I love it when God shows me new things in old passages. I have to admit, I’m always tempted to just not read something that’s very familiar. When I saw my devotional passage for today, the thought did occur to me that I was very familiar with it, and maybe I should just focus on the devotion itself rather than re-read the passage. But the thought was quickly replaced by that little voice saying, “Read it! What if I want to show you something new?” The truth is that God doesn’t always show me new things. Sometimes He just reinforces the old knowledge, something we all need from time to time. But today, He did use this passage in a new light. It wasn’t necessarily new truths, but a new way of reinforcing truths I’ve known.
The familiar passage is Mark 6:45-52. This story follows immediately on the heels of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand. As they departed from there, Jesus sent his disciples in a boat to cross the sea while He went on a mountainside to pray. While he was praying, they were in the middle of the sea straining against a strong wind. He saw their struggle and walked out toward them. He ends up in the boat with them, calming the winds, and reminding them once again to put their trust in Him.
A couple of things stood out to me as I spent the morning mulling over this passage. The first thing I noticed is that God doesn’t send us into a storm unprepared. We often have the mentality that our storms are strengthening or preparing us for something more. To an extent, I agree that they do. But I think we often miss what has come before the storm – something that was put there to teach us in advance, usually taught to us during a moment when there was no wind beating against us.
Jesus had just shown the disciples that He understood the concept that we as humans have a hard time receiving spiritual truth when our physical needs are unmet. It was Jesus, not the disciples, who insisted strongly that the physical needs of the 5000 be met. Through this He showed them that He would provide for their every need. While they were in the boat, they had a very immediate and present need to have the strength to fight against that wind – and they needed protection over them. There is no evidence that God sent the wind to buffet them, but He knew that it would be there. There are things in this world that are going to fight against us, not because they are sent by God, but because they are of the nature of this world. We can’t escape them, and our Father knows this! So, He prepares us. Jesus sent His disciples into that wind knowing He had just equipped them with the knowledge that He would provide for their physical as well as spiritual needs.
But something else jumped out at me as I read this passage. The end of verse 48 reads, “He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.” I always have wondered about this verse. Why would he go to the trouble to walk out to them if He had no intention of getting into the boat with them and calming the winds for them? Allow me, if you will, to share with you the thought that occurred to me.
How many times are we in the midst of a struggle, a battering, or a storm and we just want to cry out, “Jesus, I can’t see You in this! Please show yourself to me so I can know You’re still with me in this midst of this!” We’ve been given the promise that He’ll never leave or forsake us, but if we could just catch a glimpse of His hand, it might be easier to deal with. That’s where Jesus expected the disciples to be. He had just given them the information they needed to deal with the winds – the knowledge that He would provide for their physical needs. Now they just needed to be reminded of His strength. As He walked by the boat, they could have looked at Him and said, “Look! It’s Jesus! If He’s strong enough to walk on these waves without a problem, then He’s strong enough to strengthen and protect us in this wind. Let’s get to it, boys!” Instead they were suddenly more terrified of the image of a “ghost” walking on the waves than they were exhausted from the battering of the wind. So, Jesus climbed into the boat with them, reminded them to be courageous and not afraid, and calmed the winds that were buffeting the boat. Although Mark does not record them being chastised, the last verse in the passage states, “for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”
In a time of calm, a lesson will be taught to us. It might be through a passage we read, through the story of the faith of a fellow believer, through a sermon we hear, or a book we’ve read. It can come from any number of sources. But, the lesson will be there nonetheless. It’s a lesson not necessarily taught through experience, but one taught through teaching of some sort. It comes in our calm. It comes in our daily life. It may be something we think is neat or interesting, but we must be careful to not miss it for what it really is. In reality, it’s a lesson to give us the tools we need to step into the wind that is about to rise. When the wind does come, we can choose to act on that lesson and remember that God’s promises hold true even when the circumstances seem more overwhelming. Or we can choose to allow our hearts to be hardened. We can see Jesus passing by us and take that as the encouragement that He is powerful enough to protect us and give us what we need to push through the wind, or we can allow His presence to add to our stress and fear as we struggle on our own.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Pizza Dip and Procrastination
Every Friday night is date night. Our girls love date night, because they get to have their own "date" with each other. They get some sort of fun supper - Bagel Bites, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, etc. Then they go to their room for some reading time before settling in to bed for the night. Meanwhile, my wonderful husband and I prepare our own dinner and spend the evening just being together. No obligations, no chores, no catch-up work - just spending time together enjoying each other's company.
