Summer, don’t go!

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Margaret

Although I wore flip-flops today, the comments of others made me realize I was pushing the season. In just a few days socks and shoes will be the norm, and my beloved flip-flops will have to go back into storage. It’s just one of the many mini-mournings of a summer person looking toward winter. Though the colored leaves have been stunning this year, in a short time they, too, will have put their summer fashions into storage.

Winter people are quick to mention the positives of their favorite season to us summer folk: the beauty of fresh snow, fires in the fireplace, soups on the stove, roasts in the oven, and 3 major holidays. We could argue over the seasons for quite a while and never come up with a clear winner.

But what does God think about our discussing which weather-season is best? Is he ok with that debate?

Actually, no.

So what does he want us to allow into our minds that comes out in conversation? What thoughts are above all others? Scripture tells us to put everything through a grid of 8 subjects. If we can honestly say a debate about the seasons falls under one of them, we can go for it. Here they are:

Truth
Honor
Righteousness
Purity
Beauty
Excellence
Worthiness
Praiseworthiness

Could a discussion of favorite seasons fall under #5? Of course we couldn’t make a case for one season being more beautiful than another. Maybe a better leaning would be toward gratitude for seasonal variety or a discussion about the great creativity of the Almighty. We might even recognize him for the faithfulness he demonstrates in causing the 4 seasons to come and go with such flawless consistency.

The above list of 8 is given in one short Bible verse, Philippians 4:8. The Message translation gives us the same list in a slightly different way:

“You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

Whining about the waning of summer and the gloom of packing away my flip-flops doesn’t fall under the list in either translation. Although debating which season is best probably isn’t sinful, it sure isn’t taking the conversational high road, and that includes conversation inside our heads.

Despite the fact that we live in a fallen world, God has surrounded us with unnumbered items from that list of 8. When I ignore those to yammer away about things that aren’t on the list, I’ve missed an opportunity to please God and do life his way.

So, as I slip my flip-flops into their storage bin (without complaining), I should tell God how lovely his summer season has been, that I’ve noticed his extra-vibrant fall colors, and that I’m looking forward to the beauties of the winter he sends, no matter what the weather report will say.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously.” (Matthew 6:33)

Not My Gift

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Margaret

In recent days we battled a couple of field mice in the house, so I’d called the Orkin man. He pointed out various cracks and gaps tiny mice were squeezing through to get in. “Fill up those spaces,” he told me. “And do it soon, since colder weather makes mice hunt for warmer places to winter.”

I know lots of people who “winter” in warmer places, traveling from Michigan to Arizona or Florida, and I didn’t want any mice arriving to winter with us.

So I went to Home Depot and asked for advice. A man in an orange apron led me to a spray can of something called insulating foam sealant “for large gaps and cracks.” It sounded perfect.

Normally I’m not a label reader, but the salesman had told me goggles and gloves were a must, so I decided to read: “Warning/danger! Is combustible and may present a fire hazard. Protect eyes, skin, and surfaces.“ I pulled on rubber gloves, and vowed to squint hard.

“You won’t need much of this stuff,” the man had said. “It expands.”

And boy, was he right. After I applied a long line that resembled bathtub caulk, in an instant it had morphed into something like marshmallows gone berserk. And then it hardened like rock.

As I stood back and looked at four foam-filled areas, I knew I never should have tackled the project without counsel from someone who knew his way around a can of foam. Thankfully the gaps I filled were in the back of the house under a long-neglected soffit. I just hoped no other human would ever see what I’d done.

Not all of us have the skills to do everything well. Each of us has been given giftings or bents that make it easy to accomplish certain things and impossible to do others.

That’s true spiritually, too. The Bible details God’s gift-giving system, explaining that not everybody has all the gifts. He arranges it that way on purpose, wanting us to need each other. We’re to learn to give of ourselves but also to take what others give to us. It’s a good system, unless we’re bent on independence (like I was with the foam). Then it all breaks down.

I was foolish not to acknowledge my lack of gap-filling skill and know now I shouldn’t have done it alone. As for no other human seeing the mess I’d made, the very next day Mr. Orkin returned and made a beeline to those four mouse-gaps. I cringed as he inspected my foam overload, but his response was gratifying:

“Well,” he said, “there’s not a mouse in this neighborhood that’s ever gonna get through that.”

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

A Sticky Mess

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Margaret

Emerald is a petite little girl who still fits nicely into her Bumbo seat. Although she can twist her way out of it, when she’s up on the counter, we’re monitoring her closely.

Usually.

Yesterday while I was making her lunch, she was happily fingering a basket of sippy cups and bottles next to her. But in 30 seconds, a mysterious pink liquid began sliding out from under the basket.

Somehow she’d undone the child safety cap on a bottle of infant ibuprofen, then set it back into the basket upsidedown, which released the syrupy liquid till the bottle was empty.

Of course she had no idea what she’d done, but she’d wasted valuable medicine, created a sticky mess, and postponed lunch for clean-up time.

Once in a while I act that way too, getting into things that will end up the same way: wasteful, messy, and time-consuming. The only difference is, I’m old enough to know better.

Scripture warns us to count the cost of whatever we do. We’re to be industrious, yes, but we’re also to commit our decisions, plans, and behaviors to God before plunging in on instinct alone. When we ignore that counsel, we pay a hefty price.

Even worse than having to pay, though, is the loss of God’s approval. If we want him to be on our side (or more accurately, if we want to be on his side) we have to do things his way. Those of us who give lip service to obedience but do things our own way regardless, have a problem with pride.

The Bible doesn’t mince words on this subject. We read, “God opposes the proud.” (James 4:6) He isn’t just neutral when we put our plans ahead of his; he stands in opposition to us. And if there ever was an uneven match, “God-versus-me” is it. I want to do everything possible to avoid being part of that scenario.

As always, though, God doesn’t issue an edict and leave us hanging. Right after he lets us know what not to do, he tells us what to do: “Submit to Me.” (v. 7)

Sounds easy, but isn’t. That’s because pride is stiff-necked and expertly resistant to humbling, and the devil is behind it, relentlessly tempting us to put ourselves first. Maybe that’s why God’s next instruction is, “Resist the devil, and he will flee.”

Working backwards, then, if we want no part of the devil –> we’re to resist him –> which helps us submit to God –> which helps us kill pride –> which brings on humility –> which allows us to be on God’s side.

So when my plans result in a sticky mess, I know it’s simply the Lord saying, “Let’s clean this up and try again.”