It’s funny that the closer I get to God, the more I know I need to learn so much more.  My whole first part of my life I dealt only with God.  The entire concept of the Trinity was beyond my understanding, and I stayed where I was comfortable.  From an infant I was taught that God had made me, made the Earth, and that God loved me and wanted me to be good so that I might go to Heaven when I died.  I worked in that understanding for a long, long time.  I questioned, I tried to improve my behaviors, and although I survived, I simply got by. 

 

Then, once I started teaching religion, and explored my faith more, I drew very close to Christ.  I learned to understand the depth of God’s love for us: that He had sent His Son, to teach us and to ultimately cover our sins with a love that has never been equaled.  I read my Bible, and in hearing the words that Jesus spoke during His ministry I have learned so much about what is asked of me, what has been given to me, and what is promised for me in salvation.  I became able to listen to the stories Jesus told, able to relate so closely to the call that was answered by those very first disciples.  I would often be able to relate to Peter or John, and the words that Paul spoke, especially in Romans, touched a place so deep within me that I made it my deepest desire to  be able to follow a journey that would make everything Jesus hoped for in me to become a reality.  My Father and Jesus became so important in my life, in me wanting to reflect His image, and follow the path that Jesus set out for me.

 

But what about the third person of the Trinity?  My Holy Spirit.  To be honest, human pride kept me from really relating very closely to Him, although in all reality He is the One closest to me.  He lives within me.  Yet in our humanity, we often disguise the Holy Spirit, giving our own selves credit for any decisions based in goodness or wisdom.  When we act according to God’s will, we believe we are good Christians.  I have felt it many times; that swelling of pride at having made good choices and internally saying ‘Wow, I am becoming a good Christian.”  I have also been known to say to myself ” I am so glad I have the strength to walk according to His will.”  Wow, how self-righteous those words now sound.  The Bible tells me that no one except the Father is good.  So I am not where I am because I am good.  I have learned also that alone, I do not have the strength to walk according to His will.  I am given the strength to walk according to His will.  And this is where my Holy Spirit comes in.  I never recognized Him, I did not even acknowledge Him. Sure I knew He was my ‘conscience’, but somehow in my humanity I gave myself credit for His work, patting myself on the back for my ‘goodness.’  The Holy Spirit was the often forgotten God, who though He is with me always, was for the most part ignored because I was taking the credit or fall He has been doing.  I called it good sense, strength of character, and being a good Christian.  It was all about me. That has changed.

 

Taking my mother in law into our home has been one of the greatest blessings that God has sent me. The other is an amazing brother who has been somewhat of a mentor for me, rooting me on, and making me reach.  In reaching, I look up, and that is where I find Him.  After I took my mother-in-law in to live in our home as a wonderful addition to our family, my brother said something to me that I only sort of understood at the time.  He said for me to be patient with myself and to accept that I might not always feel ‘holy’ in what I am doing.  I laughed to myself because my brother certainly knows me.  I am a bit of a perfectionist, and always have been.  I push myself and am very demanding of myself when I want to do something right.  My home reflects my ethic, my gardens, my relationship with my children and my relationship with my friends.  I always wish to do everything right. Knowing this, I reflected on my brother’s words, and have had my eyes opened so very much to my newest and dearest friend: the Holy Spirit.

 

Before listening to my brother’s words, I had set my mind on helping my mother-in-law, so as in everything I do, I was going to do it right.  I wanted to embark on caring for this wonderful woman with so much zest that I would have unfortunately fallen right into the trap of falling short.  In my mind, it had to be perfect.  I had to practically sing as I went through a day now filled with chores, schedules, medications, bathroom runs, laundry, and three square meals a day.  It was the only way; a regular Florence Nightingale with a bit of Mary Poppins mixed in.  Although that would have been wonderful, I soon learned that each and every chore was not exactly without it’s individual challenges. In the day or two after getting Mom to the house I realized that.  “Oh gosh,” I thought as Mom smashed her walker into the doorframes between each room she entered.  Anyone who knows me knows Barbara’s walls do not have scuff marks on them, no less dents.  Taking a deep breath, I swallowed the guilt over my feelings, put on a false smile and moved on because that is what a ‘good Christian’ does. Yet for those first few days every time I heard the walker hitting the walls my back instinctively tightened. 

 

I am not a morning person.  When my kids were small I forced myself to get up, get their breakfast, and help them get ready for school.  But I havent done that in ten years.  Now I am up again, and not quietly sitting doing my writing with a cup of coffee in hand.  I am taking blood glucose levels, giving insulin injections, medicine, and breakfast to an 85-year-old.  “Ugghhh!”  I moaned those first few mornings, asking myself if maybe I had been over thinking in choosing to believe I could take care of my mother-in-law rather than allowing her to be put in a nursing home.  I immediately felt guilt, brushed those feelings under the carpet, placed a smile on my face, and did the right thing, which is always what Barbara does.  This happened with a number of issues, and I began to feel quite guilty.  Maybe I wasn’t the Christian I thought I was.  Here everyone was telling me what a good person I am, not even knowing that inside I was struggle with some very basic issues. I was a fraud, I thought.  And then out of nowhere, without even knowing what I had been thinking,  my brother spoke to me, telling me that it was okay to not always feel so ‘holy’, as I would have days where I might get frustrated.   I was torn because I love this woman so very much and want to make her last years happy and comfortable, yet now  I was being ‘given permission’ to not be too hard on myself, realizing that this was a major life change for me.  How could I do both?   As  my brother’s words kept replaying over and over in my head,  I decided to give it a try, and not be so hard on myself, or deny myself my feelings.  The very  next time I became frustrated, an amazing thing happened, and I will never forget it so long as I live.

 

Mom was sitting at the kitchen table eating some cinnamon toast, yogurt and a cup of tea that I had made her.  The night before I had cleaned the kitchen spotless, and was relieved that my load of chores would not be so heavy on this particular day.  I was standing at the sink, talking to Mom as she ate, when she let out a small cry of impatience.  Looking over at her I saw that she had, in the shaky hands of her Parkinson’s disease, spilled her tea all over the table, her nightgown, her toast, and the floor. Knowing that the table needed cleaned, her nightgown would now need washed, the floor that had been so clean would now need washed, and her breakfast would need to be remade, I silently sighed in frustration.  The words my brother had shared, giving me permission to be human, resonated in my mind at that moment, and rather than brushing my feelings under the carpet and feeling guilty for my feelings, I was still for a moment, allowing myself to be frustrated inside.  It was then that I heard a very clear voice inside my head.  It clearly said ‘yes, I know it’s frustrating, but just imagine how frustrated she is that she can no longer even hold a small cup steady in her hands?  Imagine trying to eat a spoonful of yogurt when your mouth is chasing the spoon that seems to practically be bouncing in the air from all the shaking?“  It was not an admonishment, it was a voice simply giving me perspective.  This voice was allowing me my feelings, but somehow I didn’t feel very frustrated anymore.  Wow!

 

That was my first true experience where I KNOW the Holy Spirit spoke to me.  In my pompous humanity I know He has spoken to me many times that I have taken credit for, calling it good judgement or my own good character.  Yet here I knew that no matter what, I was a little frustrated.  I was allowing myself to be frustrated, and yet a voice counseled me, comforted me, and made me smile.  Since that day the Holy Spirit and I have become great friends. When Mom hits into the wall with the walker, we both laugh, (the Holy Spirit and I, since Mom might not understand the humor!).  Where I cringed at the sound of it before, and felt guilty,  I now am reminded that my mother in law was pickier than I am about her house.  She would just die to know that she was scraping up my walls, but all her effort was now spent trying to get to where she was going without falling.  She is proud and though she wants me close by just in case, she wants to do it herself.  It’s her pride, and the more she can do for herself, the more she will be able to remain doing.  I didn’t tell myself this, the Holy Spirit did.  You see, I have finally found the purpose of my Holy Spirit.  He is the most tangible of the Trinity once we tune into Him, because He is who you can communicate with. He is the One where I can allow myself to be human, without any guilt.  He knows I am human, and all I need to do is be open to letting Him do His work THROUGH me. I have spent a lifetime trying to attain a level of ‘goodness’ that I will never be able to attain.  Ever.  All of my actions have previously made me either think myself ‘good’ or ‘guilty’.  When good, I gave myself kudos, not pridefully, but in a manner that made me think I had figured it all out and was pleasing to God. When I felt guilty in my human emotions I withdrew from the mere thoughts of my selfish nature, brushing them under the carpet before God knew what I was thinking(as if that’s possible, but in our humanity we think if we didnt say it outloud, its not exactly real yet) I would then plant on a smile on my face and ‘do the right thing’, to make me good.   The truth is that none of us do things or feel things because we are good.  No one is good, because we are all sinners.  What we are, if we hopefully attain it and keep it,  is faithful.  I can want to do something with all my heart, yet I  have human feelings that contradict it.  When I shut down in my guilt, I remain feeling guilty and become a hypocrite.  Yet when I allow myself to be real (to the one who knows what I am feeling anyway since I can’t fool Him) He can help me work through the issues until it IS what I want to do, because I am compassionate and want with all of my heart to be faithful, allowing Him to work through me.

