Did ya'll notice?!
Here in our neck of the woods anyway, the sun is shining!
And God is sending out rainbows left and right. Because HE Rocks!
And people that hear his call, and allow themselves to be instruments in his plan...well, they rock too!
This might just be a long post...so I'll apologize now...but please don't let it stop you from reading. Go ahead, go potty...grab a cup of coffee...you'll want to be able to concentrate for this one. I'll wait...
Okay. So last night was my first ever bible study at good friend Stacie's house. She heard Him, and responded with a yes. Even though she probably spent the day cleaning, and showered for us, and made copies of our reflection for people like me who show up unprepared, and her wonderful hubs had to shush the kids and get them ready for bed while we took over her family room. She rocks!
There were only a handful of us, but as we reflected on this Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40, The Great Commandment) I couldn't help but smile at the cool timing of it. We've been talking about it quite a bit in my second grade religion class, and I used it as the basis of a talk I shared in Ft. Loramie last month. Just cool how the Holy Spirit is clear in messages sometimes. And I wondered what I was missing that He keeps bringing it to my attention.
I haven't believed in coincidences in a long time.
Anyways, after the meeting Stacie and I chatted a bit about the house, and the upcoming move, and about decorating kind of stuff. (She's a genious at interior design and I love her ideas.) I vented a little about my dryer situation, and how I just needed to find a temporary fix...3 weeks or so till we get beyond the "closing." And then we can breathe about spending again. We have always lived on a pretty tight (maybe non-existent)budget(guess you can't budget what you don't have)...and the idea of one person sitting behind a desk looking at your bank account with a microscope (and finding little there) is terrifying. Even though we've worked it out on paper a million different ways, and know it will work out just fine...it's a scary thing to me. Nonetheless. I told her that I'd prayed and had given the dryer issue up to God. He was going to take care of it in his own good way...even if that meant he wasn't going to do a thing. Whatever. I crossed that worry off my list. But the practical side of me had to figure out a solution to drying clothes for at least the next 3 weeks.
The idea came to my head to contact a rent-a-center. So I called first thing today. They really do rent stuff?! No way. And cheap enough that it seemed just the perfect solution to buy us a few weeks. Till we could "breathe" again anyways...and then figure out how to purchase something. You know, after the microscope process.
Thank you God! See I knew he'd work it out for me. He just bought me 3 weeks! Wooohoooo!!!
Okay...so this is where God started laughing again...and said "Just hold your horses there missy, that's not all." Cause, I did mention God Rocks, right?! Right.
(I know I've talked about His providence before, and how even a hand-me-down pair of jeans in just the right size can be an answer to a prayer! I'm tellin you...He's creative and clever in the ways he makes our needs met!)
Anyway, I picked up the phone to celebrate with my mom that I'd come up with a temporary solution...and the doorbell is ringing. So I hang up, and answer (half-dressed-boogery nose baby Anne on my hip.) You ready for this? Someone heard God's little whisper...maybe someone who already gets the "Love your neighbor thing" WAY better than me...shows up and hands over a check for the cost of a new washer and dryer! One big fat check. And a smile. And a hug. And I tried to say no...because that's a kind of charity/generosity/love that I can't repay, and probably don't deserve. And yet. How do you say no, when in your heart you recognize this is God at work. This is God's hand. And I'd expect that if this person is able to share this kindness with me, nearly a stranger, she's probably generous in all areas of her life. She says yes to God. And she rocks too!
She can't possibly know what a tremendous weight that's she's lifted. No more worries about dryers and even less dread about the closing process. Even though I don't need to worry about that either. I just do.
And so I'm thinking all day today about how I can be God's hands. Who's weight can I lift? If I can't pay this back, how should I pay it forward. And I think...among other things, like prayer,-- my words here can help to be God's hand. And I'm thinking that maybe while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to be doing for someone else...I can encourage you all to a "Weight-Lifting Challenge."
I ask you each to read...to listen...to reflect on this Sunday's gospel. And to pray. But don't stop there. Hear what it is that the Holy Spirit is asking of you, and find a way to lift someone's burden. Perhaps it's a smile, perhaps its a visit, a meal, help with some work that needs done, an offer to babysit, sharing some gently used clothing, or winter coats or whatever. Maybe it's something more...whatever is within your capabilies. God has a plan...and you and I are part of it. Help me to help someone else. To pay it forward. To be the Living Body of Christ present here on earth.
Thank you, and God bless you,and Praise God!
