Random Acts of Kindness

Leave a Comment / November 8, 2010

Today I needed to go to Costco.  One of the things on my list was dog food.  Dog food at Costco is contained in huge bags.  It is always difficult for me to get a 50+ lb bag into my rolling cart.  Today I was having an especially difficult time.  I was just trying to slide the thing onto the shelf underneath and it kept getting caught on the one brace (for want of a better word) that crossed the shelf.  Every time I shoved, the cart rolled a little further away from me.  My method was obviously not working!  I was getting pretty frustrated when I heard a man’s voice.  “Wait a minute…I will hold the cart for you.”  An older gentleman took a few minutes out of his day to hold my cart. I finally was able to get that huge, unwieldy bag onto the cart once someone kept it from rolling away.

Later on in the day, I was waiting in a very slow-moving, long line.  The cashier next to me opened up a new line, but told the man behind me that she would take him.  The man kindly told me to go ahead.  He had a lot less in his cart than I did.  When I declined for that reason, he told me that he was not in a hurry.  It was very thoughtful of him.

Small things can brighten our days.  Someone lets you merge when the traffic is especially heavy.   Or perhaps someone gives you a warm smile and a hello when you are having a really bad day.  Or, like my experience today, someone kindly left me go first…instead of rushing to make the line before I could get there.  We need to look for little opportunities to be kind and thoughtful.

So often, I am in such a hurry and so wrapped in my selfish agenda that I forget to look at what’s is going on with others around me.  Maybe there is someone beside me in Wal-mart or at the gas station who needs a smile.  Who needs to feel like someone knows they are alive and cares…even if you never see them again.  Maybe it is a waitress who is having a really bad day.  She needs a smile and respect.   What about your hairdresser?  Your mailman?  Your boss?  All of these people have souls.  God loves them.  They deserve to be treated with kindness.

Jesus was so kind to those He met.  There are so many accounts in the scripture.  The children, the woman at the well, Zaccheus, the blind man.  While, of course, we cannot work miracles, we can spread the love of Jesus.   We can open our eyes, look around, and find ways to be thoughtful and kind each day…thinking of others, instead of ourselves.  Not just on Sundays.  Or when we are on a mission trip.  Or during devotions.

The Bible tells us in Luke 16:10 ” He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

Being kind in the small things is just as important in being kind in the big ones.  Let’s shine our light so brightly that no one doubts where our allegiance lies!

The poem that is not really a poem

Leave a Comment / November 4, 2010

There was a time when everything looked clean

My world was timeless

My world was innocent

My world was not reality

And then I grew up and I realized

Life is not a fairytale

Life is not what you see when you are a kid

Life is full of secrets and tragedy and misunderstandings

Is that all?  Wasn’t there more?

And somehow I had to find the joy

In a small child’s giggle

In a teenager’s enthusiasm for life

In a thank you spoken

And I realized life is full of both

The happy moments

The sad moments

The moments on top of the mountain

And the moments in the valley

And through it all I knew

God was there

Always faithful

Even when I couldn’t feel Him

He was there

He is with me now

Because He has promised to never leave me

What signal are you giving?

Leave a Comment / April 29, 2015

stop-light

Imagine coming to a stop light. The light has all three colors glowing steadily. You look at the other lane of traffic trying to determine which light is representing the truth. Should you go? Should you stop? Should you proceed cautiously? Again, you look left and right to discern what the stop light is indicating. But you are really not sure. There is really no way to tell. The stop light is completely void in a case such as this. What if it shows two colors? Again, completely void. Unless the stop light is indicating only one color it is completely ineffectual.

I think sometimes we Christians can be like this. We say one thing but live another. We signal one thing with our words. And another thing with our actions. People look around and try to determine which signal is truth. Unlike the stoplight, they can usually reach a conclusion. The actions are going to speak much louder than the words.  We become ineffective for the cause of Christ. Just like the stop light, we bring confusion. Confusion to the world that needs Christ.

We say that we love others. But our actions indicate that our own agenda is primary. We say we love God. But we entertain ourselves with the things He hates. We say we think it is important to evangelize the world. But we don’t do it. We say that idols are sinful. But how we use our time and resources says otherwise. We say stealing is wrong. But we think nothing of stealing precious time from our boss.

