Well Done...Good and Faithful Servant

    As I walked in a few minutes late because I arrived just on time and the parking lot was completely filled, I had no choice but to bypass any back pew and walk straight down the middle aisle and find a seat near the family, I was in awe.  So many people loved him!  So many!  I can’t say that I was surprised, it just made me think.  It must have been on the mind of the person giving the eulogy as well, for he stressed the fact that the building was full several times.  What an awesome testimony of a life well-lived.

     Later on, when I got home and was cleaning my house, I thought about the sweet brother we lost this week who went to be with Jesus.  Just like the speaker said, heaven must have gotten a little bit brighter.  I did begin to reflect on his passing from a personal standpoint.  I haven’t lived and loved enough.  I want to so much.  Not because I want to earn anything, but because it must be a wonderful life to really live like that.  By not doing it, I’m not missing out on praise, or pats on the back or recognition, I’m just missing out on life.  I’m missing out on the full life that Jesus promises if we live for his glory and his glory only.
    I would like to love better, love without fear.  Love just for His sake.  Give and never worry about getting, love so much that receiving love would be the last thing on my mind.  Love like that is a full life and I saw a glimmer of the affect it can have on a family today.  It can touch the hearts of so many people and be passed down for generations.  There is a strength in love that like God’s word says, “covers a multitude of sins.”  Sacrificial love... I need to love like this.  

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  

John 15:13

Making Way for the New

     It’s the time of year that we purge our home.  School is wrapping up, fun is around the corner, and it just seems right to start the summer fresh.  So, while in my daughter’s closet cleaning and filling trash bags to the brim, one after the other, I couldn’t help but feel like it was wrong to throw so much away.  We do this serious purging only once a year or so, and she has outgrown so many of the things that we were taking out, but it still just seemed like so much, so wasteful. 

     God has shown me a great deal in the past year and a half.  His promises, that I always have had, have finally become mine.  He has revealed to me that His love is enough and that I only need to go to Him for my needs, no one else satisfies like Jesus.  While cleaning He revealed something else.  In order for me to have a place to store these truths in my heart and mind, I have to let go of the old.  The things I have outgrown need to be purged.  It’s not wasteful, it’s time.

    You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Eph. 4:20-24

     As long as I continue to store my old ways, lack of self control, impatience, self-pity, selfishness, the list goes on.  I can’t possibly take down the new ways from the shelf and try them out.  They are waiting in limbo for a place to call their own.  Sure, I use them sometimes, more than I used to, but until they have a permanent place, I won’t readily reach for them.  I’ll keep reaching for the old raggedy, worn-out methods that are cluttering my heart and mind.  It’s not wasteful to dispose of the old, sometimes it’s necessary.  

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!