Did you know that the apostle Paul wrote the books of Ephesians and Philippians while he was in prison? And the first chapter in the book of Ephesians goes on and on about how grateful Paul is for the people of Ephasus.
I don't know about you, but if I were in prison, I'm not sure I would be feeling very grateful. And yet I have a former student Brandon who has been in prison for over fifteen years. Often when I receive letters from him, you can hear his gratitude in his experiences as he encourages me in all that I'm trying to do here. Me. The lady who can come and go as she pleases, get in a car and drive away, go to Walmart or eat an Oreo whenever she wants. This kid is encouraging ME.
What is wrong with this picture? Nothing. He has found his gratitude in everything that he does though Christ. And I'm over here complaining because somebody ate the last piece of whole wheat bread . . .
Paul chose to serve the Ephesians, even in his dark time of imprisonment. Through this choice of gratitude and serving, he found his peace in Christ. Brandon also finds his peace through serving and gratitude. What a model of Christ's character! Such good lessons to learn on this Mother's Day. Blessings.
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