Good Service

My man and I plopped down at a table in the crowded restaurant.  We were in a new town, and the menu was foreign to us — so many choices.  I was so thankful for our waitress.   She approached the table and introduced herself with a smile.  She was open, friendly, and knowledgeable.  She guided us to the right choices, and she remained close by throughout the meal — always available, always ready but not crowding us.  Before our dinner arrived, she blessed us with a free appetizer since we were “new folk.”  What a great night!  This girl performed her job well, and I still remember that evening — I long to go back.

As a Jesus Chick, I am called to be a servant, one who helps others and points them toward choosing Christ.  Am I being attentive, but not overbearing?  Do I share the truth with grace and clarity?  Are others attracted to my Savior because of the gifts of compassion that I freely share?  Will people develop a hunger for God through interacting with me as his representative?

I must confess that my “attract-ability quotient” as His ambassador could use some improvement.   I grow weary too easily when “pesky people“ don’t show an appetite for Him.  I claim that I want to be “fruitilicious,” yet I am reluctant to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty.

Good service requires self-sacrifice and commitment to the needs of others.  Will I stay the course and serve with a smile?  This prayer from Paul’s epistle to the church at Colosse has challenged my selfishness :

We pray that you’ll live well for the Master,

making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard.

As you learn more and more how God works,

you will learn how to do your work.

We pray that you’ll have the strength

to stick it out over the long haul—

not the grim strength of gritting your teeth

but the glory-strength God gives.

It is strength that endures the unendurable

and spills over into joy,

thanking the Father who makes us strong enough

to take part in everything

bright and beautiful that He has for us” (1:10-12, MSG).

I meet “new folk” all the time who are confused by the many choices on the menu of life.   My job is to whet their appetite for the food the truly satisfies.  I must stop gritting my teeth in order for His joy to flow freely and spill over on to their plates.

Q4U:  How do you practice “good service?”  Any tips?

For 2013, my one-word focus is “Fruitilicious.”  Check out what that means here.

Joining like-minded sisters today at Playdates with God, Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday, and Soli Deo Gloria.

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Keeping Company →

My husband intensely dislikes social settings. We go to parties, and he smiles and tells jokes. You would never know that inside he is a big ball of nerves…

I am honored to be guest posting today at Start Marriage Right.com.  To read the rest of this post, head on over here. 

Seasons

Do you feel it?  The air feels crisper, and color is bursting forth everywhere.  God, the designer of seasons, is beautifully transforming the canvas of our world right before our eyes. Just as He colors the leaves, He delights in creating a new portrait in our hearts.  Two years ago, a metamorphosis began for me.  A single gal for 42 years, I honestly had no hopes of marriage.  I had not had a date in 9 years.  Then, one day, God changed everything. What a joyous season! – flowers, invitations, and an outrageously expensive white dress filled my days.  The picture would have been perfect had it not been for one dark shadow.  Cancer.

… I am blogging over at (in) courage today.  Click here to hop over there for the rest of the story!

In a Fog

  God and I had a “moment” last week.  My husband and I drove 12 hours straight from Florida to North Carolina.  What a crazy ride!  Part of the morning was foggy — picture Gotham city in a Batman movie.  The road ahead disappeared from view, and we drove on for several miles in faith – the path was unclear.  Not fun at all!  Thankfully, after a while, the sun broke through.   The fog had been a temporary, mysterious  inconvenience on our journey.

The next morning, I decided to get up early and plop down in a comfy rocking chair on my sister in law’s lovely porch with my Bible and my journal.  Again, the fog surfaced.  All I saw in front of me was a white blanket of nothingness.  Rather than resign myself to the sadness of the situation, I decided to stick it out and sit for a spell.  I spent some quiet moments in worship — reading, praying, and writing down about God’s abundant blessings found in His Word.   I chose to “wait it out” so to speak, and later that morning, I was rewarded.  The fog rolled slowly back, and behind it a mountain decked out in fall splendor appeared.  Color burst forth everywhere I looked.  It was in that magnificent moment that God spoke to me — You see, so much of life we seem to spend “in a fog” — the path ahead is hidden from view, and our present circumstances don’t pose a portrait we like.  That morning, sitting on the porch, God whispered to me — “My daughter, there is always beauty waiting behind the fog.  Just wait and rest in me.”

I don’t know what fog you are presently experiencing in your life, but rest assured, our Father has something magnificent ahead.   “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; you will see a vast land” (Isaiah 33:17, HCSB).   Your mountain view is coming.  Wait and see.

Linking up with a like-minded sister at Beholding Glory as we brag on God.

