Spring Cleaning

A couple of weeks ago I tackled spring cleaning. An entire weekend of scrubbing, washing, polishing, etc. What a job that was! Its amazing at the what you find to clean when you start looking. About half way through I was wondering why I had started this project.

The answer was simple, the weather was warming up. After months of being closed up to the cold winter, we could finally open windows and break out summer clothes. Spring, a time when trees and flowers start to bloom, and the freshness of early mornings fill the air. Time to freshen up the house, clean those baseboards, sweep out the cobwebs. 

But it is definitely work! I was not excited about the second day of cleaning. However, I had to finish. I was committed. A half cleaned house just doesn't work, I wanted the entire house to be done. At the end of that weekend, I was just glad it was over. 

Its great to come home to a clean, fresh house. Everything sparkles and shines. But maintenance is required to keep it that way. However, those weekly cleanings are a snap compared to deep cleaning. 

This got me to thinking. When we first come to God, there is a lot in our lives that need cleaning. Some of that is deep cleaning, which is not always pleasant. All that scrubbing can hurt! But when the cleansing is complete, we sparkle and shine with the love of God. But just as in our spring cleaning project, we require maintenance. God is continually working and cleaning us up. Sometimes there are areas that require more scrubbing, but sometimes we just need a dusting.

So the next time you are cleaning your house, be thankful that God has provided you a house to clean, just as He provided you a Savior.

Through the Fog

The other day I was sitting on the porch, drinking coffee and enjoying the morning. As I took in the scenery around me, I noticed the mountains were gone! I strained my eyes to at least see the mountainous outlines, but to no avail. The lush greenery of the pasture and trees were shimmering with dew as the morning sun shone on them. The birds were visible and singing, but still no mountains. I thought that if I didn't know better and someone told me there were mountains there, it would be hard to believe.

That got me to thinking about faith. The bible defines faith as “...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) The mountains! I couldn't see them, yet I KNEW they were there. That morning, God gave me the perfect example of faith!

As I sat and reflected, the fog slowly began to dissipate. As it lifted, I could vaguely distinguish the mountains. However, I had to really look for them. As I stayed focused on the vanishing mist, the mountains slowly began to take shape. By the time I finished my coffee, they were once again visible. 

You see, its just like that in our walk with God. We haven't seen Him, yet we KNOW He is there. If we just stay focused on what we do know, the fog will lift and we will begin to see His majestic presence around us. I thought about the times God feels a million miles away and realized its my view that is clouded. He is and always will be with me, right by my side. After all, He promised never to leave or forsake us. (Heb 13:5) 

What started out to be just another day turned into a wonderful time of receiving God's blessing. So the next time your path appears blocked or non-existent, stay focused on what you know. Don't let your circumstances cloud your vision. The fog will begin to lift and you will once again see your path. 

God's Cake

When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, we wonder why God allows it. But if you stop to think about it, those tough times somehow work to our advantage. The next time you are struggling through situations, remember God's cake.

"A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'

'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter.

'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!"

The Day After

Yesterday, many of us celebrated Easter. We ate chocolate rabbits, (ears first, of course), dyed hard boiled eggs, sat down to a holiday meal, etc. And let's not forget how we fretted for weeks trying to find the right Easter outfit. But that was yesterday. Today, most of us will jump back to our routines and life continues as normal.

What does Easter mean to you? To some it is the start of spring. The flowers are beginning to bloom. The weather is starting to warm. The sun is setting later. Time to ditch the winter sweaters and coats and start spending more time enjoying the outdoors. Ahhh! Spring!

To others, Easter is vacation time. Schools are out of session and parents have taken time off from work. The beaches become your playground. Families spend quality time together enjoying each other. When they go back to their routines they are feeling refreshed and renewed.

No matter what you choose to do over the Easter holiday, it all comes to an end. The dinner has been eaten, the outfit you wore is no longer new, the warm, spring weather will turn to hot and humid, the vacation ends. But there is something that you can choose to do that will continue into eternity. That something is to accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

You see, every one knows the story of Easter. Christian or not, most people know the story of how Jesus was tortured, crucified, and died. And on the third day, He arose again. But to believe this will carry with you into eternity. There will be no end to the joy of knowing Jesus as your Savior. 

So as we return to our routines, let us return refreshed and renewed, knowing that no matter what happens, Jesus is with us. The days ahead will be filled with joy, hope, faith, and love. Let us live each day in the power of the resurrection.

Tomorrow

I think we all have an inherent nature to want to know what is to come. There are people that seek out psychics to tell them what their future holds. The tools they use are tarot cards, crystals, horoscopes, etc. People want to know where they are going, who they will marry, etc. Some believe these predictions so much that they can become disillusioned and depressed when events don't come to pass. Others just laugh it off as nonsense.

You are probably thinking you are not like this. But how many times have you watched the news and made your weekend plans based on weather predictions? Lets think about it. We look to see if they will predict a day to be sunny, snowy, rainy, etc. Then base our plans accordingly, only to be disappointed when that warm, sunny Saturday turns out to be cool and rainy. That's not the same thing! It may not be, but the point is that we all look for signs of what the future might be like.

Even the church gets involved in this 'future telling'. They tell us to watch for signs of the end times. Look for wars, earthquakes, famine, false prophets, etc. to indicate Jesus is coming back. Generations have seen these signs and predicted the end, yet we are still here.

These types of teachings are what turns a lot of people away from church. They hear preaching on getting ready for the last day when Jesus will come back to judge. They hear that they need to be 'right with God' to avoid damnation. But do they hear how to do that? Does the church teach us how to have a relationship with God?

If the church would focus on teaching how to know God, how to walk with Him daily, how to love, how to hear God direct our steps, etc., I believe our world would be radically different. Let's use the Bible as a tool. It tells us how to live, how to know God, and how not to worry. If we heard teachings on these things, we would be loving the unlovable, helping our neighbors who are struggling with addictions, focusing our attention on how to be more like Jesus. Then, and only then, will we not worry what the future holds. Focus on today, on how much God loves you despite your shortcomings.

Matthew 6: 34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“