Lay Down

The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No man can kill me without my consent-I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right. John 10:17-18. TLB

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Working in a daycare with children could have its ups and downs, its trying and rewarding times, but overall the days were usually filled with lots of excitement and fun. In the mornings the children would play with the toys, look at books as we waited for all of the children to arrive for the day. As snack would arrive at our door, we would tidy up and sit at the little table for morning snack. After their little bellies were full, I would get each one cleaned up and we would do a little craft that I would have ready for them, usually something for them to create for their moms and dads to take home.

On the nice days all of the children would be taken outside to play in the yard, filled with fun outside activities and toys. Before you knew it, it was time to go inside and get cleaned up for lunch, so inside we would go. Hands and faces being all washed, bibs on, their lunches were on the table and each one would dig in, they were usually pretty excited to eat. After they were finished eating, faces and hands were washed again, diapers changed as they were getting ready for their afternoon nap time. Most of the time they looked forward to their naps, playing outside, getting fresh air would make them sleepy, but this one day, this one little fellow, I guess wasn't very sleepy. In the little sleep room, we had playpens for each child to nap in, with their own blankets and a stuffed animal if they wanted to cuddle with, so as each one were laid down in their beds they would drift off to sleep as the sweet sound of gentle soft music would be playing.

As the tables were being washed, lunch buckets were put back on the shelf, floors were scrubbed, every few minutes we would peek in on the children to make sure they were napping or if they needed covered up. Like I said before this one little fellow didn't want to lay down, when I had went in to do a check, he was standing up in the playpen and I had to softly say, "let's lay down and have a nap," so not to wake up the other children. After going into the sleep room two more times, it was on the third try, when I laid him back down and covered him up, that he finally decided to settle down to have a nap, but not without much persistence. These were the trying times that I had mentioned, but not every day did that happen.

Girlfriends, isn't this just like us at times, when we don't want to do something, we want to do our own thing or do it our way. How many times have we done something in our lives that we knew we really weren't suppose to, but did it anyway and we found ourselves in a big mess. I know there have been times in my own life, when I was given advice but didn't take it and I had paid dearly for it, meaning a hurtful marriage. Each and every one of us has our own free will whether to do something or not. We have our own free will to make good decisions or not, whether to say yes to that person who offers us a drink or a cigarette or what about the person who is standing on the sidewalk passing out tracks that leads to Jesus, we have a free will whether to take it or not.

Girlfriends, I can honestly say that I am so ever grateful that Jesus laid down his own life for you and for me, He had a choice, He willfully or willingly laid down His own life on the cross so that we would be saved. Just picture it, He was led by the Roman soldiers to the spot at Calvary where He willingly laid down His life, they did not have to force Him to lay down on that cross. No one pushed Him, or held a gun to Him for Him to lay down. As Jesus laid there, His arms were spread open wide for you and for me, so that we would be saved, and He died for us, that we would be saved. That says so much to me and my heart cries every time I think about what this precious Jesus did for us, so willingly because He loves us that much. John 3:16 says so.

Life has not always been a bowl of cherries, it certainly has its ups and downs, but through it all, I know that if it were for only one person, Jesus would have still laiid down His life for that one, and girlfriends, that one is you.

Let's Pray,

Precious Jesus, You are the one that I live for, You are the one that came and rescued me when I needed saving. Lord I lift up that special person to you who is in the need of a Savior, who is in need of rescuing. Lord you laid down your life for the whole world that each and every one would be saved. As you so willingly offered up your own life for us, now we have the opportunity to willingly give our life over to you, so that when the time comes that you come back for your people, and we are your people, we will be ready because we willing accepted you into our lives and we will be so ever grateful to you as we surrender and say yes to you today, because this is the day, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Be blessed beautiful souls and pass the blessings on.