Just Pots and Pans

God has a funny way of delivering a message, doesn't He?  Sometimes he delivers it through my children, sometimes through strangers, sometimes through His word.  Sometimes He uses objects.  Today He used pots and pans.

The sermon today at church, our Youth Pastor Josh Blanton took over the job of delivering God's word to us just as He has said it.  First of all I must say he did just exactly what God wanted, He opened my eyes.  Second of all Josh's sermon started off my day thinking about my mortality.  (Yes I know, once again).  What it made me think of is, do I do enough for God.  Not saying that you get to heaven on your works, but God doesn't give out free rides either.  Narrow is the path.  Josh made a very important point.  He gave us three warnings to consider when talking about showing people the way of salvation.  Here are his words:

1.  We drift towards that which is easy and popular.
2.  We profess what we do not possess.
3.  We assume salvation without biblical foundation.

Let me give you a short synopsis of each.  The first is that we want the way to salvation to be as simple as repeat these words and you will go to heaven (without changing the life that you are living now).. Guess what.. The sinners prayer is not a magical incantation.  It is only a stepping stone towards God.  If you are praying that and expecting what Josh termed "fire insurance", you'll be sadly mistaken upon your death.  Matthew 7:21-23 says:
"²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. "

God plainly says that not everyone that calls upon His name will enter into heaven.  The second thing Josh talked about: Professing what we aren't possessing.  That is talking about looking within ourselves and making sure that when we say we are going to heaven, we really are.  Did you just pray the sinners prayer and carry on like nothing happened.  When you really pray that prayer, when God has convicted you and your soul is yearning for Him, I promise you, you will notice a change.

The last thing that Josh talked about what assuming salvation.  The verse that he took this from is also in Matthew 7 and verses 24-27:

²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

You cannot claim salvation through Jesus' blood if you are actually building your Christian foundation on a very shaky ground.  You must be firm in the fact that you have truly accepted God's gift.  If you have any inclination that you aren't saved, you aren't.

That is the first part of my day.  After church I donned my cleaning clothes and went to my mama's house to help her clean her cabinets.  My mom is 70 and I can hardly even say that sometimes without crying.  As I was cleaning out the cabinets, I ran across my grandmothers cast iron skillets.  She would have been 101 on this very day.  Seeing that part of my grandmother, those pans that she so lovingly cooked for her family in, made me think of the day (unless I die first) that I will be cleaning out my mothers cabinets. 

This made me think, do I do enough for my mama?  I try to always be there when she calls.  I wish I could jump every time she needs me at the second she needed me.  But I do try.  And I think she knows that.  This second part of my day made me wonder if I don't do enough for God, and I don't do enough for my mother, who am I doing for?  The answer is me.  I do for me.  I will not quit doing this blog, because when I write something here, I feel it is direct message from God.  But I am going to cut out more time in my life for my God and for my mom. 

I KNOW my mom is going to heaven, and will be happy that she won't be in pain anymore, but I will also be sad that I won't have my mother here on Earth for spiritual guidance, love and direction.  She has been a true inspiration in my life.  Thinking of a life without her is almost too hard for me to bear.  Seeing her pans along with my grandmothers really brought the message that Josh gave this morning home for me.  But they are just pots and pans right?

It's all about perspective

Commonly we as people categorize ourselves into two categories when it comes to optimism.  You're either a glass half empty person, or a glass half full.  But aside from how optimistic we are, how do we categorize how we view things that are "have to's" in life?  Like laundry, like work, dishes, the one hour commute?  When we look at those things as "have to's" instead of "get to's" then it is kind of like we are always a "glass half empty" person.

Yesterday as I was sweeping up the dried mud my husband had left with his work boots, I started to grumble inwardly.  No sooner had I started, than God had whispered to be "Be thankful that he is working, and that is able to work".  Wow.  When you think about it like that, the perspective is a WHOLE lot different.  Anything we do in life can be looked at as "I have to".  Or we can look at it as "I get to".  It is all in the way we choose to view life.

Let's all try this for just one day.  Let's be thankful for all the chores we do.  Let's be thankful for things that seem like work.  If you are working you are alive.  Be thankful to be alive, to get to spend one more day with your family, your friends. 

Wow I could use some help…

I have realized, although not just now, that I will never win the honor of “World’s Best Parent”.  I’m mostly okay with that, the kids probably aren’t.  I have asked God for patience, but I’ve not noticed a big change in that area as of yet.  Maybe there is a reason for that.  I know that I get upset over things that would only upset an old woman, but try as I might I cannot make myself not get frustrated. 

Do you think I could get points for at least acknowledging that I am impatient?  But I am not just impatient with kids, it is with adults too.  I love to be punctual.  I love to be more than punctual.  My day goes horribly if I am late for anything.  Why is that?  It reminds me of an old country song by Alabama “I’m in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life’s no fun”.  And it seems like if I know this I  could change it, but for the life of me I haven’t mastered it yet.

SO this is my written plea for God to help me be more patient.  I know that He hears my prayers, but it never hurts to have it in writing. 

How Great Thou Art...

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, How great Thou art, How Great Thou Art!

Today on this day, although it is not technically Thanksgiving, it is my Thanksgiving day.  And on this day, I reflect on all those members of my family that I would love to be able to hug and talk with.  My aunt Geneva, whom we always called Auntie but since we're from Kentucky, it always sounded like Annie with a long a.  How Great Thou Art was her favorite song, and I would love to be able to hear her sing it now.  My grandma Kelsie, we called lil' granny, man was she an awesome granny.  I spent almost every weekend there at her house.  My grandfathers Dan and Arthur whom I barely got to know and my grandmother Sadie who passed away long before I was born.  My most recent loss, my sweet nephew Jeffrey who was only 26 when he died would have been here eating me out of house and home! 

I give thanks to God for all the memories of these precious people and I also thank Him that he has given me one more day to be with those of us left.  My prayer for this day is that we love each other to the fullest, that we never take one second for granted and that we can all put little tiffs behind us and look forward. 

Thank you Lord for my family.