This past Friday night we decided we wanted meaty pizza dip for supper. While Doug went to take a shower, I pulled out the baking dish I typically use for our pizza dip, and I began to assemble the layers. Once it was all assembled, I went to put it into the toaster oven to bake. To my shock, the pan wouldn't fit! You would think that I would know whether or not my favorite pan would fit in the toaster oven I'd used for years, and somehow I thought it would! But, it didn't. There was no way to make it fit. Why not use the full-size oven, you ask? Well, I'll get to that in a minute.
I pulled out another dish. This one I just knew I'd used in the toaster oven before, so I very carefully transferred the beautifully layered dip into the new dish. Although it was no longer nearly so beautifully layered, it still looked fine. I moved to put the new dish in the toaster oven, but it wouldn't fit either! I was floored! I finally managed to angle the dish just slightly and get it to fit without running the risk of the dip spilling out, and I left it.
So, what about that full-size oven? Well, a decision from just over two weeks before kept me from using that oven when I needed it. On the first day in this house I opened the oven to see a nasty sight. It was the filthiest oven I'd ever seen, and there was no way I was going to bake anything in there! I closed the door and decided to concentrate on other things for the time being. After all, we typically used smaller dishes to bake our food simply because they held better portions for our family. I frequently used the toaster oven. It wouldn't be a problem now! I just needed to get the oven cleaned in time to bake Steven's birthday cake. Not a problem!
And, to be honest, there were much more important things to focus on at the time. Nothing was unpacked, and I could barely maneuver through the kitchen around the boxes anyway. No, it just wasn't the right time to clean the oven. But, since then, there have been many other opportunities, and I just haven't done it. So, when I needed the oven, it was of no use to me.
So, what's the point of this story? Well, even as I was transferring the pizza dip to the second baking dish, a gentle voice began speaking to my heart showing me how I tend to do this very same thing in my spiritual life. God will lay something on my heart that I need to do. It might be to email or call someone I haven't talked to in a while. It might be to deal with something in my life that will either hold me back or allow me to take another step closer to becoming like my Savior. Sometimes I deal with it instantly. Other times I procrastinate. I argue that it doesn't need to be done right now - I have time before it's essential. Well, at least I have time before I think it's essential! What always catches me is that something pops up before I get the task done. My friend's crisis passes and I miss the chance to minister. My own crisis arrives and I haven't made the spiritual preparations I need to face it God's way. I could type for hours giving specific examples, but I think you get the point.
I will clean that oven this week. I will follow God in obedience today. No more procrastination. No more waiting. Who knows what task I'll be given tomorrow? If I haven't done what He's told me today, I won't be ready!
This past Friday night we decided we wanted meaty pizza dip for supper. While Doug went to take a shower, I pulled out the baking dish I typically use for our pizza dip, and I began to assemble the layers. Once it was all assembled, I went to put it into the toaster oven to bake. To my shock, the pan wouldn't fit! You would think that I would know whether or not my favorite pan would fit in the toaster oven I'd used for years, and somehow I thought it would! But, it didn't. There was no way to make it fit. Why not use the full-size oven, you ask? Well, I'll get to that in a minute.
I pulled out another dish. This one I just knew I'd used in the toaster oven before, so I very carefully transferred the beautifully layered dip into the new dish. Although it was no longer nearly so beautifully layered, it still looked fine. I moved to put the new dish in the toaster oven, but it wouldn't fit either! I was floored! I finally managed to angle the dish just slightly and get it to fit without running the risk of the dip spilling out, and I left it.
So, what about that full-size oven? Well, a decision from just over two weeks before kept me from using that oven when I needed it. On the first day in this house I opened the oven to see a nasty sight. It was the filthiest oven I'd ever seen, and there was no way I was going to bake anything in there! I closed the door and decided to concentrate on other things for the time being. After all, we typically used smaller dishes to bake our food simply because they held better portions for our family. I frequently used the toaster oven. It wouldn't be a problem now! I just needed to get the oven cleaned in time to bake Steven's birthday cake. Not a problem!
