Pieces of My Heart 2009

As we look back over our shoulder on the year that is behind us, we can’t help but see the obvious ways that God has held us in the very palms of His hands. Month by month we can see in our pledge and plate offerings just how He has sustained us. It has been an amazing journey of growing in our trust and faith in Christ Jesus. In our own homes this is reflected as well. So many times I have turned the corner this past year to see the Lord’s fingerprints in my house, in our church home, my family, our church family, my friends, my workplace, my daughter’s wedding. You can see His hand, too. There are no coincidences or luck, it’s blessings from the hand of God.I write this with such a grateful heart.As the old year has closed, there are a couple of points that are highlighted in my mind. One is the very fact that God is in the details of every fiber of our lives. How He is weaved into every bit of it. He knows every single detail. When He reveals himself and you see it, you can’t deny Him. He’s amazing.

On a cold winter’s night this December, as I walked towards the Stop and Shop in Saugus, there in front of me was a man at the Salvation Army stand. He didn’t just have one bell; he had two, plus a boom box playing Christmas music. He was dancing and ringing those two bells in time to the music. He made you want to dance as you walked towards him. I can remember I had the biggest smile on my face as I approached him. I told him that he was awesome. What a gift it was to meet him. His name was Anthony. He had on military camouflage. I asked him if he was really in the service and he replied for 13 years. I thanked him. As I continued my night, I couldn’t help remembering Anthony and how alive he was and in the moment. He made that moment count for everything. I thought about stewardship, it’s what you do with what God gives you, and Anthony was a living testament to Stewardship at that moment. He was putting his heart and soul into it. I think that’s what God is asking of us. Live in the moment, not in the past or the future. Love me with all your heart, your soul and your mind. Make the most out of what I have given you. Bells, too, have become very significant in my life. They have become a symbol of truly just believing; believing in Him. Let us make the most of what He has given to us and to be pleasing in His sight. Only with His help can we hope to do just that. Praise the Lord.

We have now coasted into a new beginning for 2010, and our hope still lies in the faithfulness of our God—believing wholeheartedly He lights the way. He walks with each one of us. He desires us to trust Him. We can show Him by what we do with what He gives us. This Sunday in Sunday school, James asked, “But how can He be in every heart at the same time?” Keep in mind that James is only four. When one truly thinks of it, you can’t help but ask how? I don’t know the how; I just know He can be. The Spirit of God is beyond our human understanding. We don’t have to understand it, just accept it. What a gift we could give to our Lord each day in the days ahead to accept Him, trust Him, and Love Him with all that we are and all that He will help us to become. May He see a difference in us when 2010 nears to an end.

Ringing in this New Year with the bells of my heart,

Ruth Ross for Stewardship