I share this story with great shame. In fact I’m probably posting it on a Sunday because very few, if any, people will read it. It is not common knowledge that Bill and I were part of a very controlling ministry for many years. Our pastor had a very severe view of raising children, and his views on raising boys were especially harsh.
When Sam was around three or four, I was advised not to coddle him in any way. Sam needed to learn how to be a man. During that time, Sam and I were at some friends', Dennis and Rhonda, house until late at night. Sam had been asleep and I woke him up when it was time to go. Groggy and confused, he walked face first into the van waiting in the driveway. I could hear the smack as he collided with the headlight. He cried out immediately. It was a pain cry, not just a scared cry.
Did I rush to him? No. I made him come to me. Did I hug him and gently tell him everything was going to be okay? No. I told him to stop crying. It was dark outside and I couldn’t properly examine him, so I made him follow me inside my friends’ house. Did I carry him or at least hold his hand? No. I told him to hush the neighbors might hear. He had hit the van so hard his front teeth were slightly loose and the gums were bleeding. Rhonda brought him cold water to rinse out his mouth. I didn’t pat his back or whisper gently that I loved him. Other than the required care, I did nothing for my little boy. In the end, it was Dennis that hugged him.
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t allow me to subscribe to this philosophy for long. Regardless of the faulty teaching I was receiving, the Fruit of the Spirit was alive inside. Through Him, gentleness reigned in my mothering. I truly believe that when we are searching for God with a whole heart, His truth will win out. In this case, His fruit of gentleness won out over misguided doctrine.
The fruit of gentleness is a large component of mothering. I understand that it’s needed in all relationships, but that of mother and child is of upmost importance. Regardless of what else you do in your life, being a mother is the greatest blessing God can bestow on you. In Isaiah, God is talking about his relationship with Jerusalem. He says, “I will comfort you there as a child is comforted by his mother.” (66:13) That rocks my world. He is using a mother’s comfort as a description of His own. We model His love with every kiss, hug, and gentle word.
That verse only compounds my grief when I think of that incident with Sam. What picture was I giving him of God? I was showing him that God is harsh and unconcerned with his suffering. Thankfully, I am forgiven for those actions. As mothers, we are going to make mistakes—maybe even huge ones—but we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. His victory on the cross negates our actions.
Here’s the mothering good news: Jesus forgives our bad parenting and the Holy Spirit works to make us better parents every day.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness (Devotion)
It’s 9:00 AM. I’m not dressed; instead I’m still walking around in my pajamas. I haven’t eaten breakfast or made my bed. My current Bible study book lays unopened on the table. I haven’t written a single word. I guess to some this wouldn’t be that bad. Plenty of people don’t get up and moving until 9 or even later. The problem is I’ve been making a concerted to effort to stay up after Garner’s 6:00 AM feeding and do all the things I just listed. I guess I failed at faithfulness today.
Someone who never failed at faithfulness was Daniel. In Dan 6:10 it says, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” He was so faithful, it’s mentioned twice in one verse—“as usual” and “as he had always done.” He was so regular with his prayer even Daniel’s enemies knew when and where he would be praying.
Many Christians are faithful in the big things. They never miss church on Sunday. They may faithfully attend mid-week service, and work Vacation Bible School every year. However, we often fail to be faithful in the small things.
Studying faithfully—Acts 2:42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” Can you honestly say you devote yourself to study? There are times in my life when my study is sporadic at best and then I only do it because I feel guilty.
Praying faithfully—I Thess. 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.” I’m pretty sure some people never start praying. I find it’s easier if I pause what I’m doing and pray the moment something comes to my mind. If someone asks for prayer, I take it to the Lord that instant. Otherwise, I’ll forget to do it. I can’t say I never stop praying, but I do try to keep my mind toward the Lord throughout my day.
Giving faithfully—This one is a tough. Most people don’t want to talk about giving to the church. Others outright complain about what they have to give. “They just want my money,” they say. Truth is we expect weekly preaching; we expect the pastor to be available when we want him; we expect the bathroom to be clean on Sunday morning. We daily benefit from the pastoral staff and even the church building itself, but we want all of that to be free. Pastors require salaries and buildings require upkeep. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to beg your boss for your paycheck? Pastors have to beg from the pulpit for theirs. I Cor. 9:14 says, “In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.” You might be thinking that your little offering may not matter, but remember that God isn’t interested in the amount. He’s interested in the faithful heart.
