Monthly Archives: January 2012

Humility Packs a Quiet Punch

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

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“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” ~ Matthew 23:12

My lesson for today: If humility still stings, you haven’t let go of all of your pride.

I feel this is a lesson that I am not unfamiliar with, yet God still seems to find opportunities to teach it to me.

I did something silly today, which resulted in something breaking in my house (no, I am not humble enough to tell you the stupid thing I did).  Before my husband died, I could have simply told him about it and he could have fixed it.  However, since he’s gone, I have to ignore the prickly feelings of pride, summon my strength, and ask someone else for help.  You’d think that after a year and a half, it would be getting easier.  It still stings (a lot), but I think that my response time is faster – I don’t spend as much time arguing with myself about whether or not I need help.  It still feels like biting the bullet, though.

Pride is a funny thing – we cling to this worthless myth of self like it’s everything we are.  Is it really so important that people see us in a certain light?  In the face of eternity, will all the things we do for the sake of our pride be worth it?  I doubt it.  Yet the lure of exalting ourselves – even just a little – can be a daily stumbling block for many of us.  Whenever you are tempted to do so, keep this verse from Matthew in mind – whatever tiny ways we find to raise ourselves up on this earth will be burned away.  If we aren’t humble now, we will be later.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather get it over with!

Learn From It

30 Monday Jan 2012

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“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” ~ James 3:2

We’ve all had that moment – words go tumbling out of our mouths faster that we can think – and suddenly we realize that we’re in trouble.  Maybe we’ve said something mean.  Maybe we repeated gossip.  Maybe it was honest – but unnecessary.  Whatever the case, we’ve all been in the type of situation where having a rewind/delete button would be the best thing…ever.

The question is, how do we react and go from there?  Do we apologize?  Do we try to make amends and go forward, doing our best to avoid repeating the mistake?  Or do we stick to our guns, determined to go down with the ship, rather than admit we were wrong?

According to James, we all make the mistake of stumbling in many ways – especially what we say.  We know no one is perfect.  The real issue is whether or not we learn from our error and ask God to heal the situation.

Call

29 Sunday Jan 2012

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“Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. 
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.” ~ Psalm 86:1-4

This morning while my son and I were eating pancakes for breakfast, the following worship song was being played on our stereo:

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek your face
Lord all I am is yours
 
My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne
 
I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I want to be where you are

To me, it was an excellent reminder to make sure we always call on God first in our times of distress.  It is so tempting to call a friend or family member, because they somehow seem “closer” or that they are able to help in a more tangible way.  But out Father should always be the first person we turn to when we are in need.  People can’t always help you out – and sometimes they may literally miss your call.  God never misses it when one of His children calls out for help.  He is always there, with a helping hand.

Run Down

28 Saturday Jan 2012

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It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” ~ Psalm 127:2

This week I pushed too hard, did too much, and slept too little.  The result?  If you had asked me what day it was yesterday, I’m not entirely sure I could have told you.

The human body is truly amazing in what it can endure, but it has its limits.  You can only push yourself so far before it will push you back.  And someday I’ll learn that when the body pushes back, it usually wins.

So I am acknowledging myself as the loser in this situation, and doing what I can to reset things.  Resting, drinking massive quantities of orange juice, and trying not to push myself to get every single thing I think needs doing done. (I am succeeding with the first two, working on the third.)

So rather than wear myself out anymore this weekend, I am going to remember this verse.  I will sleep peacefully tonight, knowing that the Father wants to give me rest.

Further Thoughts on Being Wise

27 Friday Jan 2012

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“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” ~ Ephesians 5:15-16

Who are you living for?  Yourself or God?

These two short verses present a fierce challenge to the believer: Are you truly making the most of this brief existence on earth?

Too often we assume we have time to follow our own selfish ambitions, promising to follow God later.

I can assure you, you are not guaranteed a “later.”  All you have is now.  Use it wisely.

