Category: This and That

How God Provided: Blessings Beyond Measure

Do you ever have weeks where you are pinching pennies and wondering how God is going to come through to provide your needs for you? We had just one of those weeks not long ago and I think God just wanted to comfort me in ways to tell me that He loves our family and that He’s taking care of things in His own way.

One of the last times I wrote about God giving me my filing cabinet, I told you about how God will answer older prayers and will give you the desires of your heart that you were not even thinking of anymore. In this particular instance that I am going to write about God gave us things that we had not even prayed for or asked Him about. He just rained down blessings beyond measure in our lives, we are so blessed!

During the week I’m talking about we had enough food to last us through the week, the bills were paid, we just were not going to be able to do anything extra. Blessings Beyond Measure

On this particular week, our church held a western-themed revival and almost every night we  came home with a blessing. On Sunday we had a big “free” church meal with our church family and on Sunday night a lady gave me a pink cowgirl hat to wear. On Tuesday we were handed an extra-large bag of homegrown bell peppers. Wednesday night, we were given two music CD’s of the music group we had in for our revival. On Thursday, we were given a new-to-us table and chairs from an elderly lady that was a friend of a church member. It was an upgrade greater than we would have bought for ourselves. On Friday, they picked up a hutch from the same lady and brought home two more chairs for the table. On Saturday, toys and games for the kids from my husband’s grandparents who came through for a visit. Sunday, a handful of cash for our upcoming vacation was handed to us.

When all the things started to add up through the week, it began to become very humbling. God orchestrated each gift for us in a special way. My husband and I have never forgotten a quote we heard from a preacher during chapel in college, “When you give all you’ve got to God, you’ll never go without.” That week God was not just giving us means to live, He was giving us the sprinkles on top too!

So many ministry people out there wondering does God even listen? Does He care? Does He hear my cries? Because they feel like they are giving it all they’ve got to God in their home, family, and ministry and they feel like they have nothing left. The answer is: Yes! He knows how to bless us abundantly in special ways to make us feel like the song lyrics say, like you were His only child.

You can listen to these sweet girls sing a part of the song “He Loves Me Like I Was His Only Child,” in the link below.

God never uses the same tactics, He likes to bless us unexpectedly as much as He will answer us in the matters that are expected. He is a wonderful Father! Sometimes we may feel that He is running late but His blessings and helps are always in His perfect timing.

If you serve Him, He does not leave you alone on the path. When you have only the money in the jar on your bedroom dresser, He will show you in a special way that you are like “His only child.” He is an ultimate provider in physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

You will have weeks where you feel like God withholds His blessings and you cannot see through the clouds that have settled down on your pathway of life. Other weeks God will shovel blessings you were never expecting down into your life that will make you realize how He never did leave you or forsake you. He was loving you all along and these blessings are going to be meat for your heart to help you carry you through those cloudy times in your life when He may be silent.

If we added up all the blessings beyond measure that God has given us throughout our lifetime, it would blow our minds!

  • Have you seen the Lord work in your life this week or last?
  • What memorable piles of blessings can you remember that God gave you in the past?
  • Have you thanked Him for those things?

The blessings beyond measure are more than material, they are even spiritual things that I have not mentioned specifically here. With God as our Father we have a wonderful life.

Luke 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

P.S. Remember, when you give it all you’ve got to God, you’ll never go without!

 

 

 

I Saw You When You Did Not See Me

In a local fast food chain, my husband, went in to order our Sunday night “taco feast” and stood in line behind a man he was familiar with. As my husband stood there quietly the married man, loudly and openly flirted with the young cashier in his church clothes. Without his wife and daughters present he fell into a casual cool personality that brought a lot of attention to himself. Finally completing the order, my husband stuck out his hand and told him he knew his in-laws being members of our church. His boisterous tone went placid in their brief conversation.

