So this morning at work I was printing off a confidential document that was only about 75 pages long, but as I stood by the photocopier I quickly became rather bored. Bad news for sure! I began to play with the copier, playing with one of the trays on the finisher, not realizing that the tray I was playing with would actually open. With about 5 pages left in my document I hit the tray a little too hard and the machine just stopped.
One look at the screen told me that playing was a mistake, a big mistake. Window after window of instructions on which paper jam to clear next were the consequences of my poor judgment. One page even tore in the machine causing even further frustration for me, frustration I ultimately caused. Five minutes later my hands were covered in toner but my job was finishing. All I could do was laugh.
Timing, sometimes we just hate that God doesn't work on our time line but His own. God says that there is a time for everything.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
When we try to mess with God's timing, we end up bearing the consequences of our actions. It isn't just about what God wants to do in and through us, it is all about when he wants to accomplish those things. If we will just hold on, wait for his perfect timing, we won't end up with toner all over our hands and a mess in the copying machine.
God has an amazing plan for our lives, if only we will seek him out and seek to do it his way.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13
Trust his heart. He is trustworthy.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A Tale of Two Magnolia Trees
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...", oh wait that's another story, but actually it fits for my purposes today. This past March brought with it some delightfully warm days, days so warm that the trees were fooled into thinking that spring was here and it was safe to blossom. Unfortunately along with those beautiful days came the typical March nights, cold and frosty. It was sad to see the end result of the frost, the death of the blossoms.
It is the end of May now and the cold frosty nights of March are long behind us. There is a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard that is covered with lush green leaves. You would never know the damage the cold had brought just a few short months ago. But this morning, as I was out for my walk I noticed another magnolia tree; one that has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of years. The harsh cold nights of March were not kind to this magnolia tree, and for some reason, although the blossoms died, they failed to fall leaving this tree to continue to bear the evidence of the frost. The lush green leaves are trying to come, but they are overshadowed by the dark brown flowers still hanging on.
The difference between the two trees is one of protection. The tree in my front yard is next to the house with a western exposure. The tree on my walk is away from the house, near the sidewalk on the north side of the house.
The two magnolias remind me of us as human beings. Sometimes we go it alone through the cold dark times we face, and sometimes we surround ourselves with people who are there to support us, people who we know will have our back. If we surround ourselves with the right kind of friends, friends we know we can count on, friends who will be there, truly be there through it, then the after effects of the harshness of life will be lessened. If we choose to walk this road alone, we face the possibility of bearing the scars of the darkness for a very long time, long after spring has arrived.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
So who do you surround yourself with? Do you have people in your life who help you walk this road, who point you in the right direction? Or are you walking this road alone? Sometimes it is difficult to admit that we can't do it alone, but we were never meant to do it alone. Trusting others can be difficult, especially if we have been hurt in the past, but the result of trusting the right people can bring life back to our lives.
I know that I have been amazingly blessed by some very special people that God has planted in my life, key people who have been there at just the right time. I think you know who you are. Thank you for loving me for who I am.
Just one more thing, but the most important thing of all. God always wants to be there for you. He loves you and just wants a relationship with you. He is waiting. Are you ready?
It is the end of May now and the cold frosty nights of March are long behind us. There is a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard that is covered with lush green leaves. You would never know the damage the cold had brought just a few short months ago. But this morning, as I was out for my walk I noticed another magnolia tree; one that has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of years. The harsh cold nights of March were not kind to this magnolia tree, and for some reason, although the blossoms died, they failed to fall leaving this tree to continue to bear the evidence of the frost. The lush green leaves are trying to come, but they are overshadowed by the dark brown flowers still hanging on.
The difference between the two trees is one of protection. The tree in my front yard is next to the house with a western exposure. The tree on my walk is away from the house, near the sidewalk on the north side of the house.
The two magnolias remind me of us as human beings. Sometimes we go it alone through the cold dark times we face, and sometimes we surround ourselves with people who are there to support us, people who we know will have our back. If we surround ourselves with the right kind of friends, friends we know we can count on, friends who will be there, truly be there through it, then the after effects of the harshness of life will be lessened. If we choose to walk this road alone, we face the possibility of bearing the scars of the darkness for a very long time, long after spring has arrived.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
So who do you surround yourself with? Do you have people in your life who help you walk this road, who point you in the right direction? Or are you walking this road alone? Sometimes it is difficult to admit that we can't do it alone, but we were never meant to do it alone. Trusting others can be difficult, especially if we have been hurt in the past, but the result of trusting the right people can bring life back to our lives.
I know that I have been amazingly blessed by some very special people that God has planted in my life, key people who have been there at just the right time. I think you know who you are. Thank you for loving me for who I am.
Just one more thing, but the most important thing of all. God always wants to be there for you. He loves you and just wants a relationship with you. He is waiting. Are you ready?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Little Things
The other night was a full moon. I absolutely love full moons. Who am I kidding? I absolutely love the beauty of God's creation. Everyone was making a big deal about this full moon because it was going to be closer to the earth than it had been in quite a while, making it 14% larger than normal. I couldn't wait to see it.
