That's What Friends Are For

    When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

     But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

      Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

    The message of this passage is obviously that Naaman didn’t have the faith to do what he was told to be healed, but when he finally obeyed, he was.  There is also a pride message here.  One in that Naaman seemed to know better than the prophet what needed to be done, almost a sense of entitlement on his part.  Of course, these are wonderful messages for all of us.  It’s so important that we listen to truth and obey, it’s crucial that we let go of our pride and change our minds sometimes.  My mind has been changed by the spirit.  It has been changed by reading scripture.  God can change our hearts and minds in many ways and this story illustrates one.
    What if Naaman had no servants, or dare I say, friends?  If they hadn’t been there to convince him, would he still have gone down to the river?  I know there have been times in my life where I just needed someone to convince me of the truth.  Maybe I already knew it and was being stubborn.  Maybe I just wasn’t seeing it at all because of my foolish pride or the lies that were hindering my view of truth.  Whatever the case, my loving friend telling me that truth made the difference between my receiving a blessing and letting one slip by forever.  Thank God for the friends that love us enough to push us toward a better life.  God gave us one another, let us remember to encourage the ones we love.      

The Whys of Not Worrying

     Time escapes you and my first instinct is to worry about it.   Worry about now, how you can’t even seem to get close to finishing your list of duties every day.  Worry about your future and wonder if I don’t find a way to nip this in the bud today, what will become of you?  Worry.   We were reading in the old testament and discussing why God wouldn't want the Israelites to eat certain foods.  I suggested that even though we are under the new covenant now and it's okay for us to eat those foods, maybe He was looking out for our health.  Even though we can eat them now, maybe it's not the best choice.  I believe He tells us a lot of things for our own good.  Something I have learned is why Jesus doesn’t want worry to be a part of my life.  I sat and prayed and thought of it today while trying to come up with a different way.

     When I worry about this, it causes fear.  The fear causes panic, which leads to stress.  The stress then causes me to take it to you in a way that you can’t possibly understand.  You have only lived thirteen years.  You don’t know what this problem will cause for you.  You don’t know enough to care.  This panic that takes over me, takes over my brain and heart, but more importantly it takes over my tongue and before I know it I’m saying it all again.  Stress is bad for our bodies and bad for our relationship.  It does no good.
     When God disciplines me, He doesn’t worry about me.  He knows what will happen to me.  I don’t know what will happen but I do know that I can trust Him with you.  Instead of worrying and reacting, I can take it to Him and trust Him.  I can quietly enforce discipline that will have an effect rather than words which only serve to frustrate both of us.  So, today I prayed for guidance, I prayed for wisdom, I prayed for more trust.  I prayed for less words.  I prayed for you.  I’m just a mom trying to do the best I can with what I have.  God gave me precious children and we are all so different from one another.  I’m glad for that.  He knew what He was doing.  There are things I’m supposed to be learning from the two of you.
     I acknowledge that I desperately need Him to help me.  Now, I will watch in humble expectation as I see how your lives unfold and how His way is better.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
   neither are your ways my ways,” 
            declares the LORD. 
 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, 
   so are my ways higher than your ways 
   and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

The Trouble With Stuff

     Today I was having some computer problems and I called my only resource, my husband, for some help. The problems actually started yesterday, so technology is not my BFF at this point. I'll admit I'm a tad frustrated with all of it. I suppose I sounded that way when I called him, actually I know I did. How do I know? He told me his frustrations too.
     People call him often with their computer woes. By the time they do, they are at the end of their rope and angry. Not at him, but with this little rectangular blob of information that doesn't want to give any of it up to them. They can't take it out on the blob, so my poor helping husband gets the brunt of it. Wow, did that open my eyes to what he goes through, and also to what all people go through sometimes.

     How many times have I been frustrated at some company and taken it out on the customer service person, the undeserving victim who answered my phone call? I don't remember doing it lately, but I have in the past and I feel bad about it now. It made me think of a video I watched last night from a series called "The Truth Project". The subject of this particular video was work and how that fits in with our spirituality. There are many small aspects involved in this subject with one being our material things. The professor teaching on the subject was saying what we all know: Everything belongs to God! He was pondering what the world would be like if every Christian REALLY believed that...if we lived it.
     What I'm doing when I get frustrated at my things is I'm letting things come before my relationships. My relationship with God and man. If the thing is causing me to stumble in that way, then it's time to stop and pray and reprioritize. Nothing should steal my joy or allow me to get so worked up that I call and steal someone else's joy too. Lesson learned. Next....

Like a Lion

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

photo credit  http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GreatCats/images/covers/cover_LionPortrait.jpg

     It hurts when you argue with someone you love more than life itself.  Irrational words,  selfishness and pride fuel the fire and before you know it, anger and pain overtake you.  It happened to me recently and right in the midst of it, right when I could have gone on blaming, accusing….saying.  I stopped and quietly suggested that all of this wasn’t us.  It was the enemy trying to come between us.
     How that thought can turn things around for me.  Seeing all of it, like God probably does; looking upon us and shaking His head.  Wondering why we let this happen.  Seeing that we were giving our power over to the wrong entity somehow seemed to halt everything.  It turned into a war with him instead of the one that was erupting between us.  When you become alert, all of a sudden the lion is sitting right there laughing at you.  But I don’t lose heart.  That’s just it, when I become alert, I can make that lion disappear.
    That night I had a dream.  We were picnicking at a park with a playground.  The kids were happily playing and we were relaxing on a blanket in the lush grass.  There was an old farm,  smooth-wire fence held up by beaten wooden posts and just beyond it were animals of all kinds.  Among all of the harmless, frolicking animals I saw a lion walking slowly toward the fence.  I wondered, “Is the fence strong enough to hold him?”
     He began to get agitated and growl at us then he backed up several steps and ran toward the fence.  He hit the wire full force and bounced back ready to try again.  I stood and calmly suggested that we leave this place.  I awoke that morning and immediately knew that dream was powerful.  I will fear the enemy but I don’t have to panic.  All I have to do is be aware of what he does and know when to make my escape.

