THANK YOU LORD I HEARD THE PHONE

I heard a new song, Dream Small, by Josh Wilson and I thought, “What?  I thought we were to dream big.  Strive to achieve our wildest dream.”  This song said just the opposite.

Dream Small (excerpts)

It’s a momma singing songs about the Lord --- It’s a daddy spending family time

Simple moments change the world --- Little ways

It’s visiting the widow --- Dancing on a Friday

Don’t bother like you’ve gotta do it all

Jesus use you where you are

Dream Small

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THANK YOU LORD I HEARD THE PHONE --

The sweeper makes a lot of noise but I thought I heard the phone ring.  Yes, it was ringing and thank you Lord I heard the phone.  A friend and I talked for 45 minutes as she told about her husband being in the hospital.  He is taking chemo, his white count was down and his fever was up.  I listened.  I asked how she was doing.  I listened.  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I did not miss a phone call from a friend.

THANK YOU LORD THE MORNING WAS FREE --

A gal I have been friends with for years called.  You must know, we have shopped, laughed, bowled, shared many meals, and she was there when I got stopped for shop lifting.  (A story for another day but she stood outside the store and laughed.  She also laughed when I got stopped for speeding on the way home.  Yes, we are still friends.)  “What are you doing Friday?”  It depends.  What do you need and what time, because we have plans that evening?  “I need a ride to a doctor’s appointment at 10:00.”  Can do!  I will pick you up at 9:00.  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I could be available to do a small favor.

THANK YOU LORD I HAVE THE TIME --

“Mom, want to spend time with Tim on Tuesday?”  What does he have on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning?  “Nothing.”  How about I pick him up Tuesday morning and bring him back Wednesday around 1:00?  I have to be your way both days.  “That works.”  Time with a grandson who does not yet know he will be helping clean house!  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I have time to share.

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Dream small?  Simple moments change the world?  Maybe this song makes more sense than what I first thought.

I will never make a tremendous difference in the world like Mother Teresa.  I will never be heard by millions and millions like Billy Graham.  I will never …..

BUT I can listen to a friend.  A small thing.  I can help a friend.  A little thing.  I can enjoy a grandson.  A simple thing.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Three phone calls.  Each with a simple request.  Thank you Lord I heard the phone.

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Link to DREAM SMALL:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dream+small+josh+wilson&&view=detail&mid=F0775C959C7F9D79088DF0775C959C7F9D79088D&&FORM=VDRVRV

Link to DREAM SMALL lyrics.

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/joshwilson/dreamsmall.html

GOOD ENOUGH

Other than when I am working with numbers, I am not a perfectionist.  Often, good enough is fine.  Almost works.  No one will notice covers many situations. 

Believe me; more meals would be chopped than allowed into the next round.  Dusting around the edges would be normal and not the current, most likely short-lived, cleaning mode I am in.  (My grandkids would say our house is very clean even before I hit the edges.  Plus, I have convinced hubby dust is protecting the wood from ultraviolet sun rays.)  I love to sew, but can guarantee the teacher for home economics (That is what it was called in the 60’s – that would be the 1960’s not any century prior to that.) would shake her head and point out which seams had to be ripped out and sown again.  Yup.  I am not a perfectionist.

But I am trying to be perfect.  I want to be perfect – not at cooking or cleaning or sewing ---- I want to be perfect as a Christian.  I want to be the perfect Mary.  I want God to look down and say, “Oh my.  There is Mary.  There is my perfect little girl.”

I looked up scriptures with the word perfect, perfecter, perfecting, and perfection.  Not a single one contained my name or assured me I am perfect.  It must be a misprint!  Surely some monk came across that verse, thought, “Mary.  Perfect.  No way.”, and deleted it.  (Just kidding Pastor Larry.  I listened to you telling how meticulous those monks were with making sure every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ crossed.)

Jesus speaking:  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Oh great.  There is a verse telling me to be perfect.  Now what?

Okay.  Time to be serious. 

I read a number of commentaries on Matthew 5:48.  This excerpt written by James Burton Coffman explains:

No one can say that Christ did not set a high standard for man to follow! To be perfect as God is perfect, what a challenge this is! At the outset, every candid student of the Holy Scriptures should admit and understand that there is not the slightest possibility of his ever graduating from this school, "Magna cum Laude"! Nobody, but nobody is ever going to be perfect; and yet, it is the genius of the Christian religion that perfection is required of its adherents. A contradiction? No, only a paradox. The goal or ideal is necessary that man may continually know that he is unworthy of salvation, that he can never in a million years merit it, and that any real perfection he might eventually attain must be the free gift of Christ.

Nevertheless, how boldly Christ flung down the challenge! PERFECTION.

I am to be perfect AS the heavenly Father is perfect.  First, I know I am not perfect.  Second, I know I will not be perfect until I hear the words, “Welcome home Mary.” Third, I can try.

To be perfect AS the heavenly Father, I need to learn His wisdom, His goodness, His truthfulness, His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, ----- and extend those to everyone I meet. 

Am I up to the challenge?  I am going to do my best! 

BECAUSE, to not aim to be AS perfect as the heavenly Father is settling for good enough or almost. 

AND to not aim to be AS perfect as the heavenly Father will guarantee that others will notice when they hear me called a Christian.

THIS WON’T TAKE LONG

It started with an idea.  My grandchildren are no longer into crafts with grandma.  They are “too old” for water colors, crayons and stickers.  Hopefully, there will be great-grandchildren to join into my creative fun someday, but, right now, there seemed to be no good reason to keep those supplies.  They will dry out and be no good to anyone.  I would give those supplies to a friend with grandchildren just the right age.

