BE-Gratitudes: 30 Days of Positive Attitudes – Available
Novembe14th, 2021
Day Fourteen: Available
Acts 20:22-28, ‘”And now I am captive to the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, without really knowing what will happen to me there. Yet I know that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town, saying, ‘Chains and afflictions are prepared for you.’ But whether I live or die is not important, for I don’t esteem my life as indispensable. It’s more important for me to fulfill my destiny and to finish the ministry my Lord Jesus has assigned to me, which is to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace. I’ve been a part of your lives and shared with you many times the message of God’s kingdom realm. But now I leave you, and you will not see my face again. If any of you should be lost, I will not be blamed, for my conscience is clean, because I’ve taught you everything I could about God’s eternal plan and I’ve held nothing back. So, guard your hearts. Be true shepherds over all the flock and feed them well.”’ (TPT)
It can sometimes be drudgery to be counted on by others, can’t it? But it also can prove to be rewarding, an honor, to be available to someone in need. In fact, we are called to care for those who are without, to feed them and clothe them, to even be available to go to the ends of the world to share Jesus with them.
I think about Jesus’ availability. Wasn’t it tremendous? Multitudes asked for just a touch from this man named Jesus—some even all they had to do was touch Him—and they were filled with His presence. Makes me wonder about Mary and Martha who were so distraught that Jesus, their best friend, ghosted them, but then, when the time came for His availability, He gave them an even greater gift than had He come right away as they had hoped.
Or what about when Jesus was detained by the bleeding woman. She certainly can witness to His availability, while Jairus felt his hopes die when Jesus failed to arrive on time, his (Jairus’) time. In the end, both dire needs were met by an available Healer who turned the Hands of Time by His own. It causes me to pause and wonder if perhaps Jesus’ seeming unavailability for you and me might mean His greatest gift to us is not in His presence but in what seems to be His absence, if we will simply wait to see what He reveals to us, in His time not ours.
And what about now? Jesus wasn’t just available then for in-person meetings and face-to-face discussions, sermons on the Mount and services by the shores. Jesus is still available today, no matter where we find ourselves, and He always comes on time, His time.
I am grateful that He calls us to be available too. It gives our Journey importance, and there is pregnant expectation in the air today that we mustn’t avoid, because time is short. Beautiful You, know that whatever seed you make yourself available to sow in today’s fertile soil has potential to take root and flourish for an everlasting kingdom.
What are your top three priorities each day? Do you have time to be available to the One Who is always available to you?