This makes me ponder. Do I give more than one signal? Am I indicating by my words AND my actions that I am a follower of Jesus Christ? Or do my words say one thing and my actions say another?

May I be very careful with my words today. And may I follow up my words with actions. Being sure to say and live the same thing so that only one signal is given when people look at me.

Matthew 23:3

GPS vs. the Map

Leave a Comment / August 10, 2016

map

We were on our way to the beach. Attached to our truck was our 5th wheel camper. My husband decided to go a different way he had heard about from one of his customers–supposedly a more scenic route. We had traveled it twice before but were not really all that familiar with it. We did not have a map along. We had a GPS along. He figured he could figure it out with the little machine that talks.

Wrong.

As we turned off of our much traveled path, I expressed my hesitancy. I was comforted by his assurances that he would definitely be able to figure it out. However, as we traveled along the road, the landmarks became increasingly unfamiliar. We were drawn further and further into major suburbia– not the place you want to be with a 5th wheel attached to your truck!

The problem came when the GPS did not have the same directions in mind that my husband did. The GPS did not know we had a camper attached and was taking us through areas we did not really want to go; areas in which it was extremely difficult to maneuver with a camper attached to you.

Finally, we stopped and bought a map and tried to figure it out. In the meantime, it started to rain–and not just a few drops. It was a downpour of the most severe kind–the kind of rain that it’s hard enough to get where you need to go when you know where you’re going, much less when you have no idea where you are going! Put a couple of kids in the backseat with their accompanying comments, and you can start to imagine the situation. It was not good. (And we didn’t handle it real well…but we won’t discuss that here!)

We did eventually figure it out. After we had crossed the bridge over the Delaware River into familiar territory, I took a close look at the map to see where we had gone wrong. From that perspective I could see exactly what we had done and what the GPS was thinking.  And, we realized, that at one point, had we listened to the GPS, it would have gotten us out of the mess we were in. But we no longer trusted the little talking machine to guide us.

Sometimes it would be nice to have a map of our lives. From that perspective we could see the roads, rivers, mountains, and curves. We could see that, while we may have taken a detour, we are at least headed in the right direction. But, we don’t have a map, and just like we got stuck in the mire of traffic, rain, and confusion on our way to the beach, so we get stuck in the emotion, sin, and confusion in our own lives. Sometimes we feel like we have no idea where we are going. But God knows. He knows exactly the path in which He will lead us through our lives. He knows the sinful choices we will make and He knows the godly choices we will make. He knows the parents, the kids, the siblings, and the friends we will have before we are even born. He knows the jobs we will hold. He knows the vacations we will take. He knows the tragedies we will experience and He knows the moments of joy we will experience. Nothing is outside the border of God’s map of our lives. He knows what will happen even before it happens.

I don’t know about you, but I find that comforting. Sometimes when I am facing the unknown and my life is full of question marks, it is good to know that nothing is a question mark to God. If we have acknowledged we are sinners and saved by grace alone, if we are living according to His Word and commandments, and truly allowing Him to direct our paths, we can rest assured knowing that He will be there to guide us in every step. His word tells us that there is no place we can go that He won’t be with us. And His forgiveness awaits us when we cave to that familiar sin. What an amazing comfort to those of us who truly love the God who saved us!

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Romans 8:38  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1: 6-8 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

The Slippery “Chick Flick” Slope

Leave a Comment / September 29, 2015

romance

I have a weakness for chick flicks. I love romantic, sweet stories with happy endings. This past weekend I watched one. This delightful story was of a young man and woman who were thrown together into circumstances they never would have dreamed and, eventually, they end up together. Of course.

The movie was really pretty good. Except for the language and taking God’s name in vain. And except for the incredibly crude humor. And the gay couple made to look normal. And the illegal drug use. And the the glorification of unmarried sex.

Even as I write this, I am appalled that I sat through it. But I got so caught up in the story. It was such a cute and funny story.

Does a cute and funny story justify all of the immorality that goes on between the cute and funny parts?

