"A Better Life"

There are some “strange” things that happen from time to time that cause me to think, “Hmmmmm?” One of them is the report from Glendale, Arizona. Bianca Lopez of Glendale said a pancake with the face of the Virgin Mary brought her peace (picture of the pancake available). It seems while making a batch of pancakes for her family the day before Thanksgiving, she spotted the religious image on her final pancake of the day. "I think it's God's way of telling us that the holidays aren't just about presents, it's about more spending time with your family and friends and telling us to not forget about him, that he's always there watching over us and taking care of us," Lopez told ABC's Phoenix Arizona affiliate.

Whether it is indeed a picture of Mary in the pancake or not; the message is certainly true. God has been trying to tell us for thousands of years that His desire is for us to focus on the real priorities in life. Family IS more important than presents. Holidays ought to be more about spending time with family and friends than getting that “perfect gift.” We ought to spend more time remembering the wonder of the grace of God than worrying about the present difficulties we may be going through. That’s certainly what Jesus meant in this reading:

Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (John 10:6-10 The Message).

Jesus came that we might have a better life! That kind of life ought to spill over into our families, our churches, and our friends. You know, I don’t need a picture in a pancake to be able to know that message. I don’t doubt that some do; and, that God is capable of placing an image in a pancake to convey it to some folks. But, here’s the real key: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the gate to this new life that is better than anyone can imagine. Maybe you’ve missed that message recently. Perhaps you’ve had so many other things to cloud your vision that it seems too dark to see more than a few inches ahead. Could you consider this devotional today as your image in a pancake? The truth is that no matter how bad things seem, for the child of God, they will only get better! While the season of your trial seems interminably long and your struggle terribly difficult, God’s promise is to walk with you through every moment and bring you to eternal life that is better than can ever dream of! Trust Him for your next step. He won’t let you down!