As I left church that night, the clouds were covering the sky and the moon was hidden. Not wanting to miss the moon, I quickly asked God for a favor. "Can you please move the clouds so that I can see the moon? I would absolutely love it!" I waited and within about 10 minutes the clouds began to part a little bit; just enough to reveal the moon for me. A few wispy clouds danced in front of it, but they were thin enough not to block any of the beautiful orb in the sky. Over the next hour, on the drive home, there were a few wonderful moments of opportunity when I could bask in the light of the sun as it reflected off the beautiful full moon. "Thank You, Daddy!"
My request may have seemed frivolous to some, but to me it was just a request that God could answer whichever way he chose. I am thankful he decided to bless me.
Far too often people do not want to bother God with the little things. They think He is too busy saving children in Africa, or listening to prayers on the other side of the world to bother with their little issue. They can take care of things for themselves, so why even ask Him for help.
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11
Does this mean that God becomes like a vending machine of sorts? No, because God sees the big picture and he knows what is best for us. He will not give us something that, in the long run, will lead to our destruction. At other times, he will make us wait for just the right moment to bring that blessing into our lives. God does know how to give good gifts to his kids, but he wants us to ask him.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
Why does God want us to keep asking him? When we ask him, we are in his presence, spending time with him. God created us to be in relationship with him. He longs for us to come to him and just spend some time in his presence. He longs to be our Father. He longs for us to know what a relationship with him can mean to us. He just wants us.
He loves you, you know, more than anything. He loves you more than life itself; Jesus died to prove it to you.
I am thankful that I prayed the other night. The view of the moon was spectacular and I most definitely enjoyed it.
Thank You, Daddy. I love You!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
A Hot Shower
This morning I had the amazing privilege of enjoying a hot shower. Why so amazing? Well, I haven't had the luxury of a hot shower since Saturday and since today is Thursday, that is a long time. The hot water heater needed a part replaced so for 4 days I endured cold showers each morning.
Those showers brought back memories of showers in Managua while on a missions trip to Nicaragua this past February. Our room was about 70 degrees F or 21 degrees C in the morning when I hopped into the shower, so the cold water didn't feel very good. I got in and out as quickly as possible. There was some kind of gadget that was supposed to heat the water, but I couldn't get it to work and since I had heard stories of people getting shocked while using it, I wasn't too keen on trying it out while standing in water. While we were in Somotillo, the water was stored in a large black drum in the courtyard. The blazing hot Nicaraguan sun headed it to a lovely tepid temperature, making it much more livable for a shower, but still no where near a hot shower.
This morning's shower was such a luxury compared to the showers I had in Nicaragua. Most people I know would consider hot showers a necessity, not a luxury, but after experiencing life in Nicaragua for a week this past winter, I got a glimpse of how great we have it in North America. We, as North Americans, take a lot of things for granted.
It is ironic that the hot water heater broke down now, since I am working on memorizing the book of James. I am only in the first chapter, but the first real thought James wrote down was about trials; situations that test us.
James 1:2-4 in The Message Bible says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." I don't think James was thinking of cold showers when he wrote those words, but I know that the attitude I had while enduring those cold showers determined the type of day I had.
Did I consider the cold showers a gift? Nope, but my attitude could have been worse, so I guess I am growing bit by bit, trial by trial. I am on my way to becoming the woman God created me to be, and that puts a smile on my face.
I hope that the next time a cold shower is my reality, I will take a quick one with a grateful heart knowing many around the world don't even have the luxury of running water, much less hot running water.
Those showers brought back memories of showers in Managua while on a missions trip to Nicaragua this past February. Our room was about 70 degrees F or 21 degrees C in the morning when I hopped into the shower, so the cold water didn't feel very good. I got in and out as quickly as possible. There was some kind of gadget that was supposed to heat the water, but I couldn't get it to work and since I had heard stories of people getting shocked while using it, I wasn't too keen on trying it out while standing in water. While we were in Somotillo, the water was stored in a large black drum in the courtyard. The blazing hot Nicaraguan sun headed it to a lovely tepid temperature, making it much more livable for a shower, but still no where near a hot shower.
This morning's shower was such a luxury compared to the showers I had in Nicaragua. Most people I know would consider hot showers a necessity, not a luxury, but after experiencing life in Nicaragua for a week this past winter, I got a glimpse of how great we have it in North America. We, as North Americans, take a lot of things for granted.
It is ironic that the hot water heater broke down now, since I am working on memorizing the book of James. I am only in the first chapter, but the first real thought James wrote down was about trials; situations that test us.
James 1:2-4 in The Message Bible says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." I don't think James was thinking of cold showers when he wrote those words, but I know that the attitude I had while enduring those cold showers determined the type of day I had.
Did I consider the cold showers a gift? Nope, but my attitude could have been worse, so I guess I am growing bit by bit, trial by trial. I am on my way to becoming the woman God created me to be, and that puts a smile on my face.
I hope that the next time a cold shower is my reality, I will take a quick one with a grateful heart knowing many around the world don't even have the luxury of running water, much less hot running water.
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