Mary/Martha Moment

 So, I had myself a Mary/Martha moment today! But, let’s start at the beginning. You see, I got a gift! It was a wonderful gift, one of my favourite gifts to receive…a trailer full of wood! (and there was much rejoicing!!!!) Another reason I love this time of year (it gets below 70), is that we get to sit out on our deck by the fire pit. So, my sweet, dear Jon brings home wood and it is wondermous! Well, this time the guys unloaded the trailer without us there. There was no rhyme or reason to this pile of wood, just LOTS of it. So much so, that the next day I went out to find this!!!

Yep, the wall couldn’t handle all the new weight. SO, today was the day for me to get in there and sort and move and pile the wood so it would be useful. Most of this new wood will not be ready until next year, but it was piled on top of the old wood that is ready to be used and it had caused the wall to tilt. It is all sorted now and I put another stake in the pallet wall to help it out and all is well!

As I was working, two thoughts really came at me at once…and yet again, I had to laugh at myself!

But, one thought at a time! Wood piles ~~~ we’ve all got them. You know the stuff! That thing some well intentioned person said that still rattles around in my head, the book I bought to help out with quiet time (that I still haven’t read) or something I learned in a sermon, but haven’t acted on…well, you get the idea! I’ve got a wood pile! 

The key is to sort. To not bury my old, useful stuff under all this new, “good” stuff. God does give us all abilities and things to come along in life to encourage us to grow. We just need to keep an eye on “where” exactly we put our priorities, so we don’t lose sight of growing things in God’s sorted order. Really good things can be brought to us by some very well intentioned people, but that doesn’t always mean we should pile it on…and if we do get God’s prompting to do so, make sure we ask Him where it goes in the wood pile! ;)

And now, on to thought number two…

as I was hefting and hammering, I looked over at Ruby and Ricky and I thought, “oh, if they only had thumbs they could help out here!” Meanwhile, Ricky was laying peacefully in Center and Ruby was resting quietly by the seat….and I’m sorting and grumbling. Insert Mary/Martha moment here! Not that the sorting didn’t need to get done, before the wall fell over translation: cook the meal so everyone could eat. Oh dear.

When Hezekiah and his leaders came and saw the extent of the mounds of gifts, they praised God and commended God’s people Israel. Hezekiah then consulted the priests and Levites on how to handle the abundance of offerings.

II Chronicles 31:8 ~ The Message Version

In this chapter of II Chronicles it talks about the abundance brought by the people to the temple of God and how Hezekiah sought wise counsel and then had the priests sort and hand out all that was given. That’s what struck me here today in my wood pile. Such a wonderful gift, but it doesn’t do well if not sorted and handled well. We can do that with God’s great grace in our lives, too. We can take it for granted, overlook His provision because it’s buried under my busy schedule, or not do well with it because I didn’t ask Him first what HE intended to do with ‘it’.

Sitting and sorting now…  

Maker ~ Taker

I love trimming the garden, working outside and just enjoying God’s creation! He has made soooo much cool stuff! This morning was just beautiful. Birds were quietly chirping (hawk in the neighborhood) and the sun was just beginning to warm things up. For me this is just one of the ways that God gives me something to do in His creation.

It got me to thinking about all the times He may have ‘presented’ an opportunity to serve or do, but I missed it. Some days we act like Makers and other days we’re Takers….those are really two distinct categories for us humans.

We are made, created, in God’s image. He is our Creator, and so as His image bearers, shouldn’t we be creators as well? He is vast, He is immeasurable, so our abilities to live as our Creator are also vast and immeasurable! Some may be crafty, others speakers, others organizers, or encouragers, teachers…you get the idea, VAST for His Kingdom purposes. Our creativity is all surrounded by, infused with His purpose. In our creating we will build relationships, pour out His love on our world and live the life He purposed for each of us.

To others it may seem that Christians are living very separate and distinct lives, as if there is a disconnect. That is an illusion of the evil one. God is the One weaving it all together, that all may come to know Him. To me, God’s example of ultimate Creator is just gorgeous…He does not take or force us to love Him. He does not coerce or manipulate our relationship with Him. He does create opportunities for our growing closer to Him in so many ways. His ultimate creation, His gift to us of salvation thru Jesus, is our joy. We cannot ‘take’ that gift, it has been freely created, freely given to us by our Creator.

As I thought on this, just me and the palm trees I was trimming, a few questions came to mind. Somewhere in this day, am I a Maker? Have I created something in a moment that looked like Jesus?  Have I lived as His image bearer today? ...trying to take steps that say "yes"!!!

…So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. “So you’ll go out in joy,
    you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
    bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
    exuberant with applause.
No more thistles, but giant sequoias,
    no more thornbushes, but stately pines—
Monuments to me, to God,
    living and lasting evidence of God.”

Isaiah 55:11-13 ~The Message Version

Off Kilter

And God said…

As I walked the labyrinth today, I just felt a little off kilter. The thoughts racing thru my head were as noisy as the flock of parrots overhead! At the corner of the labyrinth, where some crosses hang, even they were a bit crooked ~ perhaps bumped into by the squirrels or birds? Must admit, I felt a little “bumped into” today, also.

I paused ~ a breath, a whisper, a step. My thought was, with the New Year and all, what Scripture to pray or what focus in this time. So I opened my Bible and started…”in the beginning”. It was as if the words leapt from the pages ~ as the indention placed “And God said,” for 3 columns in my Bible. Then the last indention, verse 27,

“So, He created man.”

HE has said, He has spoken over all things before He even had us here for our first baby steps. I was struck by all that makes up the labyrinth ~ trees, stones, leaves, granite, breezes and butterflies. Things of His creation line the paths and fill the air.

Oftentimes, when I first walk down the path, I just want to step right over and into Center. Especially on off kilter days! I mean today, even the squirrel was fussing at me for interrupting him!

“And God said”…His ways are right and righteous. They may seem the long way round, but our only “job” is to learn to trust Him with our path and not go hopping over where He put a fence. 

There’s a reason for that.  The long way round, as we may see it, is where we learn Patience in the bend of the road, embrace Peace in the valleys and learn Grace in the gentleness of the moment.

Since you are all set apart by God, made holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12

A footnote…

Sometimes I take my bible, or another prayer book with me into the labyrinth. Today, I decided to also start taking a little note pad. That way I may jot a note, or thought of Scripture down, so I won’t forget that prompting later…I want to remember it exactly. Well, I have a stack of little note pads on my desk from over the years. Some are partially used, others are cute gifts from friends and so there are several to choose from. Today I just picked up a thin one that could fit inside my Bible. I did skip a few pages in the pad and wrote a couple of thoughts today, so I was very glad it was there!

After I came inside and journalled about my time there, I took a look at what was on the previous pages. (could have just been an old grocery list…who knows?!?)

There was a whole poem I had written long ago, that began with, “And God said, ‘Hello?’…” Isn’t He just AWESOME!??!!? I sat amazed, overwhelmed by His forethought, yet again.

The poem will be posted on a separate page that you can see in the listing of tabs at the top. 

Blessings, my friends!