. ...
"He keeps his opinions to himself." Even more perfect….
"He doesn't have any baggage." Good to know….
"He'll never ask you how much you spent on that new pair of shoes." Match made in heaven….
And don't forget, "He doesn't leave the toilet seat up." Can you say dreamboat?
So you see ladies, all of your years of waiting are no more. Your made-to-order man is only a purchase away! He can be all yours. All you need to do is add water.

Wouldn't it be grand if life worked that way? Wouldn't it be lovely if getting our heart's desires was as simple as just adding water?
But alas, we know all too well that life is never this simple. Circumstances arise that we never ordered. We add water and our prized possession gets ruined, not more plentiful.
We all want good things, a pleasant life, a smooth journey. Is that so much to ask? Can't we put in our order? Can't we just get the right kit, add some water, and have our dreams take shape?
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10). 
In our made-to-order world sometimes we forget that the best things in life are not things at all - not even people. But the best thing is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and King. There is no good apart from Him. There are no blessings, relationships, possessions or circumstances that can ever compare to knowing Him. As the simple chorus says, "Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you, there is no greater thing." It is a simple sentiment but it is fundamental to how we, as Christians, live our lives. 
There will always be temptation to want things and people to fill the void only God can fill. We will want to grasp at everything visible and tangible to satisfy our souls. We will try every trick in the book to force the desires of our heart to become our reality. All of these methods will prove inferior. There is no figurine we can purchase, no husband we can marry or pleasure on this earth that can fill the God sized void in our hearts. He alone can make us whole. 
Whether you find yourself single, married, divorced, lonely or in good company, the temptation will always exist: grasp something in this world to satisfy the longings of the heart. Don't fall into this devastating trap. Only God can truly satisfy. He alone can give good things. When you long for Him and fill yourself with more of Him you can be single or married forever, it won't matter, because your soul is satisfied and filled with God, not with an earthly relationship.
Dear single sister (or brother), don't waste your money on an expandable, purchasable husband (or wife). You'd be better served buying a latte instead. And then, sit there with your latte and open up your Bible and get to know the one who can satisfy your soul with good things: love, mercy, grace, kindness, goodness. He will pour out to you blessings far beyond anything money can buy. And in time, who knows, He might bless you with a living, breathing companion who won't require water to  grow. In time, He just might bring about a person who will be perfect for you because God himself will do the picking and the growing of your Mr. (or Mrs.) Right.

The fisherman's tent

Fishing is a big business. Just ask Bass Pro Shop. In 2011 they recorded almost four billion dollars in revenue. Their stores cover all the needs of outdoor enthusiasts ranging from fishing to camping but it is no surprise that with a name like "bass" pro shop fishing is a big draw. At their flagship store in Missouri the crowds come not just to purchase goods but to experience a tourist attraction - the number one in the state to be exact.
In Pennsylvania the hobby (or, more appropriately, lifestyle) of fishing is booming, too - with or without a Bass Pro Shop. The state recorded selling over 850,000 fishing licenses in the year 2012. Men (and some women, I'm sure) spend vast amounts of time and money in the pursuit of their desired fish. The number of licenses, bait, tackle and equipment sold are proof: lots of people love to fish.
But not me.
I cannot be counted in a single dollar of the revenue for Bass Pro Shop. I do not account for one of those 850,000 licenses sold in 2012 in Pennsylvania. I have never bought bait or tied it to a line. The closest I've come to fishing is holding a pole while standing on the dock of the Peninsula one summer afternoon when I was about ten years old. The experience lasted roughly ten minutes and then I was perfectly content to end my fishing career. The sport, pastime, hobby - whatever term you prefer - has never appealed to me. Holding a pole for hours on end and waiting for a fish to bite a slimy worm simply isn't my idea of a good time. The nature that surrounds the fishermen is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I'd much rather enjoy it in a different way. I'd much rather run next to the water, swim in the ocean or walk on the beach. But sit with a pole and a worm? No thank you.
What appeals to me even less is ice fishing. If you are not from the north then you might not be familiar with this activity. If you are from the north, and especially from Erie, then you might immediately have a mental image in your mind.
Ice fishing is the least appealing of all fishing, in my opinion. Ice fishermen come down to the bay with their trucks loaded to the gills with heaps of equipment and layers of clothing. They appear out of their trucks looking like Eskimos. They walk like ducks with three layers of pants, massive boots, furry hats and coats that would barely fit through a doorway. They unload all of their equipment and transfer it to a small sleigh - much smaller than Santa's - and pull it out onto the frozen ice of the bay.
It is there that the fishermen set up small tents. From a distance it looks like a miniature city. Once the tents go up the men disappear inside and the scene is nothing more than a frozen, slippery surface dotted with little black shelters. There is rarely ever a soul in sight.
I can't help but wonder, what is the appeal of this sport? The air is frigid. The winds pelt the sides of the tents, causing their flimsy sides to sway. It looks like a frozen desert.
And yet, inside those dinky little tents, the men are enjoying the wonder of nature and the thrill of the catch. I can't see the excitement happening beneath the cover of the tent. I can't see the joy on the men's faces when they catch a massive steelhead or count their impressive haul of fish at the end of the day. From where I stand, on the security of solid ground, outside of their tents, all I see is a lot of nothingness. From a distance it appears that absolutely nothing is happening. There are no people to observe. There is no chatter or sounds of human life at all. There is no score board that displays the number of fish caught on that particular bay, on that particular day. There are no flashy signs and no awards displayed. To the outsider this scene looks lifeless and dull.
It is only from the inside of the tent that the work of the ice fishermen becomes visible. If we could go inside the tent we would see a big cooler, filled to the brim with that day's catches. We would see the boxes of bait and tackle. We would understand the need for all of the equipment that came off of the trucks. We would finally get to see that beneath the protection of their tents, the fishermen had carefully and diligently carved out a small little world all of their own in which they could fulfill their purpose: catching fish.
Maybe ice fishing doesn't sound like your idea of a fun-filled afternoon. I can't blame you. But you don't need to hit the ice loaded down with a truck full of equipment to learn a lesson from the ice fishermen. What they have to teach can be learned by simply observing from afar, from the safety of solid ground.
Beneath the protection of an unassuming tent, great work can be accomplished.
Your life might look much like that fisherman's tent: dull, boring, cold and lifeless. There might be little excitement visible in your day to day routine. An outsider might not see much going on whatsoever. What they can't see, and might fail to understand, is that God likes to work on the inside of the tent. God comes right into where we live, the innermost part of our being, and does His work. The job He is doing doesn't necessarily come with flash. Just like the fisherman, the excitement is happening behind the curtain, not visible to the passerbys of the world.
When God is busy doing His work on the inside it is tempting to assume that nothing is happening, that life is at a stand still. The trap is to look at life and say, "I don't see anything, so nothing is there!" And yet Hebrews 11:1 rebukes this kind of thinking: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
You may look at your life and see a bay filled with ice fishermen's tents. Where is the action? Where is the excitement? Where is the thrill? Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. Beneath the surface, away from the onlooking eyes, is where God is doing His most amazing work. God is working out our lives, growing our faith, showing us love and strengthening our spirits INSIDE the tent. 