 

My brothers words were simple, yet had a lifetime of meaning.  I do not always have to be holy.  All I have to do is allow myself to be a vessel for the Holy One to work in me, and through me.  There is a Christian contemporary music trio, Philips, Craig and Dean who sing a wonderful song that my heart now sings as well.  It speaks to me, and allows me to celebrate all that has been shown to me in these past few weeks. Here are the words that touch my heart so deeply:

Awake My Soul

  

When I lose myself, I reflect Your image

When I break my will, then I am home

When I give my all, I find life everlasting

And Christ is formed in me,

  

Awake my soul, prepare an entrance for Your glory

And let my heart become a throne for You to dwell

And when I seek Your Holy Spirit my than I deserve

Then Christ is formed in me.

  

May I cherish this newfound friendship, and realization that each of the three in the Trinity serve such strong equal roles in who I am.  And may I always remember that all I need is a desire to follow the path, and a willingness to allow Him to work through me.  I do not always need the strength, for He will give me the strength.  I do not always need the understanding, for He will give me the understanding.  I do not need to always be Holy, I simply need to be willing to be a vessel for His Holiness to enter the world.  For alone I can never be perfectly good, but with Him, I can conquer the world.  In Jesus’ name I pray.

Romans 8

6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.

Teaching children new things is such a joy, and I love when Jackson comes to me for help learning a new skill.  A few weeks ago, Jackson came to me asking if I could teach him to whistle.  He kept blowing out, with no sound resulting, and I patiently showed him how to wet his little lips, pucker up to form a small, tight ‘o’, push his tongue forward a little, and blow softly.  He was so proud of himself when the smallest of whistling sounds came out.  As he practiced, his whistle became stronger and stronger, and I started singing ‘Just Give A Little Whistle’, to which he would answer with a small double whistle.  I explained that this was a short little jingle from the Disney movie, Pinocchio, and somehow we next started singing Jiminey Cricket’s little song about always letting your conscience be your guide.  How much fun we had!

 

Later as I reflected on this, I started thinking about what a wonderful movie Pinocchio is for children.  So many wonderful lessons are taught in that movie, and actually, when one thinks about it, there are many, many religious connotations within the plot of this classic movie.  Disney has always been able to hold the interest of a small child while bringing across great life lessons, where good is always able to overcome evil.  Pinocchio is certainly no exception, and is probably the most religiously connected movie when broken down and thought about.

 

The movie opens with Gepetto, a wood-carver, who is putting the finishing touches on his newest creation.  He has made a marionette that he has named Pinocchio, in the likeness of a little boy.  Upon its completion, Gepetto works the strings in such a manner that the little wooden puppet is able to move and dance around.  We watch as he next sadly puts the puppet down and heads off to bed for the night.  Before retiring, he looks out at the evening sky and wishes on a star (a form of prayer) that Pinocchio might become a real boy; a son that can love him as much as he has come to love this new puppet he has created.  In the night the Blue Fairy comes and brings Pinocchio to life.  She talks with Pinocchio, telling him that although he has come to life, he can never become a real boy until he learns to be brave, honest and true.  She appoints a small cricket, who has come into the woodshop from the cold, to help act as Pinocchio’s conscience, and this small vagabond insect, Jiminey Cricket, takes on the appointment.

 

Here I see a Creator, much like God, who has created something in his likeness, that he wishes to have fellowship with.  Like God, he wishes for this creation to love him as much as he has come to love it. The Blue Fairy enters the scene and breathes life into Pinocchio, much as God breathed life into us, and Jiminey Cricket, who acts as Pinocchio’s conscience, is a strong reminder of how the Holy Spirit works inside of each one of us, as our Counselor, and Comforter.  The Holy Spirit is with us always, much as Jiminey has been appointed to stay at Pinocchio’s side, in order to guide him in his journey. 

 

The next morning Pinocchio is sent off to school by his father, and meets up with some boys who encourage Pinocchio to skip school and go with them to the puppet show.  Pinocchio gives in to this temptation and it puts him in danger, where Stromboli locks him in a birdcage to use him in the puppet shows.  Pinocchio escapes, and again, not heeding the advice of his good friend and advisor, Jiminey Cricket, he heads off to Pleasure Island with his friends, where it is said that a young boy can do whatever he wishes. Already Pinocchio is learning to give into temptation and defy his father’s wishes as well as the advice of Jiminey Cricket.  When he lies, his nose begins to grow, revealing his deceit, and Pinocchio wishes to hide this from everyone.  Again, this has many religious connotations in that in our own humanity, we are drawn to give into temptation. We follow the lead of those here on Earth, following friends who often can lead us into bad situations. We sometimes ignore the advice of our conscience (the Holy Spirit), and each time we give in to temptation or act deceitfully, we become more ‘of the Earth’ and not of the Spirit.

 

On Pleasure Island Pinocchio and his friends get themselves into all kinds of trouble until Pinocchio’s friend ultimately turns into a donkey.  Pinocchio realizes he has already developed the ears and tail of a donkey, and finds out that this is the curse of the island.  Boys who ‘act like jackasses’ turn into the likeness of a donkey.  Pinocchio realizes the error of his ways, and with Jiminey Cricket, who he has ignored up to this point, they jump into the sea to escape the island.  What a direct parallel this draws to our own religious life.  When we act in a manner that is not obedient to God, and does not follow the advice of the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, we begin to lose the characteristics that make us made in the image of God.  Though we still outwardly may resemble the likeness that God made us in, we lose everything we have in common with what God’s intention was when He created us. In Pinocchio’s disobedience and poor choices, he has become separated from his father, much like us, when we make poor choices.  Once separated from God,  we must find our way back.  Pinocchio makes a decision to become obedient, and in jumping into the sea, I am reminded of how we become baptized in Christ, through water, when we make a decision to follow a spiritual path.  It is a cleansing and walking away from sin and disobedience.

 

When Pinocchio returns to his home, he finds Gepetto missing, once again reminding us of the separation Pinocchio has caused.  Gepetto, much like God, had not given up on his son.  He has been out searching for Pinocchio, and in trying to get to Pleasure Island has not yet returned home. Pinocchio must now go out and find his father, to tell him he now wishes to be a good boy, and will be a disciplined, obedient son.  One of the most touching scenes in this movie is when we see Gepetto out looking for Pinocchio in the night.  He is holding a lantern, and I am strongly reminded in this scene of how much God still wants to be with us, though we are not always good children.  His love for us, like Gepetto’s love for Pinocchio, is complete.  God is always wanting to connect with us, and never gives up in His hope that we will be found.  The lantern burning in the dark night strongly reminds me of the Light of the World, that we can see in the darkness, and be drawn to.  It is an amazingly comforting picture, just as I imagine God in my mind.  A father’s unfailing love, with the light of wisdom burning brightly, just waiting for us to embrace it.

 

Pinocchio now sees that he must go and find his Father, for as much as he now wants to be a good boy, he must reconnect with the separation he has caused..  Pinocchio realizes that he needs his father’s guidance, rules, and love in order to be happy and safe.  Yet how will Pinocchio find his father?  Gepetto is now in the belly of a whale, a place where no person would be able to find him, much as God, our Father, cannot be found in the places we would think we can find Him.  Because Pinocchio truly wishes to find his father, in earnest, he amazingly gets swallowed up by the same whale that swallowed his father.  This is no coincidence to me.  It is a true reminder that with God, all things are possible.  When we truly seek Him, no matter how impossible or improbable it would seem to be able to find our way back to Him, He allows for us to come to Him.  Deep in the belly of a whale Pinocchio connects with his father, finding the true fellowship and love that they both desire.

