how much does it take?

My son once told me he wanted to be a garbage man. He was about 8 years old when he told me this, and I was kind of surprised by his desire. It did not seem to be the type of job that most children aspire to become.

The more I thought about his announcement, the more it made sense. You see, at the time I was babysitting a child and his father worked as a garbage man. We went to church with the family and attended many of the same fellowship activities that they did, so my son was well acquainted with him.

We also were served by some very nice men who did the garbage route for our street. These men would greet the boys and were kind to them.

These men made an impression on my young son. I am not sure if he really wanted to be a garbage man, or if he just wanted to be like these men. Men who took time to show kindness and good humor to a little boy. I think of those men and am so thankful for them. My son does not even recall the incident, but I believe that the seeds of those encounters are coming to harvest in his life. I see it in his soft heart and in the humor he uses with kids, adults and his own family.

How much does it take to make an impression? In the case of my son, it didn't seem to take much. How much will it take for that child in your life?

Transition...

After a long hiatus....I am back. We are in the middle of transition. This week the boys will start school, with one starting at a private school, and in 1 week, I will step down from my position of teaching pre-K and K's at church.

In some ways it is an exciting time for all of us, but there is still some uncertainty. So much about this week will be an answer to prayer, and that is the only thing that has made it easier.

We are all stepping out in faith. And just like the sign in my kitchen says...Faith makes things possible...not easy. And right now things are not very easy...but we are very hopeful...and for that...I am very thankful.

Lord save us from ourselves....

I really don't know how to put my feelings into words, but I guess I need to give it a try. I am saddened when someone from the Christian community speaks so arrogantly about an issue. We speak as if the word of God was given to us and we so completely understand it, and look down on any of those who do not. Instead of plainly stating God's position on a particular sin, we pronounce judgement on people.

Any understanding that I have of scripture is straight from God. It is not from my own wisdom. If someone is living contrary to scripture, it is because they are in the drivers seat and they have not released control to God. They cannot see truth, because it is only through the Holy Spirit that we receive understanding.

Even knowing that, we continue to treat people as though they are less than ourselves. Instead of sharing God's truth in love, we bludgeon them with it. We get on our soapbox and proclaim God truth as if it were our own. We act as if their sin is an affront to ourselves, and not God. We choose to overlook that all sin theirs, mine and all of ours fall into that category.

When you look into the mirror, do you use the same tone of condemnation for your own sin that you use with the world?

Redeeming the time.....

Time is on my mind a lot this morning. It is June 1st and it is fast approaching graduation season. As a matter of fact, we have already been to one this year. It was an 8th grade graduation ceremony for the local Christian school. This week we will attend the ceremony for the high school and then next week the ceremony for my niece who is graduating from college. Each graduation marks a milestone in the lives of each group, the passing of one stage of life and the beginning of another.

One of my Facebook friends made a note on her page, asking where the time went. She is getting ready for her own son's graduation. We all know that "time flies".....but we don't really think about it until events happen to bring us back to that reality. Each day that passes gives us the impression that we are living, but are we really? We fill our days with activity and with the busyness of life, but are we "redeeming the time"?

What I really mean to say is am I redeeming the time? Am I using the time God has given me on this earth for it's best purpose? I was lamenting the fact that the last time I had truly written anything was May 11th. I write thoughts in a composition book, especially on Sundays, but it has been a long time since I had written anything in my blog. I never seem to have enough time. When I start to write, I sit with a plan in my head. Ultimately that plan or outline gets trashed and God leads me down a different path of thought. So, for me, it takes time. Time enough for God to change my mind from my thoughts to His. That is why it is so hard for me to write, because I know that I cannot just sit for a few minutes and get it done quick.

I then thought about the 6 hours I worked on Saturday, trying to play catch up with work. Or even the 20 minutes I wasted this morning, clicking on some link on my facebook page. Right now, I would love to have that 20 minutes back. I don't have it though, and because I wasted that 20 minutes I now have to go. I think the point is here though. We are all rich, in time. No matter how long we are here on earth, that bit of time is a precious commodity. Spend it wisely.

What MUST be?

I was reading the story of Zacchaeus this morning trying to be better prepared for Sunday. This is a bible story that I have taught at different times during my years as a Sunday school teacher, but today it struck me differently. I love how God's word is alive....it does not change....but God will use the same story to give different teaching at different times of your life.

As I read the story again, something that Jesus said surprised me. When He called to Zacchaeus, He said that He "must" come to Zaccheaus' house today. I thought that "must", was a very strong word. Like, today was Zaccheaus only chance, it "must" be today or that was it. Now, I know enough about the bible to know that Jesus does not give us one chance only. I know He patiently and persistently pursues us, giving us the opportunity to come into relationship with Himself. So why "must"?

God brought back to Zaccheaus response. Zaccheaus was going to give money, and by the sound of it a lot of money to the poor. He was also going to pay back people he had stolen from. That day, because Zaccheaus invited Jesus into his home, a whole lot of lives were changed. Zaccheaus' household, many poor people and anyone he had stolen from, were going to receive great blessings.

I think of my own life, and how sometimes I feel that God may be impressing something on my heart, but because of time, money or lack of energy I do not respond to the "must". I am thankful to God for second chances, no doubt, but what blessings have I missed out on? Have I missed out on blessing other people? If I go by the example of Zaccheaus' story, I probably have.

So today I pray that when I hear the "must", I may respond immediately. That I would put the potential blessings of God, before myself. To not wonder if God will bless, but to expect God to bless, when I do what "must" be.

Back again....

It has been a week since I have last written, in this blog or anywhere else. At first I did not write because I was finished with my "Lenten blog", then I just kind of got distracted by other things. Some of the things were good, and then some were just stupid distractions.

I had a conversation with a friend today, and she helped remind me that I cannot be distracted from the job God gives me to do. Foremost that is to keep Him first and my family second. If I can keep those two in order, then God will be in a position to give me wisdom to prioritize the rest.

I was struck by Deuteronomy 31:6 today, it says:

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

When I keep God first, I know that whatever happens is not a surprise to my Lord, and that He will clear my path of distractions, or things that He does not want me to deal with. When I run off ahead of Him though, I tend to think of the path and my direction more than the God who I am walking with. I may get distracted or I may take a wrong turn and come upon something that I was never intended to see or hear.

I praise God that He goes before me! And I pray He helps me to stay in my place, so I do not have to be afraid....

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

Tomorrow is Easter, and the end of my Lenten experiment. So for the last day of writing in this blog, I decided to go to the end of the Easter story. In Matthew 28:1-10 two women came to the tomb that morning, and found the stone rolled away. An angel spoke to them, and told them that Christ is risen from the dead. When they went to go and tell the disciples, Jesus Himself appeared to the women. They immediately fell at His feet and worshiped Him.

As a woman, I am thankful for this example in God's word. It was two women who first saw Jesus that resurrection morning. It reminds me that while the Bible is filled with great men of God, there were women that He used for His good purposes also.

It reminds me, that God can use this woman for His good purposes. "For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37