There are very few things that make me speechless, but today one happened.  I was talking to a customer who was telling me that that had a day off earlier in the week, after working pretty much 21 days straight, with very little time off.  I told them I was sorry that they were having to work so hard, and they stopped me and said “wait..You don’t understand how much I love MONEY!!

I stared at them, shocked!  And then I said the first thing that came to my mind “Why???  Why do you love money??”  And with desire in their eyes I have never seen before, they replied, “because I have very expensive taste, and that requires money!!”

Oh. My. Gosh.  I was face to face with someone I knew to be single, in their late 20’s, and pretty well off..their car and clothing were not old.  And I was shocked.  I know that there are millions of others just like them in our world, but I had never seen someone so honest to say basically that money was the driving force in their life, and they weren’t upset by that!

It also occured to me, right after that, that I am so naive sometimes!!  Being an Atlanta native frim a middle class family, I grew up knowing the upper class, and seeing what wealth can do.  Getting married to a divorced man with 2 children, I quickly became intimate with barely having enough to live on.  And I appreciate money, I really do.  But I do NOT LOVE money!

All day I have pondered this encounter, and especially this thought, since tomorrow is Sunday.  I will get up in the morning, go to church, and  express my love and gratitude to the One who gave me everything when I had nothing!  And my customer will get up and spend another day thinking about money and how to get more, while they tell themselves they are enjoying their “things” that cost so much!  And that breaks my heart, because what I have been given is eternal, and what they have can be taken away or destroyed in the blink of an eye.

I want to say again that I am not bashing money or things.  I am not even “bashing” the person that said this, because in other conversations I have picked up that they don’t know Jesus.  But i am so grateful that God has used this event to wake me up to two things:  the world is a lonely, greedy place, full of things that do not fulfill.  AND it is my responsibilty to make SURE my life never reflects that same attitude!  I am praying that God will continue to use this to purify my heart and make sure I have the proper response to everything I have.  I am also asking Him for more opportunities to share with this customer what true riches are.

How about you?  Need to do an inventory of your stuff and what it means to you?  Need to check your own priorities?  Me too, way more often than I have!  May God receive all the glory as we do!

These are two of our granddaughters, and we were spending some time with them at Skyzone, the trampoline heaven for thousands of kids and adults.  I got this picture of them just after they hit the foam pit at 60 mph…ok, well maybe 25!  And while watching all the jumpers, from about a year old to probably 18 years, it was amazing to see how fearless they all were!  

There’s a trampoline mat right before the edge of the pit, and the goal is to jump higher and higher, then fling yourself into the pit.  For the littlest ones, that mean literally running and falling.  But for the older ones, that meant flinging, diving, or even backflipping at full speed into a mass of foam bricks, only to get up and do it all over again.

As I continued to watch the jumpers, I felt this incredible wave of pure envy wash over my whole being!  Not for the physical ability they had, because I know my limits.  But their attitude!  Fearless, excited, totally abandoned to the moment and the possibilities each jump had.  Total trust that leaping forward was a GOOD thing…and that someone had prepared everything so they would not get hurt. 

So, you may ask?  What’s the point?  It’s this!  I was overwhelmed by memories of my spiritual journey when I had felt and acted the way those kids had!  I remembered great big LEAPS of faith in my past, and I was SO overcome with intense longing to be that way again!  Memories of accepting the challenege of a year long discipleship course where we felt our call to missions.  Memories of accepting that call, abd driving an hour each way every Monday night for 5 years to attend seminary while we both worked fulltime, and of refining what that missions call meant.  The memory of leaving Georgia to live in Denver for two years, right after Robert’s daughter told us she was pregnant with her first child, and knowing we would miss the birth!  And SO many more!

I found myself, upstairs in that adult courtesy lounge, begging God to do it again!  To challenge me, change me, and give me a great BIG assignment once more!  And praising Him for the continual gift to be used by Him, even once, to expand HIS Kingdom and for HIS glory!

So that’s what!  And here’s the best part: (1) a BIG assignment may not be big in the world’s eyes, but it will be to God!  (2) BIG assignments grow BIG faith, and we all need strengthening to face the continual darkness in our world! And (3), BIG assignments are available to ANY child of God who just says yes!!

Isn’t now the BEST time for some foam pit faith???

I learned how to cross-stitch (a form of embroidery) in the early 80’s when it was just becoming popular.  Although I had crocheted for a few years, I was skeptical of learning such detailed work with such comparatively tiny stitches.  Therefore I was extremely pleased when my first project was completed and I took it to show the lady who taught me.  She affirmed my skill and complimented me, but then startled me by saying it wasn’t finished yet.  I stared at her like I wasn’t sure what I heard, and she repeated it..it was not finished!

She then explained the last step to me by picking up a needle with black thread in it, and she began to outline the edge of each stitch with that black thread.  Then she told me I had to do every bit of the design (it was a teddy bear) with the black..not missing any stitches.  I smiled as I took it back from her, but inwardly I was groaning and complaining about the tedious task ahead of me!  And why BLACK??  Sure it was a big mistake, I finished and brought it back later..astonished at what I had learned!  

You see, as I outlined each section..paws, ears, bows, etc with black, they seemed to pop off the fabric with their colors!  Their shape became distinct, sharp, and uniquely beautiful as the black surrounded them.  As I worked and warched, I was amazed at the difference happening right in front of me.  A design that had been very pretty but “flat” looking, now had a wonderful 3D look!  Although in every design after that I never looked forward to the black thread stage, I endured it much better knowing what the end result would be.

So what’s the point?  Just this: those who are creative are not the only ones who use black!!  God ALSO uses black..evil..darkness..in our lives and in this world..and for the same reason!  He ALLOWS the enemy and living in a fallen world to “show off” HIS work -us (the cross-stitch design) for HIS glory!  He “outlines” His designing of us with sorrow, hardship, heartache, and sometimes tragedy…black “thread” in the Master’s hands!  And as we struggle with those things, we forget that God is seeing something amazing!  He is watching our image become more and more like Him, our colors (faith) popping off the fabric, and our testimony becoming unique and sharply in focus!

And that is when GOD receives all the credit.  When we are 3D, real children of His, trusting in Him, and overcoming the struggles, we bring vivid light and color to this dark and evil world….standing out from the other fabric.  That in turn makes people notice HIM in our lives, and cause them to desire Him in their own lives!  

So next time darkness closes in, and life is hard, just remember there is a Master Artist using black thread for His glory!