Hello Beautiful Ladies!
I hope you all are doing well! It's a beautiful Monday morning here on the coast. It's also Memorial Day! It's a great day to remember the service that has been done for our country and the lives that have been laid down for us. Continue to pray for our country and our soldiers as they make sacrifices every day to keep us safe.
Today I'd like to have us look at Acts 12. I would hope you all read the entire chapter, but the character I will be talking about is only found in verses 13 through 17. Imagine you had just heard that your brother was being held in prison for something good. Let's say he was just walking out in the street, handing out Bibles to the homeless (this is only an example..) and the police decided this was unacceptable so they arrested him and took him in. And let's say that only a week before, someone from your congregation had been arrested and sent to prison for life for the exact same "crime." What would you do?
Something like this happened to the early church who knew Peter. And you know what they did? They got together to pray. They gathered at the house of Mary (John Mark's mother) to pray continually that Peter would be saved from the hand of Herod who had killed many of those who belonged to the church. After killing James, Herod had arrested Peter and was holding him prisoner.
If you've ever been in a scary situation and felt what it was like to pray together, you know how incredible that is. But these early Christians witnessed something even more incredible: as they were praying they realized the answer to their prayers! Peter came to the door, asking to be let in. Rhoda heard the knock at the door and went to see who it was. I imagine her reaction was much the same as mine would have been. "He's here!! I have to go tell the others!" She saw with her own eyes the answer to the prayers she had just been praying with her brothers and sisters in Christ. Is that not just incredible??
Everyone thought that Rhoda was crazy, but someone else went back to let him in. They all were beyond grateful to see Peter. In fact, they were so grateful that Peter had to tell them to quiet down so he wasn't caught. See, here's the thing: Rhoda was so excited, but no one believed her. Did the fact no one believed her mean she was wrong? No. Was she wrong for being excited? Clearly not because everyone else was excited too when they saw him. Sometimes we, like Rhoda, are given an opportunity to glimpse something good before everyone else is. Sometimes we will see something exciting and other people will think we are wrong, but that can't stop us.
For example, if you see someone changing for the better, you may see a glimpse of the strong Christian they are being molded into. Other people may look at you and call you crazy. They might say things like, "They're not who you think they are. They won't ever get better." or "She isn't good enough. She won't ever be good enough, don't even worry about her." But did Rhoda falter in her knowledge that it was Peter behind the door? Did she start to question herself? She didn't. We shouldn't either. Maybe we are wrong. Maybe my best friend won't change his ways. Maybe that girl at church really won't become less shallow. But we shouldn't be afraid to give them the chance if we see potential in them. Sometimes people just need one external force to reinforce them. They need one person to believe in them so that they see their potential. I know this isn't what Rhoda did exactly, but doesn't the same idea apply? I'm striving to be like Rhoda. I shouldn't be talked out of something just because someone else doesn't see what I see.
Sisters, I can't tell you how much I love you all! I love writing for you and I love that you read my words. I pray that your weeks are all blessed!
I love you with the love of the Lord
Kat
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you... These things I command you, that you love one another." John 15:12-15, 17
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