We have three cats. One is 10 years old. She is white, sheds like crazy, and is a bit neurotic. Another cat is the white cat's grown up kitten who is 9 years old (do the math...he is only one year younger than her). He is brown and black, weighs 27 pounds (yes...I said 27 lbs...not a misprint), and thinks he is a large dog. Our other cat is a petite fluffy, grey cat that my oldest daughter rescued when it was just a few days old. When she brought it home from the vet that she was working at in high school, it looked like a baby mouse...no hair, so tiny. My daughter bottle fed that kitten, woke up at all hours of the night to take care of it, and kept it warm in a make shift little box (and she was in high school at the time). This cat loves to show her love for us!
I am sure I am doing this wrong, but we always have food in our cat dish. When it is empty our white cat gets aggitated. She paces throughout the house. She chases our little grey cat. Our big cat meows without ceasing! We know if she is acting weird the food or water dish are empty. Late last night I realized I forgot to get cat food at the store and their bowl went empty. I decided I would run up to the store in the morning. Too bad cats can't understand our human reasoning. At 5 am this morning the white cat and the big cat decided they did not want to wait. They meowed. They moved the bowl along the kitchen floor. They jumped on my bed. I shut my door. They scratched at my door. They were relentless. They were panicking. I gave in to the pressure and at 7:30 am I was at the store in my sweats buying cat food. Now...they are resting after all of the stress!
As I sat down to do my devotions this morning, I thought of two scenarios as I reflected on my cats. One scenario reflected those who really do not have anything left in their bowl and do not know how they are going to fill it. The other is of people who don't have anything in their bowl (or so it appears to them to be empty), have a way to refill it or fill it to overflowing, but it is never full enough for them.
Both are poor.
Our empty bowl. We think it always has to be full for us to feel safe or content. When it is full we think we can rest. When it is empty we panic. Our focus becomes on how we are going to fill that bowl up.
Those who really do not know how they are going to find anything to fill up their bowl...water or food or health care or safety...their day is spent on finding whatever they can to try to put something in it. They walk hours for water. They work days just to get enough money to feed one meal to their family. They walk miles just to wait in line for hours to get health care if they can.
Then their are some who have everything they need but want more. Even though their bowl is full, to them it appears to be empty. They want the next best thing, more of what they already have, things, food, clothes, stuff. Their bowl is really overflowing...full...but the things that are filling it make the bowl look empty. Do we panic when we think we don't have enough but really we have all we need. Do we worry. Do we spend hours trying to figure out how we are going to get our next bowl full? When in reality we have all we need and others don't know if they will ever have what they REALLY need.
I told (yes, I talked to them...I really wanted to yell at them but I held back) my cats if they could just understand me, they would know I was going to go to the store and get them a bag of food. If they could only hear me they would know they were taken care of. They didn't have to worry. But they are cats...they didn't know.
But we are humans, we should know.
"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to e content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everyting through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4: 11-14 NLT)
I am human...I should know, but I always seem to want more. I want more clothes when I really have enough. We (my family) have nothing to eat when really our cupboards, fridge and shelves are full. I need another one of "those" to add to my collection because really one or 5o just won't do. It's on sale, I should get it now. I need. I want. I don't have enough. What if I run out? I am so guilty.
My desire is to be content. Not just with the "things" I have but the place I am in my life and all that God has planned for me. I don't need to add my own things, my own plans because God has aready filled my bowl and will keep it full every day. He is enough.
What if we looked at what we already have and see our bowl is full. That is is enough to feed us. What if we decide to instead of overfilling our bowls, we fill someone elses bowl that can't do it for themselves right now.
There are two books right now that I am reading that may give you some ideas on how full our bowls are and what we can do to help others who really in need.
7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker (www.jenhatmaker.com)
A Place at the Table by Chris Seay (www.ChrisSeay.net)
And if you would like to join a read-a-long for the book 7 check out www.marlataviano.com/category/7-read-along/
Have a great day!
Blessings,
Teresa
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Sometimes We Don't Say Anything
Today my daughter sat at the kitchen table.
Her eyes staring at her composition book.
Her pencil running across the page.
Her eyes showing her frustrations.
Math.
