Dear Ones,
Happy weekend!! Today is party day here so Al and I will be going to Costco for the Birthday cake. We have had several new residents and we hope some of them will come today. I also want to clean the apartment in-between getting ready.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I have been enjoying the awesome beauty of the changing leaves each day as I look out of our second-floor window giving inspiration as I write. There is a tree directly in front of me that was full of golden leaves and although beautiful, it did block a great part of my view. But I was compensated, for I loved to hear the birds sing and flit from branch to branch. One day this week it suddenly changed: I looked out and there was hardly a leaf left on whole tree as a result of a very windy day.

I liked the change as I can see through the branches now and observe all that is taking place in the courtyard and see people walking on the service road. Everything changed in one day. I immediately thought of how important it is to become empty of self and give the Lord our pride, our selfishness, our anger, and everything that keeps us focused on me, me, me. We can get laden down in the heaviness of our selfish thoughts and actions as we focus on thinking of what is best for us. Just like the leaves, we need to let go and be willing to humbly fall, and it is quite likely we will have better spiritual vision, too. When self gets out of the way, we see Jesus and see others.  For when He increases and we decrease, wonderful things happen and we have a panoramic view of what is lasting.

Is it hard to let go and surrender in trust that the Lord will take care of all of our needs? It seems like we are descending as we accept our emptiness, but actually we then receive His fullness into our lives. We have clearer vision of what is eternal and are open in new ways to our Father’s love. We all have to come to the Lord with empty hands, for we have nothing to give but to surrender to Him and let Him be totally God. We let our leaf fall into the arms of grace.

Challenge for today: Make Galatians 2:19-20 your aim, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy