​SANDPAPER a Devotion by Susan Marlene

People and situations may rub you raw—distracting your focus off of purposeful accomplishments. But when the Lord polishes what has been roughened by friction, His reflection shines love and grace to those in need of kindness and those invested in negativity.  Susan Marlene, November 2020

Overcomers draw us to their “how”. They encourage because they have been inspired and offer it freely. Is it a matter of vision that super strong individuals are born with that makes all the difference? When they face awful, challenging, and oppressive obstacles which seemingly become stepping stones—is that really fair? Do the rest of us only stop-short with a mix of jealousy and envy as we watch those gifted few arise from the ash heaps? Time after trying times.

Society would have us believe that we are damaged and hindered from the best and brightest that life has to offer. That may be true. We have all been hurt and wounded by life and relationships, but it doesn’t stop there unless you chose it to be so. I may have—you may have—plenty of reasons for stewing in a melting pot of self-pity. But if we open-up and look for a different scenario, well, there are too many beautiful examples to clap our focus on.

Nick Vujicic is a man with a golden life. He has it all, and he is a motivational speaker—one that I’d love to hear and one that you probably would too. This is his quote, “It’s a lie to think you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think you’re not worth anything.” Taken from Nick Vujicic, Quotes About Life, which you may find at yourmotivationalguru.com.

You could easily say that Nick had a difficult childhood. He was born without limbs. You can well imagine the struggles and obstacles he has faced—no doubt about it. Yet, I saw how he brought his audience to tears. (I actually didn’t hear his talk. I only saw how they responded to him as they were leaving. He was the one comforting them.) He is a man who found that special something that is offered to us all in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus makes all life purposeful and exquisite and worth the trying people who disagree and the troubles that are unsurmountable. Only unsurmountable, when you don't have those spiritual and emotional hind’s feet to leap over the rocky crags of difficulty. Submitting our hearts to Jesus to follow Him each day is the element that eludes the strongest of us who demand to do it our way. Our timing. Our fickle last-minute changes.

Jesus said, My yoke is easy, my burden is light. He also claimed that He was the way, the truth, and the light. 

I want to be faithful like the ten virgins who when the bridegroom arrived they were ready and had their oil in their lamps. Matthew 25:1-13. How about you?