She looks at me, with tears in her eyes and asks me "why don't I get this?". She says she would rather get math than anything else in the world right now.
She tries again.
Papers are crumpled.
Head in her hands.
Her anger is showing. She pulls at her hair.
I tell her to take a break.
She wants to go to her room. But I worry. There was a time when she was angry and she would go in her room and hurt herself.
I tell her that I will be there soon. Not to hurt herself. I have to say it.
She says she just wants to clear my head.
A minute later I hear her ripping papers in pieces.
I open her door. She is mad, sad, and frustrated. Ripping papers gave her an outlet. I am happy she used other ways to let out her anger. More than happy.
I sit on her bed.
I want to tell her the right thing. I want to encourage her and tell her she is smart and everything will be okay. I want to tell her not to worry--everything will work out.
But I don't.
I am silent.
I ask her if she wants me to play with her hair. She has long hair and I pull it through my fingers while she lays there quietly, her back to me. I don't say anything.
I wish I could impart some kind of wisdom. Be the one who gives the answer that changes everything. But there are no words right now.
It is like the times when people ask me how they can see themselves as God sees them.
It is like the times when I am asked how I walked through eating disorder recovery.
It is like the times when I am asked how I shed my past, the labels, the memories of trauma.
I don't always have the right thing to say. I wish I did. I wish I could give the magic answer.
But on my own I can't.
What I have to offer is the faith I have that God loves us.
God will bring us peace in times of despair and frustrations.
God is the only answer to bring us through. We must live the Word of God.
I pray for my daughter each time my fingers run through her hair. I ask God to give her peace, to comfort her heart, to give me words that she needs to hear, to help her feel His presence. And soon...I can see her body relax.
God's peace surrounds her.
She still doesn't understand her math.
I still don't have the perfect words.
But I know that God covered her in love and peace.
We don't always have to say something.
Sometimes we just have to sit there and pray and let the other person know that you care.
Let God do the rest.
Blessings,
Teresa
Her eyes staring at her composition book.
Her pencil running across the page.
Her eyes showing her frustrations.
Math.
She looks at me, with tears in her eyes and asks me "why don't I get this?". She says she would rather get math than anything else in the world right now.
She tries again.
Papers are crumpled.
Head in her hands.
Her anger is showing. She pulls at her hair.
I tell her to take a break.
She wants to go to her room. But I worry. There was a time when she was angry and she would go in her room and hurt herself.
I tell her that I will be there soon. Not to hurt herself. I have to say it.
She says she just wants to clear my head.
A minute later I hear her ripping papers in pieces.
I open her door. She is mad, sad, and frustrated. Ripping papers gave her an outlet. I am happy she used other ways to let out her anger. More than happy.
I sit on her bed.
I want to tell her the right thing. I want to encourage her and tell her she is smart and everything will be okay. I want to tell her not to worry--everything will work out.
But I don't.
I am silent.
I ask her if she wants me to play with her hair. She has long hair and I pull it through my fingers while she lays there quietly, her back to me. I don't say anything.
I wish I could impart some kind of wisdom. Be the one who gives the answer that changes everything. But there are no words right now.
It is like the times when people ask me how they can see themselves as God sees them.
It is like the times when I am asked how I walked through eating disorder recovery.
It is like the times when I am asked how I shed my past, the labels, the memories of trauma.
I don't always have the right thing to say. I wish I did. I wish I could give the magic answer.
But on my own I can't.
What I have to offer is the faith I have that God loves us.
God will bring us peace in times of despair and frustrations.
God is the only answer to bring us through. We must live the Word of God.
I pray for my daughter each time my fingers run through her hair. I ask God to give her peace, to comfort her heart, to give me words that she needs to hear, to help her feel His presence. And soon...I can see her body relax.
God's peace surrounds her.
She still doesn't understand her math.
I still don't have the perfect words.
But I know that God covered her in love and peace.
We don't always have to say something.
Sometimes we just have to sit there and pray and let the other person know that you care.
Let God do the rest.
Blessings,
Teresa
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Don't Compromise
Do not compromise when you are being pushed from behind to do something you know is wrong.
Tonight I did my grocery shopping. I do one big shopping trip each month and then supplement with more fresh fruits and vegetables each week. I go by myself. My kids stay home so I am able to concentrate and focus on what I really need to get. My kids prefer to stay home anyway!