Daniel was faithful in the little things and his life was blessed because of it. Likewise your spiritual growth is dependant on your faithfulness to the little things. As my pastor points out, you’ll die of malnutrition if you only eat once or twice a week. You’ll be spiritually malnourished if you only study, pray, and give when the mood strikes you. Examine your weekly schedule. Where can you make room to be more like Daniel?
Someone who never failed at faithfulness was Daniel. In Dan 6:10 it says, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” He was so faithful, it’s mentioned twice in one verse—“as usual” and “as he had always done.” He was so regular with his prayer even Daniel’s enemies knew when and where he would be praying.
Many Christians are faithful in the big things. They never miss church on Sunday. They may faithfully attend mid-week service, and work Vacation Bible School every year. However, we often fail to be faithful in the small things.
Studying faithfully—Acts 2:42 says, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” Can you honestly say you devote yourself to study? There are times in my life when my study is sporadic at best and then I only do it because I feel guilty.
Praying faithfully—I Thess. 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.” I’m pretty sure some people never start praying. I find it’s easier if I pause what I’m doing and pray the moment something comes to my mind. If someone asks for prayer, I take it to the Lord that instant. Otherwise, I’ll forget to do it. I can’t say I never stop praying, but I do try to keep my mind toward the Lord throughout my day.
Giving faithfully—This one is a tough. Most people don’t want to talk about giving to the church. Others outright complain about what they have to give. “They just want my money,” they say. Truth is we expect weekly preaching; we expect the pastor to be available when we want him; we expect the bathroom to be clean on Sunday morning. We daily benefit from the pastoral staff and even the church building itself, but we want all of that to be free. Pastors require salaries and buildings require upkeep. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to beg your boss for your paycheck? Pastors have to beg from the pulpit for theirs. I Cor. 9:14 says, “In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.” You might be thinking that your little offering may not matter, but remember that God isn’t interested in the amount. He’s interested in the faithful heart.
Daniel was faithful in the little things and his life was blessed because of it. Likewise your spiritual growth is dependant on your faithfulness to the little things. As my pastor points out, you’ll die of malnutrition if you only eat once or twice a week. You’ll be spiritually malnourished if you only study, pray, and give when the mood strikes you. Examine your weekly schedule. Where can you make room to be more like Daniel?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness (Devotion)
Recently, Sam was given too much change at a convenience store. He immediately handed back the extra money. He did this without thought because it was the right thing to do. A friend who was there taunted him and told him he was stupid for giving away free cash.
Our society is like Sam’s friend. People are often ridiculed for doing the right thing—for being good. Phrases like “Goody Two Shoes” are thrown out as insults. A rat is regarded as a loathsome filthy creature, and yet society uses that animal to describe a person who does right by reporting crime. Even Christians mock other Christians. “He’s just a radical,” we say and discount whatever he’s doing. Have you ever noticed that we disdainfully use the word “radical” to describe anyone who is more committed in their walk than we are?
Truth is none of us are good. Romans 3:12b says, “No one does good, not a single one.” Without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we would not be capable of good. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it, and we don’t want anyone making us feel bad about it. So when someone’s actions remind us of our sinfulness, we mock, we demean, we do anything to belittle their actions and make ourselves feel better.
Examine yourself. Number one, think about those Christians you make fun of. Are they truly ‘out there’? Or is something about their walk convicting you? Number two, think over you life. Have you offended anyone with your goodness? If not, you’re doing something wrong. As believers, we’re supposed to be living a life that challenges others. Today make it your goal to be called “Goody Two Shoes.”
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” I Pet 2:9
Our society is like Sam’s friend. People are often ridiculed for doing the right thing—for being good. Phrases like “Goody Two Shoes” are thrown out as insults. A rat is regarded as a loathsome filthy creature, and yet society uses that animal to describe a person who does right by reporting crime. Even Christians mock other Christians. “He’s just a radical,” we say and discount whatever he’s doing. Have you ever noticed that we disdainfully use the word “radical” to describe anyone who is more committed in their walk than we are?
Truth is none of us are good. Romans 3:12b says, “No one does good, not a single one.” Without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we would not be capable of good. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it, and we don’t want anyone making us feel bad about it. So when someone’s actions remind us of our sinfulness, we mock, we demean, we do anything to belittle their actions and make ourselves feel better.
Examine yourself. Number one, think about those Christians you make fun of. Are they truly ‘out there’? Or is something about their walk convicting you? Number two, think over you life. Have you offended anyone with your goodness? If not, you’re doing something wrong. As believers, we’re supposed to be living a life that challenges others. Today make it your goal to be called “Goody Two Shoes.”
