WAITING

I always figure ten minutes early or I am late.  Today I was really early.  An hour early!  So, as I write this, I am waiting.  Not enough time to go anywhere and too much time for quietly waiting to be fun. 

But it is not quiet.  I hear people’s footsteps.  And voices.  I hear the sound of doors opening.  And closing.  The most noise is the furnace fans.  A fan big enough to move the air through a big building.  I appreciate being warm, but it is an annoying sound.  Constant.  Intrusive.

The building, like me, seems to be waiting.  Waiting to do what it is designed for.  Waiting to fulfill its purpose.

Am I doing what I am designed for?  How do I know what I am to do?  Am I on the right track?  Am I…?  Am I…?  Where do I find the answer to my questions?

Sometimes it is easy.  Life just feels right.  I know inside – at the core of my being – I am fulfilling my purpose.

Sometimes it is just the opposite.  My core – my conscious, my spirit – lets me know I am not fulfilling my purpose. I know I am not on the right track.

Then there are those other times – most of the time – when I just am not sure.  Life does not feel right, but it does not seem wrong either.  It is a time of “getting through.”  And I ask, “God, what am I supposed to be doing?  What is my purpose?  Am I doing what you designed me for?”

Those are the times when I need to shut out the constant, intrusive sounds.  Shut out the sound of doors and voices and shoes hitting the floor.  Those are the times when I need to quietly wait.  Wait until I receive direction.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

So I quietly wait until my inner core – my Holy Spirit – gives me the calm that comes from the one who created me.  The calm that comes when I am fulfilling the plans the Lord has for me.

For, you see, life is meant for so much more than just “getting through.”  The Lord has plans for each of us.  Plans that will prosper and not harm.  Plans that will give hope and a future.  That sure beats just getting through!  

I FORGOT

The minute she opened the door, I knew she had forgotten I was coming.  Her eyes had that “deer in the headlight look” as she let me in.  Immediately she said, “Oh, no.  I forgot to write it in my main calendar.”

The next comment sent me right back out the door.  She continued, “The children are sick, one has pink eye really bad and is contagious.  I am sorry I forgot and did not call you.”

I quickly assured her it was fine and to let me know when the children were better.  I waved at the little one and left.

I meant it when I said it was fine.  Everyone forgets something once in a while.  Although I remember appointments, there are things I forget.

My forgetting would probably go something like this:

Walking to the door, I wondered who it could be because I was not expecting anyone.  Most likely someone selling something.  Not cookies, because the scout cookies were already in the pantry.  Maybe someone passing out information on the election, but our election is not until May so that would not make sense.  The doorbell rings again, as if to say, “Did you hear me?”

I unlocked the door, opened it and immediately had the “deer in the headlight look.”  How could I have forgotten?  Just that morning I promised to spend time with this person.  But you know how the day goes.  Mail.  Those games on the iPad.  Extra time at the coffee shop.  Fixing dinner.  A nap.  The TV show recorded from last night.  How could I have forgotten?  How could I have been so busy?

“Come in,” I whispered.  Slowly closing the door behind my guest, I knew I was …..

Then my guest said, “Mary, let’s just sit and talk for a bit.  Tell me about your day.  Your joys.  Your pain.  Tell me how it feels when you watch the sky.  Bill loves to hear you ‘rattiling on like a junk car’ and so do I.  Mary, let’s just sit and talk for a bit.”

Yes, it was easy for me say it was fine.  Because it was fine.  The woman needed to attend to the children more than she needed to worry about my inconvenience.  She had to set her priorities.

But what priorities do I set?  “Today I will ……

Today I will just sit and talk for a bit.  But first I will apologize for forgetting.  For being too busy. 

Today I will just sit and talk for a bit.  “Yes, come in.  I have time.  Jesus, today the clouds were blowing by so fast.  It was like they were having a race.  And did I tell you about ……..”

 

ALL IN ONE DAY

Yesterday was a bit stressful.  Our daughter and I had a contest to see exactly which of our days was worse.  I think I won but, really, who wants to win at being most stressed?

