Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Big Investment Opportnities

I was recently assisting my parents at a preschool English class.  There were over twenty children there- all under three years old.  They were active, noisy, and so interesting.  Some were fighting for their independence.  Some wanted no part of independence.  Occasionally one would get out a sound which came close to an English word.  At that point everyone cheered.  Most of the time they did not speak or even seem to be listening. 

As I watched I marveled that any learning could occur with each child doing his own thing.  At some points it seemed a waste of time.  But was it?

No, it was doing what God asked us to do.  It was about so much more than English.  It was about obeying God.  It was about delivering the love of Jesus to both the children and their mothers.  It was about establishing a safe haven for the mothers and children.  It was acknowledging the value of each human life, and saying, “We care about you.”  It was about listening to moms who are tired and working hard to do a good job.  It was about telling them Jesus knows you and loves you. 


 I came away thanking God that I had the privilege to be in that room being part of God’s work.  Rather than a waste of time, it was a big investment in The Kingdom.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Living Through the Holidays

The holidays have run into the past.  I enjoyed them much, but not without incident.  One of my early Christmas presents was a Christmas cold. It did not interfere with my celebrations much, but was an annoyance poking at me day by day.  It made me tired and sometimes grumpy.  It meant I needed more rest, but it was not a big problem. 

I was able to breeze through Christmas shopping this year because I prayed.  My inflexibility always becomes a path to disaster.  This year I gave thought to what I thought my family might want or need.  I worked hard to not be very specific about my Christmas list.  Then to go to the store or online in prayer soaked thought.  It worked.  I actually had fun and I think my parents did, too.  Amazing!

We entertained friends and family.  We had my sister and brother here for a celebration.  We made pizza that was too good!  My mom is such a great cook.  We opened presents and laughed and visited until we were so tired. 
This year we read some advent essays provided by Wheaton College.  It prepared our hearts for each ministry event.  Even though we were all tired from our colds, because we were so focused on why we were celebrating, it was enjoyable.


 Now we are working on being intentional in our living each day.  This is challenging, but we are successful because God is with us.  I do not make resolutions each year. However, this year I am working at being God’s faithful warrior.  I want to be faithful even when I am tired, stressed, and overwhelmed.  I can only do that by prayer.  I want to make a difference.  So, I am praying, praying, praying!