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The Monsters In the Closet

     When I was in elementary school, I had a tragic reoccurring nightmare every year on the night before the Stanford Achievement Test.  I would wake up in cold sweats — screaming for help because the little man with the hat from my Monopoly game had come to life and was chasing me in my dreams.  Haunting thoughts like these seem almost laughable now as an adult looking back.  Yet, even as a grown up, irrational fears still plague me.  My mature mind knows that there are no monsters in my closet, but my heart will often beat fast as imaginary ghoulish ideas dance about in my head.

My greatest fears stem from circumstances that I cannot control — Will my loved one see the Light and yield his stubborn, wild will to God before it’s too late?  For thirty-two years I have prayed and waited.  Waiting as I yield to the Spirit and rest in the knowledge of God’s power leads to strength, but anxious worry only leads me to a restless state of discontent and ineffectiveness.

This morning on the way to work, I was reminded again of God’s omnipotence, and peace flooded my soul as my heart listened to a beautiful song on my car’s radio:

“God of My Everything” (As Sung by Bebo Norman)

Oh, God of heaven come and hem me in
Gather the pieces that are broken
Show me the wonder of You again
Oh, God of heaven

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

In all creation You call my name
In all the beauty that this world displays
Still I’m the one for whom Your heart aches
In all creation

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything
God of my everything

And when the mountains shake
You are my God, You never change
And when the earth gives way
You are still God, You never change

God of my hope, God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing, God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

God of my everything
God of my everything
God of my everything

The key to conquering my fear is to rest in the capable hands of my Mighty Abba Father:

“Stay alert! I am God, the God of everything living. Is there anything I can’t do?” (Jeremiah 32:27, MSG)

What imaginary monsters are lurking in your head that you need to yield to the God of Everything?  Feel free to share a verse in the comment section below that has helped you conquer that “stinkin’ thinking.”

For more on my thoughts regarding fear and faith, take a look here.

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Homecoming

During my 17 years as a high school teacher, I participated in many Homecoming celebrations.  My students dressed up in crazy outfits (pajama day was my favorite) and waged epic field day battles in tug of war.  Frankly, I found the whole experience to be exhausting, and relief always flooded my soul when it was over.  The hours of preparation and the crazy student behavior wore me out, but my students always talk about that being their favorite part of high school.  Sometimes, what causes me grief is the best choice to honor those I love and serve.

Recently, I experienced a different kind of Homecoming, an eternal welcome home.  My husband and his siblings spent a great amount of time preparing for this event as their dear mom’s health declined ever so slowly.  It was tiring, rewarding, and emotional.  Their selflessness — it’s the legacy she left them.  Each of them wears it so effortlessly.

Our sweet Miss BJ’s 82^nd birthday would have been this past week.  Three months after her passing, we gathered to celebrate her life in her absence.  This year has held many secret treasures for my family that were wrapped up in suffering.  I have learned once again that it so essential to be fully present with those that you love.  Each crazy moment of life is a gift, not to be squandered.

Moms are home keepers.  I certainly learned this from my mom in law’s life as she lived out what is recorded in Titus 2:5 (MSG): “By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.”   I miss her gentle spirit and her smile.

As I move into this new year, may my home and my heart be a welcoming place for those I love.  May laughter fill its rooms and faith be its foundation.   May I be grateful for each moment.

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Excuses

As a former high school language arts teacher, I heard a plethora of excuses from students over the years:  “Teacher, I did my paper, but then our electricity went out, and I couldn’t print it.  May I e-mail it to you tonight?”  “M’am, we had to take my little sister to the emergency room yesterday, so I’ll have that paper in tomorrow.”  “Doc, my mom took me to the library, but I couldn’t find any books on my approved research paper topic.”  Dealing with students wisely was a daily challenge.  I asked God to give me discernment, but I must admit that I was a terrible failure on many days.  You see, if the same student came in with a new excuse every week, it really got hard to respond graciously.

Lately, the Master Teacher has been dealing with me, His negligent pupil, on the subject of excuses.  I have been such a procrastinator — this post has been spinning around in my head for weeks, but I kept making excuses as to why I didn’t have time to write it.  I realize that I am always giving God excuses.  “Lord, I am too tired to read my Bible this morning.”  “Father, I would give to that missionary, but I just don’t have enough money in my budget.”  “God, I don’t have any time to help that person this week.”   Why is God so patient with me when I am such a sluggard?