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it
Here in our neck of the woods anyway, the sun is shining!
And God is sending out rainbows left and right. Because HE Rocks!
And people that hear his call, and allow themselves to be instruments in his plan...well, they rock too!
This might just be a long post...so I'll apologize now...but please don't let it stop you from reading. Go ahead, go potty...grab a cup of coffee...you'll want to be able to concentrate for this one. I'll wait...
Okay. So last night was my first ever bible study at good friend Stacie's house. She heard Him, and responded with a yes. Even though she probably spent the day cleaning, and showered for us, and made copies of our reflection for people like me who show up unprepared, and her wonderful hubs had to shush the kids and get them ready for bed while we took over her family room. She rocks!
There were only a handful of us, but as we reflected on this Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40, The Great Commandment) I couldn't help but smile at the cool timing of it. We've been talking about it quite a bit in my second grade religion class, and I used it as the basis of a talk I shared in Ft. Loramie last month. Just cool how the Holy Spirit is clear in messages sometimes. And I wondered what I was missing that He keeps bringing it to my attention.
I haven't believed in coincidences in a long time.
Anyways, after the meeting Stacie and I chatted a bit about the house, and the upcoming move, and about decorating kind of stuff. (She's a genious at interior design and I love her ideas.) I vented a little about my dryer situation, and how I just needed to find a temporary fix...3 weeks or so till we get beyond the "closing." And then we can breathe about spending again. We have always lived on a pretty tight (maybe non-existent)budget(guess you can't budget what you don't have)...and the idea of one person sitting behind a desk looking at your bank account with a microscope (and finding little there) is terrifying. Even though we've worked it out on paper a million different ways, and know it will work out just fine...it's a scary thing to me. Nonetheless. I told her that I'd prayed and had given the dryer issue up to God. He was going to take care of it in his own good way...even if that meant he wasn't going to do a thing. Whatever. I crossed that worry off my list. But the practical side of me had to figure out a solution to drying clothes for at least the next 3 weeks.
The idea came to my head to contact a rent-a-center. So I called first thing today. They really do rent stuff?! No way. And cheap enough that it seemed just the perfect solution to buy us a few weeks. Till we could "breathe" again anyways...and then figure out how to purchase something. You know, after the microscope process.
Thank you God! See I knew he'd work it out for me. He just bought me 3 weeks! Wooohoooo!!!
Okay...so this is where God started laughing again...and said "Just hold your horses there missy, that's not all." Cause, I did mention God Rocks, right?! Right.
(I know I've talked about His providence before, and how even a hand-me-down pair of jeans in just the right size can be an answer to a prayer! I'm tellin you...He's creative and clever in the ways he makes our needs met!)
Anyway, I picked up the phone to celebrate with my mom that I'd come up with a temporary solution...and the doorbell is ringing. So I hang up, and answer (half-dressed-boogery nose baby Anne on my hip.) You ready for this? Someone heard God's little whisper...maybe someone who already gets the "Love your neighbor thing" WAY better than me...shows up and hands over a check for the cost of a new washer and dryer! One big fat check. And a smile. And a hug. And I tried to say no...because that's a kind of charity/generosity/love that I can't repay, and probably don't deserve. And yet. How do you say no, when in your heart you recognize this is God at work. This is God's hand. And I'd expect that if this person is able to share this kindness with me, nearly a stranger, she's probably generous in all areas of her life. She says yes to God. And she rocks too!
She can't possibly know what a tremendous weight that's she's lifted. No more worries about dryers and even less dread about the closing process. Even though I don't need to worry about that either. I just do.
And so I'm thinking all day today about how I can be God's hands. Who's weight can I lift? If I can't pay this back, how should I pay it forward. And I think...among other things, like prayer,-- my words here can help to be God's hand. And I'm thinking that maybe while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to be doing for someone else...I can encourage you all to a "Weight-Lifting Challenge."
I ask you each to read...to listen...to reflect on this Sunday's gospel. And to pray. But don't stop there. Hear what it is that the Holy Spirit is asking of you, and find a way to lift someone's burden. Perhaps it's a smile, perhaps its a visit, a meal, help with some work that needs done, an offer to babysit, sharing some gently used clothing, or winter coats or whatever. Maybe it's something more...whatever is within your capabilies. God has a plan...and you and I are part of it. Help me to help someone else. To pay it forward. To be the Living Body of Christ present here on earth.
Thank you, and God bless you,and Praise God!
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it
