A City Worth Visiting

I am so not a city girl.  After leaving a city, I often feel anxious and overwhelmed with sadness.  Our cities contain media messages which contaminate our minds.  These messages allow lies to pour in, planting destructive seeds.  The city streets are filled with homeless individuals who appear scared and alone.  People rush around with places to go and deadlines to meet.  This busy life may bring out ugliness in people, such as throwing curse words around, displaying negative gestures or degrading oneself to survive the city life.

All this sounds pretty depressing.  Give me an open field, trees all around, a creek flowing nearby, a front porch with a rocking chair and (of course) a glass of sweet iced tea!  This brings peace to my mind.  Why must we all be so busy and forget the ways God intended us to live?  Why must we leave God and please flesh or seek approval from others?  Rushing around each day (city life) deprives us of the peace and joy He planned.

Well, this past week I visited a city like none I have seen before.  The streets turned my mind and spirit inside-out and upside-down!  As I explored this city, I saw smiles everywhere, great food, hugs right and left, uplifted spirits and messages filled with nourishment which planted positive seeds.  I believe God will now water all those seeds planted this past week.

  ". . .but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:11-14)

The greatest part of my visits this week was the words on the street.  Every word provided lessons on how to follow God's Path.  As we display these words, we spread blessings to all we meet. 

The city I visited was Vacation Bible School at my local church.  Our theme revolved around city life, providing a new 'word on the street' each night.  The children enjoyed every activity, received His Word from awesome leadership and helped us adults learn a thing or two.  The 'words on the street' included gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, grace and faithfulness.  We must clothe ourselves with these daily and provide spiritual nourishment to all we see.  So many people in this world fall victim to Satan's lies and they lack the knowledge of His Truth to set them free from any bondage. 

Wake up every morning and decide what words and actions you will spread on the streets you travel.  Plant one seed at a time.  Be His hands and feet.  Praise Him for the peace you receive. 

God, thank you for my vacation this week.  I thoroughly enjoyed this city.  I brought the best souvenirs home with me - lessons on ways to be more like You.  Thank You for all the leadership provided to be Your hands and feet so as to teach and bring VBS together.  May all those seeds be watered and grow inside the homes of all the families who attended.  You are so awesome!  I love You.

Keep praying harder than the devil can work.

Sheree Craig