My stressful day actually began a couple weeks back when a mysterious, very wet spot appeared in our kitchen.  There was no reason for it to be there.  Uninvited, it just showed up.  As the spot grew larger, hubby tried using the shop vac.  Nope, kept getting wetter.  Faced with a challenge, out came the knife and the carpet now has a bit of damage.  Hubby checked and there was no reason for the water to be there.  It was not wet anywhere except in that ONE DARNED SPOT.  Where had the water come from?  Why did it finally dry up? 

Fast forward to yesterday.  “There is that sound again and it is louder,” I told hubby.  He turned the power off to the dishwasher.  Sound still there.  He turned off the water.  Sound gone.  That was not a good thing, so the plumber was called.  Stress #1:  there is a leak under your sink.  Our mighty plumber found the leak but could not fix it until the next day.  Stress #1 carried over into today.

Blast email anyway!  Stress #2:  My email was not working!!!  It kept asking if I wanted to send a report.  Did I want to send a report?  By day’s end, I sent dozens of reports.  I reasoned if I was having a bad day because of this email problem, someone else was going to be having trouble also.  My computer guru assured me it was not the connection between the seat and the keyboard (aka: me) and that IncrediMail was not as incredible as I previously thought.  It is still not working so stress #2 has carried over into today.

Are you wondering what else was stressful?  I had a court report to write and chose yesterday to begin it.  I love to write but writing for fun is not the same as writing a court report.  I am not an overly formal person and writing in an acceptable form for court takes me a long – very long – time.  Did Stress #3 carry over into today?  Only enough to make a couple of changes and send it on its way.

Are you still reading?  Proud of you because I have taken the long way around to make a point. 

A leak in a water pipe - THANK YOU LORD!  WE HAVE WATER IN OUR HOME.  WATER TO DRINK.  WE TURN ON THE TAP OR THE SHOWER AND IT JUST FLOWS OUT.  THANK YOU LORD!

Email that doesn’t work – THANK YOU LORD!  WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR HOME.  WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.  WE CAN DO BUSINESS.  WE CAN LEARN.  THANK YOU LORD!

Court reports to write – THANK YOU LORD!  YOU HAVE GIVEN ME A HEART FOR CHILDREN AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THEM.  THANK YOU LORD!

Each day we make choices.  Do I allow a small leak to destroy my day?  Do I allow an email glitch to destroy my day?  Do I allow the search for the right words destroy my day?  Or do I give thanks?  The honest answer? 

The honest answer is I did not give thanks yesterday.  In the midst of the leak, email problems and searching for the right words, I was stressed.  It was not until the leak was fixed, the email was up and working and the report written that I realized yesterday was a piece of cake.  It was not until today that I saw my blessings and gave thanks.

Now, oh, I have to call someone and get the carpet fixed.

We have carpet to fix.  THANK YOU LORD!

WHAT HAPPENS IN -----

Sometimes you just need time off.  That was the point I was at but it is time to start my blog again.  You see, last Sunday ……

Last Sunday I delivered the message and as I walked down the aisle, there sat a man who is in water aerobics with me.  I looked at him and said, “Don’t worry.  What happens at the pool, stays at the pool.”  Then I smiled and continued on with the message.

But, that comment got me to thinking.  Thoughts bounced around in my head about how often we hear that comment.

Where do you see the slogan:  What Happens here, Stays here?

• Vermont
• Family Reunions
• The Man Cave
• The Garage
• The Ranch
• Camp Grandpa

And of course, the original slogan:  What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

We hear this and grin.  But do we carry this too far?

Do we use that slogan in our Christian life?  Do we apply that slogan to our church?  What would happen IF we applied that slogan to our faith and our church? 

BUT -- What would happen if we turned that phrase around?

WHAT HAPPENS HERE, DOES NOT STAY HERE

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.  Acts 6:7

But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.  Acts 12:24

In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.  Acts 19:20

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

If what happens as we grow in faith and if what happens in our churches stays hidden, the Word of God will not spread and flourish and grow in power.  Priests will not become obedient to the faith.  No one will see the good deeds Christians do and the Father will not receive the Glory. 

If what happens as we grow in faith and if what happens in our churches stays hidden, many will not receive the daily blessings of comfort, strength, grace, mercy, hope, forgiveness, or the gift of eternal life.

So which slogan should we use?

• What happens here, stays here
• What happens here, does not stay here