On my way home I was driving on the highway that takes me to my house. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour. I was going 55. The person behind me wanted to go faster. I only knew that because he was driving very close to me. I was tempted to drive faster the whole way home. I was tempted to not allow him to think I was a slow poke. But I didn't. I didn't because as I kept watching him in my rear view mirror I heard "don't compromise when you are being pushed from behind to do something you know is wrong". Some people may question me when I say I know that was a message from my loving God, not just for this moment but for moments to come, but I know that it was...I heard it in my thoughts and I heard it in my heart.
It is so important to know what you stand for and not to compromise your integrity. We often will drive to fast only because we are keeping up with the traffic and we may not even know we are doing it. But we need to be aware if we are just "keeping up with the traffic" in our lives.
It is important to know that when someone is behind us whispering in our ear to do something we know is wrong that we aren't going to compromise. We need to know that when someone says go here or do this and we know it is not the right thing, that we can take a stand and drive the speed limit.
Know what you stand for before any thing comes up. Make a decision today of who you are and what you want your life to look like. Create a purpose statement. When you write down your purpose you can check your decisions against it to see if you are matching up with the standards you set for yourself.
We have a family purpose statement. We are able to check our choices and decisions to our purpose statement to see if we are standing by what we want our life to look like.
Don't let someone come up behind you and talk you in to doing something you don't want to do just to fit in with the crowd, be popular, or blend in. You are worth more than that.
Do not compromise when you are being pushed from behind to do something you know is wrong.
Tonight I did my grocery shopping. I do one big shopping trip each month and then supplement with more fresh fruits and vegetables each week. I go by myself. My kids stay home so I am able to concentrate and focus on what I really need to get. My kids prefer to stay home anyway!
On my way home I was driving on the highway that takes me to my house. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour. I was going 55. The person behind me wanted to go faster. I only knew that because he was driving very close to me. I was tempted to drive faster the whole way home. I was tempted to not allow him to think I was a slow poke. But I didn't. I didn't because as I kept watching him in my rear view mirror I heard "don't compromise when you are being pushed from behind to do something you know is wrong". Some people may question me when I say I know that was a message from my loving God, not just for this moment but for moments to come, but I know that it was...I heard it in my thoughts and I heard it in my heart.
It is so important to know what you stand for and not to compromise your integrity. We often will drive to fast only because we are keeping up with the traffic and we may not even know we are doing it. But we need to be aware if we are just "keeping up with the traffic" in our lives.
It is important to know that when someone is behind us whispering in our ear to do something we know is wrong that we aren't going to compromise. We need to know that when someone says go here or do this and we know it is not the right thing, that we can take a stand and drive the speed limit.
Know what you stand for before any thing comes up. Make a decision today of who you are and what you want your life to look like. Create a purpose statement. When you write down your purpose you can check your decisions against it to see if you are matching up with the standards you set for yourself.
We have a family purpose statement. We are able to check our choices and decisions to our purpose statement to see if we are standing by what we want our life to look like.
Don't let someone come up behind you and talk you in to doing something you don't want to do just to fit in with the crowd, be popular, or blend in. You are worth more than that.
Do not compromise when you are being pushed from behind to do something you know is wrong.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Watch with Caution
The Superbowl.
The two best football teams playing against each other.
People gather to watch a game that has been played for years.
Excitement...bets...gatherings...food.
The anticiptipation.
The commercials....people wait for them. Companies pay big money to have their products played across the airwaves during this big game.
But watch with caution. What is suppose to be big...funny...over the top...comes with a price. That price is the dignity of how we view women. Girls that are "hot"...low shirts, clevage, short skirts, inappropriate intentions...someone described them as "eye candy". Watch with caution. Is this really how we want to be represented?
Some people may think I am being extreme...but really...by watching these commericals we are supporting this attitude toward women. Are we suppose to strive to be "hot" or "sexy"? Do we have to be attractive by wearing clothes that barely cover us?
I don't have the answers. But my heart breaks each time I see how the media is displaying women not just in commercials, but in movies and adverstisements.
