Friday, September 30, 2011

it makes a difference

Does anyone else remember the 'little' song that we learned in Sunday School?

"Oh, be careful little eyes what you see---
oh, be careful little eyes what you see---
for the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful little eyes what you see."

And then, there's the rest of it:
"...be careful little ears what you hear...be careful little mouth what you say...be careful little hands what you do...be careful little feet where you go..."

Still very good advice! But, perhaps not quite thorough enough. I'm adding to the list, "Oh, be careful little heart what you pray..."

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, what resulted was the passage that we commonly call 'the Lord's Prayer.' "Our Father, which art in heaven..."

Most of us are very familiar with the prayer, having learned it by 'heart' at an early age, and hopefully we've been using it daily for many years. But, I wonder if we know what we are asking...

For instance, in the passage that pleads "forgive us our debts (transgressions) as we forgive our debtors (transgressors)," I wonder if we realize the raw power of that request. I wonder if we've even considered the ramifications of the true meaning of the words. Let me try to explain:

The key to understanding this phrase lies in the tiny two-letter word, 'as.'  You see, when used in the function of a conjunction, it means "while." Okay, forgive me my debts while I forgive my debtors. That's all well and good. Reasonable. But, is it what Jesus was actually teaching us? I thought it was way too shallow on that level, so a few years ago, I pulled out the good, old Greek-English Lexicon and guess what I learned?! Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. In this text the true usage of the word, 'as,' is an ADVERB! Now, that makes a tremendous difference. For you see, it doesn't mean 'while' you are doing something, it actually means so much more. It means "to the same degree or amount." WOW!

Do you see it? "Father, forgive me [today] THE SAME WAY that I forgive others." Therefore, when we withhold our forgiveness, or make it conditional, or give it grudgingly---we may be putting ourselves in a delicate position to receive much-needed forgiveness and comfort ourselves. Don't get all pious on me here---WE ALL NEED TO BE FORGIVEN. We have all done foolish things that caused hurt to ourselves or others and more importantly, to the Lord.

While contemplating the depth of the prayer, as Jesus intended, I also was reminded of a passage that Paul (the Apostle, not the Beatle) wrote to us via the Corinthians in II Cor. 9:1-12, but especially verses 6-8. Paul explains that when we give, it should always be from the heart: "...give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

The point I'm trying to make is that it's time to put on the mind of Christ...to think outside the box. For decades, this Corinthian passage has been used, primarily during 'Stewardship' sermons, to persuade us to give more. Perhaps, it is time to think about it on a broader scale, though. What if we allowed it to dictate the way with which we 'give' ANYTHING?  We could apply it to our work---giving our hours to the boss/company cheerfully, not grudgingly. We could apply it to our families---doing our chores cheerfully, not grudgingly or of necessity. In fact, we could apply it to every area of our lives.

We could, especially, apply it to the way we choose to forgive...cheerfully, not grudgingly or of necessity. Then, and only then, will we be living with the mind of Christ when it comes to forgiving others. I believe He forgives me completely, freely, and cheerfully. He is happy whenever I have a change of heart, repenting of my shortcomings/sins (whether in thoughts, words or actions.) So, I must "be careful, little heart, what you pray." Praying that I be forgiven, just the same way that I forgive others, can be powerful. It could be a blessing or a curse.

But, I know a secret: "He hath set before you LIFE and the BLESSING [as well as] DEATH and the CURSING...THEREFORE, CHOOSE LIFE, WITH THE BLESSING!" (Deut. 30:19)

I think I will! One hour at a time, as He strengthens and encourages me, I believe I can forgive just the same way that He forgives me.

Friday, September 23, 2011

I still miss someone...

Johnny Cash was the kind of singer that you either liked or you didn't...there was no middle ground for most of us. Personally, I liked him "then," and I still do. With any of our favorite crooners though, there are still tunes that we like better than others, even by the same performer. Since we like the voice, it's usually the content...the lyrics, that we don't care for. With that in mind, I'll admit that I have my favorites, even with Johnny.

At this time of the year, I always think of a particular song that he sang. "I Still Miss Someone" is the name of the song..."At my door the leaves are falling...a cold, wild wind has come...people [ 'sweethearts' actually, but I prefer to use 'people,' as that includes all of us! ] walk by together, and I still miss someone." Obviously, it's just another love song, but it's still true...I do miss someone, and I miss her so much sometimes that I can hardly see through the tears. When is there a better time to sing a 'love' song?

Mommie Dearest, you were fortunate enough to be born on the first day of autumn, my favorite season of the year! And when the leaves start falling, I miss you so very much. There would be 79 candles on your cake today; we'd need to have the fire department standing by...just in case! Goodness gracious...all those flames and we're still under a burn ban!! All kidding aside, you have to know that you left me too soon...I wasn't done loving you and I will never stop missing you. The hole in my heart hasn't gotten any bigger, it just hasn't filled up. There just isn't anyone in this whole world who can take your place. Even though I am blessed beyond measure...I have a husband who adores me...just ask Mowgli! ;)  and I have amazing children who have incredible mates and the grandchildren can't be compared to anyone else's---it just wouldn't be fair...yet, even so, I still miss YOU!