And, to be honest, there were much more important things to focus on at the time. Nothing was unpacked, and I could barely maneuver through the kitchen around the boxes anyway. No, it just wasn't the right time to clean the oven. But, since then, there have been many other opportunities, and I just haven't done it. So, when I needed the oven, it was of no use to me.
So, what's the point of this story? Well, even as I was transferring the pizza dip to the second baking dish, a gentle voice began speaking to my heart showing me how I tend to do this very same thing in my spiritual life. God will lay something on my heart that I need to do. It might be to email or call someone I haven't talked to in a while. It might be to deal with something in my life that will either hold me back or allow me to take another step closer to becoming like my Savior. Sometimes I deal with it instantly. Other times I procrastinate. I argue that it doesn't need to be done right now - I have time before it's essential. Well, at least I have time before I think it's essential! What always catches me is that something pops up before I get the task done. My friend's crisis passes and I miss the chance to minister. My own crisis arrives and I haven't made the spiritual preparations I need to face it God's way. I could type for hours giving specific examples, but I think you get the point.
I will clean that oven this week. I will follow God in obedience today. No more procrastination. No more waiting. Who knows what task I'll be given tomorrow? If I haven't done what He's told me today, I won't be ready!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Good Promises
A few days ago I finished reading Joshua. I had forgotten how boring sections of Joshua could be!! That is the book that goes through all of the division of the Promised Land to distribute among the tribes, and my brain doesn't work such that it can grasp all of those references. Even if I knew where those towns were, I don't know that I could truly grasp the divisions. I could take one look at a map and get it, but not through reading the words. Several times I was tempted to skip over that section, but I just felt that I needed to read on through it. I'm glad I did, because if I'd skipped it, I would have missed something special.
It was one of those verses I've read many times before, and when I read it the other day, it stood out to me, but did not yet truly impact me. The verse was Joshua 21:45 which reads, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.”
As the day progressed, I was able to share the verse with a friend, which showed that it was starting to work its way into my heart. But it wasn't until yesterday that I truly realized the impact of the verse on my own life and heart. An off-hand question from my husband set the ball rolling, and the amazement of how God had fulfilled so many promises just washed over me in a brand new way.
We were walking through Wal-Mart picking up a few things we needed to continue setting up the house. Out of the blue Doug asked me what the five hundred dollars in our savings account was for. I nearly exploded! "What five hundred dollars?!" I asked, my tone almost sounding as if I were challenging his very sanity. He grew kind of sheepish and said that all he knew was that our account listing online was showing that we still had five hundred plus dollars in that savings account. My mind flew through the times over the past months when I'd been paying bills and handling transfers, trying to figure out where the money came from. Without looking back through all of our transactions, the only thing my mind could conceive was that somehow I'd never transfered the money to cover our bills as planned. Sure enough, after looking back over it all, that's exactly what had happened. To really show you the significance of this, let me take you back a few months.
As we left our church in Joiner, AR, for the last time in mid-February, we were full of the promises of our God. He had been very clear in leading us away from Joiner. Although it was a hard step, both for us and the church, we knew we had to follow in obedience. Our very first Sunday away from Joiner was actually spent here in Monticello where Doug was filling the pulpit that morning. We left here thinking this was a wonderful church and town, and we began to wonder what it would be like if God were to call us down here.
As for our finances, we knew we'd have enough money to make it until May 1, and then Joiner gave us an incredible going-away gift which added another four weeks to the estimation and would still leave enough money to buy the girls' school curriculum for the fall. We felt that we'd surely be in a new position by the end of May, so everything would be perfect!
Then reality began to sink in. Doug's truck died on the side of the interstate as he was heading to work one day. The repairs cost over $800. Storms damaged our roof, and we ended up borrowing $300 of the school money to add to the insurance money to get the roof take care of. Gas prices skyrocketed and we cringed every time we filled the van. Various trips added up, and although we always had the money on hand to pay for the gas, we wondered how much that was chipping away at the overall supply. Time passed and nothing seemed to be progressing with any of the resumes Doug had out. He began to apply for secular jobs with no results. Our For Sale By Owner sign in the front yard brought no genuine interest in the house. The promises God had made always remained in the back of our minds, but sometimes we wondered if they were truly God's promises or if they were our own conceived notions. It was a frightening time.
