Empty Things

 

What do these three things have in common?  They are all treasure boxes of differing types.  The smallest one on the left was the box that held my wedding band, pretty important in the big scheme of things.  The middle one holds a collection of different coins, some from here in the US and some from my various travels to other countries.  Not quite as valuable as the ring box but still valuable none-the-less.  And finally the one on the right is a jewelry box that was my mom's.  I have had it for years and in it is a collection of many memories of my life that I hold dear.  Monetarily not worth much but emotionally very valuable.  

All of these boxes are treasure boxes.  But, they hold nothing of real, eternal value.  They are all "things" of this life.  And someday they will be items to be tossed away or cashed in or perhaps held onto by my kids.  Hard to say.  

This morning as I was reading my Bible I came across a passage in I Samuel that I don't think I ever really noticed before.  Samuel is speaking to the children of Israel following their decision to make Saul their first king.  I Samuel 12: 20-22 "And Samuel said to the people, 'Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.  Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself."  The people of Israel had put their faith into an earthly king, an empty thing that could neither profit or deliver them.

Jesus also spoke about "treasure boxes."  Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

So, I thought a lot about this today as I was going through my day.  Where are my treasures?  Are they empty things or are they eternal things?  What do I invest my time in the most?  Empty things or eternal things?  Boy, that was a really hard conversation to have with myself.  The conclusion that I came to is that I have spent far too long worrying about earthly treasure boxes such as relationships, career, and possessions and not enough time on Kingdom things like worshiping God with all my heart, soul and spirit and loving my neighbor as I love myself.  

Going forward I want to be more Kingdom minded and less empty things minded.  Because at the end of my life what really matters is what I have done for Christ and His Kingdom.  

Honor Your Father and Mother

 

This afternoon while I was out for my walk I was listening to a podcast as I typically do.  This particular one really made me stop and think of things in a whole different way.  It made me think of Mom and Dad and our family as well as other families and their situations.

This particular pastor was talking about Jesus on the cross and how the very last human act that He did was to provide for his widowed mother.  Even amidst all of His pain and utter weariness, Jesus loved His mother and made sure that she was cared for.  I honestly had never really thought about it.  I knew that He had pointed her to John and John to her but I never thought about how even in His most desperate moment His thoughts were toward the one who gave Him life.  He showed us how we are to love and to honor.

In Exodus 20:12 it says "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." I think sometimes it is easy to just dismiss what this means.  I know in our family that we were really blessed with wonderful, caring parents that sacrificed a lot for each one of us.  And yet there were times where I know I was not always honoring to them.  In fact, there were times where my behavior was downright disrespectful.  Yet, they loved me.

I also know that there are situations where some parents have not seemed to be worthy of being honored.  Perhaps they were really bad people.  How then are the children to honor them?  This is a hard question.  Maybe, just considering the fact that they gave you life would be enough.  I don't know.  I just know that we as Christians are commanded to do this.  There is no wiggle room here.  

As a parent myself, I wonder how my children feel about me?  I certainly have not always been the best parent.  I let them down in some pretty big ways over the years.  And while I have tried to make up for that in recent times, I am sure the hurt that was felt goes pretty deep.  I pray that God gives me time to truly show them the love that they deserved. 

Each one of us can reflect back on our parents whether living or dead and think of things that we could have done better.  I know I can.  I know that I should have taken more time to spend with them.  I should have been more patient with them when their health issues made them a little bit edgy. I should have listened more and talked less.  I should have found ways to ease their minds when life got harder for them.  I cannot change what was.  But, I can look at those folks around me that I can pour myself into now.  I can find more time to spend with my family and friends.  I can be patient with those who are not feeling healthy.  I can listen more and talk less.  And I can find ways to ease the minds of those who are finding life difficult.

Maybe, just maybe if I do that, I truly will honor Mom and Dad.  And maybe, just maybe, I will be loving a little bit more like Jesus.  

Straight Paths and Storms

 

Today as I walked Mallie down the country lane in Alabama I thought about how straight the path was and how my line of sight went for quite a distance. I could see the oncoming cars, bike riders, animals, whatever came. The road was straight and easy. No elevation to speak of so very little effort was involved.  I could have walked for miles.

