The Never Ending Gifts

The other day, I saw a show about Paul McCartney on TV. I loved the Beatles, and enjoyed watching all the old clips—like their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.

I couldn’t help but notice that when Paul was introduced in recent years, he was called Sir Paul McCartney. Of course the Queen of England would invite him to her palace and honor him with that royal title. He’s the leading member of the ultra-famous band that rocked the world.

I saw a documentary on Queen Elizabeth recently, too. Once a year, she invites people involved in community service projects to a tea. They too have done something worthy of attention from the Queen.

One thing I know for sure, I have not done anything that makes me deserving of an audience with Queen Elizabeth. I won’t be checking my mailbox for that invitation any time soon.

But as I thought about my Connection Challenge for today—praising God for his grace, wisdom, and mercy—I realized I do have an audience with my King.

It’s not that I’ve done anything to deserve that meeting, either. In fact, just the opposite. It’s because of God’s “grace”—his undeserved kindness—that he sent his son, Jesus, to provide the way for me, and everyone, to come to him. He gave an open invitation to all.

One scene from the Queen Elizabeth documentary stood out in my mind. The camera focused in on the jubilant face of a lady in the crowd as the Queen passed by. She, and those around her, seemed tickled pink just to see the queen from a distance.

My King, however, not only grants me access to his throne room, but Jesus—the King over all time and space—hangs out with me and wants to share my day. If I could only grasp the reality of the King in my presence, maybe my face would glow, too.

I want to be more like that lady admiring the queen, or dare-say like those girls watching the Beatles in that Ed Sullivan video. In the meantime, I praise God for his grace, mercy and patience with me.

Below is tomorrow’s “Connection Challenge” exercise:

Premise: To receive God’s power and peace in my life, I need to be connected to Jesus (John 15:4-5).

Guidelines: For 21 days, my only goal will be to connect with Jesus throughout each day. I can also do any other activity if I can do it with Jesus.

Connection Aid: Day 10, Wednesday January 15: Read my Bible

Psalm 1:2-3 says if we delight in God’s word and meditate on it, we will be like trees planted along the river, yielding fruit in season. Tomorrow morning, I will read psalm 1:2-3, and then meditate on these verses throughout the day as a way of connecting with Jesus.