Tuesdays in "other" Words

"He [God] is very patient with us when we are trying to be patient with Him."~ Elisabeth Elliott ~

I am truly amazed at how patient God is with us. A few years ago I was impatiently waiting for God to release me from a ministry assignment. I was working 70 hours a week between my ministry job and my counseling practice. Things were changing at the church and my workload was about to get worse. I just knew that it was time for me to quit and focus on my private practice. And I was sure that God would agree!

I sat in one of our denominational meetings on a sunny day in June prepared for that to be my last responsibility to the district. Unfortunately every word I heard that day, in songs, in sermons, in my reading, from others told me that my time at the church wasn’t finished. I was NOT a happy camper! The problems seemed insurmountable. We were about to start a Saturday night service and I was already out of the house 4-5 evenings a week. Our secretarial staff was overworked so I had to do most of my own paperwork. I was done! But, God had other plans. I sat that day arguing in my spirit. I finally gave in…but not before I told God that I didn’t know how it was going to work! I remember saying, “Ok, God, I’ll stay, but I have no idea how you’re going to make this work…you’re just going to have to get creative!”

Oops…did I just tell the creator of the universe that He needed to get creative? As I said, I am truly amazed at how patient God is with us! I walked into the office the next day and the secretaries were sitting behind their desks. As I walked through the door one of them said, “We don’t have much to do today; do you have anything you want us to do for you?” (What a creative God!) And as I walked down the hall to my office I passed the executive pastor’s office. He stopped me to talk about the upcoming Saturday night service. I told him my concerns about being out of the house one more evening a week. His response was, “I don’t know why you would have to be there.” I had to say, “OK, God…I get it! You are in charge!”

I’m still amazed that God didn’t hit me with a bolt of lightning that day. He must find us amusing at times if not exasperating in our impatience. Thank God He is VERY patient with us when we are trying to be patient with Him!

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Tuesdays In "Other" Words

There are times that I tell my clients that they not only have the right to say NO, but also the responsibility to say NO. We, especially as women, often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of daily tasks in our lives. Unfortunately, many of us add even more to the list when we take on the “favors” that others ask of us. Not that helping others out at times is a bad thing, but when it takes away energy and time from what we should be doing we have the responsibility to say NO!

So, how do we know what we should be doing? For about 3 years I worked for a cancer support agency that offered free counseling and support groups for individuals with cancer and their family members. We had a board of about 80 members who had all contributed financially to the center and all had ideas about what we “should” be doing with their money. It would have been chaos to try to implement all of their ideas, but how do you say no to someone who is funding your salary!? Our executive director had a method that I use to this day. She listened to each request and then pulled out the mission statement that each board member had signed off on. If their idea fit within the mission statement of the organization we did what we could to implement the idea. If it didn’t, the executive director would look at the board member and say, “That is a great idea, and someone should be doing it, but it’s not us…it doesn’t fit with who we say we are as an organization.”

There are times that others have a great idea about how I should be spending my time and energy. I have to keep my life mission statement in mind and filter any new activities through it. If saying yes would take away energy or time from what I believe God has called me to do, I have the responsibility to say no…even if the new activity is for a good cause or it won’t take long to do it. Submitting my list to God helps me keep my life in balance. Others may be disappointed, but if God is pleased that’s all that matters!

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Tuesdays In "other" Words

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in HIS wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, by the light of His glory and grace."~ Helen Lemmel ~

Sunday morning we went to the cemetery where my father was buried 8 1/2 years ago. I don't go to the cemetery often because I know that my father is not there. I believe that he is sitting at the feet of Jesus...with no pain...no sorrow...and a healthy body and eyesight.

But we didn't go to visit my father's grave...we went to bury my granddaughter's ashes. We never got to hold Charlotte. Our daughter went for her 19 week ultrasound on May 31st only to find that Charlotte's life ended before it began. As my son-in-law prayed at the grave site over his little girl that was taken too soon, I thought about the words to Helen Lemmel's hymn...O soul are you weary and troubled...

It is hard to understand a loss like this. When my father died, at the age of 81, he had lived a long and full life. And he was suffering...from diabetes, congestive heart failure, blindness, and finally a stroke. Although it was sad to lose him, we rejoiced in the fact that he was in heaven and not suffering any more. But Charlotte...we grieved over the fact that her death was so senseless and that we never got to know her. I can imagine what she would have been like when I look at her big sister Noelle...but we'll never know...or will we?

My faith tells me that she is in heaven with the great grandfather that she is buried with. So when my heart is troubled I think about them sitting at the feet of Jesus. And the things of this earth will go strangely dim...grief, loss, pain...all momentary troubles in light of eternity!

2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Go to I Will Take it Lord, All You Have To Give to read other Tuesdays In “other” Words.

Tuesdays In "other" Words

“They gave our Master a crown of thorns.

Why do we hope for a crown of roses?”

~ Martin Luther ~

I jokingly say that my philosophy of life is "no good deed goes unpunished." It seems that when I do something good it comes back and bites me. For example, at one time I was seeing client who couldn't afford to pay. I agreed to see her for free because I really felt that she needed the help and wouldn't take advantage of my kindness. She came to see me for many months, but then she cancelled several times and never came back. I ran into her in the grocery store one day and she said, "I felt uncomfortable not paying you, so I'm going to see another counselor and I'm paying her." What?! I really would have let her pay!!

I could recite many instances of my "good deeds" going unnoticed, unappreciated, unpaid. There are times that I swear that I won't do it again...get taken advantage of...

It is times like those that the quote by Martin Luther stings my conscience and make me realize that the sacrifices I have made in my good deeds are nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for me. So, I continue to dust off my pride and give to others even if it never gets appreciated this side of heaven. I can never out give or out love God...

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Check out more In "other" words posts here. Thanks Iris for hosting this week!