As we watched our finances, we realized that there would be no school money left over. The $500 set aside to finish paying for the curriculum needs would be used up when I paid bills June 17, and even that wasn't going to be enough to meet all of our financial needs. By this time we already had a date set with Calvary to come in view of a call, but we knew the move wouldn't take place until early July. We had no idea where the money was going to come from, but we could do nothing other than trust our Lord for His provision.
As I paid bills that night, I realized that we didn't need the $500 that week. I looked ahead and knew we'd need it the next week. But, evidently when I paid bills the next week I didn't need it either! By the time I paid bills on July 1, I guess I'd forgotten the money was even still there! I remember wondering why we were tighter financially than I expected, and I was concerned about our first week or so here in Monticello before getting everything ironed out with paychecks here. But, I didn't transfer any money.
So, here we are - it's more than a month later, and the money is still sitting there waiting to be used to pay for the school books (they'll be here next week, by the way!). We never had a problem paying our bills. In fact, we never even had the stress of hoping that a deposit would post before a bill cleared!
“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of [the Hibbard family] failed; all came to pass.”
I challenge you to look back over the last days, weeks, months, and years of your life - whatever it takes to see how God has fulfilled His promises to you. I guarantee the fulfillment is there. Maybe you're receiving those promises and need to be encouraged to grab on tight so you'll have them ready when days grow dark. Maybe you're in the middle of the waiting right now and need the encouragment of remembering He WILL fulfill those promises. Maybe you're at the end of a set of promises and need to remember to be thankful. Maybe you're watching someone else struggle and need to offer encouragement to them. Whatever the case may be, just remember, they all will come to pass!
It was one of those verses I've read many times before, and when I read it the other day, it stood out to me, but did not yet truly impact me. The verse was Joshua 21:45 which reads, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.”
As the day progressed, I was able to share the verse with a friend, which showed that it was starting to work its way into my heart. But it wasn't until yesterday that I truly realized the impact of the verse on my own life and heart. An off-hand question from my husband set the ball rolling, and the amazement of how God had fulfilled so many promises just washed over me in a brand new way.
We were walking through Wal-Mart picking up a few things we needed to continue setting up the house. Out of the blue Doug asked me what the five hundred dollars in our savings account was for. I nearly exploded! "What five hundred dollars?!" I asked, my tone almost sounding as if I were challenging his very sanity. He grew kind of sheepish and said that all he knew was that our account listing online was showing that we still had five hundred plus dollars in that savings account. My mind flew through the times over the past months when I'd been paying bills and handling transfers, trying to figure out where the money came from. Without looking back through all of our transactions, the only thing my mind could conceive was that somehow I'd never transfered the money to cover our bills as planned. Sure enough, after looking back over it all, that's exactly what had happened. To really show you the significance of this, let me take you back a few months.
As we left our church in Joiner, AR, for the last time in mid-February, we were full of the promises of our God. He had been very clear in leading us away from Joiner. Although it was a hard step, both for us and the church, we knew we had to follow in obedience. Our very first Sunday away from Joiner was actually spent here in Monticello where Doug was filling the pulpit that morning. We left here thinking this was a wonderful church and town, and we began to wonder what it would be like if God were to call us down here.
As for our finances, we knew we'd have enough money to make it until May 1, and then Joiner gave us an incredible going-away gift which added another four weeks to the estimation and would still leave enough money to buy the girls' school curriculum for the fall. We felt that we'd surely be in a new position by the end of May, so everything would be perfect!
Then reality began to sink in. Doug's truck died on the side of the interstate as he was heading to work one day. The repairs cost over $800. Storms damaged our roof, and we ended up borrowing $300 of the school money to add to the insurance money to get the roof take care of. Gas prices skyrocketed and we cringed every time we filled the van. Various trips added up, and although we always had the money on hand to pay for the gas, we wondered how much that was chipping away at the overall supply. Time passed and nothing seemed to be progressing with any of the resumes Doug had out. He began to apply for secular jobs with no results. Our For Sale By Owner sign in the front yard brought no genuine interest in the house. The promises God had made always remained in the back of our minds, but sometimes we wondered if they were truly God's promises or if they were our own conceived notions. It was a frightening time.