 

Finally, devising a plan to get out of the whale’s belly, Pinocchio sets a fire inside the whale. This makes the whale sneeze, and the power behind the sneeze blows both Gepetto and Pinocchio out of the whales belly, and back into the sea. The whale sets off in pursuit of them, and Pinocchio gets his father to safety, under a cliff on the shore.  But unfortunately Pinocchio dies in the process.  As he lays dead on the shore, with Gepetto and Jiminey Cricket sad and tearful, the Blue Fairy comes and brings Pinocchio back to life. She tells Pinocchio that he has now shown himself to be brave, honest, and true, and is now worthy of becoming a real boy.  What a happy ending!

 

This ending is so revealing to me in its religious significance.  Once Pinocchio had shown himself to be selfless, brave, honest, and true he became real.  Although he died, he really only died to sin.  He was then ‘reborn’ in his commitment to never being separated from his father again, and this brought him eternal life. This reinforces the lesson that God so dearly wants us to remember.  Once we make that decision to follow a path that leads to Him, we then become true real people made in His image.  Though we will go through trials, struggles, and adventures, if we stay true to Him, find strength in Him, and love Him with all of our hearts, He will never forsake us.  We can celebrate the birth of our new person, who replaces the mere physical form we carry on this Earth, to truly reside in the life we were meant to live.

 

I need to constantly question myself, asking if I am acting as a real child of God’s, made in His image, or am I drawn to the temptations and the tendency to be a wooden version of His image?  Am I brave, honest, and true in my actions and thoughts, or do I succumb to the pressures of society, that though they might make me ‘fit in’ with those around me, are not in obedience to what He wishes for me to become. Do I listen for the voice of my very own Jiminey Cricket (The Holy Spirit), turning to Him for guidance and advice?  I wish with all of my heart to be a ‘real boy’, brave, honest, and true, so that one day God might look upon me and say ‘Come to me, my true child.  You have been made in My image, and you have reflected that image.  You have faithfully let it shine brightly for the world to see and I wish to share with you all that I, as your Father have prepared for you.  You have come to life, no longer in the flesh, so let us rejoice my faithful real child.’  For this I pray.

 

Genesis 2:7

“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

 

John 14:16-17

 ”I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

  

Proverbs 16:9

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

 

Proverbs 1:33

“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.”  

Romans 1

 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…

 

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

 

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth

 

  

  

    

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

(Ephesians 2:4-5). 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

  

  

  

  

  

    

  

    

 

This week I was unable to do any writing due to the fact that my husband and I were out-of-town.  We went to Florida to go get my mother-in-law, who will now be living with us here in Texas.  At 85 years old, she is too old to be living by herself, and left with the choice of putting her in a nursing home, or taking her to live with us, the answer was very clear.  She will hopefully live out the rest of her days with her family, able to enjoy being surrounded by those who love her, and who appreciate all she has done to make our family what it is today. 

 

Our trip to Florida was short, since we were only there a few days in order to get her, and pack up whatever belongings she wished to take with her.  It was the most humbling experience of my life.  Having been raised during the Great Depression, and coming from a family that struggled through this period, status had always been very important to my mother-in-law.  Though she was a very wise woman, she only had an eighth-grade education due to the fact that she had to leave school in order to get a job to help her family pay the bills, which was not uncommon for her generation.  Yet because of this, though she was not overindulging to herself, she did enjoy nice things.  She associated these things with status, and security in the fact that she was no longer poor.  Her furnishings were quite nice, and her clothing had always reflected extremely good taste.

 

As I went through her closets in order to take with us enough clothing for her daily needs, my thoughts were bittersweet.  I gently folded each article of clothing, made of the finest materials, and placed them in a pile to give to the church, since these beautiful clothes had long ago been replaced with sensibly shirts and elastic-waist pants.  Beautiful shoes went into a box to also be sent to the church, since the only shoes she would now be needing were the sensible orthopedic shoes that now helped her walk in relative comfort. Her tray of fine perfumes and good makeup would no longer be necessary, as we only had limited room in her bags, that would be needed to take all of her medications and diabetes supplies. Oh how life changes our priorities!

 

Mom kept offering for me to take anything I wished, as she was willing to give me everything and anything she had. I wished I could have taken it all, so that she could be surrounded by the things familiar to her, but I already have a full house.  I had no need for her furniture or fine collectibles, since I have my own.  But what I did want, and what was important to me, were the things that brought back so many wonderful memories.  I wanted her sewing box.  A great big sewing box that reminded me of how this woman had taught me to sew.  I smiled as I recalled a time long ago, when she had helped me make a pumpkin costume for my first-born child that first Halloween, and the joy and laughter we shared as we took him trick-or-treating.  I remembered the many times this woman had shown me how to sew by hand, and her thimble became so dear to me.  Before she had taught me to sew, a thimble had been just a silly sewing notion that some people collected on trips to various places, that held no importance to me.  Yet I now recalled her sternly telling me the importance of using one, so that I might not stick myself while darning up a quick hem, or sewing a button onto a shirt.  This sewing box was a treasurebox of memories that for some reason I could not allow to remain. 

 

As I packed up her kitchen, I wished I could have taken it all.  Again there would be no room at my home, so I became quite picky.  Her beautiful dishes and her pots and pans would need to stay behind, yet for some reason I could not add her aluminum ice bucket to the pile of things to give away.  This silly ice bucket held so many memories for me.  Hot summer Sunday afternoons at Grandma’s house always involved Mom yelling downstairs to me to come up and fill the ice bucket.  I would go upstairs and fill the ice bucket and bring it outside to place on the wooden patio table, as Dad was grilling the Italian sausage, skirt steaks, and hamburgers.  Mom would place on a tray her homemade macaroni salad, which to this day I have been unable to duplicate with any precision.  I wish I could take that macaroni salad with me too, for I remember during my second pregnancy, that I only had one craving, and that was for Mom’s homemade macaroni salad.  So the ice bucket would have to come, since though it no longer was used to hold ice, it held so many memories that I will always treasure. 

 

Her linen closet, filled with so many finely made sheets and towels was taken on next.  As my eyes skimmed over the contents of the closet, these things were lost to me, as I searched out the blankets, crocheted by her mother-in-law, that I knew meant so much to her.  Made over 50 years ago, they still looked brand new, and I knew that these would need to come with her.  A tear ran down my face as I grabbed the quilt I had made for my father-in-law about ten years ago, just prior to his passing.  He had been confined to a wheelchair in his last days, and I had decided to make my first attempt at a hand-sewn lap quilt, so that his legs might stay warm.  As I folded it, I saw the inscription on the backside of this quilt,which was certainly not my best work, that read “To Dad.  May this blanket keep you warm, the way you warm our hearts.”  Far too precious to leave behind.

 

As we closed and locked up the house, my heart was heavy. This house still held all of her furnishings and decorations that would be given to charity.  Rooms filled with high quality furnishings, a beautiful patio set, bedding and kitchen ware that anyone would be happy to own.  Instead, we had taken the wheelchair, the canes, the walker, and the bedrails that now had become of paramount importance.  I smiled at the message my Lord was reinforcing to me on this day.  Everything that we perceive as important becomes of little value in its time.  Material things are just that; material, and hold no value at the end of the day.  What is important though, are memories.  Memories of times shared, love given, and simple summer barbeques.  Somehow at the end of all of our lives the things of this Earth will be stripped from each and every one of us.  We will stand naked, not even wearing our elastic pants and sensible shoes, to finally see the face of God.  What we will hold are the imprints we have left on humanity.  The warmth that we brought to a human heart, and the brow that we wiped for a child of God in a time of need.  And I realized, as we placed this fragile woman in the seat of the car to be taken on her final journey to our home, that we had taken the only thing of value in that house.  We had taken her; this woman rich in memories of so much love, to come and share our home. The Lord has trusted us with her care; the care of His child.  May I be reminded each and every day as I bathe her, dress her, and feed her, that she is a person of value. And may I always remember in the days to come, if I become tired, or lose my patience, that what I  will do for her, I do for Him.  

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21 

19″Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

James 1

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Acts 20:35 

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “ 

Romans 8:32 

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 

 John 3: 17-18 

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 

John 13:34-35 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Matthew 25:35-40 

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Leviticus 19:32 

‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.’ 

 

If only we could see life the way children see it!  My grandson Jackson never stops amazing me at the way he embraces life, and sees things from such a pure, innocent perspective.  I am humbled when I am with him, and often am reminded of the things I need to work on in my own humanity whenever I see things through the eyes of this wonderful child. 

