WOYWW: How Can This Be?

 Today I am going to Busuanga

with my family, and aside from doing my meditations

for the morning, I am also packing up what I need

to bring- paints, brushes, pencils, carbon paper, etc.

Busuanga is my husband's hometown.

His mother grew up there, and it is one of the most

beautiful places in the world!

Here is a picture my niece posted yesterday

as they were approaching Busuanga.

The water is so clear, according to my husband,

you can see ship wrecks from the surface of the water!

You don't need to dive!

 "How can this be?"  Luke 1:34

Today the Christian  Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation, marking the day angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear a Son. That she is highly favored for the Holy Spirit will overshadow her, and she will carry in her womb the Son of God.  "How can this be?" she asks.

 We too are favored.  We too, as disciples of Jesus, have a special calling to "carry Jesus", to go to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  Like Mary, we ask, "How can this be?"  I'm just a student. I'm just a fish vendor.  I'm just a businesswoman. I'm just, as my mom would say, "an ordinary housewife".  

But there's really nothing ordinary about us.  Yes we are made of dust, but God breathed us into life. By virtue of our baptism into God's family, we are His family. Just like Mary, we can't do this on our own.  We need the Spirit to bring Jesus into all the world and preach the gospel of our lives to everyone we meet, everyone who sees us.  

Can we say, with Mary, "I am the servant of the Lord.  Let it be done to me just as you say."?

 "Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered." Numbers 21:9

This story in the Old Testament which happened while the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land, shows how God is very creative with His solutions to problems. The Israelites were grumbling, murmuring, complaining that they had NOTHING to eat or drink. In truth they had fresh manna to eat every day from the hand of God, and even lots of quail in the evening. They also had water. But like Adam and Eve in the garden, they listened to our ancient enemy. The enemy likes to deceive and loves it when we are ungrateful.

Sometimes God teaches us by allowing hard things to come into our lives. This time He sent serpents, poisonous snakes. Some of the people were bitten and died, and they pleaded with Moses for help. God then instructed Moses to make a replica of the snake and mount it on a pole. "Those who are bitten will live if they simply looked at it."

We too are frequently bitten by sin which leads to death. But if we look to Jesus who became sin as He took all our sins with Him on the cross, we will live. What a beautiful solution God has come up with for His people!

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Great Blog Train Bloghop, Cheerleaders of Faith

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Thriving Thursdays with Serving Joyfully

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Creative Things, Bloom! Soul Survival, Inspiration Gallery
Family Fun Friday, Hearts for Home Thursday

Dance with Jesus Friday

Blessings!

Patsy