More and more, it seems that romantic comedies are filled with things that God hates. Why are our spirits not “vexed” over this?  “Vexed” means troubled or distressed.  2 Peter 2:8 says (Lot’s) righteous soul was vexed by the unlawful deeds of those living in Sodom and Gomorrah. And, yet, we sit and we laugh at sin. We tell our friends about this great movie we saw, never giving even a second thought to the language and actions that offend our Holy God. Language and actions that are not only present in the film, but oftentimes condoned.

I made a mistake. I wasted two of my God-given precious hours watching a movie that was filled with things that my God hates. I filled my mind with language and actions that go directly against what God wants me to be.

Why can’t I just sit and watch if I know that these things are wrong? It is not like I am going to go out and use bad language or do any of them. But maybe the question is why would I WANT to watch something that would offend the God who loved me enough to send His son to die for me? Why wouldn’t I love Him enough to make entertainment choices that are pleasing to Him?

Entertainment choices are difficult. But I do know this– I want to stand before my Lord in Glory and know that I did everything I could possibly do to keep my life pure and holy in this sinful world. And watching that movie did not qualify as pure and holy. Not even a bit.

Here’s to a new week and better choices!

I Peter 1:13-16  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

The House Auction

1 Comment / July 17, 2015

picket-fence-with-flowers

Many years ago, there was a young couple who lived in a tiny apartment. They wanted so very much to own their own home. Their family was growing and they were running out of room. Not to mention the obnoxious neighbor who lived above them, making their existence there less than ideal.  One day, someone told them about an adorable little house that was going to be up for auction. The young couple drove by the house and grew excited at the prospect of home ownership. The day came for the auction.  The couple waited nervously while a lifetime’s worth of trinkets and furniture were sold. Finally, it was time. Time to put the house up for auction. The bidding started. Oh, no! There was someone very serious about buying the house bidding against them.  The price went up…up…it was getting close to their limit. Now it was beyond their limit. They knew their budget. They knew they could not afford to pay more than their limit. They had to back out. Oh, the disappointment! The young wife honestly thought this was the house for them. She walked away from the cute little house in the woods with her head down and tears in her eyes. She knew there would be other houses but she had fallen in love with this one.

Well, a few months passed. The young couple found another house. It was a little rancher in a nice neighborhood. The man who owned it had inherited it from his mother. He did not need the money. The young couple was able to borrow directly from him instead of going through a bank. They settled into their house and spent the next 9 years of their life there.

One day, a few years after the house auction, the young husband was having a conversation with a friend. This friend knew the people that had bought the house at the auction. He went on to share of the many problems this couple was having with the house. They had had to pour thousands of dollars into the house for some major, unforeseen issues.

And that is when the young wife learned an invaluable lesson. God knows best. There is a reason for why He answers “yes” and a reason for why He answers “no”. There is even a reason for why He answers “wait”. Sometimes we are the one who buys the lemon of a house and, even then, God has a plan for our lives.

By now, I am sure you figured out that my husband and I are the ones who lived out the story of the house auction. Sometimes God show us His reasons He has allowed (or, in this case, not allowed) a particular trial or blessing. But, more often than not, we do not know the reasons. That is what walking by faith is all about. We know that God loves us. Our job is to seek Him with all of our hearts. He will take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33-34). So much easier to write than to live.

Humility = Flexibility

Leave a Comment / October 15, 2010

Elisabeth Elliot and her brother-in-law were having a discussion about what the most valuable quality is for a missionary.  One thought it was humility and one thought it was flexibility.  As they discussed further, they came to the conclusion that it really all comes down to the same thing.

“A missionary must be humble enough to be flexible.  Nowadays young candidates are often so highly trained they feel overqualified for the jobs that need to be done.  Most mission stations are in need of people who are willing to do anything that needs doing.  It is fine to offer oneself for service, but the form of service must not be too narrowly defined.  It is to minister to, not to be ministered to, that we are sent.” Discipline, The Glad Surrender p. 88-89