There are girls....women...who want to be accepted and loved....they strive to look like the ideal woman that the media has said is acceptable...they are starving, chasing unattainable goals, dressing with out respect to themselves, seeking the opposite sex to notice them.
Tonight I got a little angry. I have to admit. My daughter showed me a facebook page from a girl who is falling...hurting...searching...heading for destruction. I have sat in a treatment center for eating disorders and heard the stories of girls fighting to "look perfect". I hear people feel that if they gain 1 pound they think they may not be acceptable. I have been there. I don't want to stand back and just watch it happen. I am processing my frustration as I write.
Watch the superbowl commericals with caution. Maybe even turn the commericails off. Pray for the media. Pray for our girls and women.
Our beauty comes from our hearts. Can we really believe this? We have to. "People judge by outside appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 We have to beleive it because God declares it.
Challenge: (from www.MissRepresentation.com) When you are complimenting this week...do not mention appearance, but compliment on their attitude and who they are as a person. Tell them they are beautiful because they are kind or giving or a great friend.
Blessings,
Teresa
The two best football teams playing against each other.
People gather to watch a game that has been played for years.
Excitement...bets...gatherings...food.
The anticiptipation.
The commercials....people wait for them. Companies pay big money to have their products played across the airwaves during this big game.
But watch with caution. What is suppose to be big...funny...over the top...comes with a price. That price is the dignity of how we view women. Girls that are "hot"...low shirts, clevage, short skirts, inappropriate intentions...someone described them as "eye candy". Watch with caution. Is this really how we want to be represented?
Some people may think I am being extreme...but really...by watching these commericals we are supporting this attitude toward women. Are we suppose to strive to be "hot" or "sexy"? Do we have to be attractive by wearing clothes that barely cover us?
I don't have the answers. But my heart breaks each time I see how the media is displaying women not just in commercials, but in movies and adverstisements.
There are girls....women...who want to be accepted and loved....they strive to look like the ideal woman that the media has said is acceptable...they are starving, chasing unattainable goals, dressing with out respect to themselves, seeking the opposite sex to notice them.
Tonight I got a little angry. I have to admit. My daughter showed me a facebook page from a girl who is falling...hurting...searching...heading for destruction. I have sat in a treatment center for eating disorders and heard the stories of girls fighting to "look perfect". I hear people feel that if they gain 1 pound they think they may not be acceptable. I have been there. I don't want to stand back and just watch it happen. I am processing my frustration as I write.
Watch the superbowl commericals with caution. Maybe even turn the commericails off. Pray for the media. Pray for our girls and women.
Our beauty comes from our hearts. Can we really believe this? We have to. "People judge by outside appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 We have to beleive it because God declares it.
Challenge: (from www.MissRepresentation.com) When you are complimenting this week...do not mention appearance, but compliment on their attitude and who they are as a person. Tell them they are beautiful because they are kind or giving or a great friend.
Blessings,
Teresa
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Storms
The snow fell from the sky and drifted softly to our yard, eventually covering it in white beauty. When stepping outside to admire the stark white powder covering the ground I notice the quietness in the air. Even though the snow is coming down with out stopping it is quiet and calm. The snow becomes thick and deep. It is cold outside; almost too cold to enjoy. The news calls it a winter snow storm. Storm. In the midst of beauty. In the midst of the quiet. There is a storm. Many people can't leave their house. Those that do venture out risk the dangers of driving in the snow and ice. Storm. In one day our town became covered in snow. In one day the storm took over. There were warnings on the news. There usually is a warning. A storm warning. Storms in our lives come usually pouring down on us and keep us stuck in one place. We wonder when it will end...when the snow will melt away so we can move. Before the storm we stocked the fridge and cupboads. Before a storm in our life we stock our minds with the Word. We fill our hearts with the knowledge of Jesus. We fuel our fires with prayer and thanksgiving. When a storm comes we wonder when it will leave, but we can be fully prepared by knowing who our God is. The storm seems like it will never end.During the storm there can be a quiet calm found in the arms of our God. We have played every game on our shelves, cleaned every room, watched every movie, and read for hours. We want to drive our car or go some where. We are ready for the snow to melt and the storm to be over. The storm comes and we keep our eyes on how we want to be over. Can we find our God in the middle of the storm? The forecast calls for rain. It is going to warm up. We go to sleep and the snow is there...covering the earth. We sleep and rest. When we awake the rain has come and it has washed away most of the snow. The slush lays on the road and still makes it hard to drive. But it is more manageable. The storm is almost over. The end is near. We have to be able to have faith that there is an end to the storm while we are still in it. We have to trust that in the midst of the snow falling that we will get through it. Storms. They can suprise us. They can stall us. They can paralyze us. But there is an end. The streets will clear up. We can make down the street. God will bring us through. Stock your heart with the Word and remember His promises as the storm rains down. It comes in and it will go away. There is much to learn through the storm. Stand firm on the Word of God, the promises of God, the strength of God. Every answer is right there in the Bible. Every answer. Every hope. Every promise.
