Yep, the post-Christmas excitement has passed. a while ago, actually. So we're socked in with rain, dark skies and i'm afraid our moods aren't always much different. It's still a few weeks until Valentine's day -another excuse to celebrate. (Don't you love those? then again, i celebrate Wednesdays sometimes, for no other reason than it's good to be alive!)
But we can get a little morose at this time of year. Activities have started up again and with the short days, it can feel like all we do is bumble in the dark.
But i found out something- re-learned it perhaps- and i hope it shoots adrenaline into your heart as it did into mine.
Your service to God matters!
What you are doing makes a difference!
The little acts of kindness, those small acts of love -taking a friend some soup when he/she's sick. THey are noticed by God- and better yet? He transforms our little acts into remarkable things- waaaay beyond what we'd ever dream he does!!
Let me explain..
in John 15:5-8 "I am the vine; you are the branches. if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit (did u hear that?); apart from me you can do nothing. v7. if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples"
So when you act like a branch, God's power flows through you - our small acts of service get "turbo-boosted" by God!! So when you think your showing up to help or to serve in some way is just a pittance, hardly worth the bother- THINK AGAIN!!
I love this verse in Colossians 3:17 "and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Did u see that? we give thanks as we serve! why? Because we know that God is at work and will empower it - we give thanks before we see it happen. that's trusting God will show up!
I don't know about you, but i'm not the most efficient, organized, or 'together' person much of the time these days. And i'm starting to think that it doesn't matter!! what a relief!
Just show up. Do the thing that needs doing. It's God's job to make it fruitful. Oh yeah, of course, you and i will do our best...why not? but the pressure is not on us to make it fantastic.
And i rather like that.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
time to reflect
Ok, so i'm not having any "spirited exploits" today. Have the flu. Yesterday i watched tv all day - that's enough to make one sicker, frankly. So today i brought all my books, Bible and notebooks to bed with me. I look up and watch the 2 black squirrels dashing about the yard - trying to outwit each other for bird seed at the base of my birdfeeder. a good chuckle...
One verse in Scripture has needled me for simply years. I found it again today in a "Closer to my children" journal/reflection book i got from a friend at Christmas. It has a little blurb on a verse and how it applies to parenting. But it got me thinking in a different way about that infernal verse.
Ok, so here's the verse: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9NIV
It has always seemed to be shrouded in mist and mystery to me. Ok, we don't use the word 'sufficient' much. Here are some synonyms: adequate, enough, ample. Definitely not gobs beyond what is needed. enough. Provided to match the need. good start.
THen there's that word...grace.
i get what love is. I understand the idea of faith, but grace? more synonyms...benevolence. THe action of his perfect character on our behalf.
ok, that helps.
So, to recap "My benevolence is enough for you." yeah, i can wrap my pea brain around that. And since God's idea of 'enough' is always generous...that won't be a "barely-scraping-by" kind of enough either, will it?
But the verse goes on to tell us something about our weakness too.
First of all, we all like to be strong. Remember flexing our muscles as kids for our parents to be awed at? Showing people how much we'd grown. Everything about our human nature relishes being strong, capable and able to take care of ourselves. But that's not how God views things.
Oh, he doesn't want us to be snivelling drips. But there is something different going on here.
Remember in your first tree-fort (or was i the only one who had this? come on people!), you and your friends founded a community- well a gang, team partnership sort of thing. One person could draw, another could shoot a slingshot. Everyone had their 'role' in the group. And we felt good about that.
what happened?
Why did we go on to abandon our 'role' and think we had to be everything to everyone? superman or superwoman? kinda weird, isn't it?
But in God's world, we still have that role. We are a branch on God's vine (see John 15:5- I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.") We bear HIS fruit.
Let's go back to the needling verse...
My benevolence is enough for you. My power is made perfect in weakness" When i get out of GOd's way, and am willing to play my 'role' as a good, sap-delivering branch, the power gets used for its real, intended purpose. Fruit bearing.
Am i losing you here? sorry...
When my puny strength gets factored out - his real, limitless power can flow uninterrupted!! So my weakness makes more room for his strength. that's really very neat!
Now Paul wrote this verse because he had some health challenge that made him really weak. He hated it (dont' we all hate that ourselves? the flu? or something more long-term?)
anyway, he asked God to remove it. This needling verse was God's reply. Oh God could have healed him, you betcha. But God figured things would work out better this way.
