Lend Me Your Ear

I am Malchus!

Malchus is the servant of the high priest who had Jesus apprehended in the garden.

The one whose ear was severed by Peter.

John 18:10, states that Peter drew his sword, cut off the right ear (I appreciate the details in scripture), Christ "touched the ear and healed him."

The story goes on, Jesus was arrested  and the disciples fled.

Yet, we read nothing more on Malchus.

This was the last miracle that Christ performed before His crucifixion, and there is no more about it.

The servant of Caiaphus was healed by the God-Man and there is nothing written about His response. Not an epilogue, no conclusion, not a sentence more.

After the bleeding ceased, his hearing restored...what did the servant do?

How did he respond to this miraculous act of love?

Did he fall down and worship?

Did he grab a rope and bind Christs wrists?

Was he a solider that spat in Jesus' face and mocked Him?

Did he frantically run through the streets shouting justice for an unjust arrest?

Did he cower in the corner, paralyzed afraid to speak up?

It isn't written...was his response not worthy of words?

I am much like that...like Malchus.

God has performed a miracle in me, a metamorphosis of my heart, my soul, my mind.

Christ restored my hearing.

How do I react?

Is it worthy of words?



That's Such a Pity

A friend questioned why I wasn't blogging like I once had. I didn't realize it had been two months. I knew why, I just didn't have the right words to explain. It seemed like there were so many reason to why I had quit. So many different excuses to why I had given up.

However, the one thing that stood out was....the enemy sent me an invitation to a party, and I was the guest of honor.

My very own, guest of one...Pity Party!

The subtitle of my blog states, "Finding God's Grace in the Everyday."
When I'm in my self-woes...grace is the last gift I am unwrapping.

My party games consisted of: thoughts that where focused on hate filled words, whispers, and haughty glances by others sent my way.
I was pondering about finances, futures, hardships and health.
My moments of quiet, instead of being filled with His word and abiding in Him...became an archaeological dig in the past and crystal ball prediction of the future.

 Why do I do that? This is not what my heavenly Father desires for me.
 Why do I let myself resurrect the days gone by, and then try to foretell the days to come?

I worry.

Worry is self pity!
Self absorbed.
Self importance.

I look at how things effects ME....how does this put ME out...how this stretches ME...how this makes ME feel...what good is this to ME!!!!!
 I am rolling in the muck and mire of selfishness and it's a bottomless pit.
Self pity is a sand trap that keeps pulling me deeper and deeper...I'm drowning.
This is not what my heavenly Father wants for me.

"Kimberly, Kimberly"...."Why are you worried and upset about many things...Mary has chosen what is better." Matthew 10:41-42

I must sit at His feet!!!

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire...(of my pity party)...and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:2-3


The focus should never be on me. It should always be on Him...the one who has forgiven the past and holds my future.

I must trust Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I must be thankful.

I need to give thanks and have a  heart filled with gratitude, for what He does.

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." Psalm 9:1

There will be muck along the path. Sand traps will be along the way.
I will leap over them, with a song of  thanksgiving, skipping off to the party...a Party of Praise..my heavenly Father intends and attends for me.

I Am Not Proverbs 31

I have to admit I have had a like-dislike attitude towards the Proverbs 31 woman, maybe it's because she intimidated me. Her accolades are astonishing, her accomplishments are remarkable.

She dabbled in imports and exports. She was savvy with real estate. She started her own business, a vineyard and a seamstress. She is charitable, noble, wise, respected, honored, confident, calm and loved. Her husband was incredibly proud of her and she respected him greatly.

PHEW!

At times, I felt this was an impossible and unreachable feat. This passage crippled me.

I thought I would never be "her"...how could I ever be this woman of noble character. Children calling her blessed, her husband lacks nothing of value. I felt the polar opposite.

I must continue reading....verse 30.

".....the woman who fears the Lord..."

Fear-  (verb) regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider or exalted or be in awe of.

She feared the Lord! This woman was obviously educated with the Word to be in awe of God. She considered Him, she dwelled upon Him, He was on the forethought of her mind. Could it be that she took His bread and consumed it, that she drank from the living water, to sustain her through all her endevers?
"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Phillipians 4:13

It was through God, her faith in Him, her love for Him that she was able to do what she did.
Yes, people "praised" her...but God got the glory.
I realized that her accomplishments, her successes....were not hers, they are God's.
Isn't that why we do, what we do (should do)...to bring God the glory.

