Calling Home

A few days ago, this overwhelming feeling of being alone just hits me.

I wasn’t alone at all. In fact, I could’ve turned to the left and seen my aunt sitting soundly in her recliner, playing one of her regular fruit smashing games on her phone. And if I would have stood up and walked ten or twelve steps to my right and around a corner, there my aunt’s long time friend would be watching the news like every other day.

I wasn’t alone at all, so why did it feel like I was?

The reason hit me sometime last night while I was reading my daily devotional. It was one about calling on the Lord constantly, whether you’re in trouble or not, and BOOM, right there in front of my eyes was the answer. 

I just stopped reading. Realization dawned on me like a solid slap to the face. I wasn’t really feeling alone at all. I was missing someone. And when I say missing someone, I actually mean someone that I’ve never met in the flesh.

I was missing Jesus.

This may sound completely insane to some, but to me it isn’t. Missing Jesus feels almost like being alone and homesick at the same time. In a way, it’s like my soul recognizes where it belongs and it knows who it belongs to will constantly be with me and never leave my side, but, at the same time, may seem very far away and out of reach.

I wonder, as I type this, how many of you out there have felt some form of this. How many have sit and ached with a certain kind of emptiness that no worldly possession or person could ever come close to filling? How many have encountered a sense a loss, or felt a huge hole in their lives. A hole that was made only to be filled by the One who made us, by the One who gave His life as a ransom for ours.

I also wonder how many of you experience this feeling and have never met our Savior?

For me, I find that the best way to visit Him when this feeling overcame me was by prayer. Well, not so much as a prayer as it was me simply talking to Him. Sure, I didn’t actually hear any words reply back, but I felt His presence. The hole slowly disappeared.

This only solidified my realization of why I felt the way I was feeling. I think He gave me that feeling to encourage me to come to Him more than what I do. So often we put other things before a simple talk. Whether it be work, going out with friends, social media, family problems, stress, or you’re just too tired to pick up the spiritual telephone and dial home, we are neglecting to feed the soul.

We, as Christians, are supposed to pray daily. In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it says simply: “pray continually”.

It sounds easy, but I myself know it can be quite difficult to do. We are human and we forget. Or we get busy with one of the numerous things mentioned above. But we should never be so busy that we cannot have a conversation with our Maker. And we shouldn’t rely solely on devotionals, or reading chapters from our Bibles.
 
Neither alone can substitute a talk with our Father.

With this said my challenge for the day for all Christians, or even those of you who have never met Him, is to take a step back from whatever you’re doing right this moment and just talk to God. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate prayer or a two hour long layout of why you haven’t been speaking to Him like you used to. He already knows everything we have thought, think about, and will think on in the future. He doesn’t want to hear our excuses; He just wants to hear our voice.

So, talk. Tell Him about your day, about your dreams, your best friend, a memory of a loved one He called home. If you run out of things to talk about, then just pray for your enemies, your family, and your friends. Pray for the world, our leaders, for Him to strengthen your relationships with each other and especially Him. Talk to Him even if you haven’t experienced that feeling that I have. Talk to Him even if it’s for the first time.

Do it because He loves you.

Blessings,
Tiffany Lefler

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Which Fountain Do You Drink From?

Have you heard the good news? The Fountain Of Life has been found! Hard to believe? I can understand, many are skeptical of things like this. But, if you’d let me, I’d like to tell you of the place I speak of. If you’re still reading, I’m glad! It means you’re at least curious of this Fountain. So, I’ll just start by telling you how spectacular this Fountain is! Its water is like no other! Drink daily from it and it will cure even the most horrendous of illnesses. It’ll take away your pain and your sorrow and give you peace and comfort. It’ll wipe away your suffering and your worries, even render your fears nonexistent. It will give you light where there is darkness and hope where there is defeat. Drink daily from this Fountain, have faith in its powers, and you will have knowledge beyond this world. Wisdom will be your friend and strength your encourager in moments of doubt and despair. Do you want that? Does overwhelming joy and happiness sound like somthing you would be interested in? If you’re still reading this then I assume you desire to seek this Fountain. Now comes the hard part, a part that will take dedication and true longing to accomplish. The path to this Fountain of Life is narrow and few travel it often. There will be thorns that scrape and tear at your clothing and branches in your way by which you may stumble. There will be holes and missing pieces of land, and the journey is long and hot and at some points exhausting. You will have moments of weakness and doubt, and times where your feet will hurt so unbearably that you can’t imagine a simple Fountain being worth all the struggle and suffering just for a drink. There will be people waiting in the shadows, murders and thieves and coveters who seek your fall, who seek to stop your trips to the Fountain. They will want to destroy you before you gain all the gifts this Fountain promises. Though they do not want the Fountain for themselves, they do not want anyone else to receive the gifts. Why do they do this? Because, my friend, there is another fountain not too far away and they have drank from its waters. It’s walls are captivating and alluring and it’s gates are bright and open wide to all who see the world. The path is easy, thorn-less; it’s road is paved with riches and jewels and possesions that draw the eyes. Its water whispers of everything that you could ever want. It tells you that it is the true bringer of joy and provider of comfort, the one and only way to eternal life. It wears deceit like a blanket and destruction is its servant. It does not love it’s drinkers, but laughs secretly at their blind eyes. Many have fallen prey to the whispers and lies of this fountain, this imposter. It does not bring peace or comfort or hope. It does not take away your fears or give you rest. Its promises are in vain, for it cannot fulfill its word. It promises what it cannot keep and it provides what it convinces you it will take away from you. Many travelers turn to its path, but you must not. You must not give into the temptation of the simple road. For its water is not of life, but of death. One drink and it will be hard to ever leave. Do not seek that fountain. It will not endure forever, for its end is eminent. Seek the Fountain Of Life and seek it daily. Make the trek to that Fountain every chance you can. That beautiful, prevailing Fountain that contains the power to heal you and take your sorrows and steal away your anxiety and weariness and will give you utmost peace and rest and love, will hear your footsteps. It will hear you coming and will send you strength, giving you the drive to make it to the end each day if only you do not give up. Do not stop. For at the end, those who have sought the Fountain Of Life, of light and love and peace and joy; the Fountain that contains the only living water in existence, will have a life of happiness eternally. But the ones who do not take the road less traveled, who do not go the extra miles and suffer daily the journey of the righteous, will inherit the true offerings of the imposter: death and destruction and agony forevermore. My friends, the Fountain of Life I speak of is Jesus Christ. Jesus, the son of our God, who shed His innocent blood on the cross to free us from the sin of this world. To free us from the grip of the fountain of death, the imposter, the son of perdition and lies: satan. I hope and pray that you will choose the path less traveled, the road that leads to the Fountain Of Life, the Comforter, the Protector, Jesus Christ. I pray that you will accept Him today if you have not, and drink with me from The Fountain Of Life for eternity. For the righteous paths end will be more wonderful than we can ever imagine. I hope to see you at the end, my friends.

-Tiffany