I’m definitely an amateur when it comes to social work. It seems irrational to say for I find myself in the midst of mild to tragic situations of life on a regular base. When my office phone or doorbell rings, very often it’s a stranger looking for help in some sort of way. All too often though, I can’t help them solve their dilemma, but I can generally steer them in a good direction to find the help they’re seeking. I can’t help but pour my heart into prayer for those who are dealing with all the victims of the Spring weather across the country. I deal with food and prescription meds and maybe helping with a water bill or two, but how does one deal with hundreds of families who have lost everything in a matter of minutes? They woke up one morning in the midst of all their possessions, comfortable and content, only to find they had no place to rest at the end of the day. I see the need, yet I rationalize my affordable donation won’t help much, my skepticism convinces me my donation will never reach those who need it and my self-preservation whispers to me I should hang on to my donation for I may be the one in need tomorrow. What an overwhelming web of uncertainty we live in.
A man and his wife are in bed when there is knocking on the door. He rolls over and looks at the clock – 3:30 a.m. I’m not getting out of bed at this time he thinks, and rolls over. Then, there was a louder knock. “Aren’t you going to see who it is?” asked his wife. So, he gets dressed, drags himself to the door, finding a man quietly standing there. It doesn’t take long to figure out the man is drunk. “Hi, there”, slurs the stranger. “Can you give me a push?” “No! Get lost! It’s half past three and I’m in bed!” says the man and slams the door. He goes back to bed and tells his wife what happened. “That wasn’t very nice of you”, said the wife. “Remember the rainy night we broke down with a carload of kids and you had to knock on a stranger’s door for help? What would have happened if he told us to get lost?” “But the guy is drunk!” says the husband. “It doesn’t matter”, says the wife. “He needs our help and it would be the Christian thing to help him the best we can.” So the man gets out of bed again and gets dressed to go help the stranger. He opens the door and not being able to see the man in need he shouts, “Hey! Do you still need a push?” From somewhere in the night darkness he hears, “Yes, please!” The man looks around and not seeing the stranger shouts, “Where are you?” A voice returned from the darkness, “I’m over here, on your swing.”
[Revelation 3:19-20] Jesus tells a story of a man awaken by a knock on the door (Luke 11:5-8). It was a friend looking for bread to feed another friend who has stopped by while on a journey. “…I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is a friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” It does take boldness to ask when you’ve never had to ask for help before. I’ve had to do it, and it hurts. Do we have a problem with God because we lack boldness? Physically we are willing to do whatever it takes to get what we want or need. Spiritually we seem timid and lost as what to do (James 4:1-3). John says that we can approach God with confidence, knowing that what we ask for is heard by God and he will answer (1 John 5:14-15). A stranger may slam the door in your face, but a friend will always do what he can. Are you a friend of God? Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” Invite Him in. Get to know Him. He wants to help in your time of need.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The End? When?
If you’re reading this article I guess you already know the world has not come to an end, but then again, if you’ve witnessed the “rapture” of the church and you’ve been left behind, good luck. In case you missed it, Harold Camping had once again predicted the end of the Christian age to occur yesterday, May 21, 2011, the same as he predicted it to happen in September of 1994. He admits a slight miscalculation in his last prediction. I have no doubt that as I write today that Mr. Camping is going to miss the mark again. Of course, if he should get lucky, I wonder who’s going to pat him on the back and honor his success. I feel if someone is going to use the Word of God to preach and predict from, they ought to at least read the book first. Well, maybe I’m being harsh and insensitive again. To be politically correct I should allow Mr. Camping the right to disregard any part of the Bible he deems obscure and irrelevant. Has he erased Matthew 24:36? There’s a Greek word for the message Mr. Camping and others like him are delivering – “hogwash”. I think a different approach to life and living is more favorable to God. Be prepared, for we don’t know the hour of our Lord’s return.
A boy was watching his father, a preacher, as he wrote a sermon. “How do you know what to say?” he asked. “Why, God tells me”, answered his father. “Oh”, the boy said with a puzzled look. “Then why do you keep crossing things out?”
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to “honor thy father and thy mother” she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat one little boy answered, “Thou shall not kill!”
There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew his corn. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” asked the reporter. “Why sir”, said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” The farmer is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve if his neighbor’s corn does not improve.
[Proverbs 11: 24-25] So it is with our lives. Those who chose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who chose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who chose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this: If we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbor grow good corn. It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. God’s love will cost you everything, but the trickle down effect for being obedient to his word is happiness. I’m not worrying about when the end will come; I’m prepared; waiting on the Lord.
A boy was watching his father, a preacher, as he wrote a sermon. “How do you know what to say?” he asked. “Why, God tells me”, answered his father. “Oh”, the boy said with a puzzled look. “Then why do you keep crossing things out?”