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” I Pet 2:9
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Fruit of The Spirit: Kindness (devotion)
My niece Tiffany’s day was like so many others. She woke up her toddler twins, fed them, and got them ready for speech therapy. Then she got them lunch and put them down for a nap. When they woke up it was time for physical therapy where Seth screamed for the entire hour-long session. Back at home she spent a couple of hours on the phone being transferred from person to person at her insurance company. Carter’s special piece of equipment had been denied because one had already been approved for the family. Apparently, it was too difficult for the insurance company to comprehend she needed two standers because she had two boys. When she finally talked with a reasonably intelligent person, Tiffany was told the paperwork would have to be filed again. Then she got to spend five minutes with her husband, my nephew Randy, before running out the door to her job as a waitress. She spent the evening on her feet, carrying trays and taking orders. At the end of her long, stressful day, a customer looked at her and said, “You’re going to Hell because you have a tattoo.”
Was his goal evangelism? The purpose of evangelism is to spread the gospel of Christ. Some may say Christ acted this way to others, but that’s not the case. The only people to whom Christ was rude were the religious hypocrites. All others He treated with kindness—His followers (Mark 6:30), sinners (John 8:11), the sick (Luke 8:48), foreigners (Matt 8:10), and many, many more. This customer was not demonstrating the kindness that marked Jesus’s ministry.
Was his goal to turn Tiffany from her sin? I want to be clear here that I don’t agree that tattoos are a sin. This man, however, believed it enough to publicly rebuke a stranger. He didn’t know Tiffany, didn’t know anything about her, yet he felt perfectly justified speaking those unkind words because she was a sinner in his eyes. However when Paul writes about correcting a brother, he says it should be done “gently and humbly.” (Gal 6:1)
Whatever this guy's goal, all he achieved was making an amazing mother, who sacrifices for her family, feel terrible. What a difference a little kindness would have made in her difficult day. Even if her life was great—filled with rainbows and butterflies—a simple “Thanks. Dinner was great,” and a nice tip would have been a blessing. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” We Christians should be giving out honey, not vinegar.
Whether we are witnessing, correcting, or simply going about our day, our actions and words should be clothed in kindness. In this way, we are truly ambassadors for Christ.
Was his goal evangelism? The purpose of evangelism is to spread the gospel of Christ. Some may say Christ acted this way to others, but that’s not the case. The only people to whom Christ was rude were the religious hypocrites. All others He treated with kindness—His followers (Mark 6:30), sinners (John 8:11), the sick (Luke 8:48), foreigners (Matt 8:10), and many, many more. This customer was not demonstrating the kindness that marked Jesus’s ministry.
Was his goal to turn Tiffany from her sin? I want to be clear here that I don’t agree that tattoos are a sin. This man, however, believed it enough to publicly rebuke a stranger. He didn’t know Tiffany, didn’t know anything about her, yet he felt perfectly justified speaking those unkind words because she was a sinner in his eyes. However when Paul writes about correcting a brother, he says it should be done “gently and humbly.” (Gal 6:1)
Whatever this guy's goal, all he achieved was making an amazing mother, who sacrifices for her family, feel terrible. What a difference a little kindness would have made in her difficult day. Even if her life was great—filled with rainbows and butterflies—a simple “Thanks. Dinner was great,” and a nice tip would have been a blessing. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” We Christians should be giving out honey, not vinegar.
Whether we are witnessing, correcting, or simply going about our day, our actions and words should be clothed in kindness. In this way, we are truly ambassadors for Christ.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Fruit of the Spirit: Patience (inspirational short story)
It was obvious Callie didn't belong there. She sat with her ankles crossed and her handbag, which matched her navy flats, resting underneath her slender hands. Her fingers, nails neat and short with a French manicure, lazily looped and unlooped the strap as she waited. If she was nervous among this motley crew—obscene tattoos, studs protruding from unusual places—she didn't appear it.
They had all waited through a bond hearing that was delayed an hour-and-a-half. Now that the proceedings were over, they waited again for processing. Some had left, opting to return in a couple of hours at the guard's recommendation. Seeing no reason to drive home, just to turn around and come back, Callie parked herself in a green plastic chair that had been left in the sun too long.
The first call had come last night. "Irene's been arrested again, I don't know what to do."
