"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
Matthew 7:3 (NIV)
Yes it's true! I'm a WIMP. On so many levels actually. But this week, my wimpiness completely revolves around being sick. YUCK! I'm sick. REALLY sick! I've been sick for a week and I'm sick of being SICK! So this week, no grand scriptural or spiritual insight for the post, just regular every day stuff. Why? Because I'm sick.
Now why am I announcing to the world that I'm a wimp about being sick? I have to confess, I'm one of those women who tends to tell people that I have 3 children in my house when my husband is sick, instead of the usual 2. After the past week's experience, I am convicted and must set the record straight. I AM THAT WIMP! I was the 3rd child this week.
A few weeks ago, my husband came down with this terrible head/chest flu. I told him he should stay home in bed. NO. Not this man. He kept chugging along, continuing his regular work routine, driving his usual 1 1/2 - 2 hour commute (each way) into MD 3 days a week, giving them his all the whole time. He then arrived home to a sweet and tender nurse of a wife? Well.... kind of.... I was nursing our daughter who also had it. The poor guy just didn't get too much sympathy that I recall.
So here we are a few weeks later and it hits me. You know how moms are. When we get sick, we just keep going. There really is no option. Well last week, the only option for me was BED! You would have thought that I was on my death bed with the way I behaved. I was simply miserable: headache, nausea, sore throat, cough, body aches, fever, THE WORKS! It all reached a peak one day when I picked up the phone and called my mom on the other side of the country. In my weakest, most pathetic voice I squeaked, "I Want My Mommy!" My mom, being wonderful as she is, offered to call the local Papa John's pizzeria and have pizza delivered for dinner. Come to think of it, I really don't remember what my family ate most nights last week. There wasn't much in the house as I hadn't been to the store for my weekly shopping when the dreaded illness hit.
So what have I learned from this brush with great illness?
1. My 10 year old daughter is an angel who is capable of tidying up a kitchen after school so her mom won't have to come down to face the explosion that is still there from breakfast. :)
2. My husband is capable of cheering (or scaring) the children into getting themselves ready for school without arguing so mom can sleep a bit more.
3. My husband is capable of styling my 10 year old daughter's hair very nicely.
4. My husband is still my knight in shining armor. For 2 days, when he worked from home, he allowed me to stay in bed while he got the kids ready and out the door to school. When he did have to drive into the office, he arrived home after stressful days, Northern VA traffic and headaches and never stopped. He walked in, made dinner, cleaned house, made sure kids showered and tucked them in bed. He even cared for his poor pathetic 3rd child. :)
So, never again will I say that my husband is a "wimp" when he is sick. NO WAY! He's my hero! I guess I've learned not to point out the speck of dust in someone else's eye until I take the plank out of my own. Maybe that's my great insight for the week.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
An Arm and A Leg!
“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)
Yesterday was President’s Day. Originally dedicated to honor our first president, George Washington, we now often associate it with President Lincoln as well as the many other presidents who have served this great country. I must be honest, until recent years the most meaningful part of this holiday for me was the fact that it meant a day off of school. Maybe it’s maturity or the fact that I now live only 45 minutes from our nation’s capital, but holidays such as President’s Day seem to hold much more meaning now.
When we first moved to Northern Virginia, my husband and I decided that our family should take full advantage of living in an area with such rich historical surroundings. It seemed only appropriate that our first President’s Day here should be spent visiting Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. WOW! Now if you’ve grown up in Northern VA that may seem like a nice gesture. But if you were raised on the other side of the country, visiting Mt. Vernon ON President’s Day is a huge deal! Plus, admission was free on this special day of the year! COME ON! How can you pass that up? You simply can’t!
So there we were, walking through the parking lot, when my husband commented on his favorite justification for this day out…FREE ADMISSION! His comment went something like, “Any other day it would cost an arm and a leg to get through the gate.” To which our 4 year old son responded, “Yea! And the leg’s a lot more because it’s bigger!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud! Forevermore, President’s Day will bring about that memory for me.
So yesterday, as I recalled those words with a smile, a thought came to my mind. I sure am glad that’s not how God’s economy works! 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that the body of Christ, just like the human body, is made up of many parts, but it is ONE body. To each one of us, God has given a different gift and purpose. Some gifts and purposes, through our human eyes, may appear to be bigger or more important than others and therefore worth much more. But with God, every part is important and of GREAT value. Each one of us is NEEDED and VALUED in the body of Christ.
