"The Bible says not to covet, even if it is your friend's trip to Africa," were the wise words a friend told me earlier this year. One of my dear friends, who happens to be married to my husband's cousin, making her not only a friend, but family, was moving to Africa as a missionary, and I was very jealous. So, why was I coveting my friend's trip to Africa, you may wonder. Well, let me tell you.
As a jr high girl, I read The Star of Light by Melissa M. St. John. It is the story of a missionary nurse in India who cares for street children in a very large city. A brother and sister (who is blind) run away from a terrible situation at home, in search of this nurse. The story recounts how the boy learns about Jesus and what happens both to him and his young sister, who is blind. It captured my heart and set my direction for the next several years, until I completed my nursing degree, even determining my summer plans for three different summers. For most of my life, it has been my dream not only to work as a registered nurse, but to work as a registered nurse as a missionary in Africa.
Somewhere between graduating from nursing school and getting married, I got off the road I'd so carefully planned. Instead of heading to the foreign field, I ran into road-blocks. Honestly, I don't remember what they were, but somehow I didn't make it to Africa like I'd planned. Then, when I met this increcible man and fell in love, it suddenly wasn't just about me anymore. My husband had his own set of dreams and desires. Not only that, but I totally under-estimated his determination and desire to do something besides go to Africa!
So, instead of going to Africa and working as a nurse, I stayed in the US, busy with a different kind of nursing. My husband and I joined the staff of a large non-profit organization and began working as life coaches focusing on the spiritual needs of college students. It is a wonderful way to invest my energy, as is pouring myself into raising my children. Yet, part of my heart still yearns to go to Africa. Thus, when I came face-to-face with my dear friend's immenent departure, I was overcome with heartache, disappointment, and (though I hate to admit it) jealousy!
My sweet friend noticed my tear-streaked face, and after inquiring as to its cause, gave me her sage, and sound, advice not to covet my friend's trip to Africa. Unfortunately, it is much easier to know the right thing than it is to actually do it. An update just arrived, via e-mail, from my dear friend, describing the trip to their East Africa location. I'm coveting their trip to Africa! Ok, not any more. But, I did. It was, of course, in the most honorable of ways. Still, it was coveting. Yuck.
The commandment not to covet was written a very long time ago, when the world was a much different place. But, it still applies today, in the 21st century, where people like me can covet things never imagined by those around when it was written. The general idea is exactly the same; don't want what God has given someone else. God is helping me recognize that I'm wanting what He has given others, while at the same time helping me appreciate and want what He has given me. Not easy, but it is a very good thing.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Burning coals
Proverbs 25:21 and 22 says that if you are nice to your enemy, then you will heap coals of burning fire on his head and the Lord will reward you. Romans 12:20 says basically the same thing. At first, it sounds like God will reward you for doing a bad thing! Heaping coals of burning fire on the head of anyone, in our culture, is definitely not good. But, if you look at the cultural and historic context, the perspective changes greatly.
I've been told that in the culture and time when the verses were written, it was actually a very good thing to heap coals of fire on some one's head. If you remove our 21st century conveniences like central heat, ovens with timers and thermostats, and sources of heat like electricity and natural gas, all of a sudden fire becomes much more valuable. Though I've never studied the context or details out myself, I've been told that to heap coals of fire on some one's head is like giving them coals to start a cooking fire or to get heat going in their cold tent. It is a very good thing.
Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the benefit of heaping coals of fire. Fortunately, the coals were not on my head! My folks were visiting, and we decided to head down to a local river to swim. When dinner time arrived, we had everything for the cookout, except charcoal. The little grill in the park next to our picnic table, though, did have a very small pile of coals, left over from some other cookout! Being the resourceful mother of many that I am (and you know, necessity is the mother of invention), I gathered handfuls of twigs from the ground and used the left over coals to start a fire. It worked great! We had hot, tasty food, without any charcoal, matches or lighter fluid, all because some one left a heap of burning coals.
Since that experience, the verse in Proverbs has come to mind often. As I've reflected on my adventure with coals, I realized I've learned a couple of lessons. The first lesson is how very much I take for granted the modern conveniences I have!! If I want to cook, all I have to do is turn on my stove and blue flame leaps to life. If I want to bake something, the digital read out on my oven tells me when the oven has reached the right temperature. If it is cold in my house, with the flip of a switch I can make it warm. Such conveniences have only been available for a relatively short time in the scheme of human history. I have much for which to be thankful!
