Coffee flows freely at my house and for years I have kept coffee mugs at the ready, hanging on a rack. When folks help themselves to coffee and choose their mug I always say "give it a rinse in case it hasn't been used lately". Some are used daily of coarse, but others may wait a while. I wouldn't want my friends and family to have "dust tinged" coffee, so thus the warning.
We have a variety of cups to choose from, a "Someone in Texas loves you" cup from my sister, a 'Girls Gone Wise " cup from a True Woman conference Samantha and I went to, my nephew's 40 cup I passed on to him that he uses when he is here, one from work, the one Don and Em brought back from England that says London all over it and a few with cows. All different, some simple, some colorful, all hold coffee.
What's the point? Well the other day the Lord spoke to me through those mugs. How often am I, are we, dusty coffee mugs? Unlike the mugs, we have a choice whether to be used are hang there and wait. The Lord needs each of us for His glory, but sometimes we aren't willing. We become "dusty".
Every couple of weeks I pull all the cups down and give them a wash. I guess that's like revival time, church camp, conferences we attend, or any special moment when we lay everything out for the Lord and he forgives and prepares us for the task He has planned for us. We're ready, but life "scoops us up" and there we are again, hanging, dusty.
Now we all have to work on our willingness to do those things the Lord has for us to do, individually. What excuse we make, how we just don't have the time, the talent or what ever it is we think keeps us hanging there. The dust really rallies when we neglect our time in God's Word and the quiet time with Him He so richly deserves and We so desperately need.
So now I have a little reminder to be willing and at the ready to serve the purpose my Lord and Savior has for me today. I never miss my morning coffee, a little cream, no dust please.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
MISERY
I happened upon a casual friend a couple days ago at Wal Mart. I ask how her kids were that had just started their freshman and sophomore years of college. With a strained look on her face she replied "they're good, but I'm miserable". I wished I could some how set her at ease. She has great kids, but not being with them everyday was making her crazy.
That conversation made me wonder why I haven't struggled with "Mom misery" like her. I know she can't possibly love her kids more than I love mine, what's the difference between her angst and my peaceful acceptance?
I cried all the way home from taking my oldest to Huntington College back in 1999. That was more about remembering the joy of raising him and being his Mama than pain of leaving him. His life was waiting for him there, not at home with his Daddy and I.
My second left us in baby steps. We battled, oh how we battled, I wanted him to behave like a grown up, while he said "you just don't want to let me grow up!". I will just let time set that straight, he has a beautiful, smart, three year old daughter. It will all look different to him in about 15 years.
My youngest married at age 19. Yes, that's young, but he has truly found his love. He has much to learn, but he can not be told, he must live the lessons. That's his way.
He, like his brothers will find his life. My boys will make the decisions that shape their lives as I made mine. There Dad and I are confidant that we equipped them to handle what life holds. Foremost, we gave them Jesus, they each have their own walk with Him, a knowledge of God that is with them always to help them in ways their Dad and I cannot. We gave them humor too, it can get you through many a trying situation. Is all of this scary? Oh yes, it's terrifying, but when each of them were babies Jim and I walked the isle of our church and stood before our church family and gave them to the Lord. I have never taken them back.
Will they choose what I would choose? Have they always done what I THINK the Lord would have them do? No, but that is ok. I pray for them each time they cross my mind and in the middle of the night when sleep won't come I lay them once again at the feet of my Saviour. Maybe I haven't struggled with "Mom misery" because I laid all of that there too.
A Capsule Sermon I read says it well "The art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on".
Marla Ritchie, Always Jeremiah,
Nolan and Brennan's Mom
That conversation made me wonder why I haven't struggled with "Mom misery" like her. I know she can't possibly love her kids more than I love mine, what's the difference between her angst and my peaceful acceptance?
I cried all the way home from taking my oldest to Huntington College back in 1999. That was more about remembering the joy of raising him and being his Mama than pain of leaving him. His life was waiting for him there, not at home with his Daddy and I.
My second left us in baby steps. We battled, oh how we battled, I wanted him to behave like a grown up, while he said "you just don't want to let me grow up!". I will just let time set that straight, he has a beautiful, smart, three year old daughter. It will all look different to him in about 15 years.
My youngest married at age 19. Yes, that's young, but he has truly found his love. He has much to learn, but he can not be told, he must live the lessons. That's his way.
He, like his brothers will find his life. My boys will make the decisions that shape their lives as I made mine. There Dad and I are confidant that we equipped them to handle what life holds. Foremost, we gave them Jesus, they each have their own walk with Him, a knowledge of God that is with them always to help them in ways their Dad and I cannot. We gave them humor too, it can get you through many a trying situation. Is all of this scary? Oh yes, it's terrifying, but when each of them were babies Jim and I walked the isle of our church and stood before our church family and gave them to the Lord. I have never taken them back.
Will they choose what I would choose? Have they always done what I THINK the Lord would have them do? No, but that is ok. I pray for them each time they cross my mind and in the middle of the night when sleep won't come I lay them once again at the feet of my Saviour. Maybe I haven't struggled with "Mom misery" because I laid all of that there too.
A Capsule Sermon I read says it well "The art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on".
Marla Ritchie, Always Jeremiah,
Nolan and Brennan's Mom
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