 

A few years ago Jackson responded to a situation with such innocence and beauty that we still speak of it today, laughing each time the memory comes to mind.  My husband had asked a friend from work to stop by so that my husband could fix something on his car, and this friend had brought another friend with him.  After checking out the car and fixing whatever was wrong with it, they all came into the house, where my husband offered them something to drink.  They were standing in the kitchen talking about cars when I came into the room with my grandson, who at the time was probably three years old.  I was proud to introduce my grandson to this friend of my husbands, who I had not seen in quite a few years, and he in turn introduced me and my grandson to his friend he had brought with him.  This friend of his was quite taken with my grandson, and as we stood laughing and joking with Jackson, this man explained how his daughter was expecting a child in a few months.  It was very clear he was excited to become a grandfather, and watching him with my grandson, I knew immediately that he would be a natural.  All too quickly it was time for them to head out, and as we said our goodbyes, I wished this gentleman all the goodness and blessings that a grandchild brings. Jackson did not want this nice man to leave, and as we stood waving goodbye, I could see that Jackson was sad to say goodbye to this nice gentleman who had been so sweet to him. As we turned to walk back to the family room, my grandson looked up at me with the most innocent face and asked ‘ Gammie, who dat nice blue guy’s name?”  I started laughing so hard I thought I would cry, since in asking what this man’s name was, he had called him blue, when in fact, this gentleman was a black man!  I found this simply hilarious, and the most perfect example of childhood innocence.

 

A small child has no understanding of what prejudice is all about.  A small boy does not know the first thing about a world that treats people unfairly sometimes, and at that moment I wished with all of my heart that the world could be run by people with this childlike innocence that passes all barriers of prejudice, stereotyping, or meanness. I still have no clue how he perceived this man’s color as blue, but clearly he noticed that his look was different.  He was not frightened, he did not shy away from their obvious differences, in fact, he so enjoyed spending some time with him that he had not wanted him to go.  Why can’t we live in a world where all people simply accept each other’s differences, I wonder? Sadly, prejudice is rampant in today’s society, and in a world where we are considered highly intelligent people, I am struck by the ignorance of disliking any person simply because they fit into a category that we have personally decided to perceive them inferior to us.

 

You see, at it’s very root, prejudice is not only dislike; it is feeling superior in some respect to the individual we have prejudged.  We think of racial discrimination and religious discrimination, but often fail to see how we might discriminate against individuals for many other reasons.  We might dislike poor people because we perceive them as not working hard enough to better themselves.  We might dislike rich people because we call them snobby and overindulged.  We dislike people from various nationalities based on our preconceived ideas of what they stand for.  How often have any one of us looked at a Middle Eastern man, and immediately developed an opinion?  I know I did right after September 11, 2001.  Anyone that remotely resembled someone who might have come from any one of these middle eastern nations I feared was a threat to me.  It is easy for it to happen, especially when the bases is rooted in fear.  Yet how many wonderful middle eastern men live peacefully, wishing no harm to anyone? Most all of them I would think, and I also believe that most people who come from these nations are equally appalled at the acts of the terrorists who caused so much death and destruction.  Although I was initially prejudiced against this specific group, based on my fears, I knew it was wrong so I did much praying to get out of my fear.  I have come to a place where I will embrace anyone from any walk of life, and will not let human fear get in the way of my reaching out to anyone in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Christ, Himself, was a victim of religious prejudice. The Gentiles, those who were not of the Jewish faith, hated Jews.  Jews on the other hand hated all other races.  Their neighbors of mixed ancestry, the Samaritans, were hated by both. Though they were of Jewish descent, the Jews did not believe these people were pure, because of intermarrying with other races. The Jews and Gentiles did not care if these individuals from Samaria were good people, they simply hated them as a group, not even taking into consideration that they too were from God.

 

 In Luke 10:30 we read about how the Samaritan was the only person kind enough to help a man who had been robbed and left without even clothing on his back.

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” 

 

 In Luke 10:11-19 we read about how Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem passed along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  He came upon ten men with leprosy, and after healing them, only one returned to give thanks.  That man was a Samaritan.  11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him–and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”  Jesus didn’t fail to heal the Samaritan because he was different, or of a group that was disliked by His people.  Jesus always stood alone.  He stood for goodness, kindness, and acceptance of everyone.  Everyone was worthy of hope, everyone was worthy of a door being opened to His Kingdom. 

 

In the story of the Samaritan woman, Jesus is alone in a Samarian village waiting for His disciples to return from getting food.  He sees a woman coming to a well and asks her for a drink.  She is surprised that a Jew would speak to her, and reminds Him that they do not communicate with each other.  She speaks of her religion being different from that of the Jews, and it is then that Jesus tells her that a day will come when her people will not worship on the mountain, nor will the Jews worship in Jerusalem.  He tells her that the day will come where we worship in spirit and truth.  He tells the woman things about her past, and she comes to realize that He is a prophet of some kind, and goes back to the village to tell her people.  They return and hear Jesus’ words, and become believers.  Here we see that Jesus held no prejudice, unlike His Jewish neighbors.  Every person was a clean, fresh slate for Him to try to put His mark of faith and understanding. Had Jesus not spoken to this woman, as His Jewish neighbors would have done, this woman might never have found redemption or salvation.  Instead, Jesus treated her as a friend and not only did she find salvation because of this, but so did many in her village.

 

We too are called to wipe all prejudice from our minds and our hearts.  We are to look at all people with hope and faith that they too might find a way to Jesus.  No matter how many times we must put our mark of believing in Christ on them, we can never give up, or decide any person or group is beyond redemption or coming to Christ.  After all, how many times were the markings of Christ placed onto you before you found your way onto the path?  How many times did I personally ignore the call of my Savior before I heard His voice?  Jesus never once said ‘I have tried hard enough with her, and she is beyond hope of ever changing’ concerning winning me over to Him. He calls for us to do the same.  Jesus tells us in His teachings that as Christians we should not simply tolerate people of all differences, He calls for us to actively show love toward them.  We cannot even get around this with a defense of saying that any one person or group has hated us first.  He clearly tells us to love our enemies,and do good to those who hate us. 

 

So like a child, let us remain innocent to prejudice.  Let us come to the black man, the white man, those of all ethnic backgrounds, and all walks of life.  Let us come to the rich, and the poor, those who live in Christ, and those who have not yet found a way onto the path. Let us see hope for change and coming to Christ in every person, from every walk of life.  Let us do our part to show them that we live for Christ; Our Savior and Redeemer, who came to save all of us, not just those who fit into a category of having shown themselves worthy of being saved.  In offering salvation freely to all, we too must freely be open to sharing our faith with everyone, not those we have decided are worthy of saving. For if that is what is in our hearts, we too have not yet found Him.

Matthew 5:44

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

John 4:1-43

1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

 

A few years ago, after my father-in-law had passed away, my mother-in-law went through some health issues. She came to stay with us for a few months, but after the crisis had passed she wished to go back to her home in Florida.  Although my husband and I were not very comfortable with her decision, we had no real reason to make her stay, and secretly we were probably a bit relieved, since adding an elderly person to our home had changed the dynamics of our family life. I had gotten a small taste of what it was like to have a parent come and stay, and to be honest, it was a bit difficult.  During that time we no longer had the freedom to come and go, knowing that my mother-in-law could not be left alone for long periods of time.  She required medication and insulin shots, was unable to bathe herself, and needed help with even her most personal hygiene issues.  It was hard work.  In addition to the physical work, my mother-in-law can be a bit difficult in her old age.  This is not uncommon, since the elderly often become frustrated with their loss of self-sufficiency.  No longer do they have their spouse, who truly understood them, and I am certain it must be frustrating to live in a world where most of your friends have passed away, and you are left living through your children and unable to really live a life of your own anymore. No wonder many old people become gruff or difficult to deal with.

 

In the past few months my mother-in-law’s mental status has truly deteriorated a lot.  She will turn 85 this year, and sadly, the time has come where she can no longer live alone, and she realizes this.  She spoke to my husband a few weeks ago, and asked him to find her a nursing home to go into.  She was quite adamant that she does not wish to come and live with any of her children, as she does not want to be a burden, but knows it is no longer safe, or in her best interest to stay in her home.  My husband and his brother have looked into nursing homes, both in her state and in each of our areas.  Sadly, we are being told that she does not meet the requirements to go into a nursing home, and suggestions of putting her into an assisted living facility have been brought up.  I am not sure how she does not meet the requirements for going into a nursing home since she often becomes confused, forgets to give herself her medication, can no longer cook for herself, is pretty much incontinent, and has taken a number of falls, one of which recently required stitches.  It is clear she is unable to safely take care of herself.  An assisted living facility would not solve these problems, as she would still be on her own, and the cost of these facilities are outrageous.  She lives on a small social security check and a small pension, most of which is eaten by the costs of her medications, and even if it were fairly safe for her to go into this environment, which it is not, it is also not financially feasible.