As we watched our finances, we realized that there would be no school money left over. The $500 set aside to finish paying for the curriculum needs would be used up when I paid bills June 17, and even that wasn't going to be enough to meet all of our financial needs. By this time we already had a date set with Calvary to come in view of a call, but we knew the move wouldn't take place until early July. We had no idea where the money was going to come from, but we could do nothing other than trust our Lord for His provision.
As I paid bills that night, I realized that we didn't need the $500 that week. I looked ahead and knew we'd need it the next week. But, evidently when I paid bills the next week I didn't need it either! By the time I paid bills on July 1, I guess I'd forgotten the money was even still there! I remember wondering why we were tighter financially than I expected, and I was concerned about our first week or so here in Monticello before getting everything ironed out with paychecks here. But, I didn't transfer any money.
So, here we are - it's more than a month later, and the money is still sitting there waiting to be used to pay for the school books (they'll be here next week, by the way!). We never had a problem paying our bills. In fact, we never even had the stress of hoping that a deposit would post before a bill cleared!
“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of [the Hibbard family] failed; all came to pass.”
I challenge you to look back over the last days, weeks, months, and years of your life - whatever it takes to see how God has fulfilled His promises to you. I guarantee the fulfillment is there. Maybe you're receiving those promises and need to be encouraged to grab on tight so you'll have them ready when days grow dark. Maybe you're in the middle of the waiting right now and need the encouragment of remembering He WILL fulfill those promises. Maybe you're at the end of a set of promises and need to remember to be thankful. Maybe you're watching someone else struggle and need to offer encouragement to them. Whatever the case may be, just remember, they all will come to pass!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
That's Not Me!
I've been paid quite a few complements lately, and it's not really all that easy to accept them! I mean, I want to be gracious and not argue with people when they complement me. I want to accept those complements. The problem is that I have trouble seeing the truth in them.
Let me just give you a few examples. I've been told by several people that I'm so organized. I can see where they get the idea. I menu plan, for one thing. Doug and I sit down once a month and plan out a month's worth of meals (this last time it was actually six weeks!!!). Why? Well, for one thing, it helps our grocery budget since we get what we know we'll need instead of a bunch of groceries that we may or may not use. Secondly, I am horrible at trying to pick out what to eat for dinner. It stresses me to no end! This way the decision is made for me. Practical, and oh, so very helpful! I also have a daily schedule. Having an expected routine reduces fighting among the kids and motivates me to focus on the bigger picture instead of focusing exclusively on one or two things and letting other things fall apart. It's just a necessity, especially with homeschooling. Do I always stick to the schedule? No! But, I have it to be a general guide. Oh, and then there's the simple fact that I homeschool, and many moms still believe that you have to be perfectly organized to homeschool. That's a funny one! :-)
But, when people tell me I'm organized, I don't see the above things - they are just my keys to survival, not my indicators of organization. Instead I see the clutter scattered through my house that seems to never go away. I see the list of things I'm falling behind on. I see the missed quiet times and the list of things I've forgotten to do. Organized? That's a laugh!
Then Doug told me last night that someone was complementing my parental patience with Steven. (He was wanting to be carried, and I was telling him no - I gave him my hand. He's just too big to carry, and it's more of a habit than a need at this point!) First of all, I was delighted that someone saw that as positive parenting - I have been criticized for that kind of parenting before. But then I saw myself this morning. This morning was not pretty, and I was anything but patient! I lost my temper, I yelled, I nagged. Maybe I had a patient moment the other night, but a patient parent? I just don't know about that one.
I see myself. I see my own heart. I see what's in it. It's just not what people think it is. There's so much more I need to change. So, how can I possibly accept the complements?