Irene, a name which ironically meant peace, had been in and out of trouble since she was a teen. Callie's husband was youth pastor then, and the two of them had been embroiled in that family's drama ever since. When the call came, they slowly got to their knees and prayed again for the young woman and her family.
The second call came this morning. "The hearing is this afternoon and I can't get off work."
Callie's husband had a funeral to perform, so she volunteered to go alone. Now she found herself in the lobby of the county jail with the more seasoned side of humanity, waiting for what, she wasn't sure. Irene was sentenced to time served, so there was nothing financial to be done. But Callie didn't know what other aspects there were to 'processing' and the guards weren't very forthcoming. So she sat. And prayed. Time passed.
A woman in her mid-forties plopped down next to her. The matching patterns in her skirt and blouse were slightly off kilter, like she'd dressed in a hurry.
"Another two hours, do you believe it?"
"Another two hours," Callie said. "They said two hours almost two hours ago."
"Yeah, they never explain it right. It's an hour or two to get the paperwork from the courthouse and then another two or so for processing."
Callie's heart fell. "I've been here practically all day," she said. "Oh well, a little longer won't kill me."
"Yeah, you say that the first time. But once you hit round four, you hate every minute. I'm telling that boy it's the last time. No more, I'm done with him."
"Your son?"
"Yeah. You too?"
"Oh, no. One of the members of my husband's church, it's her daughter."
"You came down here and it's not your kid. What church does that?"
"Grace Fellowship on Bonneville."
The woman turned her attention to a magazine on the floor that belied its age with a picture of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston cuddling. "It's worse than a doctor's office," she muttered, picking it up and leafing through it.
So Callie sat. And prayed. The lobby slowly filled with people she recognized from the hearing. Detainees trickled out, paperwork in hand, sour expressions on their faces. Irene drifted past. Callie got her attention as she hedged for the door.
"Did Mom send you?"
"She asked me to come. My car's outside."
"Whatever, my boyfriend's on the way."
"Can we talk a minute? I don't mind waiting with you."
"I have nothing to say to you," she said, planting a cigarette in her mouth and pushing through the door.
Callie sank back into her chair. "Why was I waiting? I could have been home hours ago."
Sunday morning, she waited with her husband praying for those who came forward. A woman in her mid-forties walked down the aisle with a boy in his early twenties, the two were crying and holding hands. When they came to Callie's husband for prayer, the boy fruitlessly patted at his mohawk in an attempt to make it more presentable. The woman sparked Callie’s interest. She'd seen her somewhere. Callie tugged at her memory until she it came to her. This was the woman from the jail now standing at the altar with the four time loser she'd threatened to cut off.
"The fruit of the spirit ... patience. I was waiting for them," Callie murmured to herself. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Irene's mother sidle up to the altar and get on her knees. Peace filled Callie as she knelt down beside her to pray, once more, for Irene.
They had all waited through a bond hearing that was delayed an hour-and-a-half. Now that the proceedings were over, they waited again for processing. Some had left, opting to return in a couple of hours at the guard's recommendation. Seeing no reason to drive home, just to turn around and come back, Callie parked herself in a green plastic chair that had been left in the sun too long.
The first call had come last night. "Irene's been arrested again, I don't know what to do."
Irene, a name which ironically meant peace, had been in and out of trouble since she was a teen. Callie's husband was youth pastor then, and the two of them had been embroiled in that family's drama ever since. When the call came, they slowly got to their knees and prayed again for the young woman and her family.
The second call came this morning. "The hearing is this afternoon and I can't get off work."
Callie's husband had a funeral to perform, so she volunteered to go alone. Now she found herself in the lobby of the county jail with the more seasoned side of humanity, waiting for what, she wasn't sure. Irene was sentenced to time served, so there was nothing financial to be done. But Callie didn't know what other aspects there were to 'processing' and the guards weren't very forthcoming. So she sat. And prayed. Time passed.
A woman in her mid-forties plopped down next to her. The matching patterns in her skirt and blouse were slightly off kilter, like she'd dressed in a hurry.
"Another two hours, do you believe it?"
"Another two hours," Callie said. "They said two hours almost two hours ago."
"Yeah, they never explain it right. It's an hour or two to get the paperwork from the courthouse and then another two or so for processing."
Callie's heart fell. "I've been here practically all day," she said. "Oh well, a little longer won't kill me."
"Yeah, you say that the first time. But once you hit round four, you hate every minute. I'm telling that boy it's the last time. No more, I'm done with him."