 

Looking at all of the possible scenarios I have made a decision to invite my mother-in-law to come and live with us permanently.  Before anyone starts patting me on the back, I am not doing this because I am such a wonderful person, I am doing it because it represents all that is right and all that is good.  Jesus spoke of caring for the elderly and honoring our parents, and I am reminded of His words.

 

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
- Matthew 25:35-40

‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.’
- Leviticus 19:32 

 

The lesson in me telling this story is one I have preached for so very long. The lesson is that works without passion, and obedience to law without understanding are useless.  Though I know the road ahead is going to be difficult, if  I were to take my mother-in-law into our home simply because I wish to be ‘obedient’ to my Lord, it would be better that I not waste my time or my efforts.  I wish to take my mother-in-law in because I believe that what Jesus tells us is right and good. I wish to honor my mother-in-law, who was an amazing woman.  I am reminded of the many nights where she most probably sat in the wee hours of the night rocking my husband back to sleep as an infant.  I imagine how many times my husband climbed upon her lap for her to read him a story, and I think about all she has sacrificed to give my husband life, and a foundation in Christ. How many times did she stay up worrying when he had a fever, and how many times did she keep dinner warm for him so that he might come home from work to a hot meal?  How many sacrifices did this woman make to raise my husband into a fine man? She was an amazing mother.

 

As a mother-in-law I could not have asked for her to be more supportive.  She always sang praises of how lucky she was that I was such a good mother to her grandchildren.  When we would go to her home each week for Sunday dinner she embraced each visit with such warmth and excitement.  Always one to make our favorite meals, she would patiently teach my children how to peel a cucumber and cut it up fancy so it would look like a flower.  My children always fought over who would do it each week, and they still have such warm memories of these special times with grandma. My children would giggle as she snuck them pieces of her fresh mozzarella cheese, mindful that I not see it, or yell that they shouldn’t be eating before dinner.  I recall one time when she was watching them for me, I returned to find her almost in tears.  Apparently my son had been running and fell, and cut up his leg pretty badly.  She felt responsible, and was afraid I wouldn’t trust her with my children anymore.  I remember laughing, and telling her that it wasn’t her fault. I reminded her that children fall and hurt themselves all the time, and assured her that I had been right there many times when my children had fallen or hurt themselves.  She was a woman of passion, and had great love for her family. She taught me how to be a mother, how to be a wife, and she taught me how to serve others as she did every day.

 

What we are left with today is a woman who is only a shadow of herself.  Life has taken its toll.  Her patience has worn thin, and she is tired.  She is reliant on others, where previously she loved to take on the roll of being the one to nurture.  I will honor her, and I will give her dignity in her old age.  I will bear the Cross of the changes to my lifestyle, and the upheaval of my home because life is not about personal comfort.  It is about servitude, giving of oneself, and being an example of Jesus Christ, since He represents all that is good and pure.  If I do it out of obedience, no one will gain, for my heart will not be in it.  I will remind myself each day that what I do for this amazing woman, I do for Him. I will do everything with passion as I honor her, and  give her the dignity that she so deserves as a parent, as a grandmother, and as a child of God. I am reminded that one day I too will grow old and I pray that someone will hear the voice of Christ calling out for them to honor me, so I will treat my mother-in-law the way that I will wish to be treated if I am one day also in that position.

 

Today my eyes do see and my ears do hear the voice of God calling out for me to walk His path.  I will answer that call in obedience, but also in passion and in full understanding of its goodness. May I have the patience, love and obedience to not only do this for her and Jesus, but to do it wholeheartedly in Christ’s name.  For this I pray.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to read.  ‘Little Women’ written by Louisa May Alcott, was a favorite of mine.  I recall becoming so engrossed in the story line that I almost felt as if I were a fifth sister to these March girls.  Meg, the oldest, was bossy, and for this I didn’t care much for her.  Beth was so meek and kind that I had a soft spot for her, while  Amy was so spoiled, I almost felt as if I indulged her as the youngest, along with her sisters. My very favorite ’sister’ was Jo.  Jo had spirit, she had vision, and she was the heart of the family. When I think back on this book, my mind vividly sees the life that they led, during a most difficult time in history.  I envision all of us up in the attic of their home, playing dress up, and putting on plays for Mother, because the story became so real to me.

 

As a child I was also very interested in learning about slavery.  I must have been in the fourth grade when I first found out what slavery was, and even in my child’s mind, I was appalled at the injustice of human beings ‘owning’ other human beings.  I recall doing a book report on Harriet Tubman; and the story of her life has stayed with me ever since.  It touched my heart so deeply  to read about a small black slave-girl, taken away from her Mama, forced to do manual labor, while being beaten so severely that she developed permanent scars and disabilities from their violence.  I rooted her on as she escaped and found refuge and help in the Underground Railroad. I also developed so much respect for this woman, as she fearlessly returned to the South over and over again, risking her own safety in order to help others find the freedom she had found.

 

Reading and listening to stories helps us to empathize with the characters.  It helps us to develop strong emotion  when we place ourselves within the storyline of whatever we are reading, and how we emotionally react to the concepts develops much of our character.  That is why I have come to a point in life where I almost plead for people to pick up the Bible and read.  For over forty years I tried my very best to avoid it.  I did not understand the wording and felt it best left to scholars and theologians.  After all, I figured, I knew who God was, who Jesus was, and I thought I pretty much got the jist of it.  I was wrong, because no matter how much I tried to get around it, it wasn’t until I read about the life of Jesus Christ that my life began to change.

 

In the same manner that  I became one of the March sisters in reading Little Women, and became such an admirer of Harriet Tubman in reading her biography, Jesus becomes our friend when we read the story of His life.  Without the emotion, compassion, and heartfelt understanding of who He was, we only skim the surface of our faith.  Now when I call on Him, I call on my friend; someone I know personally.  When I read about Jesus coming and encouraging Peter to walk on water to come to Him in the storm, I feel as if I were in the boat, encouraging Peter as well.  “Go to Him”, my heart cries as I root Peter on, knowing he can do it if he just has faith and trust in Jesus. I become so engrossed that I actually anticipate Him asking me to come to Him across the water next.  ‘I think I could do it” I say to myself, having complete and utter faith in Him.  I envision a scenario where I am sitting with a group of people who are hungry, and see Jesus coming from in the distance.   I want to stand up and shout  ”Our worries are over.  I have seen Him do the most amazing things, and I know He will find a way to feed us!”  When I hear the story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples at that Last Supper the emotion it brings out in me brings me to tears.  It makes me wish that I were there so that I might wash His feet, and gently rub the aches and pains out of feet that walked so many miles to spread the Word so that we might live.  Through the stories I not only know Him and am forever grateful for His sacrifice, I have come to love Him not only with all of my heart, but with every fiber of life within me..

 

Back when I was teaching religion, I remember being at a teacher training session, where the leader spoke of the importance of praying to Jesus.  At the time I prayed to God daily, and never prayed to Jesus.  I had been raised to pray to God, and I was comfortable with that.  A small debate began, with the leader almost admonishing me, stating that the only way to the Father is through the Son.  “Bologna”, I said to myself, “I can pray to God if I want to.”  I had no use for a rule that told me who I could pray to, and if I wanted to go straight to THE BIG MAN, I was going to do just that.  Time and learning about Jesus has taught me that both of us were wrong.

 

The leader of this teacher training was wrong in that I can pray to God directly if I wish to.  He is my Father, and there are times I want to speak with Him.  I know He is available to me whenever I wish to visit with Him, and no one on this Earth is going to tell me differently.  Yet since the time of that discussion, and after reading about the life of Jesus, I now find myself most always praying to Jesus.  Me, the one who vowed I did not need to go through Jesus, am now finding myself in a place where I talk to Jesus throughout the entire day, in prayer, and in just normal conversation. It made me stop to think about how this change took place, and I clearly see the answer.  Before, I was operating by the laws of religion.  I was praying to God out of obligation and ritual.  I subjected myself to the laws of religion and satisfied this obligation through nightly prayer.  When things didn’t work out, I would pray harder, or try to be a better person.  It wasn’t working, no matter how hard I tried.  That was because I was going through the motions of religion, and hoping works and obedience to law would be enough.  Yet once I finally read about the life of Jesus Christ, He became personal to me.  I wished to speak with Him, and talk to Him about my struggles, my fears, my accomplishments, and my hopes.  He became tangible and real to me. I no longer prayed out of obligation, I conversed with Him because He is my friend.  I no longer needed to ‘try harder’, because I am comfortable that my heart is with Him, and know that when I fall, He is right there to help me back to my feet.  I have learned that though I sometimes still like to talk to God, I speak with Jesus because our relationship has developed so much that I feel He knows me.  He is my best advocate, and since He is aware of all my strengths and weaknesses, through our personal relationship, I choose to share my secrets with Him.  My sins, my fears, my hopes and my uncertainty can be trusted with Him, because having lived on this Earth He knows the struggles of humanity. 

