You're A Winner!

This morning I woke up thinking about some of the ways God speaks to us....

 We all know God speaks to us through His Word, often with a message specifically for a situation we are facing.  He  speaks to us through our minister, our teacher, or a friend, just to name a few. But, I believe many times He speaks individually to us through something that happens in our day. One instance comes to mind when I received a personal message from God through a daily habit of mine. 

There had been some tough situations, and bad choices in my life that had taken a toll on me spiritually and emotionally.  Failure and defeat seemed to rule my life... Though I was working on my relationship with God I felt like such a loser. God is not content with His children being losers, and He reminded me of that.... 

Each morning Paul and I would stop at a convenience store on the way to work. He would get a cup of coffee and I would get a 16 oz. Dr Pepper. At the time Dr Pepper was doing a promotion and you could sometimes win a free Dr Pepper, which happened to me occasionally.....

One Monday morning we made our usual stop, got our drinks, and  when I opened my lid the message inside said, "YOU'RE A WINNER"! It was exciting to win a free Dr Pepper! 

Tuesday morning we stopped at the convenience store, I traded in the winning lid for my free drink, got to the car and opened it, and read, "YOU'RE A WINNER"! "Wow! Thank you Jesus for another free Dr Pepper!

Morning three, usual stop, trade in lid, and guess what.... "YOU'RE A WINNER"!  "God? Are you telling me something here?" Now I am starting to think more than just free Dr Pepper when I see the inside of the lid.....

Day four.... "YOU'RE A WINNER!

Day five...."YOU'RE A WINNER!"

Day six.... "YOU'RE A WINNER!"

Day seven... "YOU'RE A WINNER!"

After the seventh day things were back to usual, as far as the occasional free Dr Pepper. But there was no doubt in my mind that God had intentionally led me to pick up the right soda each morning to get a message across to me. He wanted me to know that I am His child, and because of that, 

"I AM A WINNER!"

God not only cares about our salvation, our financial situations, or our health and safety. I have come to believe that He cares about our state of mind..... Though we all face debilitating experiences in our lives, and most of us face traumatic ones..... Though we all face oppression, and possibly most deal with depression..... Though we all have felt that life has beat us to a pulp, and then jumped up and down on us..... And though we have felt hopeless and helpless to change our own way of thinking, He cares. If we can desperately hold fast to His promises, though they are impossible to see at our weakest moments, God will give us a message of HOPE.... LOVE..... JOY.... and ENCOURAGEMENT..... 

God has a way of getting His message across to us at the most unexpected times and unusual places, in such unique ways, or through the most extraordinary people. Through His message we can be healed, but not only healing for our bodies. He will heal our minds and cause us to reflect His state of mind more each day.