One Hundred Steps

One Hundred Steps
By Donna Shepherd

Did you know it takes walking 10,000 steps or 4.5 miles a day to lose one pound? I bought a pedometer and was disheartened to see that I walked about 3,000 steps in a day.

But on one particular occasion, one hundred steps made a difference.

My husband, Don, and I traveled to Columbus, Ohio for business. We checked in, got settled in our room, and Don departed in our car to attend a meeting. I basked in the peace and quiet, and took out a book to read.

Soon hunger pains pulled me from my book. I needed a snack, so I phoned the front desk to ask where I could find a vending machine. The woman who answered informed me there were no vending machines in the hotel.

With another persistent growl from my stomach, I picked up the room service menu. Fifteen dollars for a salad? I decided I wasn’t that hungry. I didn’t relish the idea of walking around an unfamiliar city, and wanted to eat a nice, elegant meal in the hotel dining room with my husband, so as a last resort, I scrounged around in my purse and found a protein bar. I devoured it in record time!

When Don came through the hotel door two hours later, I jumped up and hustled him back down to the restaurant. While seated in front of a large bank of windows, I had an unobstructed view of the shops I’d seen earlier.

“How do we get to those stores?” I asked the waiter.

“There’s a walkway right from our lobby, ma’am!”

After dinner, we found the walkway. We passed at least a dozen eateries – a pizza parlor, a Chinese restaurant, and numerous establishments serving varied cuisine. I could have easily gotten a dinner for two for the cost of one salad on the room service menu.

With one hundred steps, we emerged into one of the most beautiful malls I’d ever seen. The ceilings soared, revealing three stories with hundreds of shops. As we walked, I marveled at the magnificent Christmas displays. Multicolored ornaments the size of basketballs hung in clusters. Sparkling white lights hung from the highest points to cascade in sheets like snow falling from the sky. Car-sized wreaths decorated every wall.

The centerpiece of the décor was a three story Christmas tree, and at its base, a niche had been formed. A huge ornate chair encrusted with colored stones and sprayed liberally with glitter sat inside, reserved for that special someone – Santa.

In an attempt to walk off our dinner, we strolled through all three floors. I enjoyed the decorations, but as happens frequently with public holiday displays, not one crèche, shepherd, or baby Jesus could be found. The closest thing to an angel consisted of a pair of feathery wings in the window of a lingerie store.

I thought of how easily I could have walked one hundred steps to search for food to satisfy my physical hunger, but had I been hunting in the mall for something to satisfy my spiritual hunger or any type of display to know the true meaning of Christmas, my search would have been in vain.

I thank God it doesn’t take a hundred steps to find the Christmas’s true meaning. It only takes one – a solitary step of faith to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 niv

In the same way I rummaged through my purse to find sustenance, many people search to fill the hunger in their souls. Some follow steps set forth by men in their zeal to perform for God.

Jesus already paid our sacrifice, and says in His word that He alone is the way to the Father.

John 14:6 niv – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

It would have been helpful if the lady I spoke to at the front desk had given me directions to the eateries in the mall. I pray that during this Christmas season and long after, my witness will serve as a walkway so others may be encouraged to take that one step of faith. My hope is that I will be one who gives direction to people who are hungering spiritually.

And next time I take a trip, I’m packing snacks!

Prayer: Lord, help me be a display of Your love. May I lead others to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Visit Donna at http://www.donnajshepherd.com

Give Thanks

Give Thanks
By Donna Shepherd

”I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” - Psalm 69:30From time to time it’s nice to get away from our daily routine. In autumn, a drive through the mountains to enjoy the spectacular range of color the Lord has created can be restorative.

Recently I made such a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with my family. The weather cooperated with temperatures in the seventies and a slight breeze. Just right. Right?

Wrong! It looked as if everyone who goes to Gatlinburg showed up that weekend. You couldn’t move your car down the main street more than a few feet at a time, or edge more than two feet through a store without running into someone or something- usually a stroller. Ouch!

To add insult to the injuries, the hotels could charge premium rates because of the demand. We checked in and after shopping, we came back to find, yep, you guessed it – no place to park.

Although I remained thankful the Lord gave us a safe trip and the means to go, a relaxing trip turned into an exercise in patience. I found myself tempted to forget about being grateful and become as impatient and rude as some of the travelers.

Thankfulness is an attitude. The American Heritage Dictionary says thankfulness is “to be aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful and to be expressive of gratitude: a thankful smile.” Isn’t it better to smile at someone than frown, and much better to speak kinds words than lash out in anger?

When we have to wait in line to pay for something, rather than be impatient, why not use that time to thank God for our money? When we have to wait a whopping twenty minutes to be seated in a restaurant, let’s breathe a prayer of thanks that God provides us with another meal. We are so blessed we forget about the millions of people in the world who have no idea where their next meal will come from.

At my church, we sing a chorus called ‘Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart’. When our hearts are grateful, we make up our minds to be thankful- no matter what the circumstances. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I had to come home to relax, but I’m thankful I got away for those few days. I’m also grateful my heels have healed up. Those strollers hurt!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the beauty of this world, and for Your many blessings. I pray I’ll be grateful in spite of and in the midst of life’s circumstances. You’re so good to me. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Visit Donna at http://www.donnajshepherd.com

Thirsty for God

Thirsty For God
By Donna Shepherd

“Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” – John 4:10 nkjv

The church service began as usual with our singing a few choruses followed by a time called “Select a Hymn” – a favorite with the members of our congregation.As the pianist, I’m challenged when this time rolls around. I never know which hymn will catch someone’s eye on any given evening. Some nights, I know them all. At other times, I’m at a loss, but since I can play ‘by ear,’ some of the songs I manage to pick my way through without sounding completely tone deaf. At one point, the guitarist, Amy, said to the drummer and me, “I’d like to sing ‘As the Deer,’” but we were so busy trying to keep up with the current selections, she didn’t get a chance to request it.

The song leader seemed ready to wind the session down when he said to one man who had been very persistent in raising his hand, “Which number did you select, young man?”

He stated the hymn number, and out of over 500 hymns in our book, he had chosen “As the Deer.”

Amy’s face lit up. The three of us praised the Lord with her as we sang the words in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”

I thought how wonderful it was that the desire of her heart to praise the Lord with a certain song was granted. How many times have you prayed for something and the Lord answered with a resounding, “Yes!” to your request?

If the Lord knows the number of hairs on your head, He knows the desires of your heart. Of course, sometimes God says, “No” or “Not now,” but isn’t it wonderful when a prayer is answered so quickly? I loved it!

I have found through personal experience if I drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, I’m thirstier the entire day. I’ve also discovered if I read the Bible, pray, and seek God first thing in the morning, I long for even more time to spend alone with Him. As the deer pants for the water, my soul thirsts for God, the Living Water.

How about you? Are you thirsty?

Prayer: Lord, I praise You and long to draw closer to You. I thank You for the Living Water that becomes a fountain springing up into everlasting life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Visit Donna at http://www.donnajshepherd.com