But, you say, I am NOT a missionary, nor will I ever be a missionary.  Let’s think for a moment.  Don’t we ALL feel overqualified for some of the tasks we have to do sometimes?   How have we defined the service we offer our families?  Our churches?  Our friends?  Do we have a narrow definition of what we are willing to do for them?   Yes, I will meet you for coffee, but no, I will not have you and your family over for dinner.  Yes, I will sing up front in the worship service, but I will not serve in the kitchen.   Yes, I will cook your meals and do your laundry, but don’t ask me to _______________…you fill in the blank.  Most of us have placed boundaries on how much we are willing to serve.  Don’t ask me to do that menial task.  We have our rights, too…our life to live.  Don’t ask me to re-do my schedule for you.  Who do you think you are, anyway?  And yet…

We see Jesus’s example of being a humble servant.  Matthew 14:13-14 says “When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”

We all know how that feels, don’t we?    We are just sitting down with a nice cup of coffee and then a child yells for our help…or the phone rings…or our spouses want to talk…or the dog throws up.  It is in those moments that the rubber meets the road and we find of what stuff we are made.  We see that Jesus “had compassion for them”.

I wish I could say that I am moved by “compassion”.  More often I am moved by Leslie’s desires.  Yep, my own selfish agenda.  So when something gets in the way of my nice little agenda, I am not moved with compassion, I am moved with anger and frustration.

In those occasional moments when we can glimpse eternity and make the right choice of serving others selflessly…it is in that moment that we realize one of the greatest gifts in serving Jesus…the joy of serving others.  If we can respond correctly and have the right heart attitude, we are truly blessed by doing even the most menial tasks.

The Diamond Ring

Leave a Comment / March 7, 2014

diamondless ringI can still remember it like it was yesterday. We were having lunch at Pizza Hut. I looked down at my hand. The diamond–the one that my husband had lovingly given me when he asked for my hand in marriage that Thanksgiving break so long ago–was gone. My heart was sick. The symbol of our love was gone. Instead I was left with a ring that had a large gaping spot where the shiny stone had spent the last 17+ years.  But it was just a thing–an inanimate object.

Another incident I am reminded of happened a few years ago. We were talking in the kitchen. Our kids were with friends in the basement. That night a girl that had never been to our home came with another friend. The group of young people were having a great time playing Wii together. All of a sudden, this sweet girl came upstairs with a tear-stained face, while our daughter informed us that she had accidentally thrown the Wii remote into our brand new 42″ flat screen TV, cracking the screen.  Oh, our hearts sank. It was a very recent purchase. But, again, it was just a thing–a possession.

Matthew 19:16-22 tells the story of the rich, young ruler.  A young man that wants to follow Jesus. Sort of. Verse 21:  “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”   As we continue to read on, we see that the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions and was not willing to do what Jesus asked.

Does that mean that it is a sin for Christians to have wealth? Or is it more about our attitudes about our wealth?  I believe a poor man can be just as possessive and greedy about his new 19 inch TV as a wealthy man can be about his new airplane. It is all about our attitude.

Matthew 6:21 tells us that where are treasure is there our heart will be. I think that is a question we all need to ask ourselves. What do we truly value?  My husband has been such a great example in this. He values me and his kids more than he values his stuff. This means that when we accidentally damage something (like a car!) he does not hold it against us, raging and blowing up in anger. It also means that our house is a fun place to be because he is not worried about others ruining his “property”, but instead he wants to share the blessings we have been given by the Lord. I would tend to be the opposite. I am thankful for my husband’s good example in this area. It has challenged me to re-think the values I place on the “stuff” in my life and has actually been very instrumental in changing my attitude.

Of course, we need to be good stewards. It is that fine balance, as always. Caring carefully for the blessings, but not becoming attached and possessive about them.

Most of us here in America or any other Westernized country, no matter where you find yourself on the “income” scale, have been tremendously blessed materially. While we need to be very thankful for the material possessions we have been blessed with, we also need to always be thinking how we can use them for God’s glory, instead of how to use them to fulfill our selfish desires.  A challenge indeed!

 

 

Turned Around

Leave a Comment / October 8, 2010

This is an actual conversation (not exact words)–

BOSS:  So, if you would like to eventually become a supervisor you need to step it up a bit.  You need to improve your attitude.

EMPLOYEE:  Yeah, but I do not have any incentive to do that.

This young employee’s thought is that in order for him to step up and do his best, he should be given financial incentive.  Come again?  What happened to the natural process of stepping up to do a difficult job, doing your best, and then being rewarded for that behavior?  It seems like so many have it all turned around.  Anyone who deals with employees, or children, for that matter, sees this on a regular basis.