The second lesson I've learned is how vital it is to understand the historical and cultural context of a passage of Scripture. Without further background on Proverbs 25:21, I thought God was willing to give a reward for a bad thing. Instead, it has become very clear from my experience that God is honoring kindness and generosity to an enemy instead of recognizing an action that could only be considered spiteful and unkind. The Bible can seem to mean very different things depending on your perspective, but looking at the context limits the interpretations significantly.
If there is a moral to this story, it is up to you to choose. One last piece of advice, though. If you find yourself at the park ready to barbecue without any briquettes, see if another grill has coals still burning. Just make sure the people who lit the fire are actually done using it. That way you won't find yourself actually experiencing the transfer of burning coals to your body!
I've been told that in the culture and time when the verses were written, it was actually a very good thing to heap coals of fire on some one's head. If you remove our 21st century conveniences like central heat, ovens with timers and thermostats, and sources of heat like electricity and natural gas, all of a sudden fire becomes much more valuable. Though I've never studied the context or details out myself, I've been told that to heap coals of fire on some one's head is like giving them coals to start a cooking fire or to get heat going in their cold tent. It is a very good thing.
Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the benefit of heaping coals of fire. Fortunately, the coals were not on my head! My folks were visiting, and we decided to head down to a local river to swim. When dinner time arrived, we had everything for the cookout, except charcoal. The little grill in the park next to our picnic table, though, did have a very small pile of coals, left over from some other cookout! Being the resourceful mother of many that I am (and you know, necessity is the mother of invention), I gathered handfuls of twigs from the ground and used the left over coals to start a fire. It worked great! We had hot, tasty food, without any charcoal, matches or lighter fluid, all because some one left a heap of burning coals.
Since that experience, the verse in Proverbs has come to mind often. As I've reflected on my adventure with coals, I realized I've learned a couple of lessons. The first lesson is how very much I take for granted the modern conveniences I have!! If I want to cook, all I have to do is turn on my stove and blue flame leaps to life. If I want to bake something, the digital read out on my oven tells me when the oven has reached the right temperature. If it is cold in my house, with the flip of a switch I can make it warm. Such conveniences have only been available for a relatively short time in the scheme of human history. I have much for which to be thankful!
The second lesson I've learned is how vital it is to understand the historical and cultural context of a passage of Scripture. Without further background on Proverbs 25:21, I thought God was willing to give a reward for a bad thing. Instead, it has become very clear from my experience that God is honoring kindness and generosity to an enemy instead of recognizing an action that could only be considered spiteful and unkind. The Bible can seem to mean very different things depending on your perspective, but looking at the context limits the interpretations significantly.
If there is a moral to this story, it is up to you to choose. One last piece of advice, though. If you find yourself at the park ready to barbecue without any briquettes, see if another grill has coals still burning. Just make sure the people who lit the fire are actually done using it. That way you won't find yourself actually experiencing the transfer of burning coals to your body!
Monday, July 02, 2007
With wings like eagles
Usually, what gets written here is funny. I like to focus on humor, because as so many of you know, life is hard and you can either laugh or cry. Laughing is easier and much more fun. But lately, I haven't had lots to laugh about. With my husband traveling a lot for his work this summer, I've been a single-mom and life has been CRAZY!
With only one of me, and six of my children, it is very much like a six-on-one sports match. I'm definitely running my tail off. Too bad I'm not burning calaries like I would playing a sport all day. Instead, I'm tired at the end of the day! Many things remain unfinished, and things I thought had been completed often are not. Case in point; early one morning, my son's diaper leaked as I nursed him in bed. I pulled the sheets off and got them to the foot of Mt. Washmore in the laundry room then rushed off to fix breakfast and manage my home for the day. Some time after 10:00pm, it was bed time for the baby boy and I was ready to drop. But, I still had to make my bed! At least I had clean sheets (though the wet ones were still down at the foot of Mt. Washmore). When my son is grown, I'll have to pay for his counseling, but with no option other than to let him scream, I left him contained and put sheets on the bed.
The amazing thing I've discovered, though, is that God's promise in the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:31; you can read it at http://http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/tools/printer-friendly.pl?book=Isa&chapter=40&version=ESV#31/) is true. He says that if I wait on Him, then I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint. Now, I'm not running or walking in the literal sense, but I'm definitely running my feet off! And I'm tired, but not worn out. God is giving me the strength I need every day to keep going.
Some days have been more difficult than others. When my son woke up sick, the police chief of our little town called to ask me to pick up our dog from City Hall (yes, it is a small town, and the last time the police chief called about a dog, we got a $150 fine!), and the dishwasher quit all on the same day, it was really hard. When I got an early morning call from camp to let me know that my daughter was throwing up and needed to be picked up, my whole day was pretty much shot. But, life goes on, and I was not completely overwhelmed by it!
