Cadillacs and Volkswagons

I will start by saying that I’ve been married for 25 years, 26 this summer, and somewhere between baby #2 and baby #3, my hubby -- commenting on my housekeeping / cleaning, exclaimed:

“my mother is the Cadillac,

and honey,

you’re the Volkswagon” !!

I think at the time it probably brought tears to my eyes – now, I smile...

(and so does he!).

So… having recently discovered the blogging community, but not new to Proverbs 31 Ministries, (I’ve been receiving, and have been blessed by the online devotionals for a few years), I read “Spring Cleaning” by Karen Ehman, and several posts to the Swap and Hop -- hosted by Lisa TerKeurst - http://www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/ (so I can compare my own ‘clutter pics’ and somehow find comfort in the company!) – needless to say, I feel your pain! -- and now I’m feeling brave enough to give this a shot… I’ll post my most embarrassing clutter issue -- my basement – or should I say attic? The embarrassing part is that 2 years ago I moved “It” from the attic to the basement because we were having a new roof put on our house, and this involved a complete tear off, in which everything had to be moved out of the attic. During the summer months, I’m busy with my daylilies, and so, I ‘put off’ the sorting and reorganizing of 24 years (and three kids!) of accumulated “stuff.” Living in western NY, the attic gets pretty cold in the winter, and the basement remains chilly, and that’s always incentive enough to ‘put off’ this project until it warms up. But as soon as spring hits, and the ‘tiny points of green’ start poking through the cold hard ground, my daylilies call to me, begging to be dug up, divided, replanted, and sold. And so the cycle goes…. Yikes!
I’m hoping that it’s not too late to post, and that I’ll be able to figure out how to link back… certainly, I’ll be eagerly anticipating any advice on getting organized! Oh yeah... that's a ping pong table under the clutter!

Stay tuned for Cadillacs and Volkswagons part 2…

Tiny Points of Green

“…their love was something as new and as tender and perhaps as unobserved as the tiny point of green that, forcing its way through the earth, is yet unconscious of its own existence but promises a thrifty plant.”

Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878) from her book: Stepping Heavenward ~

“Last Sunday Dr. Cabot preached to the young. He first addressed those who knew they did not love God. It did not seem to me that I belonged to that class. Then he spoke to those who knew they did. I felt sure I was not one of those. Last of all he spoke affectionately to those who did not know what to think, and I was frightened and ashamed to feel tears running down my cheeks when he said that he believed that most of his hearers who were in this doubtful state did really love their Master, only their love was something as new and as tender and perhaps as unobserved as the tiny point of green that, forcing its way through the earth, is yet unconscious of its own existence but promises a thrifty plant.”

When my youngest daughter was in 5th grade, her school put on a talent show as an assembly during the school day. While the young performers were backstage, the floor was cleared of tables to make room for several 4th and 5th grade classes, coming in to watch. Several moms had arrived, myself included, and taking a seat on one of the chairs arranged in a semi-circle behind the students, I had a clear view not only of the stage, but also of the many young students sitting on the floor waiting for the show to begin. There were a few musical instrument performances, followed by several singing groups ~ mostly groups of girls. All the contestants had chosen for themselves what they were going to perform, and as these things go… three of the groups had chosen the same song -- evidently the most popular song for that year -- “Skater Boy.” I watched, as each of these groups of girls assembled ‘stage front,’ dressed in their skimpy costumes, and began to dance – MTV wannabies - and I was very aware of a heaviness in my heart. A burden. While looking out across the room, upon so many young, innocent children, I saw a picture:

God desires for these little ones to be His “lilies of the field.”

Who will tell them about Jesus? Who will fulfill His desire that each of them should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? ~ 1 Tim. 2:4 Who will cultivate the soil of their hearts to receive the Gospel message of salvation ~ so that they can grow as His lilies -- living in this world, but not loving the ways of this world? By the time the third group finished, I realized our mission field is our own backyard! We have a generation of young people growing up in this country, who have never heard the truth about Jesus Christ – God’s only begotten Son – how He came to earth, so they could have REAL LIFE, and have it more abundantly! Instead, they fill that void with ‘life’ as they imagine it should be – according to what the world treasures.

That was five years ago. Now, as a mother of three (two in High School, and one in college), my youngest daughter shares with me the ‘drama’ that daily transpires ~ pitfalls which have snared so many young teens, resulting in painful experiences that need God’s tender touch of grace and mercy and forgiveness. What these young people think they need and what they really need are two radically different things. This is our mission field ~ what is our ‘approach’ to meet their ‘real need’? What was often Jesus’ approach to share the Truth in the Gospels?

Jesus met people’s needs: healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, feeding the 5000, etc., and in doing so, they were open to receive from Him – to receive the words He spoke, words given to Him by His Father. Words of Life.