On the road home waiting in the two-lane left turning lane, I was about 6 cars back on the right side when my neighbor was the first car on the left side. I wondered if he would be going home like we were since he was in the opposite lane to turn into our neighborhood. When the light turned green, his car raced through the turn at lightning speed and quickly changed into the right hand lane and turned ahead of me into our neighborhood. Maybe the incident was not much of a thing, but it surprised me that he was speeding so recklessly when he is a foster parent of multiple children and the member of a very conservative type of church. He was alone in the car, but I saw him when he did not see me.

Another day on the road, I was on the way to the zoo, minding my own business driving the speed limit. A red SUV quickly came up and rode my bumper. In traffic the person was not able to pass me, so they stayed right there impatiently trying to push me forward in the traffic. This type of driving stresses me out because I do not like to bother people, even while driving. I stepped it up another 5 miles per hour, but the person remained on my bumper until finally there was an opening and they swerved around me. This time is was not someone we knew, but this person had the bumper sticker of a popular church in our area shining off their back window. This is not an uncommon occurrence in our area, these people with this church’s brand are regular road offenders, reflecting their level of spirituality through their driving.

It is these small impressions that we can give in the moments of our life when we believe we are all alone and no one will recognize us and we will have no accountability. God is watching, but perhaps, someone else is too. Our testimony can be ruined in one display of  bad character to a person who only knows us as an acquaintance or knows we have a connection with God and Christianity. Or maybe all they have to see is our bumper sticker to know we are a Christian.

The world despises hypocrites and evil men relish in the failures of people who call themselves God-fearing individuals or claim particular denominations. Some people seek pleasure in seeing a godly person fall and taking that fault and gossiping about it with an intent to cause Christ to look weak and ungodly, like they are.

I Thessalonians 5:21-23 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil.  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Someone Sees You

There is a little story in The Book of Virtues about a little girl whose father takes her with him as he goes to steal his neighbor’s wheat. He tells her to warn him if someone sees him. Each time he is in the act of stealing she warns him, “Someone sees you,” so he hurriedly moves on to the next location to steal more wheat. Finally after the third field and repeated warnings from the little girl he cries in exasperation, “I’ve looked everywhere and I don’t see anyone.” To which she replies, “Someone sees you from above.*” Not only did God see that man stealing but he allowed his daughter to witness it also.

You may know how tempting it is to even go on vacation and let loose a little bit from the standards that you maintain in your home or in your church.

I want to encourage you to be the same everywhere you go and in everything you do.

Do not compromise your standards or even your preferences for momentary pleasure, justifying why something is alright in one instance and not in another. We do not know who is watching. Not every person that would recognize us would even say a word to us if they saw us doing something in their mind that was questionable but they will form an opinion about us and Jesus Christ too.

So I urge you to hold fast to that which is good, and abstain from evil (even in your driving), and keep yourself blameless.

It may not be that we always have the eyes of strangers peering in on our lives as we are “secretly” holding fast to that which is wrong and only abstaining from evil things when others are not around. It may not only be God seeing everything from above, usually children and spouses can pick up on whether we are blameless or not. They get the insider’s view of our lives sometimes to their own detriment because our actions become a stumblingblock (Romans 14:13).

Bringing It Home

So, I’m asking you to consider your life and ask yourself whether you are being consistent all the way through each and every thing you claim to be and teach others to be also. Are you honest? Are you justifying sin even on a “small” level and excusing it in secret or in front of your family? Are you living a righteous life even when you travel? Will you maintain your testimony even away from accountability?

We have the job as a Christian to be a consistent follower of Jesus Christ each and every day of our lives no matter where we are or what we are doing. With all my heart I hope that when others see us that they will see us living out a good and blameless life of generosity and godly character.

I Thessalonians 5:21-23 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil.  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

* Bennett, William J. The Book of Virtues. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993. 604.

Q&A: Hospitality at Home

Hospitality at Home

Home hospitality is always interesting when you are in the ministry because while our home is our safety zone, it is also a place in which we can minister to others outside the church in a special way. The following questions are not particularly spiritual in nature but the answers are interesting and many have some wisdom contained in them and even some humor too.