You were the most wonderful mother! Oh, and by the way, I bought Shel Silverstein's new book of poems today...primarily for this one poem! I knew you'd like it as much as I do.

SPIDER

"A spider lives inside my head
Who weaves a strange and wondrous web
Of silken threads and silver strings
To catch all sorts of flying things,
Like crumbs of thoughts and bits of smiles
And specks of dried-up tears,
And dust of dreams that catch and cling
For years and years and years..."


Yep, that just about says it all! There remain bits of all our conversations, all our wonderful moments spent together, all the smiles and all the tears...and that's where they stay...caught in a web spun from the silver cords of love, love so wonderful that we cannot put a value on it---it's simply priceless!  Oh yes, I still miss someone...and I always have, I always do, and I always will.

One of the most precious bits clinging to that web is an image that is still so vibrant in my memory...I still recall how you looked when you tucked me in at bedtime. You would read me a Bible story and help me say my prayers, and then you'd read a few pages from a real 'chapter' book! One of my favorites was Joel Chandler's "Uncle Remus." You always did the "voices" better than anyone else. I remember that you still had your beautiful "work" clothes on, a stylish dress and classy heels! I remember the intoxicating fragrance of your perfume...back then it was Shalimar. (I used to slip into your bedroom and gingerly remove the glass stopper on the elegant bottle so I could smell 'you' when you were away.) So, there are phrases from Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit caught in that web, as well as wisps of Shalimar now and then.

How charming and lovely you were to me! How could I NOT miss someone so precious?! This world was lucky to have you as long as it did! Yes, I still miss someone, but I know that you're waiting in the doorway, gazing down the winding trail, scanning the horizon for your little red-haired girl, and someday, if you leave the light on, I'll find you again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY MOMMIE DEAREST!!!! (I've heard that Jesus throws awesome parties!)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

dropping calls

I've never been accused of being a people-pleaser. To the contrary, I'm a bit of a rebel at times! However, I am, most definitely, a people-watcher! I enjoy watching the people around me. In fact, if stranded in an airport, I'd probably be just fine...as long as there were other people to watch!!!

Lately, I've been watching people and their relationship to their cell phone. Sound a bit odd? Maybe so, but nevertheless, that's what I find myself doing A LOT lately.

I think it is quite peculiar that we can't buy our groceries anymore without a cell phone activated. I've overheard loud one-sided conversations that Maury would love to get hold of! Nothing is really private anymore, nothing seems to be sacred either. How sad! How strange and sad it is.

With all this technology though, there is still a major problem...we don't always have "bars" when we think we need them...we lose our connection...we drop the call. You should see some of the outbursts that I have seen when that happens! You'd think we'd just lost our dearest friend instead of cell-phone service.

And that got me to thinking...

I am an early riser. I enjoy watching the new dawn slip in; I like to be there to welcome the new day. I enjoy spending time in the garden during the hour or so before daybreak. That's often where my quiet-time begins for the day. I wouldn't trade those moments for all the stars in the sky. Jerry leaves me to my quietude and then eventually joins me...and so begins our day.

But, what happens after that? I have become keenly aware that throughout the day I seem to be dropping calls. Let me explain that a little better. We check our cell phones several times a day. We make sure that we aren't missing calls or text messages. We sneak a peek at work---some people have actually lost their jobs because of their inability to leave their cell phones alone while they are working. And we all know the danger caused by the careless drivers around us who choose to text and drive, etc., etc., etc.  We just can't stand it when we drop a call.

But, aren't we doing just that with our spiritual lives at times? We start the day "prayed up" and ready to tackle anything, but usually after only an hour or two, our zeal begins to fade. We aren't staying connected---we're dropping calls! The Holy Spirit urges us to come aside, for a minute or two; He has something He wants to discuss with us, but we're not in the zone anymore---we're dropping calls.

I wonder what would happen if we stayed as charged up spiritually as we keep our cell phones charged. What if there was as great a priority to recharge our spirits as there is to keep our phones charged and at-the-ready! And what if we actually took as much care with our praying as we did with our text messages to each other. I just wonder if it would make a difference. I believe it would.

I have challenged myself to take note of the way I handle my cell phone. I have asked the Lord to help me see what He sees whenever I check it. Missed call? No problem..."God bless my sweet friend and work mightily in their behalf. Give me the words to say when I call them back." Haven't received the call you were expecting? That's okay, too. "God, thank you for making me stop and check to see if there was any news. You know the situation. Bless my children."

The next time you're holding your cell phone, take a look at the contact list. Scroll down through it until your spirit flutters within you. Stop right then and say a prayer for that person. It only takes a few seconds. And by the way, this will work with Facebook, too. If you need to check your page often, then take a look at your friends list and pause for a minute and pray for them. Everyone is going through something---we all need all the help we can get. You can bet that I'll be thinking of you more frequently than I used to. I'll see your name (or your smiling face on Facebook) and I'm going to smile right back at you and say, "God bless my friend (mate, parent, daughter, son, grandchild, brother, sister, niece, nephew) today. Let them feel Your presence and love, Your mercy and grace. Grant them peace and health. I hope I can see them again soon."

I don't want to drop any more calls. God is calling...love is calling...it's time to answer.