DID I SEE HIS HAND IN MY LIFE?

Reading Matthew 5 in a different light, I sometimes I read other versions of the scripture (other than the NKJV) and I am sure you do too. Sometimes it is good to read a "plainer" version of well loved scripture. "The Message" version of the new testament speaks in the casual Amercan vernacular I am used to. So I chose the first 7 "Beatitudes"....... but even though the language is casual, the message and the intent are no less powerful.

Matthew 5 The Message (MSG)
You’re blessed:5 ^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One dearest to you.
⁵ “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
⁶ “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
⁷ “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
⁸ “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
⁹ “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

When I read this, it makes me want to count my blessings.

  Come thou Font of Every Blessing...Mumford & Sons 

You might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that Pres.Henry B Eyring

Did God send a message that was just for me, or just for you? This question was posed in class last evening. And we (students) had a opportunity to bear a testimony of recognizing the hand of God in our lives. This statement caused all of us to really ponder, and think about the details of the otherwise mundane days of our lives. What happened in the routine could be construed as the "hand of God" What happened this week only that can be compared to all of the all the  other weeks and months that I have lived. This week I received more phone calls than usual

1.  A neighbor left an indeciperable message on my phone. So unrecognizable was any word she had spoken, I knew I had to call her back just to have her translate the message. My neighbor wanted to drop off a very large bag of potatoes, she had a surplus. Her church had given out bags of potatoe's to it's members. Why yes, I would love some potatoes, because as luck would have it I was on my way to the grocery store to buy some potatoes.    
2. My fridge has been dying a slow death for well over a year now, and we have prayed for it and also for us that we would not succomb to food poisoning because of the declining temperatures inside. It was like global warming in a box. We could not afford to buy a new one, so my husband and I prayed for a solution. We humbled ourselves and asked for help.The S.O.S was out there and we waited and it seemed to me that Heavenly Father assured us that he was "on it" and there would be an answer soon. A month has gone by and two days ago, a wardmember called us to let us know that he had a refrigerator that we could have. Yes, and thank you so much, because the old one was in the thro's of death rattles. As we went to pick up the fridge and brought it home, we noted that it was a perfect fit. Wow, it was a one in a million chance that the fridge could fit in the niche in our small  home. Heavenly Father was definitely on the job.
3. I got two phone calls from 2 friends. My phone seldom rings unless it's my husband or the ubiquitous wrong number.
4. A long lost work friend sent me a picture of his newborn baby. What isn't lost on me is that these two friends, ( the potato friend and the work friend), were two people that I bravely gave a copy of the book of Mormon to.
5. Today at work, we received our annual Christmas gift card. It will come in handy.       

O Remember, remember .....Pres Henry B Eyring

Happy Friday y'all, may our hearts ever be tuned to hear His voice