Getting Things Straight

The old Women’s Devotional Journal had not been completely filled. I began to use it mid December as I had completed the other with devotional notes and jots and doodles. 

I began to glance back through the years of unfinished notes. Some of the journal pages are from 2005, others are dated 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 until I again picked it up to complete my 2014 Devotional notations. Good intentions…left undone.

Some of the entries are filled with the wonder of a new journal that begs to be stained with ink and the wonder of simple study and devotion. Other entries are the angst of a wayward family member. Others surround the shock of a heart attack and subsequent lifestyle change.

I also documented the decision to leave one church and return to my Methodist roots. That was a difficult transition of sorts, especially for my Hubs. It’s just that you know, that you know, that you know when a door has been closed.

Some of the notations are from sermons. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, but by taking notes during the sermon, I am more apt to “pay attention” than to let my mind wander randomly.

I began to read sermon notes from 2009. The sermon was titled "Getting Things Straight."

The bible gives us three accounts of this act in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is about the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 

Twelve years…can you imagine? So many doctors…so many treatments, only to have the condition worsen. 

In that climate, in that environment, a woman who was bleeding could not go to the temple to worship as she was considered “unclean.”

Picture it…this woman ostracized by her own people, possibly bent over with disability and pain. A handicap in biblical times was equated to being “less than perfect.” She was outcast, made to stand in the back. Possibly even her own family didn’t want to be around her. Truly, this was a social disease as she was made socially unacceptable.

Yet she heard the Messiah was in town and was filled with hope, with anticipation. With all the persons clamoring around him, she made her way to him and as the King James Version reads, she, who had an “issue of blood,” touched the hem of his garment. She was immediately healed.

Jesus felt the “power” leave him. He turned and said, “Who touched me?” The disciples were incredulous and said, “Look at all this crowd, who can tell who touched you?” Yet this woman heard him, she fell at his feet and confessed that it was she who had touched his garment and pleaded for forgiveness. In my mind’s eye, he possibly knelt towards her, took her by the hand and said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Tamara’s paraphrase)

Getting Things Straight, indeed! She could now stand with her head held high; she could worship freely and no longer be relegated to the back.

So…what’s your issue? What’s keeping you from fully and freely worshiping?

Wishing you grace, every single day,

Tamara

The Path of Grace

Words have been few. Writing has been sparse. Emotions are raw.

The path of grace is never straight...it is convoluted with twists and turns, joys and sorrows and of late, a piercing quietness.

My devotional read, "Heaven knows no difference between Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon. God longs to speak as clearly in the workplace as He does in the sanctuary. He longs to be worshiped when we sit at the dinner table and not just when we come to the communion table." ~from The Great House of God, by Max Lucado.

Yes… yes… the Holy Spirit speaks through the words of others, pierces my heart. May it ever be tender and pliant to Your touch, to Your leading. Bless me with the gift of discernment, if only for a brief time, that I may know, truly know where you are leading.

St. John of the Cross wrote extensively about “the dark night of the soul.” He said, “If a man wishes to be sure of the road he’s traveling on, then he must close his eyes and travel in the dark.” 

He also said, “God has to work in the soul in secret and in darkness because if we fully knew what was happening, and what Mystery, transformation, God and Grace will eventually ask of us, we would either try to take charge or stop the whole process.” 

…try to take charge or stop the whole process. Indeed.

David wrote in Psalm 13: 1-3 

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
   How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
   and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
   How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death

Wordless Wednesday

The Visitation

They arrived just before we closed the office. They were a young couple. They entered the church office and asked if we took donations for the food bank. "Indeed, we do!" I replied. "We have a couple of boxes of food and some cash we'd like to donate," she said. "And I'd be happy to oblige you," I said.

Her husband went out to get the boxes of food from the car and she removed bills from her pocket and started counting, "One hundred, two hundred, three hundred..." and on she went. I held up my hand to stop her, to direct her into our contributions secretary's work space actually. "We'll let Ms Della help you," I said, "and she can provide you with a donation statement for tax purposes."

Her husband had returned with one of the two boxes of donated, non perishable food items and went for the other. He shortly returned with the second and I commented, "Great taste! I'm happy to see whole wheat pasta! That will surely bless some family." He smiled warmly and his wife walked back into the front office.

As quietly as they arrived, they departed. When it was all said and done, they had donated wonderful, newly purchased non perishable food items and given over one thousand dollars for the food bank.

Ms Della and I were certain we had entertained angels unaware! We affectionately called them Mary and Joseph!

Hebrews 13:2  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

What this young couple had done served as a reminder to me. That reminder is to give extravagantly! To give out of your "first fruits".

I can speak of the "first fruits" from experience. While we were working to raise our support to become missionaries, well meaning folks from our home church would bring us "care packages" of food. They meant well, but these items were brought out of their pantries and were virtually the left-overs as evidenced by the mealy bugs in the packages of dried goods. I don't mean to be cruel. I am being honest. Since we had farm animals, those items unsuitable for human consumption were fed to the chickens and hogs, which in turn then fed us.

From these lessons I learned well. Mary and Joseph's example reinforced that lesson.

Wherever they are this night, whatever it was in their lives that compelled them to give so extravagantly,  may our God and Father bless them, and bless them indeed!

Wishing you everyday grace, every single day!

Tamara




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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

It's a new year...
   
     It's a new day...

          ...and time for a new look!