If you need prayer through a storm, leave a comment and I WILL pray for you.
Blessings,
Teresa
If you need prayer through a storm, leave a comment and I WILL pray for you.
Blessings,
Teresa
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Be a Blessing
There is so much on my heart I am not sure where to start!
Today as I was washing dishes on this Saturday morning, the Lord opened up my heart to those who are hurting and lost and feeling as if there is no hope or way out of what ever situation they are in right now. I look around me and I see so much. I am not sure if the Lord gives me glimpses so that I can walk with more gratitude or what. There is so much hope that we can share...we serve a God of hope.
On Thursday I went to Win Co which is a grocery store about 20 minutes from my house. Everything is less expensive than most other stores close by. Customers bag their own groceries which I actually love. I wanted to get stocked up in case it snowed. I don't drive in the snow mostly because I am scared! The only reason I could go grocery shopping like this is because I began to receive food stamps this week. I felt so blessed to get what we needed and know my family could have choices and enough to make meals for a while. So grateful. As I was driving out of the store parking lot I began to calculate how the rest of the month would work. This month I didn't get the full amount on my food card so I was careful to plan a few weeks of meals out. I knew I would still need to get milk, bread and fresh fruit and vegetables later in the month. The rest I had. So I ran through my plan as I pulled out of my parking space. I had a plan down to the last detail. But God...he likes to interrupt our plans!
In the same parking lot there is a Starbucks. I had a gift card that I received from a Christmas gift. I decided to drive through and treat myself to a coffee for the ride home. As I was driving up to the Starbucks I looked over to my right and there was a man sitting on the ground with a dog. Next to him was a very old beat up bicycle with a sign attached asking for help. I drove past him and in to the drive thru for my coffee. My heart knew that I needed to get in to my groceries and give him some of the things I had just purchased. At first I was thinking of what I would be willing to part with. But in my heart I knew that God wanted me to give beyond what I was willing and give the things that I really wanted for myself. I know when something is from the Lord because the pull in my heart is so strong there is no getting around it.
After I got my coffee I pulled in to a parking space. I got out of the van and opened the back of the van. I began to pull a few things out... such as a box of crackers, apples, string cheese, oranges, water bottle. I knew he couldn't have too much or it might not last, but I wanted to give him healthy food. I put it in a bag, got back in my van and drove to where he was sitting. I rolled down my window and asked him if I could give him something. I asked him his dogs name (Jackson). I asked him if he would tell me his name so I could pray for him by name (Steve). I asked him if he had a place to go. He said "Oh yeah. I sleep in the woods behind Win Co. We do alright!". My heart broke in to a thousand pieces.
It is cold out. Snow weather. "We so alright." His spirit was so full of joy even though his circumstances were not.
He said I looked like Goldie Hawn's twin...which made me smile. I thanked him for being so kind and after we talked for a while I drove away. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I was driving home to kids waiting for me, to a warm house, to bags of groceries to fill up my cupboards, and a bed with warm covers to pull up to my chin. I had a washer and dryer to clean my clothes. I had a shower to clean up and feel refreshed.
I am not sure I am writing this so that we can remember how grateful we should be, but to share that God wants us to share His love with ALL of those we come in contact with. That God wants us to give up what we think is precious and it will be okay. That God wants us to take action and get our eyes off of our circumstances and look out in to our families, neighborhoods, cities, etc to see the needs of others.
