HORSING AROUND

Many years ago and for several years, I worked for our local elementary school as a para-professional.  I also drove a school bus for several years.  Over time, I began to amass a list of standard responses and strategies for addressing issues with kids.  

As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun.  

There were about 15-20 top, seemingly random, interactions with kids I would have nearly every single day. 

On the bus, a regular issue was the age old practice of tattling.  "Richard is looking at me."  "Amy said she doesn't like me."  "Michael is chewing gum."  My response was most often something to the effect of:  "Please submit your complaint in writing and it must be in triplicate."  The response was usually a deflated look but no words.  Sarcasm is one of my spiritual gifts.  

One of the duty's on my list of responsibilities was Recess Duty.  Only about 10K times did a child run up to me and blurt out:  "HE'S CHASING ME!"  My standard response was to stand very still and say, "Ok, now chase me."  Since I was already caught from the start, they didn't know what to do.  Can I just tell ya something?  You cannot chase someone who is standing still.

Sometimes, we act like we are chasing God all around.  But, He has been right there beside us, standing still the whole time.  He was never running from us.  

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to get His attention, we don't realize He is trying to get our attention.  

We are making checkmarks on our list of good behaviors and trying sit up straight in church so that God might notice us.  But God is saying, "I see you.  I can wait.  Let me know when you are done horsing around.  I'll be right here."

Prayer -

Father, the Bible says You came looking for me and not the other way around.  Thank You for Your mercy, Your unconditional love, and definitely for Your great patience with me.  Please forgive me for my horsing around trying to impress You when it is a total waste of time.  Amen.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. -- Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi

WAITING

Waiting is not my favorite thing.  Who actually enjoys waiting for anything?  Maybe most adults would agree that waiting does actually get easier as we get older.  As children, waiting can be nearly unbearable.  Waiting for Christmas.  Waiting for summer.  Waiting to get there while riding in the car... "Are we there yet?"  And what kid EVER wants to hear from a parent, "Not now.  Just wait.  We'll do it later."?  It often prompts an emotional response of anger, frustration, even hopelessness. 

Maybe the truth is that as adults, we are no more interested in waiting than we ever were but have simply learned to control the emotional outbursts.  

As adults, we have day to day regular life type waiting everyday such as waiting at the doctor's office, waiting in line to check out with groceries, or waiting in the parking lot to get out after a sporting event.  We also have the bigger picture waiting such as waiting for the loan to approve, waiting on the call from your doctor with the test results, or waiting for your adult children to call and check in with mom and dad.

It is good advice to wait and "count to 10" when tempted to speak impulsively or rashly in the heat of the moment.  A wise person not only waits but walks away while counting to ten... ten seconds, minutes, or even days or longer if necessary.  Waiting before speaking can often calm our emotions.  The same would apply when tempted to make an impulse purchase.

Most of us would agree however, that we are living in a hurry-up world.  We are programmed to want everything right now.  Waiting is not easy.  Waiting on the Lord is no different.  But, God's timetable does not change.  God acts according to His perfect plans, purpose, and will.  

Can I just tell ya something?  We may be in a hurry, but God is not.  It has been pointed out by many that there are no examples of Jesus running in the Bible!

Waiting on God for His wisdom and perspective will provide the calm and collected guidance we need in virtually all things.  It would do us all some good to simply slow down, to be more patient, and to keep our focus on God and the things of God.  

Prayer - 
Father, in my heart of hearts and from that 10K foot view, I know Your ways, Your plans, and yes, Your timing are ALWAYS the best.  I know You have Your very best in mind for me at all times.  Please strengthen my resolve to surrender to You and Your plans for me, trusting in Your promises as I do.  Amen.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous.  Wait for the Lord.  
-- Psalm 27:14 (CSB)

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi

This would be my man, Nicky Blue Eyes, back in August, 2016, waiting for his big sister Samantha to pick him up so he could go see Peter Pan and then spend the night with his nephew's, Carter and Henry Carey.

We Need To Patiently Wait Upon The Lord In Our Marriage

Ephesians 5:21-33

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.  31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

God wants us as husbands OR wives, to submit ourselves to our spouse.  Hey, can I just tell ya something?  It is NOT because they deserve it and NOT because it will make you feel good.  Instead, it is because you are committed to Christ and because you love Jesus!  And, of course, there's that issue of:  because God said so!

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." 
~Psalm 37:4

It is one of my favorite verses.  But, look what comes next:  

4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.  5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;  do not fret—it leads only to evil.  

~Psalm 37:4-8

We see a promise in verse 6.   It is based on a set of conditions from verse 5.  

Commit & Trust

And, how do I commit my ways to God and fully trust Him?  Verse 7 tells us the answer:  Be still and wait patiently and...do not fret.  Then in Verse 8, refrain from anger and wrath.  Then we are reminded once again:  Do not fret.

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  When Christian marriages fail, it is because one or both spouses have failed to trust and wait on the Lord.  AND since they’re unwilling to trust or wait on God, they let their anger and wrath get out of hand…Or they allow themselves to fret or worry, often taking matters into their own hands.

Look what verse 8 says about that: – “it leads only to evil.”

Now, by contrast, here’s what else God says:

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 

~Psalm 91:14-15

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  If we’ll do things GOD’S way... If we’ll be still and patiently wait on the Lord - in faith...  Eventually, it WILL turn out OK.

It always comes back to that big 'O' word and it's not Oprah:  

Obedience

This entry is taken from the sermon: "Til Death Do Us Part".  Click the link to listen to the entire sermon.  This is the second sermon in a series.  The entire sermon series audio is available here:  

BLINDERS, BLINKERS, & WINKERS SERMON SERIES