David was a man after God's own heart, and an adulterous murderer. Paul was an amazing missionary who seemed to have it all figured out, but he called himself the most wretched of sinners and openly shared the battle of sin raging within him. Abraham's faith is praised in Scripture, yet he played the coward not once but twice saying that his wife was his sister in order to save his own skin. Peter received incredible wisdom and insight regarding his Savior straight from the Father, yet he denied and abandoned Jesus on the night of His death. We look at all of these men and see examples of what we want to imitate. But, can you imagine how they felt about their faults sometimes?
I am human, and I make mistakes. I struggle, I falter. But, I do have Christ living within me! And His goal is to make me more like Him. His goal is to make sure people see Him when they look at me. Those complements really have nothing to do with me. They are not because of me. I'm not any of those things they claim I am. No, anything good I do is because Jesus is shining through. Wow! Now THAT is encouragement! If people look at me and see characterisitcs they admire and desire, I can tell them exactly how to become just like me. Why? Because I'm not like me - I'm like Jesus. And, with His help and His presence, ANYONE can be like Him, too!
Let me just give you a few examples. I've been told by several people that I'm so organized. I can see where they get the idea. I menu plan, for one thing. Doug and I sit down once a month and plan out a month's worth of meals (this last time it was actually six weeks!!!). Why? Well, for one thing, it helps our grocery budget since we get what we know we'll need instead of a bunch of groceries that we may or may not use. Secondly, I am horrible at trying to pick out what to eat for dinner. It stresses me to no end! This way the decision is made for me. Practical, and oh, so very helpful! I also have a daily schedule. Having an expected routine reduces fighting among the kids and motivates me to focus on the bigger picture instead of focusing exclusively on one or two things and letting other things fall apart. It's just a necessity, especially with homeschooling. Do I always stick to the schedule? No! But, I have it to be a general guide. Oh, and then there's the simple fact that I homeschool, and many moms still believe that you have to be perfectly organized to homeschool. That's a funny one! :-)
But, when people tell me I'm organized, I don't see the above things - they are just my keys to survival, not my indicators of organization. Instead I see the clutter scattered through my house that seems to never go away. I see the list of things I'm falling behind on. I see the missed quiet times and the list of things I've forgotten to do. Organized? That's a laugh!
Then Doug told me last night that someone was complementing my parental patience with Steven. (He was wanting to be carried, and I was telling him no - I gave him my hand. He's just too big to carry, and it's more of a habit than a need at this point!) First of all, I was delighted that someone saw that as positive parenting - I have been criticized for that kind of parenting before. But then I saw myself this morning. This morning was not pretty, and I was anything but patient! I lost my temper, I yelled, I nagged. Maybe I had a patient moment the other night, but a patient parent? I just don't know about that one.
I see myself. I see my own heart. I see what's in it. It's just not what people think it is. There's so much more I need to change. So, how can I possibly accept the complements?
David was a man after God's own heart, and an adulterous murderer. Paul was an amazing missionary who seemed to have it all figured out, but he called himself the most wretched of sinners and openly shared the battle of sin raging within him. Abraham's faith is praised in Scripture, yet he played the coward not once but twice saying that his wife was his sister in order to save his own skin. Peter received incredible wisdom and insight regarding his Savior straight from the Father, yet he denied and abandoned Jesus on the night of His death. We look at all of these men and see examples of what we want to imitate. But, can you imagine how they felt about their faults sometimes?
I am human, and I make mistakes. I struggle, I falter. But, I do have Christ living within me! And His goal is to make me more like Him. His goal is to make sure people see Him when they look at me. Those complements really have nothing to do with me. They are not because of me. I'm not any of those things they claim I am. No, anything good I do is because Jesus is shining through. Wow! Now THAT is encouragement! If people look at me and see characterisitcs they admire and desire, I can tell them exactly how to become just like me. Why? Because I'm not like me - I'm like Jesus. And, with His help and His presence, ANYONE can be like Him, too!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Unpacking
The other day I read a friend's blog post about unpacking the baggage we carry around with us. It's a theme that is common to me, one that has been presented in numerous sermons and lessons I've heard. I enjoyed reading what my friend had gleaned from the presentation she had witnessed, but at the moment it went no further than that.
Then there was this morning...
One week ago today we began unpacking all of our earthly belongings. We were surrounded by box after box after box in an utterly overwhelming atmosphere of chaos. My friend’s picture of unpacking was the concept of those suitcases we carry around, but my image is of all of those boxes!