I use to sit around and say I can't do anything...I don't have the resources. But that is a lie. God is our resource. Ask him what he wants you to do today to be His representative in the world around you.
One thing you can do is to fill up a Ziplock bag with the following items: granola bar, trail mix, toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, Kleenex, wipes, coins, hand and feet warmers, socks, dried fruit, packages of crackers, an encouraging note of hope, etc. Keep a few of these in your car. When you see someone holding a sign up hand it to them. Give them hope. Also keep a few pairs of gloves, a few scarves and hats in your car so that you can hand them out. This is something you can do today and be a blessing to someone.
Blessings!
Teresa
Today as I was washing dishes on this Saturday morning, the Lord opened up my heart to those who are hurting and lost and feeling as if there is no hope or way out of what ever situation they are in right now. I look around me and I see so much. I am not sure if the Lord gives me glimpses so that I can walk with more gratitude or what. There is so much hope that we can share...we serve a God of hope.
On Thursday I went to Win Co which is a grocery store about 20 minutes from my house. Everything is less expensive than most other stores close by. Customers bag their own groceries which I actually love. I wanted to get stocked up in case it snowed. I don't drive in the snow mostly because I am scared! The only reason I could go grocery shopping like this is because I began to receive food stamps this week. I felt so blessed to get what we needed and know my family could have choices and enough to make meals for a while. So grateful. As I was driving out of the store parking lot I began to calculate how the rest of the month would work. This month I didn't get the full amount on my food card so I was careful to plan a few weeks of meals out. I knew I would still need to get milk, bread and fresh fruit and vegetables later in the month. The rest I had. So I ran through my plan as I pulled out of my parking space. I had a plan down to the last detail. But God...he likes to interrupt our plans!
In the same parking lot there is a Starbucks. I had a gift card that I received from a Christmas gift. I decided to drive through and treat myself to a coffee for the ride home. As I was driving up to the Starbucks I looked over to my right and there was a man sitting on the ground with a dog. Next to him was a very old beat up bicycle with a sign attached asking for help. I drove past him and in to the drive thru for my coffee. My heart knew that I needed to get in to my groceries and give him some of the things I had just purchased. At first I was thinking of what I would be willing to part with. But in my heart I knew that God wanted me to give beyond what I was willing and give the things that I really wanted for myself. I know when something is from the Lord because the pull in my heart is so strong there is no getting around it.
After I got my coffee I pulled in to a parking space. I got out of the van and opened the back of the van. I began to pull a few things out... such as a box of crackers, apples, string cheese, oranges, water bottle. I knew he couldn't have too much or it might not last, but I wanted to give him healthy food. I put it in a bag, got back in my van and drove to where he was sitting. I rolled down my window and asked him if I could give him something. I asked him his dogs name (Jackson). I asked him if he would tell me his name so I could pray for him by name (Steve). I asked him if he had a place to go. He said "Oh yeah. I sleep in the woods behind Win Co. We do alright!". My heart broke in to a thousand pieces.
It is cold out. Snow weather. "We so alright." His spirit was so full of joy even though his circumstances were not.
He said I looked like Goldie Hawn's twin...which made me smile. I thanked him for being so kind and after we talked for a while I drove away. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I was driving home to kids waiting for me, to a warm house, to bags of groceries to fill up my cupboards, and a bed with warm covers to pull up to my chin. I had a washer and dryer to clean my clothes. I had a shower to clean up and feel refreshed.
I am not sure I am writing this so that we can remember how grateful we should be, but to share that God wants us to share His love with ALL of those we come in contact with. That God wants us to give up what we think is precious and it will be okay. That God wants us to take action and get our eyes off of our circumstances and look out in to our families, neighborhoods, cities, etc to see the needs of others.
I use to sit around and say I can't do anything...I don't have the resources. But that is a lie. God is our resource. Ask him what he wants you to do today to be His representative in the world around you.
One thing you can do is to fill up a Ziplock bag with the following items: granola bar, trail mix, toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, Kleenex, wipes, coins, hand and feet warmers, socks, dried fruit, packages of crackers, an encouraging note of hope, etc. Keep a few of these in your car. When you see someone holding a sign up hand it to them. Give them hope. Also keep a few pairs of gloves, a few scarves and hats in your car so that you can hand them out. This is something you can do today and be a blessing to someone.
