Acres of Diamonds

I heard Jentezen Franklin share a true story from the 1800s when diamonds were discovered all over Africa. An African farmer heard those tales about other farmers making millions by discovering diamonds. He was so excited that he sold his farm to go prospecting for diamonds himself. He spent the rest of his life wandering through Africa searching but not finding the diamonds that brought such high prices on the markets of the world. Finally, in total despondency and disappointment, he threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm was crossing a small stream on the property, when suddenly there was a bright flash of blue and red light from the stream bottom. He bent down and picked up the good-sized stone. He brought it home and placed it on his fireplace mantel to admire it. Several weeks later, a visitor stopped by and saw the stone. He asked the farmer if he knew what he’d found, but the farmer simply thought it was a piece of crystal. The visitor told him he had found one of the largest diamonds ever discovered. The farmer told the man that his creek was full of such stones.

The first farmer sold his farm so that he might find a diamond mine. It turned out to be one of the most productive diamond mines on the entire African continent. He had owned acres of diamonds, but he sold them for practically nothing, in order to look for them elsewhere. The moral is clear: If the first farmer had only taken the time to study and prepare himself to learn what diamonds looked like in their rough state, and to thoroughly explore the property he had before looking elsewhere, all of his wildest dreams would have come true.

My eyes opened when I heard that story. At this very moment, we could be standing in the middle of our very own acres of diamonds in creative ideas, innovations -- the eye-openers to the treasures that might be inside us or around us.

Wherever you are or whatever you're doing right now -- in a world of worry, concern and anxiety -- just may be where the diamonds are. Yes, times have been tough and your hope seems to have vanished with the weight of your concerns that have become two-ton weights. I just don't believe we are in an isolated incident in the midst of this isolation we are living through. I believe God is up to something so grandiose and is on our side. It starts with HOPE. Our "hope" glasses will open our eyes to see the diamonds!

My husband's favorite motivational topic was hope. He would say: "Hope is the great expectation that something good is about to happen!" I'm so glad I caught hold of that hope. It has served me well. I know the alternative. When there is no hope -- life is over. That's why we hear about so many people who are living in depression, hopelessness and even taking their lives. "Hope deferred does make the heart sick." Proverbs 13:12. I cringe when I hear someone say "Don't get your hope up!" Why don't we get our hope up and believe that this day can be a day of ahas, wonders, miracles and surprises?

I'm telling you not hoping is not believing in our God with Whom all things are impossible “May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in Him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Whoohoo! Bring on that overflowing hope! Could you be sitting on a diamond mine? Could your mind be the diamond mine of innovation, creativity, ideas, and witty inventions? Let's get our HOPE up!

Lord, Please Make Me a Fountain – Not a Drain

I had an “aha” moment as I was adding water to the base of my children’s fountain. In these hot temperatures, the water evaporates quickly so it requires an occasional fill-up. I started thinking about how to be an unstoppable fountain of life and not a drain. Putting it into “people terms” – it’s striving to be a life-giver -- a positive encourager instead of a negative drainer.

I'm sure you can think of a few negative people who can take an intended joyful time and turn it into a draining time. They have difficulty finding the good in anything. We love them, but if we hang around them for very long, we sense our own joy draining. No doubt, they may have had some really negative stuff happen in their lives and it has impacted their heart and soul. We all have a past that tries to bind us, or maybe a present that insists on weighing us down and even a future that shows no glimmer of hope. But, no matter what – there is always the Source of Hope Who dwells within us if we are believers in our God of Hope. And, we want that for them, too!

We can’t always change our circumstances or our past, but we can change how we view our life as it moves forward. If we find ourselves facing life with dread, then I’d like to offer you a few of my personal habits that have served me well and kept my fountain overflowing instead of draining life out of me, as well as those in my sphere of influence.

~ Be positive. It can be a work-out, but when we do, it becomes second nature and it creates a fountain of life to others.

~ Count your blessings. Start right here to find your happy place. We woke up this morning. We were able to get up out of bed on our own. We have a place to live. We have food to eat. We have God Who loves us so much. Keep in mind there is always someone who has a much tougher time than we do!

~ Be hopeful. Hope is a wondrous thing. I’m passionate about this one because “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13.12). We all need to reach down inside for our child-like anticipation for the future. It's possible with God because He provides a hope that makes the heart healthy and filled with joy. God has our best interests at heart. God wants good things for us, plans to prosper us, and not harm us. Sometimes we slip-up or the world throws us a curve-ball, but it doesn’t change who He is. He is always good, and always desires good for us. That is always and forever a reason to have HOPE! Let's blow up that HOPE balloon and let it fly!

~ Surround yourself with positivity. We become those who we hang around if we let them. Sit with an incessant complainer and before long it’s natural to gravitate to their side and we are complaining about this and that, too. Hang out with life-givers and our fountain starts to overflow with life!

~ Encourage others. Who wants to be a drain that depletes others of their God-given inherent joy? Not me! I want to be a fountain-of-life encourager who speaks life. Positive words empower and energize others. Let’s fill up the fountain within us so it has a never-ending spring of Living Water flowing to those around us. God knows they may be going down for the last time in murky waters of unbelief and negativity. God may be sending out a 9-1-1 call for you and I to be His emergency "springs of living water" provider.

John 7:37-38 "Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”