Monday Morning Memo: Soul Renewal

If you are reading this on Monday morning…you are more than likely tired.   You have survived another Christmas.  The bottom of the tree might now look bare…ripped off wrapping paper may cover your carpet…and your belt might need to be loosened from all your overeating.

I wonder if that’s what it was like the morning after the first Christmas.  Yes, I’m sure Mary was tired from giving birth the day before and Joseph was probably feeling the effects of watching his beloved Mary endure the pain of childbirth.  But I have to believe there wasn’t any letdown the morning after Jesus’ birth.  I can’t imagine that these new parents felt harried from the events of the past days or experienced depression because the big event was now over. Their focus during those days leading up to His birth had been on making sure they were prepared for His arrival.  Nothing else mattered. All the good times and the bad times before that big day were now just a blur as they held their precious baby in their arms. 

I wonder if the reason we sometimes feel a letdown the day after Christmas is because our focus leading up to this celebration wasn’t on Him.  Could it be that we were more intentional on making sure the gifts for our friends and family were bought and wrapped, the food was all prepared and the parties were all attended…than on waiting with anticipation to celebrate Christ’s birth?  Oftentimes, we are so exhausted by the time Christmas finally arrives, that we just put ourselves on autopilot to get through the day…knowing we can collapse when it is all over. 

What a night that must have been and what a “morning after” Joseph and Mary must have experienced. You and I can also feel the same closeness to the Savior as they felt so many years ago just hours after His birth.  To accomplish this, I believe we need to make an effort today to spend more time at the manger with our Messiah and savor the moments with Him.  I’m thinking that if we are intentional on keeping our focus on Him…our spirit will be refreshed and our soul will be renewed!

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, 

I plead with you to give your bodies to God 

because of all he has done for you. 

Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he 

will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." 

Romans 12:1

Monday Morning Memo: My Shattered To-Do List

I’m convinced God just grins and shakes His head when I make all my lists.  I’ve shared before that if there were a “List-Makers Anonymous” group…I could be the president.  I love to make lists and I especially love to mark each task off as I complete it.  And yes, I’m one of those weirdos who, when I do something not on my list, I write it down and then immediately cross it off.  Oh, the satisfaction of accomplishing each task.

As I wrote last week, we recently took a trip to Boone, North Carolina.  You can bet I had a long list of things which I thought needed done before we left…but then unexpected events occurred and my list needed to be put aside.  I can honestly say I didn’t get upset…I knew the detours were in God’s plan and that the list would still be waiting for me when we returned.

I was right.  We returned home and no one else had picked up my list to do the tasks for me…so I immediately set forth where I had left off a couple weeks prior.  Of course, at that point…I had another whole list of things to add to the first list which I also felt needed to be done sooner than later. 

Twenty-four hours after we returned home from our trip, my husband began to feel ill. He rarely gets sick…but we determined it was a bad cold and so he laid low all weekend...thinking by Monday he would be up and going strong again.

By Monday morning, he was feeling a little better but yes, you guessed it, by then I didn’t feel good…and by evening I really didn’t feel good.  It was obvious that mine was more than a bad cold, so Tuesday morning a trip to the doctor was made and I was shocked to hear that I had Covid.  Trust me…having Covid was NOT on my list of things to do this past week and it really put a wrench in my plans.

These past weeks have reminded me that there are things which are much more important than my lists.  As critical as I sometimes feel those things on my to-do list are…they do not compare to being available to help others during unexpected detours in their life.  They don’t compare to taking care of my health when unanticipated “hiccups” occur.  There are times when I need to be willing to change my plans to come alongside someone else…and times when I need to just rest in Him to regain my strength. 

In Exodus 33:13-14, we read this conversation between Moses and the Lord: “If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” 

Moses wanted to understand the Lord and His ways more fully and the Lord promised him that He would be with him every step of the way and everything would be fine. He also told Moses He would give him rest.  I don’t think the Lord was just talking about the fact that Moses and his people could rest once they reached the Promised Land.  I think He was telling him that HIS presence would give him rest – physically, mentally and spiritually - no matter what life would throw at him…even when the events weren’t on his to-do list.

And the same is true for us.  The Lord’s presence within us can give us rest…when an unexpected detour comes our way.  Rest…when our spirit feels unsettled and unsatisfied.  Rest…when the world around us is in disarray.  Rest…when we are apprehensive regarding our future.  Rest…when our mind wants to dwell on our past.  Rest…when His plans don’t concur with our plans.  Rest…even when those “critical” things on our to-do list have to be left unmarked.  And yes…rest even the week before Christmas.

Are you in need of rest today…physically, mentally or spiritually?  The Lord promises that His presence can give you the kind of rest you need for today, tomorrow and the weeks and months to come.  He knows absolutely everything about you and nothing you are going through is a surprise to Him.  Today may not be the day you had planned on your calendar…but if you seek Him…He promises to walk with you every step of the way and give you rest.  I can’t think of anyone better to have as your walking partner than Him!

Monday Morning Memo: Insignificant Things

Dan and I had the privilege last week to work at the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) processing center in Boone, North Carolina.   OCC is such a worthy cause and getting the opportunity to work for this ministry is honestly one of the highlights of my year. It is hard to comprehend that each box we touch is going to end up in the hands of a child who, more than likely, has never received a gift before in his or her life.  We in America can’t fathom that kind of living situation.  These boxes are being sent all over the world…giving children the basics of life…and also telling them about our Jesus.  These boxes can and do impact eternity…what a blessing!

