My dear husband, Blake, shared this story during his Sunday morning message:
It was the summer between second and third grade. He awakened that morning to what he described as the perfect day. The sun was shining and he had no worries, no responsibilities, and no problems. As eight year old boys were prone to do, he rushed through breakfast and raced out the door and down the street to spend a day of adventure with his best friend, John. Their favorite place to explore was a nearby creek. They would use sticks, weeds, and rocks to try to dam up the water and make a small swimming hole or spend hours searching for treasure.
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A couple of days ago, I was preparing to leave for work and my 7-year old son was the only person awake in the house besides me. After I got ready to go, I went and talked with him for a few minutes, got his breakfast, and settled him in with a cartoon. I explained to him that daddy was awake in bed and that he could go and get him if he needed to. As I kissed him goodbye, grabbed my computer bag, and turned to head towards the door, I heard him ask, “But Mommy, who’s in charge”? I explained to him that since he was the only person that was up in the house at the moment, that he was in charge.
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A few years back I was in direct sales and had the opportunity to make cold calls, which means calling people you barely know and asking them to have a party in their house to help pay your bills. This, of course, was not my favorite part of my job and I realized quickly that I needed a new perspective on what I was doing.
One of the things that the leadership of the direct sales company I worked for told me (being experts in the word no) is that when you see and hear the word no, it is really a step closer to a yes.
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Sometimes I wonder if I’m pleasing God.
Sometimes I wonder what He’s asking of me…
Because there is a time for everything under heaven.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
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The look on his face said it all. “But-,” he started. My son couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.
“You heard me,” I told him, “turn the television off.” His steps were slow and methodical. He turned again to look at my eyes before he hit the off button, just to make sure he heard correctly.
After turning off the TV, he stood frozen looking completely baffled. “I haven’t even watched a single show today. Not one!”
He continued, “My room is clean. My bed is made. My teeth are brushed.”
My child felt it was his right to watch television – like he could turn in ration tickets for his favorite shows.
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25
I participate in an on-line Bible Study that has been working through the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit. We are spending two weeks on each sweet Spirit inspired attribute, and I am feeling more than a little convicted.
Life Application Bible notes say this about verses 22 and 23: The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ.
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On my way to work one morning, I stopped in to get my morning cup of coffee. While I waited, I noticed a little girl, about the age of 4. She was all dressed up in a yellow party dress with pink patent leather shoes, and white tights. She had her hair all done up with curls and she was wearing lots of play jewelry. As I looked at her, the Lord began to speak to me about this little girl…
He spoke to me that when this child woke up that morning, she felt like a princess, and even believed she was one.
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Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT
One of my recent Bible readings was Acts 12. In this chapter, Herod has put Peter in prison. Now Herod was arresting those who belonged to the church and had put James, the brother of John to death already, so it wasn’t looking good for Peter. The church was “earnestly praying” to God on Peter’s behalf.
Scripture tells us the night before Peter was to be brought to trial, he was bound with chains, sleeping between two guards, when an angel of the Lord appeared, woke him up, made the chains fall from his wrist and led him from the prison to freedom right under three sets of guards noses.
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