You can have any orphan in the orphanage...except Annie - Miss Hannigan

“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”” Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

Sip some coffee, I read and think . This one I've read many times in the past 10 years due a quiet time study I was doing with my mentor (he also married my wife and I). This was one of the many verses I read on a daily basis. We had date night last night at z-greeke it was really nice. Shayne woke up this morning at 3 am wanting cereal only then to fall asleep on me. So I've been up for a while. Sip some more coffee, I read and think. I'm reminded of "Annie" the movie. Namely the scene where she goes to Daddy Warbucks house for the first time. It was nuts, they ask her what she wanted to do first and her reaction was cleaning and serving. They stopped her and told her that she didn't have lift a finger. How many times do I do things out of habit. I forget God is living among me, I forget He's a might savior. I forget he delights in me. I forget He calms all my fears. I forget He rejoices over me with joyful songs. Or I just don't care. But why? Annie was left by her parents during the great depression on a door step and was nothing but encouraging to the other girls. Her attitude was "the sun'll come out tomorrow, you gotta hang on till tomorrow, they'll be sun." She had all the reason in the world to be depressed and upset about being abandoned but she kept positive. The story line was evidently not set in Arizona because then her song would have been about rain and clouds. Thats besides the point. God was watching over her the whole time, and Grace knew she was the girl they wanted. Yet Miss Hannigan said "you can have any orphan in this orphanage except Annie". How many times have let things hold me back from accepting God's love and value and just not believing it. I've actually identified myself as a camera operator and not a child of God or as a video guy. Its amazing of how trapped I can get without knowing it. Miss Hannigan saw Annie's worth and just didn't want to lose her. Hits me, I can live my life based one anything but how God sees me or can take this example and keep believing in the son even when it seems God's forgotten me or more I've forgotten on him or just didn't care. The more I believe and accept His love (instead of all the Miss Hannigans I face), when the time comes, ya I might ask to help clean up a mansion (or whatever it might be) and that's when they'll say, no its yours, you've earned it, enjoy the blessing (whatever it may be). The son's been out and has been shining through you all this time and now it's time to enjoy Him.