At the end of the day the fishermen must emerge from the protection of their shelters to venture back across the bay to their trucks; back home to their freezers where they will store their prized fish from that day's catch. It is when they emerge that all of their hard work is finally visible. When we see them struggle to pick up those hefty coolers, loaded down with pounds of heavy fish, we understand what was happening behind the protection of their tent's walls. They were bringing in a huge haul! And all along it looked like nothing was happening. How wrong we were. 

Beloved, you too will someday emerge from your tent. The work that was happening behind the scenes will become evident. The glory of God will be on full display as the transformation of your spirit is made visible. Right now the work is still being done. The fish are still being caught. The molding of the potter's hands is still underway in your life. But take heart, because a great work is being done in you by the grace of God, with His loving hand. He is doing something miraculous in you behind the scenes, inside your own personal tent. 

Why we wait

Robert Frost asked the question, "How much of human life is lost in the waiting?"
His question feels more like a lament, clouded in sorrow and grief. In his words there is an assumption that waiting is always a losing proposition. No matter what we are waiting for, we are somehow missing out on something else. What we are missing we'll never know. But there is an unspoken truth that something is lost…something, I suspect, that Frost deems more desirable than the wait itself.
The Bible, on the other hand, doesn't provide the same outlook on waiting. Isaiah 40:31 paints a drastically different picture of waiting. The scripture says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." 
When looked at in light of the Bible, waiting does not seem to be a loss. Waiting is actually beneficial in and of itself. It is where our strength is built. The waiting room is our weight-lifting room.
How many people spend hours lifting weights in the gym, pushing their bodies to the limit, tracking their nutrient intake in order that they might gain physical, muscular strength? Body builders devote their lives to gaining strength. Why would they sacrifice so much? Because, in their eyes, gaining strength is worth the effort. The reward is worth the work.
Is gaining spiritual strength as desirable? Do God's children, like dedicated body builders, pine for spiritual strength with the same fervor that the weight lifter yearns for more muscular capacity? Do Christians have that same longing?
If the answer is yes then we should be embracing our times of waiting because that's when we gain strength. Our strength is actively renewed while we wait and hope in the Lord.
The Bible again equates waiting with strength in Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."
Waiting. It isn't glamorous. It isn't flashy. It doesn't come attached with recognition or awards. Yet, waiting is an essential principle of the Christian faith. Waiting is where our strength is manifested, molded, and multiplied. 

In the midst of waiting it is tempting to question "why?" Why am I stuck in this stage of inaction? Why isn't anything happening to me and for me? When will life get a move on? Instead of sitting back and relaxing while we wait, we are tempted to become impatient, tapping our foot to expel our nervous energy, pacing back and forth and continually glancing at the clock, even when only half a minute has passed. We want to bypass the wait and jump ahead to the next excitement.

