A little wiggle now, means a lot less pain later

My son had been complaining that his tooth was hurting at dinner and when I examined it later on, noticed it was close to coming out. Since this is the first time I have ever been a "dental surgeon", didn't quite know how to deal with it. After a whole lot of screaming (him, not me) and a little bit of blood, my son's first tooth was nestled in my hand. After he calmed down, he proudly displayed his gaping hole in his mouth and enjoyed the ice cream popsicle as promised. After we were done, I told my son the story of how my father pulled my teeth when they were loose when I was a little girl. I told him that my father used to count "1,2,3," and wiggle it loose.Afther a few quick moments, we'd try again, as I'd scream and cry during every tug. One time, my dad tricked me. He counted as he had always done and I still screamed bloody murder. That is, until he showed me it had been out of my mouth and in that bloody napkin for some time.
It is never pleasant for me to put my son or daughter through a lot of pain. It would have been easier for me to let it go until it naturally fell out. But, I know that a little wiggle now, can lead to a lot less pain later.
It is the same in my christian life. I'm faced with many choices that would be easy to overlook. I can easily scream and whine when I'm faced with a challenge that seems too difficult. I could say that it hurts too much to face a trial or that to develop spiritually will just naturally happen on its own. But, I know, much like that tooth, that a little wiggle now, leads to a whole lot less pain later.

Pro-choice

The more mature I become in my faith and the closer I get to the Savior, the more I give up my right to have a choice. The moment I choose to follow Him completely, the less choices I have, because I have allowed God to make my choices for me. When I yield my right to choose to God's will, the more I realize that what I was choosing between, weren't really choices at all. They were merely distractions to take my eyes off of Him and on to myself.
So, I guess I am pro-choice, in a way. I choose to give up my right to choose. I yield to God's will.

Forgiveness isn't Cheap 2

Forgiveness isn't cheap. It costs a lot. As I worked through the process of forgiving my coworker (which came more quickly than I thought), I realized how much I was going to lose by forgiving so quickly.
The first thing I was going to lose was my pride. If I forgave, I needed to assume a posture of humility because it meant that I knew I wasn't any better than them.
The second thing I would lose was my right to hold a grudge. If I forgave, I had to let it go, never to be brought up again.
The third thing I would lose is the anger I felt when I looked at them the next day.
It did cost me a lot to forgive. But, the freedom that I gained is way more valuable than what I lost.

Forgiveness isn't Cheap

I learned a hard lesson in forgiveness this week. I had a coworker verbally attack me in front of my boss. It was especially hard because I considered this person not only a coworker but also a friend. I felt completely betrayed, and was unsure how to consider our future working relationship. The relationship is still strained, but I know God doesn't want me to keep it that way. I searched my heart on the matter and still wished the best for them, but was still trying to work through he process of forgiveness.
While this person was hurling insults, I identified with Christ in a new way. I'm sure the physical beating he endured were brutal, but I think the emotional pain he must have felt that only one person bothered to come see him lose he very life He openly gave to everyone he came in contact with. That was how I felt with this person. I spent time with them, said no unkind words about them to anyone,and stuck up for them when others judged their work performance. I felt like I did everything I could to be a good friend, and received nothing but scoffing in return. It cut me to the core, and I'm sure as his body slowly suffocated him, the neglect and betrayal of Jesus' closest allies took his breath away long before that. It cost him quite a bit for us to receive the freedom of forgiveness. How does he repay them? "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.."
My response to this coworker should be the same.

The look of Community

I entered the cozy living room and plopped down on the big red and white couch with my Bible in hand, waiting to engage in our weekly bible study. As the others arrived, we engaged in small talk about the week as we sipped on our coffee and consumed the assorted pastries in the kitchen. Soon, it was time to begin. The study began as it always did with the sharing of prayer requests. As one man shared, he paused for a moment, his face quickly reddening with embarrassment. He uttered one word, and we all knew what he meant. He simply said “Help!” Although he never fully explained what was troubling him, we all could relate to his feelings of helplessness and despair. As a group, there was not much we could offer him. So, we did the one thing we could do in that situation, we gathered around him, laying hands on him and praying for him. When we were finished, I looked at the clock. In what seemed like a second, I realized that an hour and a half had gone by and it was time to go home. We ended the night and we all got into our cars to began our journeys home. It has been over fourteen years since that fateful night, and it still remains one of the most important bible lessons I ever learned. That night was a turning point for our group. We went from acquaintances to a community of believers, from friends to brothers and sisters. It was the first night where we set aside our agenda, and looked to see what God was doing.

Some of my biggest God moments have happened sitting on someone living room sofa or in a big, comfy chair at the nearest Starbucks. They don't look like places where God would move, but God will use anywhere to accomplish his agenda. Community is vital to a Christian's spiritual walk. If you open the doors to your home, open up the opportunity to "sharpen" the people in your life.   

With My Headphones Off

I made an unexpected trip to Starbucks last Sunday with an agenda. I wanted to get a good chunk of writing done after church. I came prepared with all that I needed, including my books computer, and best of all, my headphones for my i-pod.  I love nothing more than to shut out the world with the background noise of my music entertaining me while I wade through commentaries and resources. I set my table out and got ready to begin. I bent down and searched through my bag looking for my headphones to no avail. A bit miffed, I started flipping through pages with only the drone of the piped in tunes that has given Starbucks its appeal. Then, something quite unusual happened.
A police officer that had come through the door saw my book's outside cover and asked me if I was doing something with art. When I replied no and explained that I was writing a "religious" book, he said " I read the DaVinci code once. That's as about as close to religion as I get." A woman, who had overheard the exchange, asked me what I was working on. After my reply,she wished me luck and applauded me for attempting such a huge undertaking. A few moments later, a man sat next to me at the adjacent table. When he spoke to the nearby woman about his computer, he remarked that he was a writer. The woman said to him, " She is a writer, too. You two should talk." This then led into a forty minute conversation,in which he gave me lots of information about opportunities in the area, as well as some insights into the writing business. I left the exchange feeling like it was a God moment. This would have been one that I had missed, if I had my headphones on.
But, with my headphones off, I gave God room to move.

The Banquet Table

The table is ornately decorated with the finest of fare.
The scent of decadent food wafts through the air.
I take my seat thoroughly anticipating a feast.
Sometimes I run to the table and on my toughest days, I am carried there,
but I am always welcome.
"Taste and See that the Lord is good."
I sit, dine, and enjoy.