So the very thing - whether physical, mental, emotional, or whatever that you consider shamefully weak in yourself, might just be the jump-off point for God to swoop into your life and produce some mighty fine fruit! we can ask him to redeem it into something that frees up his flow of power in our lives.
Perhaps my idea of my strength ends up being an obstacle. And while the world applauds (as do i most of the time) acts of independent accomplishment, etc. maybe we as believers and members of God's 'tree fort' club, can get back to our 'roles' and work together to spread this fruit to the nations?
So in the moments of weakness and suffering, ask God to make you wise and to give you His strength to bless, touch and care for others. Use the gifts he gave you - those spiritual gifts with faith that even our tiny bit can become something marvellous when his power tranforms it.
just a thought...
One verse in Scripture has needled me for simply years. I found it again today in a "Closer to my children" journal/reflection book i got from a friend at Christmas. It has a little blurb on a verse and how it applies to parenting. But it got me thinking in a different way about that infernal verse.
Ok, so here's the verse: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9NIV
It has always seemed to be shrouded in mist and mystery to me. Ok, we don't use the word 'sufficient' much. Here are some synonyms: adequate, enough, ample. Definitely not gobs beyond what is needed. enough. Provided to match the need. good start.
THen there's that word...grace.
i get what love is. I understand the idea of faith, but grace? more synonyms...benevolence. THe action of his perfect character on our behalf.
ok, that helps.
So, to recap "My benevolence is enough for you." yeah, i can wrap my pea brain around that. And since God's idea of 'enough' is always generous...that won't be a "barely-scraping-by" kind of enough either, will it?
But the verse goes on to tell us something about our weakness too.
First of all, we all like to be strong. Remember flexing our muscles as kids for our parents to be awed at? Showing people how much we'd grown. Everything about our human nature relishes being strong, capable and able to take care of ourselves. But that's not how God views things.
Oh, he doesn't want us to be snivelling drips. But there is something different going on here.
Remember in your first tree-fort (or was i the only one who had this? come on people!), you and your friends founded a community- well a gang, team partnership sort of thing. One person could draw, another could shoot a slingshot. Everyone had their 'role' in the group. And we felt good about that.
what happened?
Why did we go on to abandon our 'role' and think we had to be everything to everyone? superman or superwoman? kinda weird, isn't it?
But in God's world, we still have that role. We are a branch on God's vine (see John 15:5- I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.") We bear HIS fruit.
Let's go back to the needling verse...
My benevolence is enough for you. My power is made perfect in weakness" When i get out of GOd's way, and am willing to play my 'role' as a good, sap-delivering branch, the power gets used for its real, intended purpose. Fruit bearing.
Am i losing you here? sorry...
When my puny strength gets factored out - his real, limitless power can flow uninterrupted!! So my weakness makes more room for his strength. that's really very neat!
Now Paul wrote this verse because he had some health challenge that made him really weak. He hated it (dont' we all hate that ourselves? the flu? or something more long-term?)
anyway, he asked God to remove it. This needling verse was God's reply. Oh God could have healed him, you betcha. But God figured things would work out better this way.
So the very thing - whether physical, mental, emotional, or whatever that you consider shamefully weak in yourself, might just be the jump-off point for God to swoop into your life and produce some mighty fine fruit! we can ask him to redeem it into something that frees up his flow of power in our lives.
Perhaps my idea of my strength ends up being an obstacle. And while the world applauds (as do i most of the time) acts of independent accomplishment, etc. maybe we as believers and members of God's 'tree fort' club, can get back to our 'roles' and work together to spread this fruit to the nations?
So in the moments of weakness and suffering, ask God to make you wise and to give you His strength to bless, touch and care for others. Use the gifts he gave you - those spiritual gifts with faith that even our tiny bit can become something marvellous when his power tranforms it.
just a thought...
Monday, January 10, 2011
a fresh new year
Hey,
It struck me forcefully this year that i (and maybe you too?) spend SOOOO much time preparing for Christmas...and it comes and goes in a flash...a flash in the pan, perhpas? Disproportionate preparations? Undue worry? Or preparations fuelled by love? yet i wonder how much of my preparations were fuelled by fear! Fear of forgetting someone i love, forgetting people's preferences/dislikes, forgetting a wish list item due to my aging brain's reduced retention? ack! I'm beginning to understand why people go on vacation in December. Just hop on a plane and escape the insanity!
It sure didn't start this way? when did i sign up for the spastic, scurrying insanity of this mutated Christmas stuff??!!