Over the past week we’ve mostly been unpacking the things that pertained to daily life – kitchen and bathroom supplies, clothes, bedroom fixings, etc. But now we seem to be to those other boxes – the ones that we have to sort through just to see how we’re going to utilize them in our new surroundings. Those are the boxes that really set me to thinking this morning.
It’s all well and good to, both spiritually and literally, unpack what we’ve been lugging around. With those suitcases, we see burdens that we do carry with us from place to place. With the boxes, though, we see things that we’ve packed tightly away that we can even hide from sight if we so choose. (Think about all of those things tucked away in your attic or basement – do you even know what’s in there?!) We can actually put out of our minds that we have them, but they are still there. They are taking up space and weighing us down. If we ever try to move in our lives, we have to consider them. We have to either move them as they are, allowing them to take up valuable space without even considering what they contain, or we have to take the time to go through them and deal with the contents.
That is the thought that takes us to the heart of what was milling through my mind this morning. What do we do once it’s all unpacked? When we pull things out of a suitcase or a box, we have to find a new home for it! That’s one of the hardest parts about moving – deciding where something goes once you unpack it. Here in our new house, I can’t put things exactly where they’ve been for the past two years. Where I had a small kitchen and a roomy pantry I now have a large kitchen, a nice laundry room, and no pantry. Where I had small bathrooms with little storage space requiring many things to be stored elsewhere I now have a huge bathroom with more cabinet and drawer space than I know what to do with! I did have small bedrooms that really couldn’t handle the kids’ toys. But, we also had a large enclosed garage that could easily be our “playroom,” holding our huge bookshelves, all of the kids’ toys, our entertainment center, a tool area, etc. Now I have a smaller extra room which will be perfect for school and larger bedrooms where the kids can comfortably and happily play. I have to totally rethink my whole concept of setting up our home! Totally! It makes unpacking a bit of a challenge as I try to decide where each item should belong. Up until now it’s been mostly logical, but now that I’m getting to that “extra” stuff (office supplies, school stuff, knick-knacks, and other décor), it’s a little more difficult.
Our spiritual lives are much the same. We have both baggage and boxes that we need to unpack, but what do we do with what we unpack? Some of it we need to get rid of completely. Those bad habits, that bitterness, that memory of hurt that keeps us from truly moving forward. Some of it we need to open up and remember its usefulness. Those talents that we have pushed down, those gifts that we have failed to use, that forgiveness and love that we’ve been unwilling to freely share. And some of it needs to be stored away for later. Those passions for a mission we’re not quite able to embark on yet, those dreams that are still in formation, those areas of growth that need a few more years before everything truly falls into place.
Once we’re willing to open those boxes and begin the long, sometimes painful, process of unpacking, how do we know what to do with what we unpack? I have been reading lately in Joshua and seeing how God worked through the children of Israel to bring them into the land of their inheritance. They really didn’t have to do much – just obey. They had to seek the Lord for His instructions and then follow them to the letter. When they did, they had incredible victories. When they didn’t, they couldn’t even defeat the smallest of armies. In all of that – and in all of the laws and instructions God had given them – He just wanted them to realize that all they had to do was rely on Him! He wanted them to discover what their ancestors like Abraham and Joseph had learned and what their descendent David would learn. He wanted them to know that in their own power they could do nothing. They couldn’t even keep the simplest of laws! But, in His power, they could do everything.
God knows what to do with our stuff, no matter what it may be. He knows what we need to pull out and use. He knows what we need to give away. He knows what needs to be thrown out. He knows what needs to be packed away and dealt with later. It doesn’t necessarily make the task itself easier because the work still has to be done. It doesn’t make it all less time-consuming, and it doesn’t make it easier to deal with each thing we pull out. What reliance on Him does is take away the need to decide. We don’t have to worry about what to do with each thing we unpack. That’s His job. We just have to decide that we’re going to obey what He tells us to do with each thing. And as I try to decide where all of my physical belonging will be going, it gives me great comfort to know that He does this job on the spiritual side of things!
Then there was this morning...