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to “honor thy father and thy mother” she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat one little boy answered, “Thou shall not kill!”
There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew his corn. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” asked the reporter. “Why sir”, said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” The farmer is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve if his neighbor’s corn does not improve.
[Proverbs 11: 24-25] So it is with our lives. Those who chose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who chose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who chose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this: If we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbor grow good corn. It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. God’s love will cost you everything, but the trickle down effect for being obedient to his word is happiness. I’m not worrying about when the end will come; I’m prepared; waiting on the Lord.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
A Mother's Love
“A Mother’s Love Is A Haven In The Storm Of Life” by Helen Steiner Rice. “A mother’s love is like an island, in life’s ocean vast and wide; A peaceful quiet shelter from the restless, rising tide. A mother’s love is like a fortress, and we seek protection there; When the waves of tribulation, seem to drown us to despair. A mother’s love is a sanctuary, where our souls can find sweet rest; From the struggle and the tension, of life’s fast and futile quest. A mother’s love is like a tower, rising far above the crowd; And her smile is like the sunshine, breaking through a threatening cloud. A mother’s love is like a beacon, burning bright with faith and prayer; And through the changing scenes of life, we can find a haven there. For a mother’s life is fashioned, after God’s enduring love; It is endless and unfailing, like the love of Him above.”
Our concept of our mother took dramatic changes over the years. How surprised we were when we discovered that she once was a little girl with a mother of her own. What a surprise to know “mom” actually had a first name. We began to understand the family tree when we found out her last name used to be the same as one of your grandparents, after we discovered they actually had names of their own. Can you remember that age when discovery actually brought about confusion that made perfect sense in your mind only to find out later nothing makes sense? Yeah, second grade.
Some second graders were asked questions about their mothers. Here are some of the best answers. Q: Why did God make mothers? A: “She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.” Q: How did God make mothers? A: “God made my mom just the same as he made me – just with bigger parts.” Q: What ingredients are mothers made of? A: “God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, and one dab of mean.” Q: What kind of little girl was your mom? A: “I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be, pretty bossy.” Q: Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? A: “We’re related.” Q: What did your mom need to know about your dad before she married him? A: “Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?” Q: Why did your mom marry your dad? A: “My grandma says my mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.” Q: Who’s the boss in your house? A: “Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.” Q: What’s the difference between moms and dads? A: “Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.” Q: If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? A: “I’d like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes in the back of her head.” Q: What would it take to make your mom perfect? A: “Diet. You know; her hair. I’d diet; maybe blue.” Q: What does your mom do in her spare time? A: “To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.”
[Proverbs 31: 10-31] These passages are often used to praise a woman as a wife and mother. Of course, as one reads these lines of prose, one soon discovers this perfect woman would be very hard to find. She is a wife and a mother, but I suspect she has many servants and employs many workers. Nevertheless, she is Godly, as I believe her husband is also. They could very well be the “Ozzie and Harriet” of the Old Testament. All mothers are super special in the heart of God and I contend that mothers have a special spiritual bond with God that men lack. Bless and thank God for our mothers.
Our concept of our mother took dramatic changes over the years. How surprised we were when we discovered that she once was a little girl with a mother of her own. What a surprise to know “mom” actually had a first name. We began to understand the family tree when we found out her last name used to be the same as one of your grandparents, after we discovered they actually had names of their own. Can you remember that age when discovery actually brought about confusion that made perfect sense in your mind only to find out later nothing makes sense? Yeah, second grade.
Some second graders were asked questions about their mothers. Here are some of the best answers. Q: Why did God make mothers? A: “She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.” Q: How did God make mothers? A: “God made my mom just the same as he made me – just with bigger parts.” Q: What ingredients are mothers made of? A: “God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, and one dab of mean.” Q: What kind of little girl was your mom? A: “I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be, pretty bossy.” Q: Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? A: “We’re related.” Q: What did your mom need to know about your dad before she married him? A: “Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?” Q: Why did your mom marry your dad? A: “My grandma says my mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.” Q: Who’s the boss in your house? A: “Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.” Q: What’s the difference between moms and dads? A: “Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.” Q: If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? A: “I’d like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes in the back of her head.” Q: What would it take to make your mom perfect? A: “Diet. You know; her hair. I’d diet; maybe blue.” Q: What does your mom do in her spare time? A: “To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.”
[Proverbs 31: 10-31] These passages are often used to praise a woman as a wife and mother. Of course, as one reads these lines of prose, one soon discovers this perfect woman would be very hard to find. She is a wife and a mother, but I suspect she has many servants and employs many workers. Nevertheless, she is Godly, as I believe her husband is also. They could very well be the “Ozzie and Harriet” of the Old Testament. All mothers are super special in the heart of God and I contend that mothers have a special spiritual bond with God that men lack. Bless and thank God for our mothers.
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