So what is your gift or purpose? God created you specifically for it! You may not think much of it, but God does, and so should you. After all, the leg can go, go, go but can’t do much once it gets there without the arm. And the arm may have a lot of reaching out to do, but without the leg to get it somewhere, it wouldn’t reach very far.
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)
Yesterday was President’s Day. Originally dedicated to honor our first president, George Washington, we now often associate it with President Lincoln as well as the many other presidents who have served this great country. I must be honest, until recent years the most meaningful part of this holiday for me was the fact that it meant a day off of school. Maybe it’s maturity or the fact that I now live only 45 minutes from our nation’s capital, but holidays such as President’s Day seem to hold much more meaning now.
When we first moved to Northern Virginia, my husband and I decided that our family should take full advantage of living in an area with such rich historical surroundings. It seemed only appropriate that our first President’s Day here should be spent visiting Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. WOW! Now if you’ve grown up in Northern VA that may seem like a nice gesture. But if you were raised on the other side of the country, visiting Mt. Vernon ON President’s Day is a huge deal! Plus, admission was free on this special day of the year! COME ON! How can you pass that up? You simply can’t!
So there we were, walking through the parking lot, when my husband commented on his favorite justification for this day out…FREE ADMISSION! His comment went something like, “Any other day it would cost an arm and a leg to get through the gate.” To which our 4 year old son responded, “Yea! And the leg’s a lot more because it’s bigger!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud! Forevermore, President’s Day will bring about that memory for me.
So yesterday, as I recalled those words with a smile, a thought came to my mind. I sure am glad that’s not how God’s economy works! 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that the body of Christ, just like the human body, is made up of many parts, but it is ONE body. To each one of us, God has given a different gift and purpose. Some gifts and purposes, through our human eyes, may appear to be bigger or more important than others and therefore worth much more. But with God, every part is important and of GREAT value. Each one of us is NEEDED and VALUED in the body of Christ.
So what is your gift or purpose? God created you specifically for it! You may not think much of it, but God does, and so should you. After all, the leg can go, go, go but can’t do much once it gets there without the arm. And the arm may have a lot of reaching out to do, but without the leg to get it somewhere, it wouldn’t reach very far.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Rod of God
“Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
Exodus 17:9 (NIV)
Over the last few weeks a certain picture has been ever present in the back of my mind. My mind’s “wallpaper” shall we say, is a vision of Moses, sitting on a rock with Aaron and Hur standing on either side of him holding up his arms. In his hands, high above his head he holds a staff… a rod. So many times I’ve read Exodus 17 and not thought about why Moses raised his staff in the air. I just skimmed over it and took the details for granted. But the more I study God’s word, the more I realize there is purpose in everything. I began to look back at the history of that staff or rod as it is also referred to.
This was the rod that Moses held in the wilderness when God revealed himself in the burning bush. This was the rod that God miraculously turned into a snake when thrown on the ground and then a rod again when it was picked up. Through it, the Israelites saw the power of God and believed that He had sent Moses to them. Through it, Pharaoh witnessed the power of God displayed. This same rod was held over the Red Sea as God parted it and made a way for his children to be delivered out of bondage. With this rod, Moses struck the rock and fresh water flowed, quenching the thirst of a dry and weary people. This rod was known as the rod of God. It represented the power and miracles of God Almighty.
As Moses looked down over the valley and saw the Israelite army fighting the battle before him, it was the representation of the power of God that was held high above his head for all to see. When it was held high, the Israelites would remember the miracles and power of God in their past and know that it was He who would deliver them once again. As it was lowered in man’s weakness, it became evident that this battle could not be won through their own mortal power and earthly weapons.
So where does that leave me? I don’t have a big stick to hold in the air, but I do have the memories and evidences of the power of God revealed in my life. I look back and recall the times he has delivered me from the hands of my enemies…sickness, depression, fear. I remember the times he has brought refreshing and provision in times of need: physical, emotional and spiritual.
As I said in my post a couple weeks ago, we all face battles in our lives which seem to be so completely overwhelming that we see no hope of victory. It is in those overwhelming moments that we are tempted to forget the power of God and his ability to bring us through. You might say that our arms become weak and we lower the staff from high above our head. These are the times that we must recall the miracles and faithfulness of God and allow brothers and sisters in Christ to come along beside us, holding up our arms, supporting and encouraging one another with testimonies of God’s power.
Recently I find myself surrounded by people in overwhelming situations. Maybe you are the same. I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to ask God to remind you of the works of His power and faithfulness in your life. If it’s something you can share, I’d love to have you share it in the “comments” section here. Your testimony may be just what someone else needs to lift their arms high today.