 

When that leader of the Teacher Training admonished me, telling me that I needed to pray to Jesus to get to the Father, she spoke of law, not understanding.  Whether one is made to talk to Jesus or to God, if they are doing it out of obligation, it is valueless.  It is in developing a relationship with the One we can relate to that we find ourselves at a place where we pray to Jesus.  In nurturing this friendship and deep bond with Jesus, when my days on Earth are over, Jesus will go to the Father, and say “Welcome her Father, for she was my friend and faithful servant”.  To this, my God will certainly respond “Son, any friend of yours is a friend of mine”, and I will have come home

Having my grandson in my life is one of my greatest blessings.  He and I are so close, and I am reminded of just how lucky I am that I get to see him numerous times each week.  The night before last he called, asking for a sleepover, and of course Grammie said yes.  It has gotten so that when he calls, I jokingly say “Sorry Little Bear, Grammie is busy tonight”, to which he responds “Grammie, you’re only kiddin’!”  We then laugh and I tell him I cannot wait to see him.  He knows he is always welcome, and that Grammie will always put him first.  We had great fun that night, and yesterday morning, bright and early, he was up playing with his toys and watching cartoons.  After getting dressed and eating his breakfast, I told him I was going in to take a bath, and would be out in a little bit.  He is a very well-behaved little boy, who I can trust to be left on his own for a short span while I get ready, so I left for my bedroom, promising to be quick. A short time later, after my bath was over and I was getting ready to put my makeup on and blow-dry my hair, Jackson knocked, asking if he could come in.  Telling him it was fine, he came in, carrying his coloring books and crayons, and he proceeded to lay on the floor, on his belly, coloring, as I finished getting ready for the day.  What a beautiful picture this made, with him contentedly coloring as I was finishing getting ready, and I was reminded once again of just how blessed I am to have him in my life.

 

Once I was done, I asked Jackson to come and let me brush his hair, reminding him that we also still needed to brush his teeth.  What is it with 6-year-old little boys that they fight this routine, knowing they are going to lose out anyway?  ‘I’m not ready”, he tried first, to which I told him he needed to come take care of this.  “I brushed them last night” was his next attempt at stalling.  “Jackson,” I said, in my firmest voice, “Grammie says you need to come and fix your hair and brush your teeth, and I expect you to listen to Grammie when I tell you something.” “Okay”, he muttered as he sulked his way over to the sink to finish up these chores.  I shook my head, not liking that I had to get firm with him, but knowing it was important that I expect him to be obedient when I tell him he must do something.  Jackson knows that Grammie never yells at him, and I never punish him, either.  I speak firmly, and consistently, when necessary, and expect him to always follow my rules. 

 

Looking back on this silly situation, I sometimes wonder if it is worth getting firm over such unimportant issues.  Would it really have made a difference if we had brushed his hair an hour later?  Would the world have come to an end if his teeth hadn’t gotten brushed that morning?  Of course not.  But what is important is that my grandson learn to be obedient.  It is the foundation for life, and the strongest foundation for him to grow in Christianity.  We live in a society today where many mainstream Christians have developed a new way of looking at their relationship with Jesus, and have come to believe that the only thing necessary for them to do to receive salvation is to believe that Jesus died for our sins.  They have taken their understanding of the fact that God knows we are sinners, and combine it with the knowledge that Jesus died so that He might cover the sins of those who follow Him, and from these two facts have come to believe that we somehow are not accountable for our sinful natures.  They believe accepting His sacrifice is all that is needed to receive His grace. From what I read in the Bible, I believe this philosophy is a dangerous avenue to go down as it eliminates His call for our obedience.

 

While Jesus dying on the Cross allowed for the only pure and perfect sacrifice, and is without question the single most important element of Christianity, it is only half of the entire picture we must look at.  Yes, accepting Jesus’ blood in payment for our sins is foundational, but what about the life that Jesus led?  What was the purpose for Him coming?  When Jesus came, He came to share the ‘good news’ with those who chose to listen.  He preached for two years before His crucifixion, and the Words He spoke were words that He commanded that we listen to. He came as His Father’s Messenger and if we read what He said, we find the proof of this.

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

  

Jesus said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:43)

  

 [Jesus] said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:43)

 

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. {13} “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  (Matthew 9:12-13)

 

When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” {38} But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”  (Mark 1:37-38) 

 

 

The above Scriptures are just a small sampling of the many passages from the Bible that tell us very clearly that Jesus came not only to offer salvation through His sacrifice on the Cross, but to teach us.  He came to preach, and to make clear what it was that God wants for and from His people.  Note that in Matthew 9:12-13 it says ”For I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance.”  Right here we see that He calls for us to do something: to repent, not just accept or believe.

 

Throughout the Bible we read and hear over and over ‘the kingdom of God’.  Even the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus asks us to pray with Him each day tells us ‘…Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven’  Later in the prayer we pray ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’.  Here we do not simply pray for Him to forgive us our trespasses; He calls for us to forgive those who trespass against us as well, truly saying in a manner of speaking that we will be forgiven in the manner that we forgive those around us.  It is called accountability, discipline, obedience. 

 

In Jesus speaking about the Kingdom of God, we can go to any dictionary and look up the word ‘kingdom’. Any kingdom needs a king (a ruler), a region to reign over, rules that govern the kingdom, and subjects who live under the kingdom.  Without rules or laws, there would be complete anarchy, and the kingdom would fail.  The laws of our King protect us, as well as those around us.  The laws call for us to be obedient to the Word of God, as told through Jesus Christ, and in becoming disciples, we promise to act with great discipline and obedience to what God has commanded. 

 

Jesus coming has offered salvation to those who believe.  But we must believe in the laws, the goodness of God, and we must act in a manner befitting a good disciple.  When we fall short in our humanity, our sins are covered through the blood of our Savior, because we have been faithful servants.  Over and over the Gospel tells us that Jesus wishes for us to follow Him. If we wish to be called followers of Christ, we must follow in His ways. So let us go forth, making our best attempt to follow in His ways; obedient to all He preached to be the Word of God.  In doing so, when we lose our footing and sin, Jesus covers our sin because we are His.  It is never carte blanc to sin, thinking that because we believe in Him that it is okay.

 

Our Bible is our instruction book in how God wishes for us to live, and what He tells us is Truth. If we distort truth, we will have a distorted faith.  Distorted faith does not lead to salvation.  So let us always turn to the Bible, in order to find truth.  For truth gives us clear faith, and it is through our faith that we have been saved.   In Jesus’ name I pray.

James 1

22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Psalm 18

 25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
         With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
 26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
         And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

One of the things I love best in writing about my great love for Jesus is that it allows me to grow each day in my own faith.  In researching scripture and finding new understanding each and every day, I keep growing closer to my Lord, and I am constantly gaining more insight on what it is that He wants for me, and from me.
Often I set my mind on writing about a scripture, or a concept that has touched my heart in a special way.  In order to make sure my thoughts are in keeping with what Jesus tells us, I go to my resources and the bible.  Cross referencing insures that in writing,  I am staying true to the Word of God. Sometimes doing this leads me on a journey to find answers to questions that come up along the way, and my actual writing winds up being about something I never even expected it to be.  It was just something else I found very profound.  I believe that is God working in me.
 
