by Yilda Rivera

My Grace Is Sufficient For You

My Grace Is Sufficient For You

In these past few days I’ve been listening a lot to the song “Praise You In This Storm” by Casting Crowns. It talks about the difficult times we face, and how we sometimes deeply desire that God would step in and save the day… but somehow the reply is not immediate or is not in the way we expect… as the song describes:  “But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining”. The song then says:

 “As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain…

‘I’m with you’”—Praise You in This Storm, Casting Crowns

Like those words say, you may still be within the rain in the middle of the storm, hearing the big thunder roll; but be still, be silent to be able to hear Him whispering to you that He won’t leave you. He is right there with you to go thru the storm with you, to give you strength, to even carry you. Suddenly, the feeling of His magnificent Grace just surrounds you and the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding  guards your heart and your mind.

A Very Happy Clown Fish

A Very Happy Clown Fish

No. I’m not taking about the film Finding Nemo. The happy clown fish that’s inspiring me right now is a 7-year old little man who wants to be a clown fish in his first school play. 

 When I received the letter from the teacher stating that the kids were free to choose whatever fish they wanted for the play, I first thought is that this was going to make it easier. We could improvise a blue fish... a standard-looking blue fish. Nothing complicated. After all, blue is his favorite color. 

 I was so sure that he was going to be just fine with the blue fish idea. When we first discussed it, he immediately was “on board” with it. Well, at that time, probably he wasn’t paying too much attention.

 Now that the play is approaching, a week earlier, my son starts reminding me about the play. He’s eager to get to work on his costume.

 One afternoon when I went to pick him up from school, he took me to the stage they are preparing for the play. He pointed to a certain spot and showed me where he would be standing. He went up there and stood exactly where he was going to be standing, waving his hands at me to make sure I knew where to sit to better see him that day. 

 He stepped down the stage, grabbed me by the hand, and with a lot of enthusiasm and bright open excited eyes, he told me that he wanted to be a clown fish.

 A clown fish!