I opened the drawers holding the markers.  There were a lot more markers than I remembered.  Keeping back a few, I put the rest into bags.  (Did you get the plural on bags?)  The crayons came next.  Thinking hard I tried to remember why I had so many boxes of crayons.  Oh well.  I kept one box and the rest were placed in another bag.  The construction paper was picked over.  Why do brown, black and that one shade of green never get used?  The paper disappeared into the bag.  I was quickly getting closer to the end.  Yes, we had fun making decorations with those little pieces of Perler plastic that you put on a form and then iron so they stick together.  I also had fun stepping on the ones that somehow escaped and were trying to get away.  Into the sack they went.  DONE! 

Or so I thought.  There was only one problem.  The space taken up by unused crafts was now empty.  Opening the doors to my sewing supply closet, I figured I would quickly move a few items into those drawers.  I figured wrong!  I did sort some items into the drawers.  But that left an empty space on the shelf.  I moved items around and filled that space. Then….

Do you see what happens with one small idea?  I ended up cleaning the closet.  When did I ever think I would use a very small triangle of hot pink fabric?  I started pitching pieces of material too small to use.  I moved items to another closet that had somehow migrated from their original location.  Of course, I also rearranged that closet.  There were items in the closet I had no use for.  Mattress pad covers that were so lumpy no self-resecting dog would even lay on them.  Into the trash they went. 

Then, the floor needed sweeping.  You do not clean without making a mess!  So the closet was cleaned, the floor swept but that made the dust show on the bookcase.  Why did I not turn out that light bulb that went off in my head and made me want to give those craft supplies away!

Have you ever had this happen to you?  One small idea, which should not take long to accomplish, that leads to another and another and another and….

I tell about my day because there is something I am very guilty of.  I study to teach Sunday School or when taking a Bible Study and I read this and that to help me be a better Christian.  I search the scriptures.  I google.  I can fill myself with a lot of knowledge.  What I need to do is dig deep, find a really big trash bag and get rid of all the things I no longer need, such as old habits, things I have believed that are not Biblical, and wanting things my way.  That will mean there is room for God to fill up my heart and load down my inner being with patience (I really need that), kindness, compassion, love …..

And then God can sweep up the mess I made and dust the bookcase.

(Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians)  For this reason I kneel before the Father, for whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

What do you need to toss out so God can fill you?

IF I WERE IN CHARGE

I do not know about you, but I want spring!  You know, those nice cool in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and still a bit chilly at night days that come after winter and before summer.  Spring seems to be a bit confused this year.  Maybe it got lost when we did that stupid change-your-clock thing.

If I were in charge of the weather, it would be spring!

I do not know about you, but I hate weeds.  Weeds do not seem to care if their feet are too wet or too dry.  They grow and grow and grow.  And try pulling a weed.  I swear their roots go all the way to the Indian Ocean.  (The Indian Ocean is on the other side of the world from where I live.  What about you?  Check out:  https://www.freemaptools.com/tunnel-to-other-side-of-the-earth.htm )

If I were in charge, there would be no weeds!

I do not know about you, but I love chocolate.  Chocolate has attitude.  Add it to hot milk and it will make a cold night cozy.  Put it around peanut butter and you would swear you were in heaven.  A small piece of chocolate will chase away a bad mood and make children smile.

If I were in charge, chocolate would be at the very top of the good-for-you food chart.

I do not know about you, but I love to blow bubbles.  First dipping the wand into the bubble stuff, taking a deep breath, blowing it out and, as if by magic, a bubble floats into the air.  It swirls, colors appearing as it climbs and climbs and – bursts.  Breathe.  Blow.  Bubbles.  Over and over and over.  Till the sky is full.  And as those bubbles float away, my body relaxes, worries seem a bit lighter and the world is not so crazy.

If I were in charge, every person in the world would blow bubbles.

I bet you are thinking, “Wow!  I am sure glad she is not in charge.”

I am glad I am not in charge either.  My idea of a perfect world…a perfect life…a perfect day…would be at odds with just about everyone else in the world.  If I wanted a nice rain, the people wanting to go on a picnic would not be happy.  If I declared it to be summer all over the globe, the penguins in the Antarctica would have no place to care for their eggs.  If I ---

If I were in charge, there would be chaos.  I am good at a few things, but running the world – the universe – is not a challenge I am up to.  Not me!!

And God said,

Genesis 1:  The first words of verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29

“And God said,” – I love those verses.  All God had to do was speak and it happened.  God created this world, this universe, me.  God is in charge.

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm.  He said:  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man;  I will question you, and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.  Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!  Who stretched a measuring line across it?  On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone – while the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?                     Job 38:1-11

If I ever even begin to think I should be in charge, I read Job.  In Job 38 – 41, God has a talk with Job.  (Think about a time someone had a talk with you.  Now multiply that times, oh let’s say, a gazillion.  That is how Job must have felt.)  During this talk, among other things, we learn that God:

• Laid the earth’s foundation
• Controls the seas, the sun, the moon, snow, hail, lightning, winds, rain, ice, and stars
• Provides for the lioness, raven, mountain goats, bears, wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, horse, hawk, and eagle
• Is adorned with glory and splendor and clothed in honor and majesty
• Will release the fury of His wrath, dispense justice, bring the proud low and humble them, and crush the wicked

Then Job replied to the LORD:  “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  Job 42:1-3

Job got it!!

God has a plan and I do not want to hear, “What are you thinking Mary?  You in charge?  You want to dispute me?  You want to argue with me?  You want me to set times for judgment?  You want answers?  This is going to be fun.  Brace yourself …..”

I get it. 

The LORD has a plan and for sure I do not understand it.  I just know it is the perfect plan and HIS plan has been in place since the very first “In the beginning.”