Sharing

 

It's very interesting to watch children share, especially with someone that is not familiar to them.  Whether another child or an adult, they seem to send caution to the wind and reach out to give what is theirs to someone else.  It may be a toy that they give to another who doesn't have a toy or even part of their precious cookie.  They give to someone who doesn't have anything - and don't expect anything in return.

Fast forward a few decades and, as adults, we may at times have difficulty sharing what is ours.  Whether it is sharing our time, our possessions, our money or our home, we tend to "hold on" to what is ours.  If we decide to take the step to share, that spirit of "caution to the wind" may be replaced with an "abundance of caution".  Inviting a stranger to share our 'cookies' may even be a larger leap.

This wonderful verse in Romans 12 helps us to understand what Jesus wants from us.  Through Paul, He is very prescriptive on how we should reach out.  For those in need, we need to share.  That's it!  There isn't a certain recipe or a way for us to do it - just share with those in need.  How do we do that?  Who has time to do that?  How do I know who is in need?  Many of those questions can be answered if we keep our eyes and hearts open.  Take time to listen to those around you.  Focus your eyes on someone else.  Where can we lighten someone's load?

• Maybe it is the young mother in front of us at the grocery store who is struggling to find those extra few dollars for her groceries . . .
• Maybe it is the delivery driver who is at the end of his shift and is just looking for a smile . . .
• Maybe it is the person behind you in the coffee line who gets a friendly gesture from you to pay for their coffee that day . . .

Yes, those moments are important and can brighten someone's difficult day.  There can be greater problems in front of us, though.  A family who may not know where their next meal is coming from.  An elderly shut in who hasn't had the ability to get out in a long time.  A stranger sitting by themselves on a park bench looking down at the ground with no friends to talk to.  Can we make a difference here?  What can we share?  Sometimes our time and a kind word is the hospitality people need.  Our time, our treasures, our love for others can be the sharing that we can offer.  

Take a moment.  Look around you.  Where can we share hospitality?  Where can we bring the love of Jesus into the moment?  Where can we show caring?  Let's all be the light of Jesus here on earth to those that are in need.  Take a moment.  Give of yourself.  Practice hospitality.  Show love.  Share~~

Heavenly Father, help us to share with those that are in need.  May we take the time to look around us, listen to those that may be silenced, so we can share all that you have given to us.  May we be your light on earth to those that need some brightening.  Amen.

Grab Hold

 

I was watching a little one with their parent the other day.  She was a toddler, stretching her "adventure" muscles.  She would wander a few steps ahead of mom, and then look back to grab hold of her finger.  Once she felt the security, she would then release and proceed exercising her adventure muscles.  Yes, a flood of memories returned to when the children were small and would do the same thing.  I always found it fascinating how they knew I would be there, just as this mama was, to grab hold of in assurance.

Often there have been times I have done the same thing, grabbing hold of something or someone when I found a certain adventure just a bit too risky, or when I didn't have enough assurance that the journey I embarked on would come to fruition.  There were times when I would reach back to my parents for their affirmation that I was making the right decisions.  Other times, I reached out to my husband for the strength and confidence I needed to move forward.  Each time, my I would look to grab hold of something familiar as I sought the unfamiliar.

As much as I love my parents and husband, there have been times where their security has not been enough.  Their loving words and assurance still left me empty and seeking the path.  It wasn't until I grabbed hold of the One who knows my path that I found comfort.  It wasn't until I reached out to the Creator of my journey, did I find peace.  These adventures are not always easy.  In fact, they have been down right scary.  What I have come to realize, though, is when I grab hold to God, my adventure ends with joy.

When I reach out to God in the unfamiliar, I find:

• Hope - My hope is rooted in the trust I have in God's hand for my life.  Rejoicing in that hope means that I know, without any doubt, that the path before me is in the best hands - God's hands.  
• Patience - Not my strongest characteristic, but one that seems to be strengthened when I turn to God.  I have yet to find any path that is "smooth sailing".  There are turbulent seas in every journey.  Yet, when I ride those storms with God, the end of the journey is much more satisfying than when I have tried to veer off His path and follow my own.
• Prayer - My lifeline to God is in prayer.  He becomes the one I talk with like an old friend.  When I pour out my soul to my Lord, everything in my life becomes "well with my soul".  Prayer, for me, may not even have words.  Many times, it's being silent and letting God penetrate my heart and soul, and listening to His response.

The next time our lives find us in unfamiliar territory, whether it is a medical diagnosis, a new relationship, a turn in our careers, or a time for reflection, I ask that we grab hold of the One that can fill our souls and bring us to our destination.  Grab hold of Jesus - He's waiting to provide us His blessed assurance.

Dearest Lord, thank you for always being there to provide me hope in all unfamiliar situations.  May I always rely on your love for my life and find solace in that.  Bring me patience when things don't seem to be moving in the direction "I" anticipate and let me come to you in prayer for peace.  Amen!

