"I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you."
Philemon 1:4-7 (HCSB
My husband and I just returned for a long weekend trip to Branson, Missouri (a town full of God and Country!) for some refreshment in the Lord! As we traveled 8 hours through small town after small town on our way from East Texas, we met so many precious new friends along our pathway! Our main goal was to receive refreshment from the Lord after a long hot summer that was fast and full of much to do as small business owners in the marketplace of ministry...what is so awesome about our refresher (GOD) is that He refreshes those that refresh others!
One specific new friend we had the joy and privilege of encouraging in the Lord was at one of the beautiful scenic cafe's in Branson; her name is Marge and she works just about everyday and that includes Sunday. As we enjoyed our breakfast with Marge as our waitress, God blessed us with a "fast friendship" as the "refreshment" began! With every word of appreciation and affirmation that my husband and I shared with Marge, we could see her countenance and heart being refreshed and lifted up right before our eyes! Her tiredness was transformed into refreshment with each word of encouragement and blessing that the Lord laid on our hearts to share with Marge!! Just like the picture above of the many BEAUTIFUL and REFRESHING scenic blessings that the Lord has provided in our country to enjoy, that same babbling brook feeling from His Living Water (His Word) saturated Marge's heart as He refreshed her through the refreshment that we were receiving from Him...isn't that JUST LIKE JESUS:-)!
No matter where we are today, God is placing people in the path of our lives to refresh with the refreshment that He provides? "The Living Water" that causes us to thirst no more!!! There was a woman at the well in John 4 that received The Living Water~Jesus...and she could not wait to go back to her town and share with EVERYONE what had just happened in her life!!! That was our prayer for Marge, that she would have a fresh touch from the Father that she is now sharing with EVERYONE that she serves so unselfishly as a waitress that refreshes others that are needing refreshment with the refreshment that she has just received...all because of Jesus & His Word~He speaks and He refreshes! Are you refreshing others in the Lord? Are you spending some special time receiving refreshment from the Lord? As you refresh others (witness~serve~encourage for Jesus) you need refreshment in the Lord! Even Jesus encourages special time of rest & refreshment in Matthew 6:31-32..Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place" (HCSB).. what more of an example do we need!:-) Sounds like you have just been given permission and encouragement from The Living Water Himself to take some time to be refreshed so that you can "GO & Refresh Others!"....if you need a special place to go ...Dogwood Canyon in Branson, Missouri would be a REFRESHING place to start:-)! Encouraging you to received refreshment!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsoiI8XhpmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsoiI8XhpmY
