30 minutes in Iceland, and we
were already lost. The map showed that a quick jaunt down road 410 would connect
us to Highway 1 without us having to drive into Reykjavik. This sounded like a
good plan to us, so we dutifully turned off onto Road 410. But the narrow dirt
road soon we found ourselves on couldn't be right! Especially when we saw the
chain link fence up ahead that crossed our narrow dirt road!
And this set the standard for the rest of the trip. We
got lost so many times that our boys took to keeping track of how many times we
got lost. They were more than happy to point out our "record" of getting lost
was 5 times on our way to the same destination! I think we may now be famous in
Iceland as the tourists who spent the most time stopping unsuspecting
pedestrians to ask for directions! Good thing most people in Iceland speak very
good English!
But in all reality, getting lost wasn't all that bad.
That narrow dirt road that we thought was road 410 was truly fascinating. Its
cliff outcroppings were out-of-this-world, moonlike in every aspect. We passed
dozens of stables with beautiful Icelandic horses, and we even encountered the
remains of a house in desertic surroundings. It truly was a hiker's heaven, and
although we had lost some precious time, we were glad for this mishap and
thanked the Lord for showing us some aspects of Iceland we would have otherwise
missed.
Wrong turns can be learning experiences. Time is not
everything, but enjoying the presence of God is. How often don't we miss
blessings because we are so focused on trivial things, such as time? If we are
open to the leading of God's Spirit, we will never stop enjoying the blessings
God bestows upon us, and our hearts will be filled with uttermost thankfulness.
Did you know that this is God's will for each one of
us? Check out this Bible text: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks
in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus." (1 Thess 5:16-18 NIV)
For some reason we have wandered away from the term
"thankfulness". More often than not we consider time our enemy, and there is
just no time left over to be thankful. How sad!
Our attitude also has a great impact on those around
us.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance
of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who
are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Cor 2:14-15 NIV)
Do we even realize that we are emitting an "aroma"?
Some of us are putrid, if you know what I mean. It's
like we are competing with skunks. There is no way people like to hang around
us! Others don't smell like anything, really, and people have no idea what to
make of them. Then there are those whose focus is on Jesus. These are the ones
who are constantly thankful for anything that happens in their lives, either
good or bad. They are the ones who carry "the aroma of Christ", which attracts
people who are in desperate need.
In all reality, even amidst adversity we have reason
to be thankful. Even in these circumstances God never leaves us, sustaining us
every step of the way. It's in these times that we learn even more about
trusting God and having Him as a forever Friend.
Now, how will you spend your Thanksgiving Day? Will
time be an issue? What kind of aroma will you be spreading?
"Hey, we're lost again! I can't wait to see what God
has up His sleeve!
Have a terrific Thanksgiving filled with plenty of
"thank yous"!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.