I'm starting to think it hits me via the media, how we talk/groan about Christmas with each other, marketers convincing us there's nothing wrong with Christmas trees and decorations in stores on October 25th already. ACK!! And yet, a simple child- carrying GOd's very essence to this earth started this season- the giving, the acts of love - all meant to reflect His act of love in sending Christ.
I've resolved to hold off Christmas shopping until December 1st. It's a start...containing it in the one month's time. Will it help? i'll keep ya posted..not sure. But at least that way, i will be able to celebrate First Advent (4 Sundays before Christmas) with a clear mind. i hope. Begin my inner preparations without the outer ones jumping like Mexican jumping beans in my head. well, that's the idea. we'll see....
Pushing back. i guess that's what i'm after. Can i be kinder to my fellowman/woman by speaking in excited, but hushed, tones about Christmas? At least, not perpetuate the 'angst' about it all? that's my heartfelt wish, anyway.
That aside, we had a lovely Christmas - all kids were home to bless us and to share time together. A boyfriend also - lovely chap! Can see the choices they're making getting more solidly considered and thought-through. Our son got engaged. (that's a warp-drive moment!) And the subtle, but not entirely ignorable sense that we are lurching into another 'era'. No longer the newlyweds ourselves. No longer young, clueless parents grasping for proverbial air to get through a day. More settled. content, i hazard to say. Accepting of ourselves and each other, happy to walk hand in hand, although more quietly, into the sunset years. Smiling as our kids build relationships, homes, families and all. We get to retreat to the quiet of our familiar life together - but soaking up the excitement of their lives just the same. Oh maybe i'm just nostalgic right now...but that's ok. It's been a really great ride so far. So very many blessings!! And we'll keep watching God's hand at work in our lives and the lives of others. it's breathtaking when you stop to consider it.
looks like we just did.
Reach out this year and love someone who's forgotten. I promise it will bring you joy and a fresh outlook for 2011.
Blessings my friends!
It struck me forcefully this year that i (and maybe you too?) spend SOOOO much time preparing for Christmas...and it comes and goes in a flash...a flash in the pan, perhpas? Disproportionate preparations? Undue worry? Or preparations fuelled by love? yet i wonder how much of my preparations were fuelled by fear! Fear of forgetting someone i love, forgetting people's preferences/dislikes, forgetting a wish list item due to my aging brain's reduced retention? ack! I'm beginning to understand why people go on vacation in December. Just hop on a plane and escape the insanity!
It sure didn't start this way? when did i sign up for the spastic, scurrying insanity of this mutated Christmas stuff??!!
I'm starting to think it hits me via the media, how we talk/groan about Christmas with each other, marketers convincing us there's nothing wrong with Christmas trees and decorations in stores on October 25th already. ACK!! And yet, a simple child- carrying GOd's very essence to this earth started this season- the giving, the acts of love - all meant to reflect His act of love in sending Christ.
I've resolved to hold off Christmas shopping until December 1st. It's a start...containing it in the one month's time. Will it help? i'll keep ya posted..not sure. But at least that way, i will be able to celebrate First Advent (4 Sundays before Christmas) with a clear mind. i hope. Begin my inner preparations without the outer ones jumping like Mexican jumping beans in my head. well, that's the idea. we'll see....
Pushing back. i guess that's what i'm after. Can i be kinder to my fellowman/woman by speaking in excited, but hushed, tones about Christmas? At least, not perpetuate the 'angst' about it all? that's my heartfelt wish, anyway.
That aside, we had a lovely Christmas - all kids were home to bless us and to share time together. A boyfriend also - lovely chap! Can see the choices they're making getting more solidly considered and thought-through. Our son got engaged. (that's a warp-drive moment!) And the subtle, but not entirely ignorable sense that we are lurching into another 'era'. No longer the newlyweds ourselves. No longer young, clueless parents grasping for proverbial air to get through a day. More settled. content, i hazard to say. Accepting of ourselves and each other, happy to walk hand in hand, although more quietly, into the sunset years. Smiling as our kids build relationships, homes, families and all. We get to retreat to the quiet of our familiar life together - but soaking up the excitement of their lives just the same. Oh maybe i'm just nostalgic right now...but that's ok. It's been a really great ride so far. So very many blessings!! And we'll keep watching God's hand at work in our lives and the lives of others. it's breathtaking when you stop to consider it.
looks like we just did.
Reach out this year and love someone who's forgotten. I promise it will bring you joy and a fresh outlook for 2011.
Blessings my friends!
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