A few weeks back, I came across a story in Luke 14 during my devotions.  Later that week, I read a devotional on the same passage.  Don’t you love it when God repeats Himself to get your attention?  I realize that just like the men in the story, God invites me to participate in what He is doing.  One man said He had to inspect a field (v.18) – Am I selfishly letting my possessions and greediness keep me away from doing what God has for me?  The second excuse maker, a farmer, had a field to plow with some new oxen (v.19) — Am I letting my work and other responsibilities take over my life so that I am missing out on God’s plan for me?  The last gentleman indicated he couldn’t accept the invitation because of his wife — What personal relationships are holding me back from God?

Proverbs 13:4 (NIV) states:  “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Verse 19 in the same chapter reads:  “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.”  What am I waiting for?

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A Safe Dwelling

Sometimes, I struggle with irrational fears – What if my husband gets in a car accident on the way home today? Is my stomachache a tumor? Was that creaky noise in the living room a serial rapist?….

 

Recently, I had the privilege of being a guest blogger for Granola Bar Devotional, a wonderful devotional blog.

I hope you will read the rest of my thoughts on “A Safe Dwelling” by jumping over here.

Enjoy!!!

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Brain Fart

The older I get, the less I remember.  Yesterday, I received an e-mail from an old college friend on Facebook.  She asked if I recalled who she was.  Thankfully, this time I did.  However, more and more, I find myself struggling to remember.  I have been teaching for over 20 years, so there are a lot of names and faces in my memory.  The class of 98 was having its reunion this past  year, and the reunion organizer asked if I knew where Danny Diaz was.  I had to laugh.  I have taught soooo many kids named Danny Diaz.  It’s sort of comical, really.  Will the real Danny Diaz stand up please….

Thankfully, my Abba Father does not have a bad memory.  He chooses to forget and forgive my sin because Jesus went to the cross for me, but He knows my name — the details of my life are not fuzzy in His mind’s eye.  He counts my tears in a bottle.  The very hairs on my head are numbered. He has hemmed me in behind and before and has laid His hand upon me.

Yet, there are days when I get weary and forget His faithfulness – nothing seems to be happening.  My prayer list is getting longer, and I am dealing with the same set of unchanged circumstances after knocking on heaven’s door diligently.  Has God forgotten?  Maybe He is too busy with that Haiti thing to worry about my stuff?

This past weekend, my pastor pointed us to Nehemiah.  He was busy trying to build something for God, but the enemy kept coming against him.  Nehemiah had to build with one hand and fight with the other.   This one verse in Chapter 4 stuck out to me:  “Do not be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

I am going to try to get my brain in gear so that I don’t forget His power, His faithfulness, His purpose.  I am working on putting this passage from Hebrews 6 to memory:

God is not unjust.  He will not forget your work

and the love you have shown Him

as you have helped His people and continue to help them.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end,

in order to make your hope sure.

We do not want you to become lazy,

but to imitate those who through faith and patience

inherit what has been promised.

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Lessons Plans

I am no longer teaching at the high school level, but when I did, one of the requirements was generating weekly lesson plans.  Kristen, a former student who is now in a teacher ed program, was lamenting having to do this on her Facebook status this afternoon, and I was reminded about how much I loathed the process myself.

Invariably, something would happen that would make my very well-laid plans go awry — a fire drill, an unexpected assembly, boisterous teenagers disrupting the flow of things.   I learned quickly that planning was basically a “looking ahead,” but that I needed to hold my plans loosely.  No lesson plan could predict that I would have a student in the third row whose mom would pass away that week.  No amount of planning would prepare me to deal with that.  There are no effective teaching strategies that will help a child in crisis digest that a gerund is a verb used as a noun ending in -ing.  Seriously, who cares?  On days like that, your plans get tossed.  Sometimes, life just happens.

Since late December, my hubby and I have been traveling back and forth from the East coast to visit his ailing mom.  She is slowly inching her way toward heaven.  We have no idea how long we will be on this journey, and making plans has really become impossible.  I recently found myself telling a close friend that I would do my best to be at her bridal shower, but I wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring.  My husband has basically been living out of a suitcase.

How do you plan to lose your mom?  Work, church responsibilities, social events on the calendar all seem rather unimportant when you are walking on this road.  Life is sometimes a messy teacher.  There are no parallel outlines that uniformly highlight the salient concepts.  Sometimes, you just learn by wading through the messy content yourself.

Yesterday, I was reading Mark 14, and this one phrase about the woman with the alabaster box stood out to me — “She did what she could….”  Sometimes, the richest lessons are lived out when we throw aside our pre-conceived notions and plans and just act in selfless love.  My husband is living an alabaster life daily as he sits at his mama’s side.   I don’t want to be the disciple who misses the eternal perfume of the sacrifice because I am obsessing over the temporal cost.

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