Honor

 

Pick and choose.  When I was a kid, pick and choose meant everything from the type of candy at the penny candy counter to which apple I wanted.  As I became older, it began to mean things such as friends, jobs, battles, etc.  Certainly long gone are the days that pick and choose meant bubble gum over a lollipop.  I long for those days.  Decisions seemed easier - but then again, I was seven.  As we age, the challenges that are before us and the decisions we make seem to increase in intensity.

Age tends to put different perspectives in front of us.  What and who used to be important in our lives may not present itself with the same importance.  As I grow older, I find myself and others that I talk with, stating, "If they don't like the way I am - that's fine.  I don't need to spend time or energy with them," or "Their drama is just too much for me", etc.  You know the old adage, I'll spend my energy with the people that make me happy.

I've been a firm believer in that last statement.  Then I read this verse and it challenged me to think differently.  Be devoted to others in love, honor others above me.  I try to do that - with the people I want to spend my time and energy on.  Yet, that's not what Paul is asking from us.  It's certainly not what Jesus wants from us.  

Loving others, honoring others - it's not about who "I" choose to enter my path, but who God has chosen to enter my path.  Yes, that means that I should consider that with ALL people that God puts in front of me, not just the people I want to spend my time and energy on.  So who am I actually supposed to honor above me?

• I should honor everyone from the person who gets my coffee in the morning to the person taking my dinner order.
• I should honor the difficult person who continually argues with me along with the person who "gets me" and my opinion.
• I should honor the mama in front of me at the grocery store trying to calm her babies to the elderly person walking slowly throughout the store while I'm racing around the aisles.

Jesus doesn't ask us to honor just those that we "want" to have in our lives, but asks us to honor ALL that come into our lives.  I certainly have a bit of work to do in that area.  You?  I try very hard to show love, devotion and honor to those closest to me - family and friends.  Yet, we are supposed to be like Jesus as much as we can and he certainly showed honor to all those around him - even the non-believers.  How much it must take for God to honor us?  We are sinners.  Every day we commit sins that are against the way He wants us to live our lives.  Yet, He loves and honors us - so much that He gave Jesus to wipe our sins away.  

It's time for a new way of looking at ALL people around us.  They may not be in our "inner circle" of family and friends, but they are to be honored and loved.  One gesture, one smile, one prayer; all those actions can lead to the life Jesus has asked us to live.  Of all times in our history, now is the time to stand up and honor each and every person we meet - with respect and love - just as our Savior has done for us.

Dearest Jesus, help me to be more like you.  Help me to set aside "my thinking" and grow to be more like you.  My I love, honor and respect all those in my path and may my actions reflect those thoughts.  Amen!

Sincere Love

Evil can mean many things for each of us.  Google defines it as profoundly immoral or wicked.  What is immoral or wicked may be drastically different for each of us.  Our life situation, our surrounding environment, the people we encounter - all of those things and more can determine what we find as evil.  It could be an addiction - to food, to drugs, to alcohol.  It could be people who treat others with a lack of respect or value.  It could be slander and gossip.  Unfortunately, our lives can introduce us to evil every day - we live in a world of sin.  What a way to start a blog post!

Evil can be dark and full of despair.  Our world can seem like that.  Our lives can seem like that.  The situations of 2020 can reveal a dark place, one that is filled with disease, hatred, and evil.  In walks the one that conquers evil.  God always amazes me!  He takes what is wrong and makes it right.  He takes the ordinary and makes it extra ordinary.  He takes the simple and makes it profound.  He takes words written on a page and touches our hearts.  I often find myself asking why - why does He do all of this for us?  Yes, the answer is because He loves us, but not as we love on Earth.  He loves us with a love that is unconditional and sincere.

Romans 12:9-21 was our reading for worship last week.  These words seemed to drive deeper  into my heart each time I read them.  The heading for that section is "Love in Action"!  We typically turn to 1st Corinthians 13 - love is patient, love is kind, for a love chapter.  I believe this has become my new "go to" love chapter.  Here Paul writes and describes how we need to act, when we talk about love.  We need to do it with a level of sincerity - turning back and hating what is evil, clinging to what is good.

To love with sincerity is not easy.  To be sincere means feeling and acting with no deceit, dishonesty or hypocrisy.  We may feel this is how we love, yet if we are truthful, we may not always love that way.  I'm sure we all short of loving sincerely.  When someone hurts us or disappoints me, words may come out of our mouths or we may act in a way that doesn't portray love.  Once again, it is because we find ourselves in a sinful world and we are part of that.  How do we turn ourselves to love on an entirely different level?

We do as Paul suggests in this chapter - we cling to what is good.  There is only ONE who is good every minute of every day - God!  There is only ONE who can turn evil into good.  There is only ONE that can always show us how to act with love.  When we turn our eyes and intentions to God, the outcomes will always be better.  Our actions become less about us and more about God and His saving grace.  Our actions become more sincere because we can love knowing that God loves us so much He gave His one and only Son for us.  Our actions become filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let's put our love into action!  Let's cling to what is good and right.  Let's turn our back on whatever may be evil in our lives and put forth actions filled with God's love.  We've got this - with the help of God!!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your unconditional and sincere love.  Help us to turn away from all that is evil and focus our actions on all that is good, loving with sincerity!  May we cling to your love and your word always!  Amen.