Never Worthless In God's Eyes

          

       I heard a story about a little girl who collected used cans, write on used papers, then insert them in the cans, and leave them for people to find.  She was often ignored and thought of as stupid and worthless.

Eventually she went to church and heard the story from the Bible of the man in the cemetery who was an outcast and even considered insane.  Jesus saw his worth, however and with His love, saved the man who was changed forever.  God’s  perspective of people is often different than ours.

The little girl felt like the man described, and accepted Christ to be her Savior.  This decision changed her life, much like the man in the cemetery.  She grew up to be a great woman of God who shared His Word with every one she met.  This is a great demonstration of what God can do, and who he can use.  While Jesus was on earth, He chose twelve of the most unlikely men to become his main disciples.  

These men grew into a relationship with the Savior who would eventually carry on Christ’s mission after his resurrection.   While they passed on His Good News, others were brought into the fold, who also shared the Gospel to others, using their specific gifts and talents, strengths and experiences.

Many of us despair over what we consider our flaws.  We feel inadequate, unworthy and question our value to our world, friends, community, church family, biological family and even ourselves.  Satan uses these feelings of ‘defeatism’ to trample our feelings down even lower.

Not one person is greater than another in our world today.  The disciples weren’t of high education or wealthy, or in most cases particularly note-worthy.  But they believed, not only in Jesus as the Messiah, but in his ability to use them to further his Kingdom.

We are all significant in the environment God gave us.  We are given specific abilities to carry out the tasks given to us by a Great and Powerful God who has an imagination beyond compare!  This is demonstrated when you consider Him as the Creator of the Universe!  Who besides Him would be capable of doing this?  Our finite minds seem capable of doing only a tiny fraction of the accomplishments in a lifetime that He completed in a mere seven days.

Given that mindset, how difficult is it to accept ourselves as we are?  Do we believe we have worth, have something to offer, give or share, which God has designed deep down within us? Or, do we disagree with God and tell him (in essence) He’s wrong and doesn’t have a clue about who we really are, or about our talents and/or gifts?

Ultimately it’s about how we try to find out who we are, and what gives our life meaning and significance, that enables us to find success. Often we look to our spouse or other loved ones and our friends, to get 'clues' from them and then try to shape our lives around their expectations. That's not what God intended. He gave us life and put us here for THIS season. 

       His expectations and mission for MY life is far different than from those around me, who don't see me the same as God does. It's a journey, and I'm still getting there, but it's wonderful to know that God loves me despite my flaws and shortcomings, doubts and fears! It's about Him---It always MUST be about Him!

Breaking The Fall

 

            I was thinking just this morning about how many times God has saved me from harm, whether it be an accident that ‘didn’t’ happen, keeping me from getting into the wrong crowd while in high school—even from the drug scene back in the 70’s.  (I wouldn’t have recognized a drug if I’d stepped on it!)  And it’s not just from physical harm that God intervenes.  It can be from emotional situations.  It might be a new job, a move or even as a mom with children all around, and on and on.

A friend shares the experience of having realized the dream of backpacking the Grand Canyon and even after the training required for such a feat found herself slipping and falling down the canyon wall.  A small bush from seemingly nowhere broke her fall and she was able to be rescued.

Another friend shared a similar story about the Appalachian Trail when she was hiking.  He took a wrong turn and ended in a slide down the rock face.  He was able to finally get stopped and although sore and battered, was able to climb back up and continue.

It doesn’t have to be something as dramatic as hiking in unknown territory (or even familiar ones!)  Yet another friend shared she and her husband were horse back riding on their own property.  All was perfectly wonderful, until it wasn’t!  Her husband ended up in the trauma unit, looking at extensive rehab!  Our lives can change in the blink of an eye, yet often we think we are in control!

As humans we work hard to get an education, training and take the necessary steps to move forward in our career and lives.  Often as young people (speaking for myself, at least) we forget we are not in charge.  We forget to ask God his opinion on our plans and forge forward without regard to His Higher Power.  