"I will show the holiness of my great name...." Ezekiel 36:23

In my own might, I am no Proverbs 31 woman...but in His might I can be. Not for my glory or for me to be praised, but for Him, for His Kingdom, so His holiness may be evident in the life I live, so that others may come to see His grace.

So today, and prayerfully everyday after...through Him, I will strive.

"Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for oursleves, but our competence comes from God." 2 Corithians 3:4-5

Jesus, I Love Thee...

Jesus, I love Thee....

This song has been playing in my heart this week. I do appreciate old hymns, the words are soulful, healing...they have substance.

As I was singing (make a joyful noise) the third measure grips me every time.

"I love the in life, I will love Thee in death;

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, Lord Jesus, 'tis now."

Will we love Him through death?

The death of a marriage, of vows?

The death of a dream for son over taken by an addiction?

The death of a lifestyle for a sister being blinded by the world's lies?

The death of a infant, new life abruptly taken without reason?

The death of  ideas when a diagnoses is terminal?

Can we, will we say...

"If ever I loved Thee, Lord Jesus, 'tis now."

As Good As Old

My young at heart daugther asked why people used the expression "good as new".

I explained that when something is new that it normally has more value, more appeal in it's best condition...it is good, because it's new.

She pondered a moment then said, "That is not always true. My Ellie (her since birth, beloved pink stuffed elephant) is better now since she's worn. Her smells, her soft spots, I wouldn't want her to be new again."

I reflected on her statement... the beauty of the old, the wisdom in the worn, the nostalgia of bygones...things are better with age.

Beauty in the Broken.

 Arthritic hands praising the Lord through music and song on the time worn keys of a piano.

  

Wisdom in the Worn.

Tattered, written pages of a father's old bible, studied, absorbed, taught.

Mercy in Music.

Depth of meaning from hymns of past. The desperate words of longing to be in union with God and praise of His grace.

Hope in History.
The tear stained pews that have held prayers for forgiveness and redemption. The souls that have been saved, saints that were made.

Yes, there is value, good beyond adundance in the old.

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations..."
Deuteronomy 32:7

Pre-K Life Lesson

 I have much to learn about life from my preschoolers...

The coveted glitter crayons are meant to be shared.

Play-doh is superb when it is swirled.

Coloring in the lines is overrated.

Shoes are optional.

Snacks are not!

Random responses to questions are educational.

When a friend laughs, laugh along.

Singing loudly is delightful, more so when playing instruments, even louder.

Being last in line is awesome, because you get to turn off the lights.

Being first, you end up last, because you get to hold the doors.

Skipping is not optional, it is essential.

Holding hands with your best pal makes a long walk lovely.

A hug makes everything better.

And  most importantly.....

"My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do!"

Thanking God for my pre-k Sunday school class and ALL I have to learn from them.

Something to Think About

Today was hedge trimming day. All hands on deck, well all except mine, I was taking care of the inside of the house. The man was in the yard with all the girls. Trimmers, rakes, brooms, lawn bags, all have made their seasonal debut from the garage to the front yard. 

The shrubbery was ruthless, uncontrolled. I'm sure the man said to himself, "I should have been tackling these beasts all year." They really were out of hand. Windows were hidden, other foliage unseen, wandering vines, some shrubs no longer were producing and needed to be replaced.

A trim here, a prune there. Rake it up, bag it up...haul it off.

Step back. Analyse. Observe. Another trim here, another prune there...the process went on ALL day.

While in the midst of my domestic duties, I received a call from a friend. We chatted about life, love and liberty, and our conversation went to thoughts. How our thoughts, ideas, perception can become unruly, out of hand, to the point that we have lost control. We said our goodbyes.
 I stepped outside to check on my hard working crew.

Revelation! Thoughts are like these hedges! My family was outwardly displaying what we need to be inwardly practicing. We have got to keep our mind pruned and trimmed. Rake up unrighteous ideas and unlovely notions, capture it and get rid of them.

"and if your eye (or thoughts) causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away..."
(parenthesis mine)
Matthew 18:9

The process and labor will need repeating for these wandering thoughts do run amuck...step back, speak truth, be still, pray. Just like the shrubbery, our thoughts need to be maintained or they may develop into a lawless mess.

"....and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:5

When we let our ideas and speculations grow at will, they can block our window to the truth, they can hide the beauty of what God truly intended for us. Our precepts may not be producing fruits and they must be replaced with His word.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

Philippians 4:8