Dear Reader:
One lesson in life I have learned is that small tokens of friendship and love are more important in life than grand gestures. Things like receiving a brilliant smile from a stranger in a day gone awry… restores hope in mankind.
Drop-in visits from friends and family to share a moment of congeniality or a dessert, an ice cream cone, or simply a hug turns an ordinary day into a memorable one. I think it is true that the ‘ best things in life do come in small packages! And this is reiterated in scripture… with the amazing mustard seed.
Early on I received the token below with the card attached… that I took to every early chemo or radiation session.
Most of us remember this part of the mustard seed parable but like.a teacher reminding her students (during a review before a test) …” If I keep returning to certain items again and again… you can be assured it is an important fact that needs to be remembered! This is also true of Jesus’s messages. Jesus repeatedly used analogies of the mustard seed to illustrate what heaven is like in Matthew 13.
Personally mustard is my favorite condiment… I love it on hot dogs, hamburgers, hot pretzels, mustard greens… in sauces and dressings. * And did you know applied mustard to sunburnt skin… will neutralize the sting of the burn?
Up close a mustard seed is teeny-tiny and hard as a rock. Excuse the pun but surely we can all ” mustard” up enough faith as this little seed? In fact we are told…with faith only this size we can move mountains!
Later Jesus tells the parable about the tiny mustard seed growing into a tree big enough to hold a whole lot of birds… except, of course, he is not talking about birds but people.
Mustard trees in Palestine don’t look like American mustard trees/they resemble a big bush that can hold lots of birds.
The continued meaning about the mustard parable is that the kingdom of heaven is like this enormous plant that has room for huge flocks of birds … as heaven has enough room for all and He means ALL God’s children.
So until tomorrow… I will actually do some math for you… when asked to find the simplest denominator in Christianity… the answer is faith… simply faith! It is all it takes to move mountains!
My faith was restored when I heard from Carolyn Daniels Wednesday… she told me ” Becky, a craw is the same as a “crop” in a chicken. It is a place they store food until it can be digested… ( came straight from the mountains of North Carolina!) Finally… now that was the best little gift of all!!! Thank you Carolyn ( ” I no love longer have something stuck in my craw!”)
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Good morning, Becky!!!
This morning’s posting is timely as I was diagnosed with RA this week. (still kinda scary to share right now.). I know it will test my lowercase precious “faith” to becoming a more substantial uppercase “FAITH” and may be I can help myself and others along my new journey. I think of your own “FAITH” journey that you bravely share with us in your sweet, sharing blogs and it is helping me. Thank you for being so full of “mustard” and being a blessing to me and others.
Oh Bernice… your message made me ( once again) so sad that bad things happen to good people. That eternal question ( if we are being honest) that will never be answered to anyone’s complete satisfaction on this side of God’s Kingdom.
Just to make sure we are both on the same page… RA-Rheumatoid Arthritis? ( In college RA stood for ” raw ass” after someone had partied too hardy the night before and had the” run’s”… 🤣) Thought a little humor might help.
Seriously Bernice… anytime you give me the word ( as you say …you start this new path along your journey) we will get the Chapel of Hope readers on it -I definitely believe in the power of prayer. But I also respect everyone’s privacy as it takes time to digest the news and this really is a ” stick in your craw”-you might need time to put the news in a place to digest later.
The hardest part, as you know, is saying it aloud because then it becomes ” real.” I remember that I so badly did not want to tell my children especially Mandy -who had just gotten married in May and they were waiting to go on their honeymoon in June after Mandy finished teaching… I knew things would never be the same again as pre-BC.
How little faith I had ( obviously less than a mustard seed) because they were initially shocked but all took the attitude… together we will get through this and to date we have with everyone leading their own lives!
The best thing when the news comes out is a sense of relief that to not have it bottled up inside… and guess what? Like a river life keeps flowing quite easily over the rocks and obstacles in its way!
You already have my prayers and silence to take all the time you need to ” chew the cud” awhile! 💗😘
Sent from my iPhone
Mustard is also good for leg cramps at night!
I was given a mustard seed to wear in my shoe when I got married! Do all things with great love is the bumper sticker I have on my car. Have a blessed day! Love you lots!!
I love all the additional fun facts about the mustard seed and the quote sums up your life and who you are to the “T”!!!!!
You are to kind’🥰