But then, just off to my right I saw this. One of the spots where Hurricane Zeta touched down last fall. The destruction of that storm is still being felt by many of the locals here. And the cleanup will take lots of time and resources.

So like life it seems. We walk along unhurried days with a clean line of sight of what our future holds. We plan, we organize, we hope. We avoid the dangers that hinder our walk. And for a season the walk is easy and the path is straight.

Then, along comes the unexpected. The loss of a loved one, an elderly parent struggling with unanticipated illness and change, a diagnosis, a relational breakup, the loss of a job. And all of a sudden we feel the destruction, the sense of chaos, the pain.

Where do we go? What resources can we draw from in these moments or seasons of storms? First of all, we must turn to the only One who knows the way out of the storm. He who bore our sorrows and accepted our shame is the One who can help us navigate life’s storms. Jesus bore all our grief and carried all our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). Why did He do this? For the joy set before Him He endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). The joy He had of providing our pathway through the destruction of our sin was what drove Him to the cross. And so even when we see only destruction around us we can firmly grab hold of our dear Savior who will lead us through.

We also can turn to family and friends to help us walk through our times of storms. Right now I have family and friends who have lost loved ones, have received news that rocked their world, or are struggling with broken relationships that need healing. I want to be a person who points them to Jesus. And I want to be faithful to support, pray and love each one through their season of storm. Right now my path is straight and easy. For this I am grateful. But I have had my seasons of storms and they will come again. And I will be ever grateful for those who walk the path with me. 

Be All There

 

There is a song written by Jeremy Camp that really has spoken to my heart and challenged my thinking. It is called, “Keep Me in the Moment.”  One particular line struck me hard - “Help me live with my eyes wide open cause I don’t wanna miss what You have for me.” 

For those who have known me for many years you have likely heard me speak about how I wish I could live anywhere else but Camp Hill. It’s not that it isn’t lovely here, because it is. It is more that I just never felt I fit into the area. So I whined and I complained and I nagged about moving. But here I am.

Lately though as I have been thinking more and more about being “all there” wherever God has me I am finding myself more at peace and more settled with being here and not yearning for something more or something different. Paul wrote in the book of Philippians about contentment. In Philippians 4:11 he wrote “ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.”

There is just so much to be thankful for in whatever our present circumstances might be. But we have to be all there in order to see it, to experience it and to be joyful in it. Where was Paul when he wrote this? He was in prison, in a cold lonely cell. But he knew that by being thankful and recognizing his strength came from the Lord he could be content.

I don’t want to waste another day yearning for something else. I want to live with my eyes wide open to the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And for me, right now, that is Camp Hill, PA.

Why Am I Here?

 

Just a few days ago we flipped the calendar from 2020 to 2021. With the stroke of the clock we left behind a year that was to say the least, challenging. And now yawning out in front of us are over 360 days where we can write the script of this new year. 

I always find myself becoming very introspective during these  initial days of the new year. And I tend to be introspective just in general. I weigh out just how I have done with commitments to myself, to others and to God and find myself sorely lacking on all accounts. Oh yes, I have a few things I am pleased about but on the whole I just don’t feel like I measure up.

Then I wonder - what in the world am I here for? I mean, there is nothing really special about me. Then I stop. I stop comparing myself to others who are prettier, younger, smarter, more organized and more godly and I ponder what does God say about why I am here.

In Ephesians 1:3-10 I found some great truths about what God says. He says I am chosen, even before the foundation of the world! Wow! In love He adopted me. An adopted child is a chosen child! And this chosen child has been redeemed by His blood. My sins (which are many) are forgiven by His grace which He lavished on me! And He has promised to make known to me the mystery of His will. How exciting is all of this!

What in the world am I here for? I am here to be loved by God and to love Him in return. How do I manifest that love? I do it by obedience to what His Word says and I do it by showing love to others. I pray that as this new year presents me opportunities to reach out, to encourage, to lift others up that I will be found faithful. And I pray that I will demonstrate love to my Father that shows just how grateful I am that He chose me!

Happy New Year!