The other night, a few women had gathered in my living room to talk about the Psalms. Our focus for the evening was Psalm 59, which David (the second king of Israel) wrote after his father-in-law (the first king) sent men to his house to kill him. And you thought you had in-law trouble! David had a choice what he was going to focus on, and he focused on the God who created both him and his father-in-law, instead of just his father-in-law. When asked what lessons had been learned, one woman said, "The world won't stop for you, but God will." That made me stop and think! The world doesn't stop for me, even if my life is falling apart. But, the God who created me and the rest of the world DOES stop for me. He is concerned about what I'm concerned about. He knows my weaknesses and He helps me. He knows I am made of dust, and He treats me accordingly. It is a wonderful gift. You might say it keeps me going.
With only one of me, and six of my children, it is very much like a six-on-one sports match. I'm definitely running my tail off. Too bad I'm not burning calaries like I would playing a sport all day. Instead, I'm tired at the end of the day! Many things remain unfinished, and things I thought had been completed often are not. Case in point; early one morning, my son's diaper leaked as I nursed him in bed. I pulled the sheets off and got them to the foot of Mt. Washmore in the laundry room then rushed off to fix breakfast and manage my home for the day. Some time after 10:00pm, it was bed time for the baby boy and I was ready to drop. But, I still had to make my bed! At least I had clean sheets (though the wet ones were still down at the foot of Mt. Washmore). When my son is grown, I'll have to pay for his counseling, but with no option other than to let him scream, I left him contained and put sheets on the bed.
The amazing thing I've discovered, though, is that God's promise in the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:31; you can read it at http://http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/tools/printer-friendly.pl?book=Isa&chapter=40&version=ESV#31/) is true. He says that if I wait on Him, then I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint. Now, I'm not running or walking in the literal sense, but I'm definitely running my feet off! And I'm tired, but not worn out. God is giving me the strength I need every day to keep going.
Some days have been more difficult than others. When my son woke up sick, the police chief of our little town called to ask me to pick up our dog from City Hall (yes, it is a small town, and the last time the police chief called about a dog, we got a $150 fine!), and the dishwasher quit all on the same day, it was really hard. When I got an early morning call from camp to let me know that my daughter was throwing up and needed to be picked up, my whole day was pretty much shot. But, life goes on, and I was not completely overwhelmed by it!
The other night, a few women had gathered in my living room to talk about the Psalms. Our focus for the evening was Psalm 59, which David (the second king of Israel) wrote after his father-in-law (the first king) sent men to his house to kill him. And you thought you had in-law trouble! David had a choice what he was going to focus on, and he focused on the God who created both him and his father-in-law, instead of just his father-in-law. When asked what lessons had been learned, one woman said, "The world won't stop for you, but God will." That made me stop and think! The world doesn't stop for me, even if my life is falling apart. But, the God who created me and the rest of the world DOES stop for me. He is concerned about what I'm concerned about. He knows my weaknesses and He helps me. He knows I am made of dust, and He treats me accordingly. It is a wonderful gift. You might say it keeps me going.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Major Multi-tasking
As a mother of many, I've gotten used to multi-tasking. It doesn't look the same as it might in the corporate world, but it is multi-tasking all the same. Recently my ability was challenged as it has never been challenged before. Yes, it happened in the bathroom. For some reason, most of my funniest moments are either in the bathroom or related to something that should take place in a bathroom.
We were visiting my parents when one of my girls called me to, you guessed it, the bathroom. The finicky toilet was acting up and Mom needed to fix it. Recognizing that the toilet wasn't just acting up, but that it was rapidly filling up, I lifted the tank lid to try and stop the water flow. It didn't work! With the water line fast approaching the rim of the toilet bowl, I carefully moved the heavy porcelain lid (with one hand!) and set it aside. Then I grabbed the toilet plunger and went to work on the toilet. Soon, the water was moving the right direction and disaster was averted.
So, you say, where is the multi-tasking in all that? Well, let me tell you. I was not alone as I saved my mother's bathroom from certain destruction (ok, maybe it wasn't that bad). My infant son crawled in just about the time I removed the toilet tank lid. He then crawled up to me and stood up between my legs. It was quite entertaining trying to plunge a toilet with an 8-month old baby alternately reaching for the toilet and pulling on my jeans!
We were visiting my parents when one of my girls called me to, you guessed it, the bathroom. The finicky toilet was acting up and Mom needed to fix it. Recognizing that the toilet wasn't just acting up, but that it was rapidly filling up, I lifted the tank lid to try and stop the water flow. It didn't work! With the water line fast approaching the rim of the toilet bowl, I carefully moved the heavy porcelain lid (with one hand!) and set it aside. Then I grabbed the toilet plunger and went to work on the toilet. Soon, the water was moving the right direction and disaster was averted.
