Reflection

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Persisting stomach-ache disappears

Some time ago Maria stopped me after church. She told me how that day it dawned unto her she had not had a stomach-ache for over a year now. This was after they had been praying for her during a church meeting (the Lord had given a word that people with stomach-aches were being healed).
Not one stomach-ache in a whole year! Nothing special for people who never suffer from it, but Maria added that before, she used to have stomach-aches almost every day for years. She even had been treated for a gastric ulcer and that she often had to get up at night to throw up.

When two of you agree ...

A female resident - greatly advanced in years- from the retirement home where Inger used to work, was eagerly looking forward to the wedding party of her granddaughter, with whom she had a special bond. A while before the wedding, she was visibly getting worse: she became confused, had no strength left. She was expected to die very soon. Years before all this Inger once had talked with her about Jesus, but she did not want to choose for Him nor receive prayer. She thought it was "too late to change her mind". When her condition became critical, she allowed Inger to pray with her and she gave her heart to Jesus. Inger also prayed for new strength, so she would be able to attend the wedding. The next day her condition was much better, and slowly but surely the confusion disappeared and she recovered her strength. With a fresh mind, and a lovely outfit, she enjoyed -amidst her family -the wedding party she had longed for so much.

Sorting!

In Belgium we figured it out: the time that you could just dump your trash on the sidewalk for the garbage truck to pick it up is long gone. Television, glass, cans, green waste… everything used to end up in 1 bag, cart or box. If people back then would have told us one day we would be sorting that junk ourselves, we would have had a good laugh about it. Now, as the years have passed, we are there: we are so used to sorting the stuff, that we are shocked when we find someone that does not do so, because it serves our environment!

So who did invent sorting really? God, of course!
You could object that when God created the world there was no paper trash nor were green waste containers required. But God taught us how to sort more than merely visible trash. He also taught us sorting our thoughts, a practice that, if well done, contributes to a happy life.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly thing” (Colossians 3:2) is His commandment. “demolish strongholds… that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) is another advice He gave us. After all these years some of us have still not excelled in this type of sorting. All too often we still fill ourselves with every possible thought and junk that we can find, the media being well-willing to serve our every need...

With the holidays coming up my suggestion to you is this: try sorting your thoughts, leading them instead of them leading you. This type of sorting will change your life, and in time, the whole world!

Enjoy your holidays!
Many blessings,

Hugo