While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me.

Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other’s face, I heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!” His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, “Me, too, Dad!”

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son’s face in his hands said, “You’re already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!” They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother’s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, “Hi, baby girl!” as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. “I love you so much!” They stared at each other’s eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm’s length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, “Wow! How long have you two been married?

“Been together married for twelve years” he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well then, how long have you been away?” I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. “Two whole days!”

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me.

I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!”

The man suddenly stopped smiling.

He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, “Don’t hope, friend… decide!” Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, “God bless!” - By Michael D. Hargrove and Bottom Line Underwriters, Inc

"He knows how weak we are" - Psalm 103:14

Any weakness you refuse to deal with will draw you towards the wrong things and set you up for defeat. To live victoriously you must recognise that, first, your weakness can emerge at any time. What you allow to take root, will grow within you. What you fail to master now, will master you later. The Psalmist prayed, 'Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone'-Psalm 71:9. Second, God's Spirit will repeatedly warn you. Jesus told Peter: '... "Satan hath desired to have you... But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren"'-Luke 22:31-32. Imagine the Lord praying for you. He does! '... If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous' -1 John 2:1. He intercedes for you, clothes you in His righteousness, and draws you back to Himself. Third, God will continue to use you even while your weakness is growing within you. He provides opportunity after opportunity to reach for His help. Jesus warned Jerusalem, '... "How often I have longed to gather your children together... but you were not willing... your house is left to you desolate"'-Matthew 23:37-38. When you neglect God's grace, what's left? Your consequences! You ask, 'What can I do?' Turn to God. He's neither shocked by your weakness nor unwilling to help you. Acknowledge your weakness. Become an enemy to it. Let God's Spirit empower you. Not only can He deliver you, He can turn your greatest weakness into your greatest weapon- God bless

They began to beg him to depart from their region. - Mark 5:17  

This is one of the saddest sentences in the Gospels. We can scarcely imagine anyone asking Jesus to go away. He had come to their community to bring rich blessings. His hands were full of gifts. He had the power to heal the sick, to open blind eyes, to make the lame walk - to freely share all kinds of blessings among the people. He had begun His work of grace as soon as He arrived by curing their most terrible case of demon-possession. He would done other works of mercy and love if they had not begged Him to leave. It was probably all because of the loss of the pigs. If that was the way Christ's work was going to affect them, they did not want Him to do anyhting else! 

Some people feel the same way when a work of grace begins in their community. They are opposed to Christianity because it interferes with their business. Anyone who gets upset at Christianity and Christians often get that way because they know that deep down it would bring significant changes into their lives if they accepted the message of truth. They are against Christianity because Christianity is against them. So all of us are apt to want Christ to depart from us when He interferes with our cherished plans. We need to be careful for fear that we would send Christ altogether away from us. 

Jesus did not stay after these people asked Him to leave. He would not stay where He was not wanted. He left with the gifts He had come share. The sick remained unhealed that He would have healed, the crippled continued to be crippled, the demoniacs remained possessed, and the dying whom Jesus could have restored passed away. 

Does anyone now ever ask Christ to depart when He comes with blessings? Does Jesus never turn away from any heart now because He is not wanted, because He is rejected? 

Apply This To Your Life Today... Don't reject Jesus and the blessings He wants to share freely. Accept Him and all he offers!