So, you say, where is the multi-tasking in all that? Well, let me tell you. I was not alone as I saved my mother's bathroom from certain destruction (ok, maybe it wasn't that bad). My infant son crawled in just about the time I removed the toilet tank lid. He then crawled up to me and stood up between my legs. It was quite entertaining trying to plunge a toilet with an 8-month old baby alternately reaching for the toilet and pulling on my jeans!
The trials and triumphs of being three
My youngest daughter is three. She has mastered the art of communication; you know when she likes or doesn't like something. She has mastered the art of motation, no longer walking, or even running to get where she is going. The prefered mode of transportation for my youngest daughter is hopping, like Tigger, every where she goes.
Well, almost every where she goes. Having been born into the 21st Century, she doesn't hop around in the car like those of a previous generation. No. She is buckled into an approved child safety seat. Having reached the whopping weight of 35 #, this little bundle of energy can be buckled into a "booster seat" with a belt-positioning back, so that if we are ever in a crash, all the parts of her that are currently connected will stay connected. It is a good thing. Or at least it is a good thing if you are the mom. If you are the kid, it can be a drag.
Last Sunday, we were on our way to rural Idaho to speak at a church. Though we were on a fairly busy state highway, my husband noticed a deer grazing just off the road. Naturally, he wanted to share this memorable occasion with the rest of the occupants of the vehicle. This was one of the times it was a drag to be in a high-back booster seat. The littlest girl in our car couldn't see past the back of her booster seat; she couldn't see the deer. Then, she demonstrated just how well she'd mastered the art of communication by commencing to bawl, loudly. We quickly got the message she wasn't happy.
Thinking maybe my little girl would be distracted from her plight and laugh, I asked if she would like to have everyone in the car cry with her, to see if maybe then she could see the deer. You and I know that such antics won't make any difference in the past, even the very recent past. My three year old didn't. She somberly nodded her head in response to my question. Being the amazing man that he is, my husband immediately started making appropriate noises. Then he rallied the rest of the car, except for me, to make very loud crying sounds. I wasn't making any sounds, but the tears of laughter streaming down my face were testimony to the fact that I participating as much as possible. As the noise continued, my husband glanced in the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of his youngest daughter. While the rest of the occupants of the car (babies excluded) cried their best cries, she struggled to peer over the side of her car seat, to see she could glimpse the no-longer-visable-deer.
In the end, my efforts paid off. My little girl was distracted from her plight. We were all greatly entertained, even if it didn't help anyone see anything for us to all cry together for a while. We'll have to wait and see if the family who cries together sticks together, or if we just get sticky.
Well, almost every where she goes. Having been born into the 21st Century, she doesn't hop around in the car like those of a previous generation. No. She is buckled into an approved child safety seat. Having reached the whopping weight of 35 #, this little bundle of energy can be buckled into a "booster seat" with a belt-positioning back, so that if we are ever in a crash, all the parts of her that are currently connected will stay connected. It is a good thing. Or at least it is a good thing if you are the mom. If you are the kid, it can be a drag.
Last Sunday, we were on our way to rural Idaho to speak at a church. Though we were on a fairly busy state highway, my husband noticed a deer grazing just off the road. Naturally, he wanted to share this memorable occasion with the rest of the occupants of the vehicle. This was one of the times it was a drag to be in a high-back booster seat. The littlest girl in our car couldn't see past the back of her booster seat; she couldn't see the deer. Then, she demonstrated just how well she'd mastered the art of communication by commencing to bawl, loudly. We quickly got the message she wasn't happy.
Thinking maybe my little girl would be distracted from her plight and laugh, I asked if she would like to have everyone in the car cry with her, to see if maybe then she could see the deer. You and I know that such antics won't make any difference in the past, even the very recent past. My three year old didn't. She somberly nodded her head in response to my question. Being the amazing man that he is, my husband immediately started making appropriate noises. Then he rallied the rest of the car, except for me, to make very loud crying sounds. I wasn't making any sounds, but the tears of laughter streaming down my face were testimony to the fact that I participating as much as possible. As the noise continued, my husband glanced in the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of his youngest daughter. While the rest of the occupants of the car (babies excluded) cried their best cries, she struggled to peer over the side of her car seat, to see she could glimpse the no-longer-visable-deer.
In the end, my efforts paid off. My little girl was distracted from her plight. We were all greatly entertained, even if it didn't help anyone see anything for us to all cry together for a while. We'll have to wait and see if the family who cries together sticks together, or if we just get sticky.
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