Reward me first.  Like that is going to change how they perform.  This sense of “entitlement” has permeated our culture.  I see it in my kids.  “I deserve this” is not said, but certainly implied often.

What happened to hard work for hard work’s sake?  For a sense of accomplishment?  And most importantly, for pleasing God with an honest, hard day’s work?

Colossians 3:23-24 were my homeschooling theme verses.  I would quote this to my kids often when they complained of school work.  I still try to keep it mind as I go about the mundane duties of being a wife and mother.  I still quote it to my family now and again, as well!  It says:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

When we do the work the Lord has set before us, we are doing it for Him.  Not for others.  Not for ourselves.  But for Him.  And we are to do it heartily.

Heartily, according to Dictionary.com, means:

1.  in a hearty manner; cordially: He was greeted heartily.
2. sincerely; genuinely: He sympathized heartily with their plight.
3. without restraint; exuberantly; vigorously: They laughed heartily.
4. with a hearty appetite: The campers ate heartily.
5. thoroughly; completely: I’m heartily sick of your complaining.

Personally, I find this word rather convicting.  Am I doing my daily work “heartily”?  I know the answer is oftentimes “NO”.

These verses also inform us that material, earthly rewards are just an extra reward.  Our actual, eternal reward will be given to us by the Lord.   Am I working for my eternal reward, or am I focused on the reward I receive here on earth? Perhaps we are focused on a paycheck or a raise or maybe on receiving a compliment or praise from someone we respect.  It is so easy to get caught up in these things.

May we be challenged to do our best today…for the Lord…whether we be in school, at work, or at home.  We all have tasks set before us each day.  May we accomplish our tasks heartily, as unto the Lord, not to men!

Aging with Grace

Leave a Comment / July 11, 2014

Grandmother Talking With Teenage Granddaughter On BenchI am forty-four years old. 44! When I was in college I thought 40-somethings were OLD and, I guess if I were honest, somewhat irrelevant to my life. I was young and excited about the future before me. The last 20 years have flown by in a blur–so filled with activity and new experiences and busyness. And now much of what I was looking forward to is in my past, to some extent. Things like falling in love and getting married, having babies, and buying a home. I feel blessed beyond measure to have experienced each of these things. Some of you have had other dreams–maybe it was traveling the world or being a missionary or owning your own company. Many of us, by this time in our lives, have seen the fruition of some of our dearest and most important dreams. So now what?

Now what do we look forward to? Age spots? Wrinkles? Gray hair? Eyes that can’t see as well? Should my priority be to make myself look as young as possible? I can use all  kinds of powders and gels and creams and I can eat right and exercise–and they may delay the process of growing old–but they will not stop the process of my body aging. We cannot stop the clock.

In this culture, where physical beauty and youth are so highly valued, it is sometimes easy to feel very irrelevant. We feel like we have little of value to offer young people. They seem like they know it all. But, if I think back on those days, I know two things without a shadow of a doubt–

One (and, by far, the most important): I didn’t know it all, I only thought I did.   

And two: The adults who influenced me–the ones I would listen to–were the ones who cared deeply about me.

The Bible says:

Job 12:12 Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

There is a natural occurrence of getting wiser as you get older. Yes, there are some exceptions to this. I am sure we can all think of at least one.  But most of us, as we experience joy, devastation, even endless days of routine, will be learning.  Learning to grow in a deeper walk with God, to trust Him, and to walk by faith. Over the course of the last 20 years, I have learned that I do not have all of the answers. And I have learned that I still have much growing to do on this journey.

But I have also learned how to handle some things in a godly way. And I am learning how to react and respond to the things I cannot change. And, as this learning process occurs, whether we are 22 or 52 or 91, we have learned something that could help a person coming behind us in this journey of life.

May we care deeply about those coming after us. May we share the wisdom that God has granted us through our experiences of living life. And may we continue to look to Him and His word as our final authority.  We must remember that it is not our opinions that matter, but what God says. If we live that and speak that and share that, maybe God will use us to help a younger person in need of guidance. Let’s turn our eyes outward and use these years to glorify God and help others along their way!

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