"Your son?"
"Yeah. You too?"
"Oh, no. One of the members of my husband's church, it's her daughter."
"You came down here and it's not your kid. What church does that?"
"Grace Fellowship on Bonneville."
The woman turned her attention to a magazine on the floor that belied its age with a picture of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston cuddling. "It's worse than a doctor's office," she muttered, picking it up and leafing through it.
So Callie sat. And prayed. The lobby slowly filled with people she recognized from the hearing. Detainees trickled out, paperwork in hand, sour expressions on their faces. Irene drifted past. Callie got her attention as she hedged for the door.
"Did Mom send you?"
"She asked me to come. My car's outside."
"Whatever, my boyfriend's on the way."
"Can we talk a minute? I don't mind waiting with you."
"I have nothing to say to you," she said, planting a cigarette in her mouth and pushing through the door.
Callie sank back into her chair. "Why was I waiting? I could have been home hours ago."
Sunday morning, she waited with her husband praying for those who came forward. A woman in her mid-forties walked down the aisle with a boy in his early twenties, the two were crying and holding hands. When they came to Callie's husband for prayer, the boy fruitlessly patted at his mohawk in an attempt to make it more presentable. The woman sparked Callie’s interest. She'd seen her somewhere. Callie tugged at her memory until she it came to her. This was the woman from the jail now standing at the altar with the four time loser she'd threatened to cut off.
"The fruit of the spirit ... patience. I was waiting for them," Callie murmured to herself. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Irene's mother sidle up to the altar and get on her knees. Peace filled Callie as she knelt down beside her to pray, once more, for Irene.
Fruit of the Spirit: Patience (devotion)
You want to hear a group of Christians groan? Mention patience. It’s the one fruit that everyone needs, but no one actually wants. It’s even a joke. “Don’t ask God for patience because He’ll make you miserable.”
Why is this fruit such a burden? Why is this one an ongoing struggle for most people? I’ve been praying about it, and I think it’s because patience is the one fruit that requires the most sacrifice. Patience is all about the other person.
More than any other fruit, patience demands that we set aside our time, plans, and wants for the benefit of someone else. When you lose your patience and snap at the slow clerk in the grocery line, it’s because she’s wasting your time. When your kindergartener is telling you a story, you get impatient because you’re trying to read the paper. You want the doctor to answer all your questions and give you a quality assessment, but not anyone else because that might eat into your appointment. So you fume in the waiting room and give the receptionist a hard time if it’s taking too long.
Think about the last time you really lost your patience. Examine your motives in that incident. What were you unwilling to sacrifice? Was it your time? Your attention? Your favorite television show? When you feel yourself losing it, try to remember that God wants us to love others more than ourselves and deny your wants for the good of another.
“…Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Phil 2:3,4)
Why is this fruit such a burden? Why is this one an ongoing struggle for most people? I’ve been praying about it, and I think it’s because patience is the one fruit that requires the most sacrifice. Patience is all about the other person.
More than any other fruit, patience demands that we set aside our time, plans, and wants for the benefit of someone else. When you lose your patience and snap at the slow clerk in the grocery line, it’s because she’s wasting your time. When your kindergartener is telling you a story, you get impatient because you’re trying to read the paper. You want the doctor to answer all your questions and give you a quality assessment, but not anyone else because that might eat into your appointment. So you fume in the waiting room and give the receptionist a hard time if it’s taking too long.
Think about the last time you really lost your patience. Examine your motives in that incident. What were you unwilling to sacrifice? Was it your time? Your attention? Your favorite television show? When you feel yourself losing it, try to remember that God wants us to love others more than ourselves and deny your wants for the good of another.
“…Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Phil 2:3,4)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Fruit of the Spirit:Peace (devotion)
In college, a lab tech accused me of being a vampire. I have terrible veins. It’s tough to find one for a blood draw. When a tech does locate a vein it usually stops bleeding on them. I once had a nurse who had tried both arms when administering an IV look at me with embarrassment and say, “I’ve been nursing for twenty-five years and I’ve never had this happen.” She ended up getting the anesthesiologist to do it. I only have one vein that works at all. With my kidney issues, it gets hit a lot.
Needless to say, getting blood work stresses me out. At least, it used to stress me out. Part of the reason is I’ve learned to say, “This vein please, and use a butterfly needle.” The other part, the main part, is that I’ve prayed about it for years. Whenever I walk into a lab, I’m praying for things to go smoothly. Thankfully, God has answered and I’ve had much better experiences than I did when I was younger. I don’t fear the lab anymore.