All that I have researched in the last few days tells me how much we really do not know about our faith.  I am not even sure what my original thought was, but after researching for a while one, thing led to another and I ended up reading about The Last Supper.  From years of going to church I knew the words by heart. “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19.  In The Gospel of Matthew it also speaks of this 1- St. Matthew 26:26-30:
26- While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27- Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
28- for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
29- I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.”
30- Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives
 
Similar versions are given throughout different books of the Bible, and in reading, I realized that in all the years of going to church I was not even understanding what I was doing when I was receiving the host, or drinking the wine (usually grape juice).  The words were so familiar to me that all I was hearing was that Jesus was sharing His body, His life He was giving up, and He wished for us to drink of the cup of His blood.  Sure I heard the words ‘of the new and everlasting covenant’, but those words didn’t have any particular meaning to me early on.  It was just part of the religious wording that I did not understand.  But I thought I had the jist of it. Then once I figured out that covenant meant ‘promise’, I figured I was drinking the blood of the promise that Jesus made to us stating that if we believed in Him we would have salvation and be able to live for eternity.  It sounded right to me.  Go to church, be a good person, take communion, believe it represents His body and blood He shed for us, and I got to go to Heaven.  I never looked at it closer, no one taught me anything different, so I assumed it was correct.  Even as I grew as a Christian, and receiving the host and cup meant more to me in accepting  the symbolic  body and blood of my Savior,  I was still misguided.
 
The full story can be found in Corynthians 11:23-32.  Here it tells us: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
 27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
 31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
 
I realized that I had not fully understood what I was doing all these years when I received the body and blood of Christ.  In church they only say the first part, yet the meaning;  the terms you are agreeing to, are somehow left out.  So I read them again.  26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
 27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

 I had never before known that in accepting the host, and accepting the cup, I, too, was agreeing to terms.  It filled me, it made me feel cozy inside that we were somehow closer, and that is good.  But accepting the host and cupclearly requires something back  from us.  Not works, not perfection, but we are accepting His promise, and in return are promising to try to stay pure of spirit.  We agree to see things through with Him in good times and in bad, trusting that He knows the way. This upset me because not only had I been doing this ignorantly for so long, but I had been a religious education teacher!  I had attended all the Teacher Trainings, went to workshops, and met with the grade level coordinators each month.  Never, not once, was anything I was reading told to me, or discussed in any manner that we should pass on this information to the children.   So I started researching further, and it now makes complete sense to me.
 
In ancient Hebrew tradition,  when a young man and woman were to be ‘betrothed’ or engaged, the groom poured wine into his cup and invited the woman to drink of it.  If she drank from it she was considered engaged to him, because she was agreeing to experience all the things his life entailed, the good as well as the bad.(we still ask this in modern-day marriage ceremonies).  When she drank from the cup she drank from the marriage ‘covenant’, accepting these terms. When Jesus sat with His disciples at that last Passover (the Last Supper), He poured wine into His cup and blessed it, telling His disciples “Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).  By drinking from the cup they (and we) accepted the terms of the new Covenant.  It was and is as if we are symbolically accepting an engagement or ‘betrothal’ with Jesus. This betrothal will culminate in the marriage feast, when He returns (Revelations 19:9)
 
Before Jesus came, we were subject to the law, we walked blindly.  We were children of God who were disobedient, conducting ourselves in all manner of lusts of the flesh.  We took in false religion, and lived in the ways of the world, which God has called filthiness (Revelations 17 and 18).  Over and over we read in the bible that we are asked to come out of Babylon.  This represents not a specific place although early Babylonians lived worshiping sun gods, moon gods, and lived of the flesh and all manner of immorality.  When the Bible tells us to come out of Babylon, notice it does not say GO out of Babylon.  It is no longer a place, it is a way of living.  God tells us to come out of Babylon so that we will not share in the sins of that Earthly cup, or the consequences that God has told us will befall them.
 
So in taking the cup of Jesus’ New Covenant, we are putting our trust and faith in Him.  Not based on how life treats us, or what rewards we will receive here on Earth.  We know that The Trinity is of the Spirit.  God sent Jesus in the flesh to show us the way, and offer us salvation if we received Him. Then He left us, promising to send the Holy Spirit, one we could not see, to help guide us in the ways of the righteous, and comfort us in our Earthly struggles and pain.  Everything that is important and is of value is unseen to the world, and to those who choose to live in the flesh.  No person can drink of the cup of Jesus’ New Covenant AND drink of the old cup (the ways of the flesh).  We cannot serve two masters. Paul warns us that God is jealous toward His people, and that they must choose to whom they will be loyal: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” (I Corinthians 10:21-22).
 
Before, we were slaves to sin, and then when Moses came down with the commandments of God, we were subject to the law.  In drinking of the cup of the New Covenant we are no longer slaves to sin, or subject to the law… we become engaged to Jesus.  While this frees us from the penalty of sin (death), is binds us to remaining faithful to this spiritual engagement for we have accepted His marriage proposal.  Now that makes more sense to me, so I guess congratulations are in order…  I’m engaged!!!  Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 22

 1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 14For many are called, but few are chosen.

 Two nights ago my son and his girlfriend watched The Passion Of The Christ.  It is an amazing movie that I believe every Christian needs to watch to fully understand what Jesus went through for all of us.  It is a very difficult movie to watch, since it depicts the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus Christ, and the story opens up in The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper.  We can almost feel His torment, since He knows what lies ahead for Him.  Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, He is soon arrested for claims of having performed miracles, and having claimed to be ’the Son of God’.

 After His arrest, He is taken back to the city where the leaders of the Pharisees confront Him with accusations of blasphemy.  Jesus then faces multiple trials, and is beaten horribly.  This does not satisfy the people, and after the final trial;  in great mockery to justice,  Jesus, the most innocent man in the history of the world, was found guilty of crimes and sentenced to death by crucifixion. It is extremely difficult to watch what happens,  as Jesus suffers brutal beatings, is mockingly dressed in a purple robe and is given a crown of thorns to wear on His head.  Bystanders laugh and call for Him to save Himself if He is truly the King of the Jews.  Having endured horrible beatings, He is then forced to carry His Cross through the streets to His crucifixion site on Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull. It is there that His body is nailed to the Cross, and He is hung to await His death.  He is mocked by the people, spit on, and finally a spear is pierced through His side to make sure He is  dead.   Many say that this movie may be too much to watch, since it is a very realistic depiction of the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus Christ, but I believe it is almost necessary to see, so that we can comprehend as best we can, what Jesus endured for us, and our salvation.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His resurrection are the two most important events in human history, and it is because of this that the entire human race has the opportunity for eternal salvation. The scene of Jesus bleeding on the cross is a moment frozen in time that affects everything in the universe (Col 1:13-20).   As we watch Jesus take His last breathe we hear Jesus cry out “It is done”.  His work was finished.

 Before seeing this movie, although I was aware of what Jesus had endured, I had never actually envisioned it.    Sadly, we live in a society that not only fosters silencing religious opinion in order to be socially correct, but we live in a religious environment where most are taught the basics, and little more.  I know this to be true not only from my own childhood religious education, but as a person who taught religious education for 16 years.  I have taught every grade level of religious instruction, and although all the basics were covered, we never read from the Bible.  In the year prior to graduating from the religious education program the students were finally taught how to look up verses in the Bible;  meaning Matthew 4:12 could be found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, passage reading number 12.  Nothing was even ever taught about what Matthew 4:12 actually said.  It taught education, not spirit.  We taught the children that they were to love Jesus, to acknowledge that Jesus came to teach us and to die for our sins, to be able to memorize the Ten Commandments, and encouraged the children to pray formal prayers.  At the end of their schooling this made them a denominational Church member, yet where did these children learn to love and adore Christ?  Where did they learn passion for Christ? 

 Religion fails for most because it lacks passion.  When we are taught that God loves us, Jesus loves us, He wants us to obey His laws, and that  Jesus died for us so that we can go to Heaven, we see only some factual pieces of what Christianity is about. Sure we have the basics, but it is twisted so that it almost appears as if Christianity were created so that it works for us.  We have a God who loves us, Jesus Christ who loves us so much that He even died so that we could be with Him, so why wouldn’t they want everything good for us?  To humanity, everything good means wealth, power, beauty, happiness, and health.  We go along feeling wonderful about our Christianity until the harshness of life hits us square in the face. When hit, what do we do?  We lash out thinking He has abandoned us..  Until we turn to the Bible, or read stories, or watch a movie that truly depicts the life of Christ, all He said, and all He did, we will never truly understand. It is only in seeing, or reading, with a passion that comes through in the actual retelling of the history, that creates great passion for Christ.  

