"One Letter"

    I experienced a blessing the other day, one that might seem a minor thing to some.  For me, however, this small thing (actually, so small that it involved merely one letter of the alphabet) touched me more deeply than words can express.

    To explain, I ascribe to the old-school notion that when using personal pronouns related to God in writing, the first letter of the word should be capitalized (He, You, Thou, Thee, His).  You may notice this in these devotionals (and some of you are thinking that I'm "old school" in everything.  Yes, you're right).  I capitalize the pronouns as a matter of loving devotion, respect, and appreciation to the One who is unlike any other, and who I desire to reverence in a singular manner reserved only for Him.  I don't make this a matter of criticism toward those who don't share my view in this matter, although I would be less than honest if I didn't confess that I wish publishers of Bibles and Christian literature still followed the practice (they largely don't).

    I share this with you because several days ago, I texted my youngest daughter Emmie to inform her that the Browned Butter Pecan ice cream I had made may be the best ice cream I've ever eaten.  "I need no proof of God's existence," I began, "but this ice cream definitely confirms it!"  The sentence that followed contained the aforementioned blessing.  "And that He loves us more than we can begin to imagine!"  Please note the capitalized "H" in that sentence.  As already referenced, this is my practice regarding Divine personal pronouns.  However, I did not type that capital letter.  I hate doing caps as I write texts, so whenever I need to use them, I type the sentence, and then go back and capitalize any letter requiring the emphasis.  In this case, I had not need to make the correction.  My phone automatically capitalized the personal pronoun for God - "He."  I don't know why it did this, unless it related to the fact that I had mentioned God in the previous sentence.  Whatever the case, I found this to be one of those moments in which you know that the Lord involves Himself in minute details of our personal lives that would likely mean something only to yourself.  Indeed, I have followed the capitalization practice for nearly forty years.  I don't mention it, and it feels like such a private matter between the Lord and myself that I felt hesitant to even write about it.  In this case, however, to provide such an opportunity to so affirm God's loving involvement that I feel a freedom to do so.  Yes, I was pleased to learn that my phone shares my view regarding the Lord and personal pronouns!

    We are fish that swim in the Ocean that is God - "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).   We miss so much of His presence and working, most of it, actually.  Our Heavenly Father does so much that we could never begin to fathom it all.  Sometimes, however, the clouds part and a tiny ray of Sonlight shines through to grace us with the most personal expressions of our Lord's love for us.  In such moments, our hearts smile, they bow, and they realize that in Christ, God gives to us glories that might mean nothing to some, but which are everything to us.  One letter.  One letter, capitalized.  A tiny thing, but one that illuminated my heart with yet another indication of the measure and mode of our Lord's loving devotion to us…

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

(Ephesians 2:4-7)

P.S. - Oh yes, if you want the recipe for the ice cream, I'd be inclined to share it.  :):)

Weekly Memory Verse

    The Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind, an earthquake.  But the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake, a fire.  But the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire, a still, small voice.

(I Kings 19:11-12)