Do we seek to model this approach? Are we sensitive to the needs of others, looking for ways to bring refreshing "living water" into the dry circumstances of everyday life? As I consider my own two teen daughters, and college boy, I contemplate what their “perceived needs” are, realizing that when I seek to meet these needs (as long as it aligns with God’s Word), they will be more open to receive from me: my counsel, my wisdom, my witness – all pointing to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

They want to be heard ~ so I will listen (and listen and listen!) I will try not to respond with: ‘not now, I’m too busy… or I’m too tired.” ~ James 1:19

They want to be respected ~ so I will give them my attention and consider their ideas and opinions, looking for ways to encourage them -- taking into account their feelings and their age.

~ Romans 12:10 GNB

They want to be independent ~ so I will give them wise, godly counsel and choices and let them make as many of their own decisions as possible, (choosing battles prayerfully and carefully), stepping in when absolutes are called for, and praying for them continuously.

~ Colossians 4:2

They want to be treated as ‘grown up’ ~ so I will engage them in conversation, in the same manner I would give attention to a dear friend of mine. I will not brush them off as ‘children’ and their ideas as ‘childish’ – instead, I will seek to ‘stretch’ their understanding and imagination, and give them age-appropriate responsibilities and hold them accountable.

~ 1 Timothy 4:12

These “perceived needs” (not limited to this short list), really aren’t all that different from those of any other teen in their ‘public’ school. Keeping this in mind, I discover that when I make myself available to listen to their friends, lifting them before the Lord in prayer, God releases a stream of Living Water that can flow through me and out of me to accomplish His work ~ whether planting a seed, watering a field, or laying a foundation… for He alone gives the increase!

~ 1 Corinthians 3:9

Consider how the lilies grow ~

As parents, we always want our children to seek God, grow in His Word and in His Ways, grow in fellowship with other Christian kids, and make ‘right choices’ that are pleasing to Him. So we teach them ~ watering them with God’s Word. We pray for them and encourage them. We train them up in the way of Truth. Then we trust God to complete the work He began ~ and He is faithful to do it! ~ Philippians 1:6

He knows the right amount of water
our “seedlings” need to
flourish in His Hand.

We might be tempted to ‘drown’ them in ‘good things’ thinking ‘it’s what they need.’ But God’s Ways are higher than our ways and His Word tells us, that often He allows trials to come to us to mature us. That goes for our precious children as well. We want to protect them forever, but somewhere, sometime, along this path of life, temptations and trials will come to them. I witnessed this maturing in my youngest daughter this past year, as she faced a difficult trial at school. To hear her verbally profess that “she was too comfortable and God used this to cause her to look to Him, and -- ‘He works!’…” is joy unspeakable and full of glory!! ~ 1 Peter 1:7-8

Shortly afterward, a classmate experienced a similar trial, and my daughter responded with “I know what you’re going through…” -- an ‘open door’ to share the comfort she had found in Him!

Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4

If you pray that God will draw your child to Himself, don’t be amazed when a trial comes along. God is more concerned about our heavenly rewards than He is about our earthly comfort! We never want to see our children suffer hardships, but the fruit that ripens from God’s pruning is precious! James points out:

"Count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." ~ James 1:2-4

While they aren’t always going to make those right choices, what matters, is how do we respond when our kids fall? We ultimately want them to see Jesus in us ~ His mercy and grace, His forgiveness, His work of restoration and reconciliation, and by experiencing these riches, be able to share what they have received with those who have never seen the Light of Life. Then they will grow into thrifty plants!

Ambassadors for Christ ~ entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation!

"And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation... Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ..."

2 Corinthians 5:18, 20

New Beginnings

Amazing... how the crocus begin to pop up out of the cold hard ground, defying the previous year's death. Being resurrected to new life, they display themselves in royal apparel, reflecting the King in His majestic purple robes, and the Bride, in her pure spotless white linen, gloriously announcing that "times of refreshing" are here -- heralding the coming of spring -- a new beginning!

O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Cor. 15:55

For the past seven years, I have kept a devotional journal. Blogging is new for me. Eight is often a picture of 'new beginnings' throughout the Bible, and in this, the 8th year of my 'journaling pursuit' to know the heart of God, I graciously take hold of where this path might lead me, knowing that my Jesus always goes with me and before me, and it is simply for me to follow. Hosea tells us, in the sixth chapter of his book, that "we shall know, if we follow on to know the LORD; His going forth is prepared as the morning, and He shall come unto us as the rain" ~ Hosea 6:3. It's April. As I get ready to cultivate the soil of my New York garden, I find it's time, also, to ask Him to rain upon my heart, and soften its ground to receive His plantings: all that He desires to work in me, according to His good pleasure, so that I might walk in His newness of life.

"I want to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on...!"
Philippians 3:10-14