 Without passion, Christianity is fragile, almost transparent.  It is faith developed out of fear, or hope that all is not lost at our earthly death.  Passion on the other hand creates desire; a desire to learn more.  The more we learn the more we wish to glorify God, and the more we wish to be like Jesus Christ.  We develop a passion to live according to His ways because we know it to be all that is good and all that is right, not because we fear death.  We wish with every inch of our being to make His suffering count for something.  Passion is what transcends us into an understanding of ‘living in the Spirit’, and not of this world.  It is the only emotion that can take us above and beyond the existence we live in the flesh, wanting nothing more than to do the will of God.    So let us always remember to take the time to read from the Gospel, so that we can learn about the life and death of Our Saviour.  Let us go back many times and reread the stories, as told through the Apostles who witnessed it first-hand.  Let us read in Romans the great letters that Paul wrote, and let us hear the passion in  his words that plead for the nations to find understanding in Christ.  Watch movies like The Passion Of The Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other wonderful stories on Christianity.  Take the time to develop your passion. Take time to read the words within the Bible. What better passion  to invest in than your eternity? 

 For today read the Bible verses below, and hear the passion within each verse.  It is not simple reading of words; it is listening to pure emotion that comes through in each and every verse. That is what makes me love my Lord with all of my heart.

Psalm 42

 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—
         A prayer to the God of my life.

Jesus answered, ” I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6  

 ”For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 8:38-38 

    ”You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:19-20 

  “And Jesus said unto them … , “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to younder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.”
Romans 1:17

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

  “And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:4

  ”Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it:but the instruction of fools is folly”
Proverbs 16:22 

 ”For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof, but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.”  Proverbs 28:2  

 ”Whom have I in Heaven but you?  There is nothing on earth I desire besides you…my heart and my flesh, many times they fail, but there is one truth that will always prevail, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  Psalm 73:25  

 ”But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22

 

Just the other day the newspapers, the radio, and the television stations bombarded us with footage from Tiger Wood’s apology speech, wherein he publicly expressed to the world his remorse over having had numerous affairs during his marriage.  I personally found it appalling. After running the clip, commentators went around randomly asking people if they accepted Tiger Wood’s apology, or even thought it was sincere.  The responses were quite varied.  Some felt he was sincere, while others believed his public apology to be a public relations event wherein Tiger Woods was trying to gain back popularity and endorsements, by pulling on the heartstrings of society.  Personally, I do not believe Tiger Woods owes me an apology. He owes his wife and children an apology .He does not need to come to me for forgiveness, he needs to come to the Lord for forgiveness. We are a society consumed with a ravenous appetite for conflict and gossip, and we feel no remorse in a modern-day stoning of another human being, believing we have any importance in this situation, even though it is not our place to judge or condemn.

 

One of the things about this situation that I find most perplexing, is that while society is condemning Tiger Woods, they also have condemned sports commentator Bret Hume’s public expression of hope that Tiger Woods might convert to Christianity, where forgiveness and redemption can be found.  The media believes that Mr. Hume crossed a line in bringing up the subject of religion as it pertains to this situation, and again, I disagree. How can spirituality NOT play a role in moral values?  If society wishes to set Tiger Woods upon a stage, and publicly ridicule him, they need to have a purpose .  Is it to judge him, is it to make an example of him, or is it to help him?  In my opinion we have no right to judge him, and we have no right to make an example of him.  So the only thing left in making a public spectacle of this situation should be to try to help him.  Yet Bret Hume was the only person brave enough to offer a helpful solution for Tiger Woods, and for that, he has now been judged.  

 

When asked what right we have to judge Tiger Woods, the response is pretty universal.  “When someone decides to become famous, they put themselves in the limelight’ is the sentiment heard around the globe.  “When someone makes that much money for endorsements, they owe it to the people to keep themselves right” is a similar response. To me, Tiger Woods owes us nothing.  He is paid to be a golfer, and his skills have given him the opportunities to make money endorsing products.  If I do not like the actions of any public figure, I can choose not to watch them. If enough people are put off by the moral character of a celebrity, their ability to have an effect on society will wane as their popularity diminishes.  My involvement ends there, unless I wish to help him.  Bret Hume has done that.  He has suggested a path where Tiger Woods might find rest and comfort in Jesus Christ, who is able to help him in ways that no man can.  We wish to stick him in rehab and then gossip about what is going on there, hoping that draws ratings and further demoralizes him, and we feel this is morally acceptable, while Bret Hume’s suggestion that we pray for him as he searches for Christ is not socially acceptable.  At least Mr Hume has attempted to offer a very valid avenue where Tiger Woods might find help and hope.  How humanity has the ability to twist all of this around is beyond my scope of understanding, but I would think that helping Tiger Woods to find resolution would be more morally acceptable than destroying this man even further.

 

Each one of us sins. If I were better known, I am certain that my sinful nature might be exposed no matter how hard I try to live according to my spiritual beliefs.  I am human, of the flesh, trying to battle my carnal nature each and every day. Not one of us here on Earth has attained pureness or holiness in every area of our lives, and until we do, we have no right to judge others in their humanity.    The response that Tiger Woods owes us, because he chooses to live in the limelight, is a response that gives me much reason to take a closer look at this.  Each and every one of us will be brought to the light.  Some of us choose to live in the light here on Earth, while others choose to remain in darkness. Living in the light means choosing to shine the face of God through our actions and our words while doing our best to avoid the sins of the flesh. Those who choose to live in darkness hope that their sinful nature will not be exposed to the light. They are hiding behind a mask of ignoring what God wants from us in our earthly life, justifying it by claiming that they do not attempt to portray themselves as perfect.  Where and when did Tiger Woods say that he was perfect?  He is a golfer, in the same manner that we all have professions or jobs. I am a mother, and yet no matter how hard I try, I sometimes sin.  If my sins are exposed should I lose my position as a mother?  If a surgeon is exposed for a sinful nature, should he lose his medical license?  Of course not. If that were the case, each and every one of us would be removed from our jobs, because we all sin. Whether we are known to few, or known to all, we are all human.  The life we lead is a lesson and example to those around us, and we can learn from someones transgressions as well as we can learn from their good example.  We should stand at our neighbor’s side, willing to help pick them up when they fall, not kick them even harder so they cannot get up.

 

While Tiger Woods’ situation is very sad, and very humbling for him, the fact that his sins have come to light is a a strong lesson for all of us, including him.  Here we have seen that no amount of talent,wealth, power, or fame can make us happy.  No position or bank account can take away our nakedness before the light of judgement.  I can be grateful in watching this unfold that I have not gained more than my portion in this life, because I am not sure what I would have done with it.  Would the fame have gotten to my head?  Would the power and money have put me in compromising situations where my human weaknesses would be exposed to not only me, but to the world?  Whether we choose to live in the light, or in the darkness, our sins will be exposed for what they are upon our day of judgement before God, not before man.  What we have done here is humiliate a man, one already broken in his spirit and in his home.  His position as a husband, a father, and as a professional golfer are all in jeopardy, and we, in our desire to gossip, to judge, and to condemn, have shown no mercy.  I choose to live in the ‘limelight’ of my Maker, and each and every day my sins are exposed before Him.  When I sin, He does not wish for me to retreat into darkness.  He never once has told me that I have no right to live in His light because I am a sinner.   He works with me, He counsels me, and He comforts me.  Based on this, Bret Hume’s suggestion is a good one.  If Tiger Woods can find counsel, comfort, and can attempt to yield to the will of Christ, then this will have a happy ending.

 

What worries me more though is that our sinful judgement, and self-righteous nature has been exposed in this situation.  It is time to go back into our homes, since the show is over.  Let us be reminded that we all will be exposed to the light in this lifetime if we are lucky.  It humbles us, and makes us aware of our own human weakness so that we might come to Christ.  It is a journey; one that Tiger Woods is walking just as we are.  But just as his sins were brought to light so that he might turn to Christ for help, we must examine our own hearts to search for why we love these stories so much.  Why we love to see someone brought down, and why instead of praying that this man and his family can find peace, we choose instead to wallow in another person’s fall, deciding if his apology to us was genuine or humble enough.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:25  It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  Tiger Woods has been humbled.  But thankfully Jesus did not come for those who need no healer, He came for the sick.  So let those of us who wish to turn this into a spectacle step aside and allow the Healer to get by, so that He might come to offer hope, healing, and redemption. And to those of us who wish to continue with this spectacle at the Wood’s family’s expense, may the Healer come into your hearts as well.  In Jesus name, I pray.

 

Isa 53:6: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all

 

^{Matthew 9:11-13 Then} the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” ¹²On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

 

Romans 2

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

James 4

10(T)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11(U)Do not speak against one another, brethren, He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.

12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

Luke 6:37  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven”

Rom 3:23:” For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Matt 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”