Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Shaped for the Extraordinary

This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. — Acts 4:13

Jell-O is an amazing thing. It can be made into almost anything and comes in almost any
flavor. Despite its use in something as simple as Jigglers for an after school snack or as the
key ingredient in an elaborate dessert, Jell-O, at its core, is quite simple. The movie, My
Best Friend’s Wedding, even used it to compare a person who is rather ordinary to someone
who is more like the elaborate dessert Crème Brulee. Jell-O is even used to celebrate
special events. For example, my 16th birthday fell during the Lenten Season, which I was observing for the first time. I had given up sweets (a critical food staple for any teenager)
so my mom made me a Jell-O mold garnished with fruit and candles. Although it
didn’t hold its shape after the initial cut, it was a beautiful thing…the ordinary made extraordinary.

That’s how our lives are described when we spend time with Jesus. In the Scripture above, Peter and John are on trial before the ruling authorities of the day called the Sanhedrin.
Peter and John have been healing the blind, crippled, and sick and were basically stirring up quite a commotion among the religious leaders. However, when they stood in front of the Sanhedrin, the rulers noticed something very peculiar. These are common men, fishermen
to be exact. They have no formal titles and no formal schooling or training. Yet, they
speak and act with a boldness and courage that obviously comes from somewhere else –
or more specifically – from Someone else. Take a look at what they say: They took note
that these men had been with Jesus.

Spending time with Jesus has a way of turning the ordinary, common, everyday life into
one that is dangerous, bold and courageous. Just as Jell-O takes the shape of whatever
mold it is poured into, our lives begin to take the shape of the One in whom we pour
ourselves. In all honesty, we’re all pretty ordinary. But, when we regularly spend time
with Jesus, others will take notice, for there is no doubt that time with Jesus transforms us.

Today, maybe you feel like just another ordinary person living an ordinary life. The good
news is that your life has the potential of being extraordinary. Spend time with Jesus
and let him remold your life into something extraordinary.

Taken from the SistersNhomeBiz Yahoo group
Join: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/SistersNhomeBiz/join

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