The Simple Things
Sometimes it is the simple things that grab my attention. I remember a few years back when a dear friend of Ignite Life shared how she was so frustrated with glitter because of the mess and then she changed her perspective and now every time she sees glitter, she’s reminded of the presence of God. Simple things.
About a month ago, a friend of mine gave me this beautiful beaded bookmark. It’s the kind where the beads are strung on a thin piece of metal. It dangles beautifully from the binding of a book. I put it inside my Bible to remind myself to pray daily for the women who made the bookmark.
A few weeks ago, a crazy cold spell moved into Vegas. If you know me at all, you know I hate the cold. I was sitting outside one morning with my Bible in my hand and a big cup of coffee on my table. I looked at my bookmark that was lying beside my cup of coffee and I watched as the wire holding the beads literally, slowly curled up into a ball. How crazy? I thought to myself, “see, even the wire doesn’t like the cold”. Then I tried to straighten out the wire, and I couldn’t. It was bound up tight. I was so frustrated because my beautiful bookmark was ruined by the awful cold.
A few minutes later I picked up my stuff and headed inside. I placed the bookmark back inside my Bible and felt so disappointed at the appearance of the beads. And then an amazing thing happened. As the wire warmed up from being inside the Bible, it straightened back out and the beads once again hung beautifully the way they were intended.
Did you catch the meaning, the significance? When we wander away from the protection of the Word, the warmth of the presence of Jesus, we curl up and are useless to our intended purpose. But, when we rest in his Word, when we surround ourselves with His presence, we straighten up and become the way we were created to be. I love this. Simple things.
This year we have been journeying through the book of John, looking at encounters with Jesus where we are invited to Come and See. Each encounter reminds me of one thing…encountering Jesus brings us back to our intended purpose. Encountering Jesus makes our lives straight. Every time Jesus encounters someone, their lives are never the same. He calls us into purpose. He calls us into right living. He calls us to be the person God created us to be. As we stay connected to Him, He brings that about in our lives.
I think of how Jesus did this in the book of John and it is through simple things.
In John 1, Jesus used a fig tree.
In John 2, He used water and wine.
In John 4, Jesus used a well.
In John 5, Jesus used a mat.
In John 6, Jesus used 5 loaves and 2 fish.
In John 8, Jesus used the sand to scribble in.
In John 9, Jesus used a man’s blindness.
In John 10, He used the story of a sheep.
In John 11, Jesus used the death of His dear friend.
In John 12, Jesus used oil.
In John 13, Jesus used a basin of water.
In John 15, He used a vine and a branch.
In John 17, Jesus used His words.
In John 19, He used a cross.
In John 20, Jesus used an empty tomb.
In all of it, Jesus invites us to Come and See…..come and see Jesus, come and see ourselves the way He sees us, come and see true life, come and see true purpose.
This December God will use a baby to grab our attention, to invite us to Come and See, to open our arms to an encounter with Jesus. It really is the simple things that hold the deepest meaning. God is speaking. God is calling. Does He have our attention? I know this, when I look at my bookmark, He grabs mine. Thanking God today for the simple things and that He loves me enough to use them to grab my attention and to call me into an even deeper relationship with Jesus.
Some things to think about:
How is God grabbing your attention today?
What is God using in your life to call you into your purpose?
How is God straightening your life out?
Are you staying connected to Him?
In what ways?
Robin Smith has a passion for equipping people to see their strengths and to lead with their unique God given gifts. Robin has always had a strong tie to her church, community and work. That tie is in the form of relationships. Her greatest joy is to do life together, encouraging, strengthening and challenging each other to be their very best and reach their full potential.
Robin has been the Program Director for Refuge for Women since February 2017. She has overseen all the operations of our safe house and spent her days inside the home building relationships with the residents and helping them not only see their potential, but overcome the obstacles standing in the way of them reaching their potential. For15 years, prior to coming to Refuge for Women, Robin worked in higher education, focusing on developing student leaders and equipping students with the skills they need to be successful in the pursuit of their education and careers. Prior to that, Robin was a Salvation Army officer and served in full time ministry in various locations throughout the Midwest. Robin’s focus was always serving, equipping and developing others.
In 2006, the Lord began to work in Robin’s heart and plant a love for women who are trapped in the sex-industry. This passion was formed through Robin’s involvement with student mission trips to Las Vegas. In 2010, Robin began the Hearts for Jackson ministry in Jackson, Michigan reaching out to women who work in strip clubs. Robin’s heart was broken for these women and she started this ministry to bring them hope and love with a goal of showing the love of Jesus in a practical way. Each month, Robin led a group of women from her church into the strip clubs where they simply loved on the women. They brought them gifts, told them they were special & loved and offered a listening ear. Robin brings her heart and passion to Refuge for Women and is excited to be stepping into this new role of City Director where she will be partnering with the local churches, Las Vegas community, and most importantly, Jesus, in this crucial ministry.
Robin and her husband Homer have been married for 33 years and currently reside in Henderson, NV. They attend the ChurchLV and they enjoy God’s creation by hiking, walking, or simply enjoying the sun with a good book. They have two children and three grandchildren. Robin holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan and a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Development, also from Spring Arbor University.