Jesus Knows

I was weary this morning after working 6 days. I had deadlines at work that merited a Saturday and thankfully I finished. But I woke up early this morning and my mind began to fill with all of the things I still need to do at work and the list of duties I need to complete for my conference in mid-May, not to mention the laundry I didn't get done yesterday. Still I decided to spend my Sunday morning as usual, sitting in my favorite chair drinking some coffee and getting ready for church.

I love my church and I really enjoy the messages our pastor presents. Today the sermon was entitled "Jesus Knows" and he talked about Paul's stressful visit to Jerusalem in Acts 23. Paul was brought by a Roman commander to appear before the Jewish Council on why he was accused by the Jews. Paul told them he was innocent and the priest had someone punch him in the face. Things were spiraling out of control, so the Roman commander took Paul to their barracks.

Acts 23:11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."

My pastor pulled 3 truths from this verse. 1) Jesus Knows Where You Are: the Lord stood by him; 2) Jesus Knows What You Need: Be of good cheer [courage]; and 3) Jesus Knows What To Do: you must also bear witness at Rome. When 40 had vowed to kill Paul in Jerusalem, Jesus knew what to do and saved Paul's life.

It was the perfect sermon for me today. Even with all of the demands and stresses, Jesus knows where I am, what I need, and what to do to get me there.

Gratitude and Attitude

I got frustrated this week. After receiving an urgent request at lunchtime to compile some data, I stopped my normal job and spent 3 hours tracking down the requested information. I got it together and sent the report at 5 pm that day. I felt pretty good about completing the job so quickly, until I got a response an hour later. There was no salutation. There was no thanks for what I had been able to compile. But there was a list of new questions. My anger flared and I complained about it to my colleagues the next day.

The lack of acknowledgement for what I had done was what stung. But perhaps I'm asking more than I should.

Luke 17:9-10 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."

It's a sobering thought that I might be expecting someone to show gratitude because I was doing a job slightly outside my normal tasks. I think my attitude might have something to do with how I was raised to say Thank You for any kindness done to me. I suppose I expect everyone else to function the same way. Although this put a damper on my day, it gave me good insight on how quickly a person's attitude can change when there is no gratitude for their efforts.

A Sudden Goodbye

Last Wednesday, the mom of my college roommate went to heaven. I got a call from a mutual friend a few hours after the car accident. It didn't seem real and I hoped the news was wrong, but it was true. My mind wandered back to the mid-80s when I first met Ms. Syble. She was quiet and she smiled with ease.

Fast-forward to 2001 when I needed help watching my older child. He was a toddler and I was teaching in the evenings. I needed someone to watch him Monday through Thursday from 4 - 9 pm, I called my roommate who had a son almost the same age. She agreed to two nights and suggested that I talk to her mom about the other two nights. I went straight to Ms. Syble and asked. She wasn't too sure about it because she had never keep anyone other than her own grandkids. Thankfully she agreed and for the next four months she kept my child twice a week. He followed her around like a puppy and never hesitated to go to her when I headed off to work.

Matthew 18:5 Whosoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 

I talked with her a few years ago and she told me that after keeping my son she began to keep other children. She seemed to really enjoy taking care of little ones. I even saw a Facebook tribute yesterday, thanking her for caring for another child. It made me smile knowing that my son and I got to share just a little bit of her life.

I Got To...

One morning I was listening to a radio discussion about how to improve your outlook on parenting. Instead of saying "I have to take my child to ______(practice, school, the doctor, etc.)", you can change your attitude by saying "I get to take my child to ______(practice, school, the doctor, etc.). I decided to give it a try, not only with my child but with chores around the house.

I really focused on it Friday afternoon while cutting the grass. I have a rather large yard and this was the first lawn maintenance of the year. Let me say that I got to cut my grass on a most perfect day. It was in the 80s with a nice breeze. I got to ride a mower instead of pushing one. I got to see a nice clean cut because my Dad put new blades on the mower. I got to enjoy being outside with no sneezing because I had mask to keep out the pollen. I got to see how my trees have grown since last fall. And I got to relax for almost two hours because, well you can't do much else while sitting on a mower.

Then, I got to leave my house on Sunday morning and enjoy the sight of a newly mowed yard. But best of all I got to go to church to hear

Mark 16:6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Happy Easter!