Blessings!
Teresa
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Be Interrupted Today
This past week western Washington had crisp sunny winter days. No rain...we are known for our rain, but we really do have beautiful days like this week. The mountains are beautiful and the air feels fresh. Now that the leaves have fallen from most of the trees around our house we have what people call a peek-a-boo view of the water-which in reality means that we can barely see it from our window...but it is very pretty.
I did not work on Monday and was blessed with one of these beautiful winter days. The kids were thrilled to have me home and loved reading to me and sharing all they were learning that day in school. In the afternoon, when all the school work was done, I decided to take a walk around our neighborhood. I just needed a few minutes to refocus and spend some time with the Lord. I set out with my headphones in my ears listening to Kim Walker singing How He Loves Us. Love. This. Song.
My plan when I got home from my walk was to make dinner and start checking things off my to do list that I had written early but didn't seem to get to while working with the kids. I had big plans all day to "accomplish" great things! But my plans didn't go the way I thought. My walk was going to bridge the way to get me to "refocus".
I had only walked a few minutes when I passed a small dog on the sidewalk. I bent down to give it a quick pet and started back on my way with my fast pace. But I stopped. I heard this whisper saying that I had to turn around. That this dog wasn't where it was suppose to be. That I needed to help it. And I suddenly saw the dog not as a dog but a representation of something else. God's Plan...I saw this dog and pictured it as an orphan standing on the road just wishing someone would reach out and help it. I didn't want to stop. This was my time. I had an agenda. I had things to do when I was done. I had things to check off my list. I had dinner to make. I had a family to take care of. I didn't have time to be interrupted.
But the whisper to turn back was one I could not ignore. In our neighborhood there are many dogs, but every house has a fenced yard and unless someone is taking their dog for a walk on leash, dogs are not out of their yards. I turned around and knelt low to the ground calling the dog over to me. It was reluctant at first but soon timidly came to me. In fact the dog was shaking and scared. The dog had a collar but no tags. It was small enough that I could pick it up. I decided to knock on a few doors to see if they knew where it belonged. No one had seen it before. One resident told me she knew that within a range of homes that she pointed out that she knew that dog did not live in the area.
I did not want a dog.
I did not want to interrupt my night.
I wanted to just keep walking.
But that whisper said otherwise.
I carried the dog back up the hill to my house.
When I came in with the dog the kids were surprised. I told them the story and let them know I was taking it to the vet to see if it had a chip in it. We all got in the van and headed to the vet. No chip. Now what. I was suppose to start my dinner a while ago. Nothing was checked off my list.
We came home and created a lost dog flyer. We grabbed some tacks, the leash, the dog, and our coats...it was cold out by this time and starting to get dark.
We hung up the signs on the mailbox stations. We turned down one cul-de-sac, hung the sign, walked to the end, knocked on a door to see if it lived there but they had never seen it and started to walk back. We were half way back down and heard someone yelling "Paco". We turned around and saw that there was a lady on her porch. She had seen us and was calling for her dog. I called back and asked her if this was her dog. It took us a minute to get to her porch.
It was her dog. I told her what we had done. I mean...we had saved it...drove it to the vet...made signs and were walking it around the neighborhood knocking on doors...we had done a lot. She scooped him up, turned around, barely said a word, and started back in to her house. She said thank you as she shut her door. Madie looked at me and said she sure wasn't very appreciative. I was surprised that she was not more excited about someone taking the time to find the home for her dog. But at that moment the Lord reminded me that we do not do the right thing just to get rewarded or thanked. We do the right thing because it is the right thing. No other reason.
I learned that my time is not my own. My agenda gets to be interrupted. I do the right thing because that is what God calls me to do. There are many who need us to turn around and lend a hand, an ear, our hearts...and we must be ready to allow God to shift our agenda to fit his. We are not here on this earth to take care of ourselves only, but to love and care for God's people.
Dinner got made eventually. A few things got checked off my list. I spent time with my family while finding the dog's home...in fact we talked more and learned more in that few hours of time then we may have if it hadn't happened.