One week ago today we began unpacking all of our earthly belongings. We were surrounded by box after box after box in an utterly overwhelming atmosphere of chaos. My friend’s picture of unpacking was the concept of those suitcases we carry around, but my image is of all of those boxes!
Over the past week we’ve mostly been unpacking the things that pertained to daily life – kitchen and bathroom supplies, clothes, bedroom fixings, etc. But now we seem to be to those other boxes – the ones that we have to sort through just to see how we’re going to utilize them in our new surroundings. Those are the boxes that really set me to thinking this morning.
It’s all well and good to, both spiritually and literally, unpack what we’ve been lugging around. With those suitcases, we see burdens that we do carry with us from place to place. With the boxes, though, we see things that we’ve packed tightly away that we can even hide from sight if we so choose. (Think about all of those things tucked away in your attic or basement – do you even know what’s in there?!) We can actually put out of our minds that we have them, but they are still there. They are taking up space and weighing us down. If we ever try to move in our lives, we have to consider them. We have to either move them as they are, allowing them to take up valuable space without even considering what they contain, or we have to take the time to go through them and deal with the contents.
That is the thought that takes us to the heart of what was milling through my mind this morning. What do we do once it’s all unpacked? When we pull things out of a suitcase or a box, we have to find a new home for it! That’s one of the hardest parts about moving – deciding where something goes once you unpack it. Here in our new house, I can’t put things exactly where they’ve been for the past two years. Where I had a small kitchen and a roomy pantry I now have a large kitchen, a nice laundry room, and no pantry. Where I had small bathrooms with little storage space requiring many things to be stored elsewhere I now have a huge bathroom with more cabinet and drawer space than I know what to do with! I did have small bedrooms that really couldn’t handle the kids’ toys. But, we also had a large enclosed garage that could easily be our “playroom,” holding our huge bookshelves, all of the kids’ toys, our entertainment center, a tool area, etc. Now I have a smaller extra room which will be perfect for school and larger bedrooms where the kids can comfortably and happily play. I have to totally rethink my whole concept of setting up our home! Totally! It makes unpacking a bit of a challenge as I try to decide where each item should belong. Up until now it’s been mostly logical, but now that I’m getting to that “extra” stuff (office supplies, school stuff, knick-knacks, and other décor), it’s a little more difficult.
Our spiritual lives are much the same. We have both baggage and boxes that we need to unpack, but what do we do with what we unpack? Some of it we need to get rid of completely. Those bad habits, that bitterness, that memory of hurt that keeps us from truly moving forward. Some of it we need to open up and remember its usefulness. Those talents that we have pushed down, those gifts that we have failed to use, that forgiveness and love that we’ve been unwilling to freely share. And some of it needs to be stored away for later. Those passions for a mission we’re not quite able to embark on yet, those dreams that are still in formation, those areas of growth that need a few more years before everything truly falls into place.
Once we’re willing to open those boxes and begin the long, sometimes painful, process of unpacking, how do we know what to do with what we unpack? I have been reading lately in Joshua and seeing how God worked through the children of Israel to bring them into the land of their inheritance. They really didn’t have to do much – just obey. They had to seek the Lord for His instructions and then follow them to the letter. When they did, they had incredible victories. When they didn’t, they couldn’t even defeat the smallest of armies. In all of that – and in all of the laws and instructions God had given them – He just wanted them to realize that all they had to do was rely on Him! He wanted them to discover what their ancestors like Abraham and Joseph had learned and what their descendent David would learn. He wanted them to know that in their own power they could do nothing. They couldn’t even keep the simplest of laws! But, in His power, they could do everything.
God knows what to do with our stuff, no matter what it may be. He knows what we need to pull out and use. He knows what we need to give away. He knows what needs to be thrown out. He knows what needs to be packed away and dealt with later. It doesn’t necessarily make the task itself easier because the work still has to be done. It doesn’t make it all less time-consuming, and it doesn’t make it easier to deal with each thing we pull out. What reliance on Him does is take away the need to decide. We don’t have to worry about what to do with each thing we unpack. That’s His job. We just have to decide that we’re going to obey what He tells us to do with each thing. And as I try to decide where all of my physical belonging will be going, it gives me great comfort to know that He does this job on the spiritual side of things!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)