ENCOURAGEMENT FROM NORTHERN THAILAND - Dec 8, 2021
When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make "breakfast
food" for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular
when she had made "breakfast" after a long, hard day at work. On that
evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely
burned biscuits in front of my dad.
I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed that the
biscuits were really burnt bad. All my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile
at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him
that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly
burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing...never made a face nor uttered
a word about it! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing
my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what
he said, "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then." (I
really miss my Dad).
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I
asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and
said, "Your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And
besides--a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"
As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times.
Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. The
important thing is how you treat people in those situations that are not so
perfect.
I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays
and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years
is that learning to accept each other's faults and choosing to celebrate each
other’s differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy,
growing, and lasting relationship.
And that's my prayer for you today...that you will learn to
take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the
feet of Jesus and learn to be thankful for everything He has given you.
Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to
give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could
extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding and love is the base of
any healthy relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship or
work-relationships.
So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will
do just fine.
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is
fighting some kind of battle.
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Financial support can be given through NTIM....
Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM), P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260 USA Main Website: www.gontim.org
NTIM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the USA. We are committed to connecting people in need with people who care and are focused in the heart of Southeast Asia where poverty is high, education is low, needs are great, unreached people groups (UPGs) are all around us, and the love and message of Jesus is needed to transform lives.
You can send donations to support God’s work to NTIM. All donations made are tax deductible and can be made either online at www.gontim.org or mailed to NTIM, P.O. Box 26115, Birmingham, AL 35260
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