Let God interrupt your day. Maybe it is spending time with a friend. Calling someone. Stopping and praying with that person on the street. Listening to your kids tell you the whole story. Returning that email. Making dinner for someone. Showing up for the even that means so much to them. Stop and turn around and hear the whisper of His voice. What does He want you to do today?
Blessings,
Teresa
I did not work on Monday and was blessed with one of these beautiful winter days. The kids were thrilled to have me home and loved reading to me and sharing all they were learning that day in school. In the afternoon, when all the school work was done, I decided to take a walk around our neighborhood. I just needed a few minutes to refocus and spend some time with the Lord. I set out with my headphones in my ears listening to Kim Walker singing How He Loves Us. Love. This. Song.
My plan when I got home from my walk was to make dinner and start checking things off my to do list that I had written early but didn't seem to get to while working with the kids. I had big plans all day to "accomplish" great things! But my plans didn't go the way I thought. My walk was going to bridge the way to get me to "refocus".
I had only walked a few minutes when I passed a small dog on the sidewalk. I bent down to give it a quick pet and started back on my way with my fast pace. But I stopped. I heard this whisper saying that I had to turn around. That this dog wasn't where it was suppose to be. That I needed to help it. And I suddenly saw the dog not as a dog but a representation of something else. God's Plan...I saw this dog and pictured it as an orphan standing on the road just wishing someone would reach out and help it. I didn't want to stop. This was my time. I had an agenda. I had things to do when I was done. I had things to check off my list. I had dinner to make. I had a family to take care of. I didn't have time to be interrupted.
But the whisper to turn back was one I could not ignore. In our neighborhood there are many dogs, but every house has a fenced yard and unless someone is taking their dog for a walk on leash, dogs are not out of their yards. I turned around and knelt low to the ground calling the dog over to me. It was reluctant at first but soon timidly came to me. In fact the dog was shaking and scared. The dog had a collar but no tags. It was small enough that I could pick it up. I decided to knock on a few doors to see if they knew where it belonged. No one had seen it before. One resident told me she knew that within a range of homes that she pointed out that she knew that dog did not live in the area.
I did not want a dog.
I did not want to interrupt my night.
I wanted to just keep walking.
But that whisper said otherwise.
I carried the dog back up the hill to my house.
When I came in with the dog the kids were surprised. I told them the story and let them know I was taking it to the vet to see if it had a chip in it. We all got in the van and headed to the vet. No chip. Now what. I was suppose to start my dinner a while ago. Nothing was checked off my list.
We came home and created a lost dog flyer. We grabbed some tacks, the leash, the dog, and our coats...it was cold out by this time and starting to get dark.
We hung up the signs on the mailbox stations. We turned down one cul-de-sac, hung the sign, walked to the end, knocked on a door to see if it lived there but they had never seen it and started to walk back. We were half way back down and heard someone yelling "Paco". We turned around and saw that there was a lady on her porch. She had seen us and was calling for her dog. I called back and asked her if this was her dog. It took us a minute to get to her porch.
It was her dog. I told her what we had done. I mean...we had saved it...drove it to the vet...made signs and were walking it around the neighborhood knocking on doors...we had done a lot. She scooped him up, turned around, barely said a word, and started back in to her house. She said thank you as she shut her door. Madie looked at me and said she sure wasn't very appreciative. I was surprised that she was not more excited about someone taking the time to find the home for her dog. But at that moment the Lord reminded me that we do not do the right thing just to get rewarded or thanked. We do the right thing because it is the right thing. No other reason.
I learned that my time is not my own. My agenda gets to be interrupted. I do the right thing because that is what God calls me to do. There are many who need us to turn around and lend a hand, an ear, our hearts...and we must be ready to allow God to shift our agenda to fit his. We are not here on this earth to take care of ourselves only, but to love and care for God's people.
Dinner got made eventually. A few things got checked off my list. I spent time with my family while finding the dog's home...in fact we talked more and learned more in that few hours of time then we may have if it hadn't happened.
Let God interrupt your day. Maybe it is spending time with a friend. Calling someone. Stopping and praying with that person on the street. Listening to your kids tell you the whole story. Returning that email. Making dinner for someone. Showing up for the even that means so much to them. Stop and turn around and hear the whisper of His voice. What does He want you to do today?
Blessings,
Teresa
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