Precious Jesus...

Hello, Everyone...

Susie Larson here...

I pray this note finds you well.

I'm writing today's post from my hotel room. As I reflect back over the past several days, I am once again reminded of how sweet and sincere and kind our God really is.

Last weekend I spoke a retreat in Murietta Hot Springs. God showed up and we were blessed. These women showed up with expectancy to encounter the living God and I'll tell you, He did not disappoint.

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 8, we read about the time when Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons. When the townspeople rushed to see this man sitting calmly in his right mind, they begged Jesus to leave. After this miracle, they begged Him to leave.

On the other side of the lake, the Bible says they received Jesus with open arms because they had been waiting for him.

The same Jesus, two different responses.

Even today people perceive Jesus in different ways.

But for those of us who love Him, we know Him to be kind, and wonderful, and true...

Proverbs 9:10 tell us that "knowing the Holy One results in understanding."

The more we get to know Him, the more we understand (and love) Him.

God is good and His promises are true.

One of the things I love most about Jesus is the way He surprises us with unexpected blessings.

I received one such blessing just the other day.

Even though I love speaking at retreats and spending three days getting know 100 new sisters in Christ, I usually come off of those events absolutely exhausted.

After last weekend's retreat, a friend arranged for me to stay with her friend until my husband arrived in town.

My new friend Barb invited me to stay in her guest cottage. A totally unexpected blessing.

My heart did a little pitter patter when I walked in the door of the cottage which looked out to mountains, and flowers, and hummingbirds.

After a good night's sleep, I found my favorite chair, hugged my morning cup of coffee, and held my journal and my Bible in my lap.

Outside in the distance I surveyed the beautiful landscape of mountains. Up close, just on the other side of my window, I gazed at an array of perennials - different shapes, colors, and sizes. The hummingbirds loved the flowers closest to the window. They fluttered in the air, kissed the flowers, and then flew away again.

In a very short amount of time, my cup was replenished again.

As we go about our day, we must remind ourselves that Jesus is kind and sweet and faithful. And when the stresses of our day seem bigger than His love, we must, we must, take the time to remember that He knows our needs and plants flowers in our path at just the right time.

Trust Him to be good because He is.

Blessings, friend.