“Remain
in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must
remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John
15:4 (NIV)

On
a recent housecleaning day, I noticed glitter on the floor, on my furniture and
even in the bathroom. Puzzled at first, I then realized the sparkly stuff must
have come off my granddaughter’s t-shirt, the one she had worn the previous day
when we celebrated her eighth birthday.

I continued
cleaning but could not completely eliminate all traces of the small, shiny
objects littering my house. However, as I thought about the previous day and
the celebration of a life that God created, I smiled. In the past, the cleaning
would have consumed me. After the
houseful I had hosted the day before, I would have wanted everything spotless.
However, I saw the glittery remains as a reminder of my love for this precious
child.

There
was another precious child who grew into a man, a man who became our Savior,
who reminds us daily that we belong to Him. He didn’t stay in the manger. He is
not just the baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. He is the Living God
and He wants a relationship with each one of us.

In
a recent sermon, our pastor said, “You belong to God. If your experience with
Him ends when you walk out the church door, something is wrong.”

I
can relate to what my pastor said. Until October 14, 2001, I didn’t realize
that God wanted a personal relationship with me through His Son. On that warm,
sunny Sunday afternoon, I prayed aloud for the first time in my life, asking
God to give me direction because I was lost. I was 47-years-old. I had grown up
in the church but had walked out the doors, not knowing the truth.

The truth finally set me free, free
to be the woman He created me to be, free to grow in His love and grace and
free to begin spreading the Good News as all of us should if we are

faithful followers.
Pastor Ray explains it this way, “If you’ve found something satisfying
in your heart or soul, you want to share it. It’s like one beggar telling
another where to find bread.”

Jesus
is the bread of life. When we grasp with our whole being that He is all we need
to satisfy this hunger inside of us, we can’t stay quiet. He won’t let us. We must choose to make
worship a part of our life, to mature in our faith and to leave behind a piece
of ourselves wherever we go.

We
can set goals and make resolutions. However, if they don’t line up with God’s
plan for our lives, we need to examine the choices we’re making. If we want to
be kingdom builders, we have to choose now whom we will serve and what our
legacy will be. What will you leave behind?

Respond to the author atcarolaround@yahoo.com
and be sure to check out her blog atwww.carolaround.com
for more inspiration.

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About Carol Round

I have been writing stories, poetry
and essays since I was first able to hold a pencil. Although I have been a freelance
writer for more than 25 years, I turned my passion for writing into a full-time
career after retiring in 2005 from a northeastern Oklahoma public school
system. My passion is using my writing
to inspire others.

I have written articles for national
magazines, like Western Horseman, American Profileand Mature Years. My essays have appeared in
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,”“Hometown
Heroes”and “Raging Gracefully.”

“A Matter of Faith,” my self-syndicated column,
is currently running in 12 Oklahoma newspapers and two collections of my
columns are also available in book form. Carol’s latest book, “Journaling with
Jesus: How to draw closer to God,” was just released and can be purchased at http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000522049/Journaling-with-Jesus.aspx
or at www.journalingwithjesus.com.

I always love hearing from my
readers and I especially welcome hearing about how God has worked or is working
in your life. Readers may contact me at carolaround@yahoo.com or check out
my blog at www.carolaround.com
to purchase copies of my books and read more inspirational thoughts.

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