Cactus Christian Fellowship
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Staff
    • Elders
    • Weekly Newsletter >
      • Offering & Attendance
    • Church Directory
    • Bible Reading Plans
    • Contact Us
  • Ministries
    • Cactus Care
    • Pastoral Care
    • Prayer Ministry
    • Missions
    • Men's Ministry
    • Women's Ministry
    • Teens
    • Small Groups >
      • Tuesday
      • Wednesday
      • Thursday
    • Service Opportunities
  • 9am Bible Classes
    • Adults
    • Teens
    • K - 6th grade
    • Nursery
  • Sermons
  • Calendar

A Tale of Two Birds

4/15/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
A turkey and an eagle react differently to the threat of a storm. A turkey reacts by running under the barn, hoping the storm won’t come near. On the other hand, an eagle leaves the security of its nest and spreads its wings to ride the air currents of the approaching storm, knowing they will carry it higher in the sky than it could soar on its own. Based on your reaction to the storms of life, which are you? A turkey or an eagle.?My emotions push me to be a turkey.  But my spirit wants me to be an eagle and spread my wings of faith and embrace the wind, placing my trust in Jesus alone.  And when we do that we often experience everyday miracles:

His joy balances my pain.  His power lifts my burden. His peace calms my worries. His grace is  more than adequate to cover me, and his strength is sufficient to carry me through. Soaring becomes an adventure of discovering just how faithful He can be when I am way out of my comfort zone in the storm. Soaring is an adventure of discovering by experience His answer to my pain. And I imagine a smile of infinite tenderness on His face as the angels in heaven applaud, “Bud, you’re finally getting it. Now you’re beginning to understand one of the reasons why God has allowed these ‘bad’ things to happen to you.”

And through it all I do understand. Soaring is so exhilarating.  I find that I am no longer content to live in the barnyard of familiar comfort just for the relative security that seems to be there. I want to live by faith.

A Faith that triumphantly soars is possible only when the winds of life are contrary to personal comfort. That kind of faith is His ultimate purpose in allowing us to encounter storms of suffering.

Jesus taught us this lesson of triumphant faith in the little town of Bethany when his good friend Lazarus passed away and Jesus wasn’t there to stop it. In that remarkable scene He revealed God’s answer to their question, “Why did You let this bad thing happen?” The ultimate experience of Mary, Martha and Lazarus underscores the truth that God’s purpose for our lives is so much bigger than our own.  And it reminds us of the challenge to trust His greater, ultimate purpose when bad things inevitably happen to us.

         (Adapted from “Why?:Trusting God When You Don’t Understand,” by Anne Graham Lotz.)

 o edit.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Bud Downs

    Senior Pastor of Cactus Christian Fellowship

    Picture

    Archives

    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

2401 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032  
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Staff
    • Elders
    • Weekly Newsletter >
      • Offering & Attendance
    • Church Directory
    • Bible Reading Plans
    • Contact Us
  • Ministries
    • Cactus Care
    • Pastoral Care
    • Prayer Ministry
    • Missions
    • Men's Ministry
    • Women's Ministry
    • Teens
    • Small Groups >
      • Tuesday
      • Wednesday
      • Thursday
    • Service Opportunities
  • 9am Bible Classes
    • Adults
    • Teens
    • K - 6th grade
    • Nursery
  • Sermons
  • Calendar