 

There is a man who works at the processing center who understands the difference a shoebox can make in a child’s life.  I’ve shared his story before but seeing him again last week brought the facts back to my mind.  Alex is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide that took place back in 1994, when almost a million of his countrymen lost their lives. He vividly remembers his uncle and grandmother being brutally killed right in front of his eyes by his own neighbors when he was about six.  As a result, since his mother had already died from HIV/AIDS before the killings, Alex was displaced, running for his life with his brother and sister.  Eventually he landed in an orphanage where he said no one could ever sleep because of the screams from the children as they faced nightmare after nightmare.

 

Then, OCC boxes arrived and each child in the orphanage received a precious shoebox.  This was the first present Alex had ever received and he said you just can’t imagine the joy he felt as he carefully removed each precious item from his box.  He shared how excited he was with everything he was given…but do you know what his most favorite prized possession was from his box?  A comb.  That’s right…something that we take for granted on a daily basis was what meant the most to him.  He said he carried that comb with him every single day for three years until he lost it and was so upset when it was gone.

 

A comb.  And I complain if I run out of Diet Mountain Dew.  That may seem like a silly comparison…but it is something that comes to my mind when I think of Alex’s story.  How many times do I complain about something that, in light of eternity, has no importance?  How many things take precedence in my thoughts throughout the week that really have no value?  How often do I dwell on what I want…instead of what I can do to fulfill someone else’s necessities of life?  How petty and superficial is my life on a daily basis…when there are those around me who have great needs?

 

Of course, there is another question I have been asking myself.  How much do I look forward to spending time with my Jesus?  It probably sounds crazy…but I really look forward to having a can of this soda…so how much more should I look forward to consuming the living water that Jesus has for me?   Do I thirst for Him more than I thirst for this drink?  Again, you may think that’s a strange comparison…but it is a reminder to me that it’s so easy for things of this world…really insignificant things…to creep in and become a priority as I neglect those who will someday face eternity…with or without my Jesus.

 

Not only did Alex receive a treasured comb that day…he also heard that there was a Savior who loved him more than he could imagine.  As a result, Alex accepted Jesus into his heart, which was a gift he didn’t have to worry about losing. 

 

Friends, we don’t have to go to Rwanda to find those in need…they are all around us.  Many have physical needs that we can meet, and many have a spiritual longing of which we have the answer.  I have come home from this trip with a renewed desire to do what I can to make a difference in eternity by meeting the needs of those whom Christ puts in my path.  If I can tell others that I “love” a carbonated drink…shouldn’t I be willing to share with them the true and steadfast love of Jesus?  That is my desire.  Will you join me?

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”  

John 13:34-35 (The Message)

P.S.  Before I get a deluge of emails telling me that Diet Mountain Dew is not a healthy choice, you can save your comments.  I already know that bit of information and I’m sure you will be thrilled to know that I don’t drink it every day 😊 

  

Monday Morning Memo: Restoration

I’ve always been amazed at people who can enter a dilapidated, falling down house and see the potential.  They can already see in their mind what the house could look like with some love, elbow grease and sometimes...months and months (maybe even years!) of work.  I remember when my brother-in-law and sister-in-law bought their home.  They were so excited to show it to us and I have to be honest…I felt sick as I walked through it!  It was in horrible shape and all I could see was the disrepair all around me.  But they could see what it could become while all I could see was its present condition.   They knew that those falling down walls were worth restoring…and today their home is absolutely beautiful.  I’m so glad they weren’t as short sighted as I was.

 

Was it a lot of work?  Yes, it was.  But they knew it would be worth it in the end when they could enjoy the fruit of their labor.

 

As I was thinking about this, I thought about other areas of our lives that sometimes need to be restored.  A friendship that has been broken…a falling out with a family member…a marriage that is on the rocks.  Why is it that we are often willing to put hours and hours of work into something with no eternal value…but when it comes to broken relationships…we give up and walk away instead of doing all we can to bring restoration?

 

Unfortunately, we see this all too often in marriages today.  Our spouse isn’t making us happy…so we walk away.  The person we work with is a lot more fun than the person we married…so we walk away.  The stress of providing for our family becomes overwhelming…so we walk away.  Our spouse has physical ailments that weren’t expected…so we walk away.  Why?  Because taking our wedding vows seriously and working on restoring the broken-down walls just seems like more work than we are willing or able to do.

  

I think it is easy for us to forget sometimes that we serve a God who is in the restoration business.  He can look at a marriage that is falling apart, that is headed for divorce court and see what it CAN be with forgiveness, love and some elbow grease.   Will it take a lot of work?  Yes, it will.  But God never gives up because He knows it will be worth it in the end when the marriage and family are restored and serving Him together.

 

I can’t help but think that God laid this subject on my heart to share today because someone reading this is thinking of walking away.  They are toying with the idea that their marriage is just too far gone and there isn’t any hope.  Unfortunately, Satan is trying hard to divide this marriage, telling those involved that life would be so much easier, and the grass would be so much greener without their spouse, without all the obligations that seem to get in the way of their happiness.

 

I want to urge you today to give your marriage to the Lord and allow Him to restore it.  He can take the crumbling pieces and put them together to be even better than you can even imagine.  Stop struggling on your own and put Jesus in the middle of your relationship and allow Him to make something beautiful out of the ashes.  I guarantee you that HE IS ABLE…you just need to be willing.

 

^“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful 

or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. 

It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the 

truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith,

 is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7