KEEPING A PROMISE TO SERVE

All I wanted to do was to get out of the driver's seat of my van, open the side sliding door, put down everything in my arms, and get organzied.  That's all I wanted to do.

BUT there was a red small pickup truck in my way.  It's was in my way because the man driving the truck was waiting for me to move so he could pull into the parking space beside me.

I don't know what kind of face I made, I don't know if my impatience was evident on my face, I don't know if I looked huffy, I don't know.

So instead of opening the side sliding door, I walked to the back of the van and open the tailgate.  I put my stuff down, stood up, took a breath and organized all of my stuff and then picked it up.

By that time the man was out of his truck.  He was a tall, older than me, man wearing a red jacket.  That red jacket told me that this tall, older than me, man was a volunteer at the hospital where I work.  I wondered how he had perceived me getting out of my car.  I wonder if he saw how impatient I had been and I wondered how I could turn this all around for both of us.  (This all happened in a couple of seconds.)

So I said good morning and asked him, "So what do you do here?"

He was so pleasant.  He smiled just a little and said something like this:
     "Well, I help out at the information desk.  I help to discharge some patients.  I take patients where they need to go.  I do just about anything.  I serve.  You see I worked in Washington, DC for 41 years and I made I promise to God.  If he would help me to do my work there, then when I retired I would serve.  So I'm just paying back.  You know sometimes people just need someone to come sit in their room with them, they just need someone to read to them.  Sometimes they don't have anyone that can come see them.  So I do that.  Times are hard and if I can help someone then that's what I will do."

By this time we were at one of the entrances at the hospital.  He was going in and I was heading toward a different entrance.  He was a little ahead of me and to be honest I didn't want to end our conversation.  So I held out my hand and said, "My name is Beckie."

He turned and said, "I'm Stoats."  (I really don't know how to spell his name.)

And with a big smile that can only come when your day has been turned around 180 degrees I said,
"Have a wonderful day Stoats." He replied, "You too Beckie."

I don't really know Stoats.  I don't know if I will ever see him again.  I will look for him when I go to the hospital the next time and the next time and the next time.  I will seek him out.  I will seek him out because he made a huge impression on me.  I will seek him out to remind me to keep my promises and to remind me to serve.

ARE MY WORDS . . . . . .

Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, 

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Meditating on Psalm 19 this morning because that's what we were asked to do at SheReadsTruth.com.

I read.  Prayed.  

     I read.  Meditated.  

          I read.  Looked up words.  

               I read.  I wrote in my notebook.

                    I read.  I wondered. . . . . . . 

Are my words and are my meditations following the directions I received in the first 13 verses.

Are my words/meditations declaring, proclaiming, pouring forth, displaying, being heard, and going out to God's glory and His works?  (vs 1-4a)

Are my words/meditations coming forth, rejoicing, rising, making a circuit so everyone around me see God's glory and His works? (vs 4b-6)

Are my words/meditations reviving, giving wisdom, giving joy, giving light, enduring, precious, sweet, warning so that God's glory and His works are the reward?  (vs 7-11)

Are my words/meditations discerning, forgiving so I am kept and found blameless?  (vs 12-13)

No.  My words and meditations are not always doing the above.  

BUT now when I pray or hear prayed, 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be 

pleasing in your sight, 

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

 I will think a little harder on what exactly my words and my meditations should be.  I will remember to take Psalm 19:1-13 along with me so that I can live Psalm 19:14.

now, leave it alone

Last night I heard a whisper.  It wasn't loud and terrifying.  It was just -

now, leave it alone.

I recently completed the study GIDEON by Priscilla Shirer.  On page 101 she stated:

"4 steps in Giving Our Gifts to God

    1.  Prepare it.

    2.  Present it.

    3.  Put it down.

    4.  Pour it out."

I have been praying (preparing it) for the right time to ask my husband a question.  It's wasn't a huge question.  I just have a way of presenting ideas that allow others to respond with a "no" without hesitation.  So I prayed.  And I prayed.  And I prayed for the right time.