What we forget is that by forgoing the wait we miss out on the renewal of strength. Without strength we are ill equipped to tackle the adventures and missions of life. We may be faced with a great new excitement but without strength how will we tackle the new challenges and demands? We can be called to do great works for the Lord but without strength can we fulfill the call? 

The wait is where we receive the strength we need for the journeys to come. That wait might take longer than expected. Our wait might seem to be endless, causing us to wonder, "what good is the strength if I never get the chance to use it?" But take heart because you can't see the future. You might feel like your life is one big long wait but have you considered how big of a mission God might have ahead for you? The mission might be more overwhelming then your mind can even comprehend. Therefore, your strength will need to be great enough to meet the challenges ahead. Hence, all the agonizing days, weeks, months and years of waiting. 

While you wait don't tap your foot in impatient frustration. Instead, relish the opportunity to gain strength. Bask in the renewal of strength that is benefited to you in this time. Strength is to be cherished. If God is making you wait then He is allowing you to be blessed with His miraculous strength. By this strength He will use you to do marvelous things for His glory. But first you must be strong. You must be courageous and brave. And you must wait.

Even when it looks like nothing much is taking place, God is renewing your inner strength if you wait on Him. God wants to give you strength so that He can send you off soaring. Get ready, dear reader, because you will one day fly with the grace and beauty of the eagle. First, you must actively wait on the Lord. 

There is nothing lost while you wait. You are not missing out on some wild adventure that is more exciting and desirable. No, instead you are being prepared for the great journey ahead. As you wait on the Lord you are gaining strength through the grace and mercy of God. So you see, while waiting you aren't missing out on a single thing. You are actually gaining everything. 

No right to complain

Jonah was hardly a courageous man of God. I don't mean to bash Jonah.  Obviously, I'm no better.
God told him to go and preach against wickedness. Jonah ran the opposite direction. So God sent a storm, and as the story goes, Jonah ends up being thrown overboard, ending up in the belly of a whale. But God wasn't finished with Him. Jonah cried out to God and God heard him. He saw to it that the whale spit Jonah back up so that Jonah could have another shot at obedience. God is certainly a God of second chances.
This time Jonah went to Nineveh, as commanded, to preach the word of God to a lost and corrupt people who were on the verge of destruction. The people in that town repented, fasted and called on God.
You would think that the story would then end with happiness and joy. Jonah finally obeyed and the people were saved from their sins. But the story doesn't end there. Jonah went away from the town and sat under a shelter he fashioned for himself. God lovingly provided a vine to cover Jonah and provide him comfort and shade. Jonah was undoubtedly pleased with the presence of the vine.
But it didn't last. God then sent a worm to eat away at the vine. Jonah didn't take kindly to the loss of his beloved vine. He called out to God with words of grief, "It would be better for me to die than to live." (Jonah 4:8).
God gives a pointed, humbling response. "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" (Jonah 4:9).
Those words are like a sucker punch to the stomach of every person who has ever complained, gripped, or railed against the things they wish they had but don't. Those words hit me between the eyes today, bringing my soul to its knees.
How foolish Jonah and I have been. We have been abundantly blessed by God. He has seen our needs and filled them. When Jonah needed comfort for His head, God provided. When Jonah needed saved from the belly of a whale, God provided.
God is moving and working in my life much the same way. I have yet to be swallowed by a whale but I have been saved from a pit of my own making. God has redeemed my soul and given me new life. He has sustained my physical body in sickness and restored it to health. God has seen to it that my financial, emotional and physical well being is always cared for, sometimes in miraculous ways that defy explanation.
And yet I fall into the same trap that Jonah was in at the end of chapter four. Even after all of the immense blessings of God, even after Jonah had seen God shower mercy and love on the lost Ninevite people, Jonah was dissatisfied. He wanted more. He was angry because the vine withered. He was even angry that a sinful people had indeed found repentance. He had every reason for joy and yet he choose to complain and wish death upon himself.
In my own life I have done the very same thing. I have disregarded the blessings and work of God, tuning out His voice and providence with the loud cries of my own complaining, wicked, disobedient heart. I have not received life circumstances the way I wanted them, in the time frame I wanted them, and therefore I've issued a laundry list of complaints to God. Instead of embracing the unique and special blessings He has given me and thanking Him for the presence or absence of a particular vine, I think it my right to be angry when I don't get my way
Those words God speaks to Jonah in verse nine of chapter four are the same words I need to hear. "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" Do I have a right to be angry when I don't get the lot in life I think I should? When circumstances change or life gets a little tough, do I have a right to be angry with God?
Of course not.
Every breath is a blessing. Every moment spent as a child of God is a blessing. Whether or not I receive a plentiful vine or I have to sit under the scorching sun, I am abundantly blessed. By my own power I deserve nothing but eternal separation from God. By His grace I have been saved from that awful fate. Do I have a right to ever complain about my circumstances? Never. Not for a moment. Because each and every moment of each and every day I am living in the reality of the greatest blessing man kind has ever known: the eternal salvation provided by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Therefore, I have no right to ever be angry with God.