Then we fall….flat….and wonder why.  Sometimes the fall comes after years of trying.  We finally realize what we need the most is on our knees!  It is Christ who gives us what we require at any given moment.  

I received salvation when I was a very young person.  Yet, I admit, some of the decisions I made through my teen years and perhaps even during my early years of marriage, were likely not the ones God planned for me.  His will, will still prevail regardless of my mistakes, but imagine how much easier it would have been if I’d taken the right path in the first place!  Instead I have to deal with scraped knees, turned ankles, a bruised heart and tears of frustration!

The greatest ‘saving’ will be when we are welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven after we leave this life.  This world is a hurting place, filled with trials, hate, discontent, anger, bitterness and so much evil.  Sin abounds.  It’s going to be a wonderful day for those who believe in their Salvation when Jesus reappears to take us home and away from all this darkness!  This is where ‘breaking the fall’ will be at it’s best!

Mixed Vegetables

 

        I came across a story I saved from many years ago, that struck me, as I was reading, as actually something profound, given our current state of affairs, within our country with all the racial tension being ramped up.

“There was a lady who was anxious to plant some early garden seeds and put her packages of seeds on the table before going out to prepare the ground.  When she had it all ready for planting she told her children to go in and bring out the seed packets.  The youngest came out and asked, “Can we mix them together, Mom?”  

           Thinking they were talking about the packets, she answered, “yes.”  Shortly they came out with an 8 qt. bowl nearly half full of seeds all mixed together!  ….the empty packets left in the house!  The mother just stared in disbelief and the children couldn’t understand why their mother was acting that way, as they thought they did as they were told. 

          The father came up and couldn’t help but smile….so they planted 3-4 rows  of “mixed vegetables”….red beets, lettuce carrots and radishes….and are now waiting to see how it will turn out!”      (I’m not sure of the source of this but I think it was from an Amish/Mennonite Newspaper called “The Budget” some ten or more years ago!)

I’m sure this wasn’t written for the purpose of an analogy of how we should live in our country, but I think it provides a great picture of how God wants us to live.  

God, in his infinite wisdom, made the cultures of people very different from one geographic area to another.  I read once this has to do with climate and we are designed to better acclimate to our surroundings, given specific differences in skin color and facial differences.  That may or may not be true, but it is plausible.  

Because of modern advancements and people’s desire to make changes, our cultures have mixed over the years and each in turn has had to acclimate to a different climate and even cultural changes.  It’s made each of our cultures richer as we’ve learned so much from each other.  That’s a good thing!

There are those, however, who would choose create an environment of discontent, and while I won’t go into any specifics, I’ll just say it’d be a better world if we could, like the seed packets that got all mixed up in the anecdote I began with, to ‘grow together.’  It may require shifting our thought processes a little to allow for the ‘spreading of roots,’ but if we do it with a loving heart rather than anger and hate, it would be to everyone’s benefit.  

No person is better than another.  Some are educated differently, and cultures teach differently.  But in God’s eyes we are just his children and that’s how it should be.  Perhaps if we could see ourselves as seed in a seed packet, that got mixed up with others, it’d be a much richer world, as we would all produce our best, based on the SONLIGHT, and sunlight, nutrients in the earth, rain and snow for moisture, and the necessary nurturing any garden takes.  

Photo credit: free pictures of a mixed vegetable garden

What We Leave Behind

 

         Some days as I work on my 'domestic duties,’ I wonder if anyone even notices. Still, I know if they didn't get done, I wouldn't be able to stand the clutter and mess! Work is work and some days the tasks seem more menial than others, but none the less, absolutely necessary, and complaining about it wouldn’t change a thing!

This kind of thought process lends itself well to the story of little Samuel who helped Eli in the temple.  Samuel’s mother wanted a child so badly and God granted her, her desire.  With a thankful heart, she dedicated him back to God and left him with Eli to raise and train in a Godly manner, in service to God.

I don’t know what chores or duties Eli gave young Samuel, but he was dedicated to doing his best, regardless of what was asked of him.  Even when he thought Eli was calling him in the middle of the night, Samuel didn’t complain in the several times he made the trip into Eli’s room to ask if he was being called.  Eli finally recognized that The Lord was calling out to young Samuel, not him.

