Stains Happen!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

My daughter recently heard a speaker tell a story on one of the speaker's friends.

"The girl was engaged to an English fellow, and when she went out to meet his family, she decided to impress her future mother-in-law by scrubbing all the disgusting, horrible-looking stains out of the inside of the family's teapot. *insert horrified gasp*"

"The mother-in-law literally shrieked when she saw what had happened, but then patiently explained to the cleanliness-obsessed American that 'the richness of the tea comes from the stains.' So true, in so many ways." Jenny Armstrong

This morning I was checking out a friend's Spark Page and saw that one of her goals was to "stay sweet...". (Thanks Michele, you really encouraged me.)

When I am overwhelmed and just plain old not feeling good, I find it so hard to stay sweet! My baser self rises to the surface and I want everyone to "go away". I want to retreat. But, it is at those exact moments that I really need to be inviting, not retreating. I need to invite our Lord to minister to my wounded spirit. I need to invite my family and friends to hear my pain, see my tears and and allow them to minister to me.

I need to be inviting, because God heals in relationship. With Him and with others. I know, from experience and from God's Word, that not all relationships are worthy of our hearts. We do need to be careful. We need to guard our hearts, but we also need to trust. Trust, first and foremost, our loving Father. And secondly, we need to trust our (healthy) family and friends. Not an easy task when one has been hurt and/or betrayed by many people, is it?

So, to those of us who have had "difficult, stained backgrounds", please, continue to trust and invite. Continue to recieve the healing and comfort that only our Lord can give. Remember what our Lord says in II Corinthians 1:3-4; God comforts us so that we can comfort others (my paraphrase). There are so many hurting people in our world who need to be "rescued". Only God can do that, but as we recieve our healing and comfort, amazingly, (amazingly!!!) God uses us.

So, I choose this day, NOT to allow my "stained" past control my future. Today, I choose love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness, humility, prayerfulness, trust and comfort. I choose to continue to heal and help others in need of encouragement, love and healing. I choose to allow God to use me. And, I choose to "stay sweet". Because I am learning that:

"The richness of the tea comes from the stains." So true, in so many ways!

Carry the Cross...In Your Own Way!

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

My DH met with Arthur Blessitt yesterday. Are you familiar with the man who walked around the world with a 12 foot cross on his shoulder? It took him 40 years, but he has visited every country in the world, carrying that cross and telling people about God’s love for them. The DH meets some of the most interesting folks with his job in Youth for Christ International!

Arthur gave the DH a movie/documentary to preview and we watched it last night. The movie is called The Cross, chronicles Arthur’s life and should be in theatres sometime around Easter. Good movie, interesting man…very touching to see his humility and his concern and love for humanity. But here’s the point; Arthur said something that really moved my heart and my soul did a back-flip when I heard it!

I have to set this up a bit. Arthur was in Switzerland when he heard Jesus tell him to lie down on the sidewalk and give up his dreams. Here is an excerpt from Arthur’s book:

“There on the sidewalk, I wrestled with Jesus. 'But you gave me these dreams. These dreams are so important to me.' Then Jesus said, 'I gave you these dreams; I can also take them away.' I couldn’t remember ever feeling so spiritually empty and void. 'No dreams?' I asked both Jesus and myself. 'What will I do?' Jesus replied, 'Let your dream be no bigger than the next person you meet. Give them everything!' I understood Jesus to say that I was not to let my dreams stand in the way of giving my best to him by giving my best to every person I would meet. I am not to judge who is worthy of my time or attention. I am to lavish these on everyone.”

WOW! “Let your dream be no bigger than the next person you meet.” *back-flip, back-flip* “Give them everything.” *back-flip, back-flip*

I am surrounded by very busy, very accomplished and very successful people and there are times when I wonder, how such an uneducated person (by the world’s standards) like me, can even keep up with the crowd I “run with”. Sometimes I wonder if I need to go back and finish college, get a career, so that I can keep up with the “big dogs”. Please, don’t misunderstand me- I think college and career are wonderful things…that’s not the point. The point is that I think I have to be like everyone else. It’s just plain pride on my part.

So, last night I symbolically lay down on the sidewalk and gave up my dreams.

What was I thinking?! I repented of my pride. God had already equipped me to minister to people…one person at a time. I don’t have to have the qualifications that this world insists on, or be like everyone else. I can be who He created me to be. Who He called me to be. Simply Gail, loving one person at a time. No matter who they are or what they do. And, by doing that I will be giving my best to Him. What freedom!!!

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matt. 22: 36-40

Love God. Love your neighbor. I was born for this. For Him. For His Kingdom. I really can let my dream be no bigger than the next person I meet. I can give my best to Him.