The Tyranny of “Meh”

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” ~ Proverbs 4:7

First, a confession: I stole the title of today’s post.

I read it in an NPR article, and I thought it was very fitting for what I wanted to write about.

The idea that we are dominated by the “tyranny of meh” really hit home with what I was thinking about today.  We are a society that not only wants things now; we want them to be amazing – epic, even.  If someone or something doesn’t live up to our (often) impossible standards, we drop them or it like a hot potato, searching for the next thing that will slake our thirst for the incredible.

But what happens when things in life – or people in life – are just average?  When every minute of every day isn’t fireworks and exclamation points?  Then what?  It goes along with what I was writing about yesterday, how the pressure to value every second can be draining and damaging.

Seeking the astonishing is exhilarating – it can be an adrenaline rush in a lot of ways.  But like all things that require a rush, the seeker must always been seeking a bigger thrill.  Thus things that were once considered mind-blowing, will now be considered “meh.”  And in the end, you are chasing after the wind, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes.

Don’t be swept up by this tyrannical ruler – instead, do what the Proverbs instruct us to.  Pursue wisdom, at any cost.  It may not be as exciting, but I have a feeling there is a reason God told us that no price is too great for wisdom.

Treasure the Moment

25 Wednesday Jan 2012

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“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:10

One of my friends posted a link on Facebook today to an awesome blog post.  Seriously, it made my day.

It was written by a mom who spoke about the idea we pass on to one another that we have to love every single moment we spend with our children.  Every parent has heard this – every parent has probably said it.  Seen a young mom somewhere, and said, “Enjoy every minute – it goes so fast.”

Well, her point  (which I love) is that there are some minutes you just don’t love.  There are some moments when your children are doing something embarrassing in a store, or being disobedient at home, or torturing their siblings and you don’t feel like relishing the moment – you are mostly just wishing it would be over.  That by telling one another to love every single second of parenthood, we are actually setting people up for failure, because we have built up this unrealistic expectation that you are supposed to be deliriously happy, now that you are a parent.

Being a parent isn’t what makes you happy.  Just like getting married won’t make you happy and getting a new job or pay raise or haircut or car won’t either.  If we go through life thinking that something external is going to make us happy, we are headed for trouble.

The author also talked about how the Greek had two words they used for time – chronos, which is the minute-by-minute, chronological time; and kairos, which are the special moments.  To me, this is an instance where our language fails us.  If we had two words instead of one for time, it would be easier to convey what we mean.  When we tell a parent to enjoy every minute, we don’t mean to treasure everything, including the messy diapers.  What we mean is to treasure the kairos time – the special moments.  Like when my son sits in my lap, reading a book to me in his adorable toddler babble.  Or when he lays his head on my shoulder after giving me a kiss.  Those are moments that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Joy comes from the Lord – and every good and perfect thing is a gift from Him.  Treasure those gifts, but don’t put pressure on yourself to be happy every single second of every day.  Instead, appreciate the special moments God has blessed you with, and allow God to built you up with their memories.

Glimmer of Hope

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

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“Rejoice in hope” ~ Romans 12:12a

My weeks always seem to start out super busy.  For whatever reason, I just can’t seem to escape that my schedule seems to be front-end loaded, with many things to do Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday usually slow down a bit going into the weekend.

This week has been no different.  Yesterday was packed, so was today.  I had worked out, taught drama, been to Home Depot and chased down the garbage man – all before 9 am.  Fortunately, I caught him, but still.

After my early morning rush, my son and I went to MOPS.  I struggled with going last year, since so much of the focus seemed to be on spouses and not parenting, but this year I’ve really been enjoying it.  It was a great program this morning, and my little boy loves to have the chance to play with other kiddos.

When I picked him up at the end of the session, the leaders sent us home with a little craft the kids had colored during their time.  Now, I get that this is an everyday thing; that he will bring home a million things he’s done in school or children’s church.  But today it was a big deal, because, at fifteen months old, it’s the first thing he’s brought home.