Q: Is it proper to ask people what they like or don’t like to eat before having them over to your home for a meal? I find myself asking this because I’d rather them enjoy the food.

  1. “We typically check for dislikes and allergies. My husband, for instance, does not like most cheeses, so we appreciate when others ask and we can avoid awkwardness at mealtime.” ~C.D. #1
  2. “My wife does so religiously. I think it shows a true spirit of hospitality.” ~J.O.
  3. “I usually ask if there’s something they’re allergic to or don’t like. Most people will eat whatever not to be rude (which is right to do unless there is an allergy), but it’s nice to ask so they enjoy the meal and are not running away to McDonald’s as fast as they get away from your house.” ~C.D. #2

Q: We are so busy on Sundays that I really dislike having company over after church for lunch or dinner… should I try to have people over anyway? or try another day of the week?

  1. “It would depend on the reason. Is it because she has small children who need her and it’s a hardship on her family, or because she’s selfish and wants a nap just because it’s Sunday? I think too often younger preacher’s wives with small kids are trying to keep up with the older pastors’ wives who are at a different season in life and can do more in the ministry. We tend to forget that our family is our first priority. And, I would also tell her to ask her husband what he wants her to do.” ~C.D. #2
  2. “I know how you feel. I feel that way too very often. Sundays are hard. We are tired, but when we begin to make excuses like this are we really “ministering” to people or just showing up to do our job? Ministry at its very basic definition calls for serving through sacrifice. Sometimes that means missing my Sunday afternoon nap. Now, I’m not saying that every week you must have someone over for Sunday lunch. But what about once a month? And if Sunday lunch is too hard, what about snacks after the evening service? Through the week is great too, but I do feel that hospitality on occasional Sundays naturally lends itself to much more in-depth spiritual conversation. And, our children learn from us. Do we want them seeing our dislike for Sunday company? It just takes prayer and planning, but it truly is worth it.” ~K.M.
  3. “Don’t be afraid to say no. We have a life just like others. If it does not conflict with your schedule – say okay, but if you are worn out, kids are worn, and your husband needs rest, say no. Choose another day during the week.” ~R.F.

Q: Do you like people to pop by your house unannounced? or do you like to have a little notice?

  1. “Notice for sure, at least half an hour.” ~G.G.
  2. “A little notice is always nice, but sometimes a surprise friend showing up is the best!” ~R.A.B.
  3. “It depends on who it is for me. I like a little notice, so I can make sure my house is presentable to company. They are always welcome regardless of what the house looks like.” ~A.M.
  4. “I love it when people drop in.” ~C.W.
  5. “Especially since we have had a break-in, I am very wary of people at the door when I am not expecting someone. I may even have the house alarm set, so a ten minute heads up is good with me.” ~A.F.
  6. ” I think, and this is just how I think, that when a friend drops by unexpectedly, that friend trusts that they will be welcomed, since the ‘polite’ thing to do is give notice. They know that no matter the state of your house or what you’re doing, you’ll welcome them in gladly. I’d be thrilled if a friend just popped by because in my mind, it demonstrates trust.” ~J.H.
  7. “Notice is awesome, but I try my best to be ready…. I would never want to miss an opportunity to help someone in the moment.” ~A.N.
  8. “We moved to a small town last year and I am getting used to people popping in all the time. In the city, people would usually call before coming by, but here, my neighbors, church folks, and multiple kids stop by throughout the week. At first, it was awkward, but now I love having company! I have learned not to worry so much about my house and just focus on the person visiting. Love small-town life!” ~T.O.P.
  9. “No! If someone shows up at my house unnoticed they may not like what they see! LOL!” ~L.G.

If you are interested in contributing a question for our ministry Q&A blog posts, please contact me through e-mail!

Once upon a time I wrote an article about how I react when I find out guests are coming. The Lord has taught me that while I get ready for guests, I still need to value and be respectful to my family. Read The House Guest Shuffle here.