Elevated Friday, January 18th, 2019

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of one restaurant owner who went out of his way to grant a wish for a young boy. Elijah Sprague is a 14-year-old in Mobile, AL and was born with autism and cerebral palsy. He was adopted by a woman named Rene who worked in the hospital where he was in the NICU for 6 months despite a grim prognosis that he would not live another year. Elijah beat those odds and this year celebrated his 14th birthday. He loves Chick-Fil-A and dreams of being able to work the drive through one day. One local Chick-Fil-A owner made that dream a reality by opening the store on a Sunday – something they are known for not doing due to observation of their Christian faith. More than 40 cars filled with family and friends of Elijah’s circled the block so that they could receive fresh baked cookies from the birthday boy. It was an incredibly memorable experience for Elijah and goes to show that sometimes making a difference in someone’s life is more important that sticking to our own routines.

We all have routines for our day, and honestly, for most of us, our daily lives are mostly built around them. We have a set wake up time, breakfast menu, commute to work, work schedule, and evening responsibilities. Then, we wake up and do it again the next day. We often think of things we could do to help others, but seldom act upon them because our routine doesn’t allow us enough time or flexibility to do so. However, it is in those actions of grace, goodness, and mercy that we make a real difference in the lives of others. When we decide to build our life around God instead of allowing our routine to own us, we will find the time and flexibility to make a difference in the world and fulfill God’s purpose for us. Jesus said, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” This statement could easily be extended to say, “Whoever tries to keep their routine will lose their time, and whoever loses their routine will make a difference.” When we cling to our routine over our faith, our time and efforts do not make a difference. Today, re-center your day around God and work to create flexibility in your schedule so that you are able to make a difference for others instead of just completing your daily tasks.

“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” – Luke 17:33 NIV

Original Article:

https://bit.ly/2HkxA2G