When I was pregnant, they needed to do regular pregnancy blood work and some kidney blood work. The tech was amazed at how much blood he needed to draw. “They’re not leaving you much, are they?” he asked.
I smiled and told him it was no big deal; I was used to it. When he was finished, he asked if I was lightheaded and wanted me to be careful when I stood up. I assured him I was fine.
Unfortunately, I failed my one-hour blood glucose test and had to go back for the three hour. For those of you that don’t know, that test requires four blood draws over the course of the test. It was a couple of days later, but the tech remembered me.
Once again, he was concerned about my comfort and health. Once again, I assured him I was fine. And I was fine. I wasn’t putting up a front; I was truly at peace. I read my magazines and chatted with him while he stuck my arm. It was clear to me that people weren’t usually this laid back for him. At one point during the test he said, “Nothing gets to you.”
I was in the middle of reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I knew the source of my peace—the Holy Spirit. I wasn’t about to take credit for something He was doing. So I built up my courage and said, “That wouldn’t be me. That would be the Holy Spirit.”
I don’t know what I expected. I don’t remember his exact words, but he chuckled and gave full agreement. It turned out he was a Christian as well. He had twin girls and joked about how he couldn’t handle all that chaos without the peace the Holy Spirit provides. We talked quite a bit about general things. Finally, he shared with me that he was thinking about switching companies. He felt the environment at his current job was affecting his spiritual walk. I told him I would pray for him, and I did.
Once again, the fruit of the Spirit functioned for ministry. In my last blog on “Joy,” it facilitated salvation for the jail keeper and his family. Here the fruit lead to ministry for a fellow believer. When I used to pray to increase in the various fruits, I was thinking about how that would impact my life. The more I delve into these verses and meditate on them, I realize that I should be praying because of the impact it will have on others.
Ask yourself this today: why do I pray for patience? for kindness? for joy? Do I seek the benefits of the Spirit for myself or for others? If you answered ‘for yourself,’ pray for God to change your mind frame and pursue ministry.
Needless to say, getting blood work stresses me out. At least, it used to stress me out. Part of the reason is I’ve learned to say, “This vein please, and use a butterfly needle.” The other part, the main part, is that I’ve prayed about it for years. Whenever I walk into a lab, I’m praying for things to go smoothly. Thankfully, God has answered and I’ve had much better experiences than I did when I was younger. I don’t fear the lab anymore.
When I was pregnant, they needed to do regular pregnancy blood work and some kidney blood work. The tech was amazed at how much blood he needed to draw. “They’re not leaving you much, are they?” he asked.
I smiled and told him it was no big deal; I was used to it. When he was finished, he asked if I was lightheaded and wanted me to be careful when I stood up. I assured him I was fine.
Unfortunately, I failed my one-hour blood glucose test and had to go back for the three hour. For those of you that don’t know, that test requires four blood draws over the course of the test. It was a couple of days later, but the tech remembered me.
Once again, he was concerned about my comfort and health. Once again, I assured him I was fine. And I was fine. I wasn’t putting up a front; I was truly at peace. I read my magazines and chatted with him while he stuck my arm. It was clear to me that people weren’t usually this laid back for him. At one point during the test he said, “Nothing gets to you.”
I was in the middle of reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I knew the source of my peace—the Holy Spirit. I wasn’t about to take credit for something He was doing. So I built up my courage and said, “That wouldn’t be me. That would be the Holy Spirit.”
I don’t know what I expected. I don’t remember his exact words, but he chuckled and gave full agreement. It turned out he was a Christian as well. He had twin girls and joked about how he couldn’t handle all that chaos without the peace the Holy Spirit provides. We talked quite a bit about general things. Finally, he shared with me that he was thinking about switching companies. He felt the environment at his current job was affecting his spiritual walk. I told him I would pray for him, and I did.
Once again, the fruit of the Spirit functioned for ministry. In my last blog on “Joy,” it facilitated salvation for the jail keeper and his family. Here the fruit lead to ministry for a fellow believer. When I used to pray to increase in the various fruits, I was thinking about how that would impact my life. The more I delve into these verses and meditate on them, I realize that I should be praying because of the impact it will have on others.
Ask yourself this today: why do I pray for patience? for kindness? for joy? Do I seek the benefits of the Spirit for myself or for others? If you answered ‘for yourself,’ pray for God to change your mind frame and pursue ministry.
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