Exodus 17:9 (NIV)
Over the last few weeks a certain picture has been ever present in the back of my mind. My mind’s “wallpaper” shall we say, is a vision of Moses, sitting on a rock with Aaron and Hur standing on either side of him holding up his arms. In his hands, high above his head he holds a staff… a rod. So many times I’ve read Exodus 17 and not thought about why Moses raised his staff in the air. I just skimmed over it and took the details for granted. But the more I study God’s word, the more I realize there is purpose in everything. I began to look back at the history of that staff or rod as it is also referred to.
This was the rod that Moses held in the wilderness when God revealed himself in the burning bush. This was the rod that God miraculously turned into a snake when thrown on the ground and then a rod again when it was picked up. Through it, the Israelites saw the power of God and believed that He had sent Moses to them. Through it, Pharaoh witnessed the power of God displayed. This same rod was held over the Red Sea as God parted it and made a way for his children to be delivered out of bondage. With this rod, Moses struck the rock and fresh water flowed, quenching the thirst of a dry and weary people. This rod was known as the rod of God. It represented the power and miracles of God Almighty.
As Moses looked down over the valley and saw the Israelite army fighting the battle before him, it was the representation of the power of God that was held high above his head for all to see. When it was held high, the Israelites would remember the miracles and power of God in their past and know that it was He who would deliver them once again. As it was lowered in man’s weakness, it became evident that this battle could not be won through their own mortal power and earthly weapons.
So where does that leave me? I don’t have a big stick to hold in the air, but I do have the memories and evidences of the power of God revealed in my life. I look back and recall the times he has delivered me from the hands of my enemies…sickness, depression, fear. I remember the times he has brought refreshing and provision in times of need: physical, emotional and spiritual.
As I said in my post a couple weeks ago, we all face battles in our lives which seem to be so completely overwhelming that we see no hope of victory. It is in those overwhelming moments that we are tempted to forget the power of God and his ability to bring us through. You might say that our arms become weak and we lower the staff from high above our head. These are the times that we must recall the miracles and faithfulness of God and allow brothers and sisters in Christ to come along beside us, holding up our arms, supporting and encouraging one another with testimonies of God’s power.
Recently I find myself surrounded by people in overwhelming situations. Maybe you are the same. I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to ask God to remind you of the works of His power and faithfulness in your life. If it’s something you can share, I’d love to have you share it in the “comments” section here. Your testimony may be just what someone else needs to lift their arms high today.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mama Bee's Buzz
“Her children arise and call her blessed…”
“…a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Prov. 31:28 & 30 (NIV)
This last week my mom celebrated her birthday. Being on opposite sides of the country, I couldn’t spend the day with her, so I’ve been thinking about her and the many things I’ve learned from her over my 38 years. Now, we all learn something from our mothers, whether great or small, good or bad. But my sisters and I have been blessed to have gleaned many grand and insightful treasures of truth from our mom. Treasures that I think everyone should have the opportunity to learn. So here they are…
MAMA BEE’S BUZZ
The many things my sisters and I have learned form our Mom.
• Every pot has a lid. (no matter how funny the shape)
• You really should go to bed early because morning comes so fast. (I could never figure out how those hours somehow ticked away faster than any others.)
• When you’re thirsty, your mouth is “dry…(lick lips)…like cotton”.
• If you’re REALLY thirsty, you can “smell a coke”.
• No matter how warm you are, you always need another blanket put on you.
• You can never have enough tables (especially when you find a good yard sale).
• Everything you ever needed to know you can learn from a magazine article. (My mom reads more magazines than anyone I know. She’s really smart.)
• No matter how humble the meal, a beautiful table setting makes it a King’s feast.
• Use the good china.
• Grandchildren get special privileges that your own children never did.
• Grandma’s can make it to a hospital faster than a mom can.
• Everyone needs to know how to type. (You never know when it will get you a job.)
• Hurtful words should be taken with a grain of salt.
• Work hard. Give your employer your best.
• Mom can take care of you like no one else can.
• Get a pedicure! You deserve it.
• Regardless of your past, you can always make good choices.
• Give…Give…Give!
• Find a church you can call home and be faithful to it. You simply don’t skip a service.
• Love the unlovely.
• God is the greatest counselor you can ever have.
• Sometimes you need to close your bedroom door to weep before the Lord. (Sorry, Mom. I peeked. The best lesson I ever learned.)
I’m not limiting the things we’ve learned to this very finite list, but I can’t go on forever. The fact is, my Mom loves the Lord with all of her heart and is devoted to serving Him. I am so honored to have gleaned that “treasure” and hope I pass the same on to my own children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
