{"id":27758,"date":"2020-03-09T03:30:43","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T10:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=27758"},"modified":"2020-03-07T10:20:21","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T18:20:21","slug":"march-9-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2020\/03\/09\/march-9-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"March 9, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u201cHe shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.\u201d <\/i>Psalm 1:3<\/i><\/p>\n

Bringing Forth Fruit<\/b><\/h2>\n

My husband and I got to spend Thanksgiving with our grown children. My youngest daughter hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. We spent Thanksgiving with new friends and new family.<\/p>\n

Have you ever met someone with whom you feel an instant connection? Even though you haven\u2019t really known her for very long, you feel like you have been lifelong friends? I have struggled with emotion writing this devotion, because my friend is dying. She did not think she would make it to Thanksgiving but she did, and she joined us around the table. She inherited the same lung disease that caused her mother\u2019s death. This friend has touched me deeply by her love and her life. She doesn\u2019t feel sorry for herself. Even though she is always short of breath and deals with anxiety, she never complains. She is the most grateful, thankful person I have ever met. She laughs easily and makes everyone around her at ease. She spent time at the dinner table and told each one of us how much she loves us and why she was thankful for us personally. Even the toughest person at the table had tears in their eyes. I was honored to spend the day with her just sitting and talking.<\/p>\n

I want to be more like my friend. When I start to have a complaining heart about something, I am reminded that I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I am practicing thankfulness in place of complaining\u2014gratefulness for what I already have instead of wanting more. I want to spread Jesus\u2019s love to everyone I meet. I would love to be the kind of person that feels like an old friend to people when I first meet them. My prayer is that Jesus would use my life any way that He pleases\u2014that day by day, hour by hour, I would make my life available. I know that I have nothing to offer, but if Jesus lives and works through me then I have everything to offer.<\/p>\n

Lord, I pray for a thankful and grateful heart in everything. I pray that You would guard and guide my thoughts and my words. Help me to love as You would have me love. I want to be the tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth good fruit. In Jesus\u2019 precious name, amen.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>

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