Every job was important to Samuel.  Being faithful in these small matters, pleased God and, as Samuel grew, God entrusted him with larger matters; eventually even becoming one of Israel’s greatest prophets.

The same is true with the work the Lord gives us. Sometimes we may ask why this? Will it even matter if I don't do…..? I wonder if asking these questions makes us miss the more important ones like, “What do you want to tell me, Lord?” or “Help me be obedient to your voice.”    Or even “How do you want me to contribute to the Kingdom of God?”  And these are only a few of the questions that may be relevant to being obedient to the voice of God, like Samuel was, especially if we aren’t sure what we are supposed to be doing or wondering if a change is coming.

When we are obedient to God’s voice (or nudging) we are demonstrating our love for him.  To be fruitful, however, our belief in what God desires, requires giving all our strength to whatever task is at hand.  It means willingly offering our time, talents and gifts, and our resources to the assignment, mission, undertaking or ‘chore’ (especially if it’s something we’d rather not be doing), we have been asked to carry out.

During this time of unprecedented turmoil due to the COVID pandemic and political discontent, it’s even more important to be aware of what he is teaching us.  We need to be diligent in our ‘listening’ as God speaks, guides and instructs us in the way we should go.  Do we respond with, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening?” as Eli instructed Samuel in 1 Samuel 3?  Or as Mary said when she found out she was going to be carrying the baby Jesus, “I am the servant of the Lord; May it be unto me as according to your word,” found in Luke 1:38?

These duties we have carried out are seen by others and are demonstrations of our devotion to the One True God.  This is what we leave behind.  What greater mission and blessing, than obedience, can there be? 

photo credit:  free pictures of cleaning 

He Brings Me Back

        I heard the story recently of a woman who, when she was a child, would run away.  It was just the way she handled things.  Ultimately, it was her brother who always caught up with her and brought her back.  As young people they were the best of friends and relied on each other continuously.  She said he’d become her confidant, adviser and her protector.  

The time came when just before World War II ended, he joined the Army.  She said she wrote him letters after he left, and he responded giving her his sage advice and the comfort she needed when she was stressed.   She was elated to see him come home for a visit, but of course, it was just a visit.  He had to return to the Army and she begged him not to go.  So angry was she, she refused to even see him off at the train station.  How sad it was that he returned three months later in a coffin at the same place from where he left.  

She said, she didn’t run away that time in the literal sense; there was no brother to come get her.  She ran away in other ways, although she didn’t elaborate on the details.  What she remembers, however, is that instead of her brother coming to rescue her, God did.  She eventually found herself in a church which set her on the path that would ultimately change her life.

I suspect we all have wanted from time to time to, just ‘run away.’  We feel like we need to be alone and escape all the ‘junk’ that fills our lives.  Of course, running away never accomplishes this, it only seems to enhance it and we find ourselves running all the time, while our inmost parts are seething with anger and resentment, sadness and loneliness.

Often we don’t really even want to run away so much as we want to be heard and understood, and to be loved, even when we make mistakes.  We want others to accept us without cruel remarks, or threatening undertones.  We want to look someone in the eyes and tell them what our heart really feels and what our minds are saying.

Sometimes, realizing ‘running’ isn’t the answer, we ‘steal’ away, if just for a few moments and collect our thoughts, reign in our emotions and pray that God would hear our screaming hearts, even when we don’t understand how we feel, or can’t find the way to put it into words so we can be understood.

God doesn’t want us to run away from Him.  He wants us to turn our faces and broken hearts to Him, listen for his soothing voice and accept his comfort, regardless of the situation.  Will this remedy the problem?  Not necessarily, but it can take the edge off, giving us a path of clarity so we may be able to deal with whatever it is, more productively. 

When our minds are clearer, even when we can’t reach the person or situation the way we’d like, we can find the means to talk with someone much like the brother and sister must have from the beginning of this post.  Often just talking things out with a person, who will be our confidant, advisor and protector, we can begin to have the broken pieces of our hearts put back together!