My Orange Adventure

I really like oranges. I eat one almost every day. My favorite is the navel orange because it has thick skin and is easy to peel. The other day at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, as I was beginning to peel my delicious orange, I experienced a powerful encounter with the Lord. I could hear His voice. No, it wasn't a booming voice coming from the sky, but a gentle voice coming from deep inside me. And He shared an awesome truth with me that I will share with you. He said that just as He created our physical bodies, He also created a special plan for us which He placed inside us before we were formed in our mothers womb. And He said He gave us the ability to dream and the desire to fulfill our dreams. Now, here's where the orange comes in. He asked me if I had ever bitten into an orange without first peeling it. I laughed and said that I remembered doing that once, but it was so bitter that I immediately spit it out. So, He said, you can see how the bitter tasting skin and membrane must be removed before you can enjoy the wonderful fruit of the orange. Yes sir, I said.  Then He said, many of us are like that orange. As we live life, we allow the negativity of this world, bad experiences, unforgiveness, bad doctor reports, stress, strife and many other things form a bitter skin around our dreams and God's plan for our life. As a result, we set our dreams aside and take a different path than the one the Lord has made for us. He said this is not His will for us. He came that we may have an abundant overflowing life. To get back on track and fufill His plan for us and have our dreams come true we most cast all our cares and every weight that holds us down upon Him because He truly cares for us. These items are just like the bitter skin of the orange. They distract us and hide the wonder God has in store for us. Well, that's it. The entire experience lasted probably not more than a minute or two. During this experience I could sense God's hurting heart for us because He has made a way– – made all of the provisions, and He wants us to walk in them. Our Lord Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross that paved the way for our success. And remember, the path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter every day. Amen!  Bless the Lord! PS. Thank you Lord for the orange.