And somehow, seeing him delighted to be playing with other kids and getting to hang his childish scribbles on my fridge, I felt a sense of peace – that things were okay.  Somehow God has managed to get us to this point, and I know He will carry us further.

My little boy accomplished much more on his little project today than coloring – he created a reminder of the hope we have in God.

Compassion

23 Monday Jan 2012

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“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” ~ Luke 6:36

If this blog post turns out a little sideways, it’s because I woke up at 2:30 this morning – the “awake like day” kind of woke up.  For no apparent reason, just woke up.  And today I had a zillion things to do, so more rest was something I could have used.

One of the things that I had to get done today was grocery shop.  I’ve complained about this before, and the high school student that babysits for me on Mondays can always tell when I’m going, because I drag my feet in leaving.  Today was no different.  I had an impressive list that involved three different stores, and I managed to get it all done in a super reasonable amount of time.

But what I wanted to share from this experience had nothing to do with my time or what I bought.  It was the people I saw at the third store I went to.  While pushing my cart around, avoiding the unexplainable number of people in the store at the time, I saw a cute little husband and wife.  The wife was pregnant and adorable, and her husband was doing all the carrying and lifting and helpful stuff while they shopped.  And I was so jealous.  Jealous that she was so cute, jealous that she had someone to help her.  Jealous, jealous, jealous.

Then I saw another pair of people.  I believe they were mother and son, but I really can’t be sure.  The woman was in her fifties, but I could not hazard a guess for her companion.  He was mentally and physically handicapped, severely so.  He could walk, but it was slowly and with feet turned inwards, only socks covering his feet.  Speech was beyond his capabilities, and he made a variety of quiet sounds as they shopped.

But what impressed me was the patience, grace and dignity that exuded from this woman.  She was the absolute picture of mercy.  She calmly guided him through the store, helping him be able to help her.  It was truly touching, to see one human care so carefully about another.

And my jealousy of the first couple flew right out the window.  Yes, they may be picture-perfect on the outside.  According to societal norms, they have it made.  But if I could wish to be like someone, it would be to be like the second woman I saw, not the first.  Her compassion made her by far the most beautiful person I saw today.

The Stove Saga, Continued

22 Sunday Jan 2012

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

You know how I said yesterday I was getting a new stove?  Yeah, it didn’t come.  It’s been a bit of a day – and not having a stove for two days in a row is a bummer.  We also had the same thing for dinner that we’ve had two times already this week, and my little boy was not impressed.

When you think about things that you use on a daily basis, things like water, food, and your car come to mind.  I never really thought about how much I use my stove/oven.  But it makes sense, since food is part of the need-on-a-daily-basis equation.

So I will (hopefully) be getting a stove tomorrow.  And since that will make three days without a stove, it will be a good reminder for me not to take for granted what a luxury it is to be able to cook anything I want, any time I want.

In my case, having to wait was a good thing.  The stove I am getting tomorrow isn’t the same one I originally ordered, but it is similar, and much cheaper.  I think the delay was God’s way of making sure the new one fit easier into my budget and wasn’t such a stretch.  It hasn’t been convenient, but two months from now, my son and I aren’t even going to remember what it was like not having a stove (well, he will notice that he can no longer reach the knobs because they aren’t in front anymore, but that’s okay).

Facing an interruption or delay can be frustrating, but many times God is using it for something good – something that we aren’t even aware of.  In the case of my stove, I am aware that it will save me money and be easier to pay for.  But I know there are other times when things are postponed or interrupted, and I never know why.  Yet I just have to keep trusting that God’s timing is for a reason.

If this is happening to you, don’t let your frustration with the situation get the best of you.  Instead, take the moment to thank God, for whatever He is doing behind the scenes.  Because He is always at work in your life – even when you can’t see it.

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