Last night I asked (presenting it).  He asked me a couple of questions; which I answered.  Then he walked away without answering THE question.  

I heard a whisper - now, leave it alone - (putting it down).

And now I am back in prayer (pouring it out) so that I will be obedient to the instruction I heard.

#LessonFromGideon

 

WHAT DO I LIKE?

A friend of mine "liked" something on facebook.  My first thought was, "Why would she like that"?  Then I heard my first whisper from God of the day.

What do the people around you see when they notice what "you like"?

As I have been getting ready for work, I have been thinking about this.  It is not just what I like on facebook, or twitter, or any other social media.  What do I show to my family, my friends, the people I encounter every day that I like?

 

PRAYING FOR MY CHILDREN

I pray for my children every day.  During this season of their lives I want them to be working full time jobs with benefits.  But when I pray that first, I am convicted by the Holy Spirit.  I hear the question - Is that really the first desire of your heart for them?  And I must admit it runs a very close second to my very first desire.  My first desire is that they would love God and seek him above all else.  

So to help me keep my desires and my wants in the right place I have been using the small version of this book:

I am thankful Stormie Omartian has chosen to write prayers that can help me when I just want my way to happen with my children.

I love you Tripp Potterfield.

 

 

I love you Jackson Potterfield

 

I love you Liz Yates - my future daughter-in-law

Building A Memory (BAM)

IT'S A BAM KIND OF DAY

I have a snuggie - it looks kinda like this:

I put it on backwards this morning and discovered that it is very large.  It is so large and long that I can use it for a royal robe - it just trails behind me.  I am short - 4'11.5".  Yep that's eleven and one half inches.  I will take every piece of that one half inch.

So I paraded around and remembered that I have a tiara.  Well, really I have three tiaras.  The one I wore this morning looks like this:

It was fun, made me smile, and made my husband laugh.

Just a good Saturday morning memory to hold onto for the future.

Who are the sailors in my life?

http://shereadstruth.com/2014/03/21/shesharestruth-jonah-12/

This writing is my response to studying Jonah 1&2

The sailors caught my attention.  I mean they really caught my attention.  So much that I simply outlined their part of the story.
1.  The sailors were just working in their jobs on the ship.
2.  A violent storm arose.
3. They turned from each other to follow theri own solution - idols in their lives
4.  Captain - the leader - asked Jonah questions
5.  Were given answers and a solution but didn't do it.
6.  Joined together - tried to row back to land - for a solution
7.  Cried out to God and basically said "OK, we'll do it your way"!
8.  Scared/afraid when the answer worked.
9.  They turned to God and made vows
              I wondered if they stay turned to God after this experience?

This week I kept coming back to the sailors.  I outlined their story.  Then I outlined Jonah's story.  Compared them.  Lined up how they were similar.  Took me straight to the cross and then took me right to God with the question, WHO ARE THE SAILORS IN MY LIFE?

Who are the people that are working/living life that I encounter every day?
     Do I bring a storm with me in that encounter because I have been disobedient?
          When I bring a storm, am I truthful when confronted about the storm?
               Do I offer a solution to the storm that will point the sailors in my life to God?
                    Do I allow the solution to be carried out so that the storm may pass?

I confess to this group that I do have a storm I've run from.  I was invited to prepare a CEU course several years ago.  I responded yes.  I did not have to respond with a yes.  It was a choice I made.  I never completed that project.  It is never far from my thoughts.  I do believe I have been disobedient.  I'm wondering -

What storms will be avoided if I purposefully choose to prepare the course?

Maybe the course will never be delivered BUT maybe the knowledge I receive while preparing will be used to glorify my Father.

Just maybe the engaging in study and preparation will open my eyes and ears to things I've never experienced.

Maybe the activity of learning at night will encourage my family to be more active (we are all kinda lazy right now).

Maybe responding to this call, this burden on my heart, will be liberating.  Maybe this will be life changing!