Happy Birthday Abbey

     Today marks your 13^th year on this earth.  How the time really does fly.  I remember all of the details of the day you came into my life.  Your tiny little hands and feet, your beautiful little eyes, nose and mouth, you were perfect to me.  You have grown into a precious young lady.  You have talents and character qualities that God has given you and an inner joy that lights up your surroundings wherever you go.  It always has.  Just like when you were small, your bubbly, positive personality is contagious and wonderful and is what I love about you the most.  There has not been a day with you that I have not treasured.  I hope you know that.
     We are at a turning point.  The next years with you here at home, will be your growing up years.  The years that you decide your place in this world; that you go where God leads you is my prayer.  Please never forget that I want to help you.  That my advice, my reminders, my discipline…..yes, my nagging...they are all my love.  No matter how old you are, where you are, what you become, you will always be WHO you are to me now and forever.  Your dad and I love you very much, sweet girl.  What a blessing you are to us!

Random Dog Blog

     Do you ever wonder what dogs could say if they could talk?  No, this isn’t a very deep and meaningful write-up, but I’m not feeling very sentimental lately.  I think I’m too busy to think.  Tonight I sat down to write a blog, but didn’t have a clue what to write about, when I felt some big brown eyes boring into me.  Betty Betty Birddog or BBBD for short, does this every evening if I forget to feed her after dinner.  I sit at the computer and she assumes her position right next to my chair, rear end parked on my foot, eyes fixed on my face. 

     Tonight I looked down at her and wondered.  If she could talk, what would she be saying to me right now?  Would it be polite?  “Excuse me, Mom.  I believe you forgot to feed me my kibble.”  Or would it be more of a frustrated (I’ve had it with the service around here) kind of tone like, “Look, I don’t ask for much; just a bowl or two of dried beef nuggets every day, Lady.  Do you think you could get off of your bedonkadonk and get to it!”  Just looking at the face, I really can’t be sure what kind of expression I’m getting.  It could be either one.
     My daughter likes to talk for the dogs.  It’s pretty funny.  They both have an English accent and beg very politely and properly at the dining room table.  They ask for a spot of my meat and they always say, “Thank you Mumsy, might I have anotha?”  She actually makes them hard to resist and against everything I’ve ever learned about dogs, I find myself giving in and giving them bites.  I’m a sucker when it comes to the dogs.  Yet, even though they are spoiled rotten, they are really pretty good animals.  They can’t talk, thank goodness, but I do believe that Peanut understands English.  That’s for another story though.
     I guess if I’m going to write all of this, I should really have a point.  I was watching a documentary about a horse trainer last night called “Buck.”  It was really good.  He was a horse whisperer type, that just had a way with horses.  He just seemed to speak their language.  I never had a dog growing up.  Sure we tried a few times to have one.  We put it out in the backyard and every time we went outside it jumped all over us until we didn’t want to try anymore so we didn’t.  Soon we forgot we had a backyard or a dog.  These are the first dogs that I have ever trained and I feel like that guy Buck sometimes.  I feel like I know what they are thinking.  I love my doggies, and I talk to them all the time.  Even though I can’t really hear them talking, I feel like they talk to me.  And right now BBBD is telling me to get her dinner. 

Celebrating Us

     Sixteen years ago we said “I do.”  Love drove me down the aisle that day, and love is what keeps this bond strengthened all these years later.  I look back and I can actually see eras in our marriage.  We have had ups and downs, but we have always ridden them along side one another.  I never doubted that we weren’t a perfect fit.  I doubted myself sometimes.  My abilities as a wife or mother, I have always questioned from time to time.  I had to learn what a helpmate was and what that meant for our specific home.  But the longer I walk this road with you, the more sure I know that God picked you for me.

     Many kinds of love reside behind these four walls.  You always seem to give me what I need just in the nick of time and I only hope I have been the same constant in your life.  Forgive me if I have ever seemed dissatisfied.  Sometimes I find myself not really realizing how blessed I am with the life that God has given me.  I am ashamed of that, for every single thing that I hold in my hand is worthy of praise.  Every good thing in the life of a Christian is for the glory of God.  Even the bad things that God uses for good, so even when times were tough, it was for his glory.  It thrills my soul when I think that our union was meant for the glory of God. 
     I never want to take a day with you for granted.  I know I already have.  To focus on our life and bring to the forefront of our minds this gift of our love should be a daily practice.  To know that the strong hand that holds mine, is the hand that God meant for me to clasp brings me a rush of gratitude.  I don’t need you to have a successful career, or that house in the country.  I know you’ll never be able to read my mind or satisfy all of my fleshly desires, and that burden is not yours.  The mention of burden brings to mind that I want yours to be mine.  Please, never hold your troubles back.    My prayer this anniversary is that one day, perhaps fifty years from now, I will still feel your hand holding mine.