by Audrey Wauson
http://appraisercentral.com/LegTryingToStealBone.wmv
There is this hysterical video of a dog chewing on a bone while sitting in a chair. Then I guess his ear gets to itching and he raises his leg to scratch his ear … now here’s the funny part … suddenly this dog perceives his leg to be a threat to this bone he’s chewing on … like he starts growling and snarling at his foot! Suddenly he whips his head around and bites the offending leg. It is so funny! You keep wondering how is it that he doesn’t realize it’s his own foot … that he’s the one telling his foot to scratch his ear?
Equally funny are the times that you see babies trying to hold something and they’re shaking it all around and suddenly they get hit by their own hand are so indignant and hurt, but refuse to relinquish the offending spoon, cup, whatever.
We are so funny as well. We pick up some habit or behavior and we’re enjoying ourselves and then that habit or behavior … or our use of it suddenly smacks us in the face. And we cry out, argue, make a big fuss, but refuse to give it up. Have you heard these statements/questions? “Everyone else doing this doesn’t seem to be having a problem, so why can’t I?” Or “He has one I want one.” Or “If she can do it then so can I!”
What really strikes me about this whole analogy is the assumption that if I want to do it then it just follows that I’m mature enough, liberated enough, gifted enough to do it. The thing I rarely say myself or hear from others is: “I hope to be able to do that some day. But I’m not ready yet.” Or “I really admire how so-n-so does such-n-such. But that’s not what I’m gifted at.” Or “I’m really praying and working toward learning how to do this. Please be patient with me during this time.”
We beat ourselves up for things that just don’t make sense. God is so awesome. He gives us wonderful things to “chew” on, things to ponder and wonder at. Some of those things are happening in the lives of others around us: Things we hope to be able to do someday. Things that puzzle us and confuse us and cause us to run to Him with questions. God is in the process of making us to look like His Son.
“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29
Life is a process. Life is a journey. I pray that you and I will be able to see God’s hand working in us where we are at and not worry and fret over some aspect of our lives (bad habits, past experiences, the worries of the day) that appear to be trying to “steal” something from us.
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Matthew 6:28-30
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Communication
by Barbara Chadwick
We are staying in a hotel while the parsonage is being renovated. Checking in, we were told housekeeping comes in Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Yesterday, Wednesday, when the housekeeping lady came she asked me what I needed. I told her we needed clean towels so she put up clean towels. Then I asked her how often they changed the sheets and she told me once a week. She left. This morning, Thursday, I saw that we had tracked in some salt and muck from all the snow. So I put up the notice for service. When the same lady came she asked me what I wanted and I showed her the floor and asked if she would vacuum. She said, “We only do full service once a week.” So I asked, “What day is that. She looked at me very seriously and said, “Wednesday”. I said, “So on Wednesday you come in and vacuum and clean the bathrooms and change the sheets?” She said, “Yes, yes.” I looked at the floor and opened my mouth and she said quickly, “But I can vacuum today no problem.” I said, “Great.” She vacuumed and said as she left, “I’ll see you on Friday.”
I was thinking after she left, “When I talk to God, does He sometimes hide a smile?”
This morning, early, as I was praying I had a hard time focusing. Thoughts of today’s events and things from yesterday and future happenings kept crowding into my words. I finally gave up and went to take a hot shower, saying to the Lord, “I’ll do better next time.”
Did God send that lady to me?
Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
We are staying in a hotel while the parsonage is being renovated. Checking in, we were told housekeeping comes in Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Yesterday, Wednesday, when the housekeeping lady came she asked me what I needed. I told her we needed clean towels so she put up clean towels. Then I asked her how often they changed the sheets and she told me once a week. She left. This morning, Thursday, I saw that we had tracked in some salt and muck from all the snow. So I put up the notice for service. When the same lady came she asked me what I wanted and I showed her the floor and asked if she would vacuum. She said, “We only do full service once a week.” So I asked, “What day is that. She looked at me very seriously and said, “Wednesday”. I said, “So on Wednesday you come in and vacuum and clean the bathrooms and change the sheets?” She said, “Yes, yes.” I looked at the floor and opened my mouth and she said quickly, “But I can vacuum today no problem.” I said, “Great.” She vacuumed and said as she left, “I’ll see you on Friday.”
I was thinking after she left, “When I talk to God, does He sometimes hide a smile?”
This morning, early, as I was praying I had a hard time focusing. Thoughts of today’s events and things from yesterday and future happenings kept crowding into my words. I finally gave up and went to take a hot shower, saying to the Lord, “I’ll do better next time.”
Did God send that lady to me?
Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Sunday, February 8, 2009
She Sometimes Doesn't Spill
by Audrey Wauson
My granddaughter is learning to drink from a cup. Today her daddy was giving her a drink and someone said something about her maybe making a mess, and he replied, “I only gave her a little bit of water and she sometimes doesn’t spill.” How awesome it is to be in the place where everyone wants you to succeed and no matter how many mistakes you make everyone expects you to do better and better and is so thrilled and delighted when you are successful and they don’t hold it against you when you fail, even when your failures cause them extra work for themselves.
That is the way our heavenly Father is towards us. We often fail and mess things up, mispronounce things, throw fits, reach for things we can’t handle yet … and still He says, “she sometimes doesn’t spill.” He’s still looking for us to grow and learn no matter how old you are; even when you’re 50 years old, even when you’re in your 70’s. He wants to give us opportunities to grow even though it means that we will make mistakes as we learn to handle new stuff.
I pray that you will remember that God gives us amazing grace because He wants for us to succeed. He wants to see us learn and grow. I also pray that you will have the same grace towards others that our Father shows towards you and that you will allow them to make mistakes and fail … always looking forward to, with eager expectation, the time when “they sometimes don’t spill.”
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I am your shield
by Barbara Chadwick
This morning I read Genesis 15:1, “…the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward.’” And in verse 7: “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans.” What a magnificent promise – “I am your shield, your very great reward” and “I brought you…”
Every day we experience darts, barbs and hurts. And sometimes we are wounded by the words of others. Inwardly we flinch and cry. We begin to put up barriers between us and the world that gives us pain. Each time we are hit we put on another coat that adds distance between us and the world. To picture this we could draw a figure, bowed over, deflecting hurtful things hurling at her.
I am often beset by worries, frustrations and hurt feelings, “Will people like me?”; Will we have enough money?”; “Will I remain faithful to God or trip up?”; “Will I say the right thing OR Do the right thing?”; “Will my actions be taken wrongly?”
What would it be like if, every day, we acted as if God were the shield in front of us. If we could mentally visualize ourselves surrounded by an invisible, powerful, shield that the words, darts, barbs and hurts of life could not actually penetrate, we could accomplish amazing things, like - getting through the day. We could walk through our days with confidence. We could be who God wants us to be. We could make a difference in someone’s life. We could make a difference in OUR life.
In verse one God says, “Do not be afraid” and in verse seven He says, (paraphrasing) “I am the ONE who brought you…” What a powerful thing to realize that God has walked with you all along. Recently my daughter-in-law, Deanna, said, “I can look back and see how God brought us to each place. I can see how He was with us in every situation.” I love that. I love knowing that the Holy One, the All-Knowing One, the Ever-Present One reaches down and takes my hand, as it were, and brings me along the road I travel. I love knowing that He leads me. I don’t have to be afraid and I can trust Him to bring me to the place He wants me to be.
Father God, since we carry your name as Christians, help us to get up each morning and go into our part of the world with boldness. Give us strength in the knowledge that You are the shield about us, that You have brought us thus far and You have the power to take us the rest of the way. I pray that our thoughts and actions will reflect Your love and grace and not our own selfish desires.
This morning I read Genesis 15:1, “…the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward.’” And in verse 7: “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans.” What a magnificent promise – “I am your shield, your very great reward” and “I brought you…”
Every day we experience darts, barbs and hurts. And sometimes we are wounded by the words of others. Inwardly we flinch and cry. We begin to put up barriers between us and the world that gives us pain. Each time we are hit we put on another coat that adds distance between us and the world. To picture this we could draw a figure, bowed over, deflecting hurtful things hurling at her.
I am often beset by worries, frustrations and hurt feelings, “Will people like me?”; Will we have enough money?”; “Will I remain faithful to God or trip up?”; “Will I say the right thing OR Do the right thing?”; “Will my actions be taken wrongly?”
What would it be like if, every day, we acted as if God were the shield in front of us. If we could mentally visualize ourselves surrounded by an invisible, powerful, shield that the words, darts, barbs and hurts of life could not actually penetrate, we could accomplish amazing things, like - getting through the day. We could walk through our days with confidence. We could be who God wants us to be. We could make a difference in someone’s life. We could make a difference in OUR life.
In verse one God says, “Do not be afraid” and in verse seven He says, (paraphrasing) “I am the ONE who brought you…” What a powerful thing to realize that God has walked with you all along. Recently my daughter-in-law, Deanna, said, “I can look back and see how God brought us to each place. I can see how He was with us in every situation.” I love that. I love knowing that the Holy One, the All-Knowing One, the Ever-Present One reaches down and takes my hand, as it were, and brings me along the road I travel. I love knowing that He leads me. I don’t have to be afraid and I can trust Him to bring me to the place He wants me to be.
Father God, since we carry your name as Christians, help us to get up each morning and go into our part of the world with boldness. Give us strength in the knowledge that You are the shield about us, that You have brought us thus far and You have the power to take us the rest of the way. I pray that our thoughts and actions will reflect Your love and grace and not our own selfish desires.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
