andyet..God

I’m Not Supposed to Have That!

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I have one of the most interesting jobs now that I am back in customer service, and it never ceases to surprise, touch, and amaze me – especially when God uses those encounters to remind me of His truths and His ways.  The other day was no exception.  I had a customer come in with a biscuit in her hand, and she said, “Is this pork??”  I asked her for the biscuit, and she said that she had just been through the drive thru, and had to know if it was PORK.  I turned the biscuit over in my hand, and it clearly stated “sausage” on the front of it.  I replied, “Yes ma’am, this is pork.”

“I CAN’T have that!” she immediately yelled back, “it’s too much on there!” So I asked her if she ordered a sausage biscuit, thinking maybe we gave her the wrong one.  “Yes, I ordered sausage.”  And I said, “And you got sausage??”  At this point my supervisor came over and I explained that the lady did indeed order a sausage biscuit, and received a sausage biscuit – at which point the lady yelled again, “I ordered that, but I CAN’T have that much!  I’m not even supposed to HAVE pork!”

After we gave the customer a chicken biscuit instead and sent her out the door, we all spent a lot of time trying to figure out WHY she had ordered a sausage biscuit if she wasn’t supposed to have pork.  And then I remembered her stating at first, “there’s too much on here”.  So the bottom line was that she was trying to CHEAT, and have sausage, but NOT get in trouble by having too much.  As if it was ok to cheat just a little.

As I was shaking my head and laughing at her, God spoke to me loud and clear…LOUD and clear.  He reminded me that we are just like that with His commandments and desires for our lives!  He says “no”, and we say ok – but then the next time an issue comes up, we are like, “well, maybe just a little bit”.  Or “maybe just this once – what could that hurt?”  We hope that we can get by with a little cheating.

And you know what?  Sometimes it seems we do!  Sometimes God lets us get the sausage biscuit (our way) to teach us better..and we find ourselves, just like my customer, with WAY more than we bargained for!  And unlike my customer, we can say “I’m not supposed to do that/have that!” but God doesn’t always let us give it back!  Sometimes He lets us experience just where our desires can take us, and we can be overwhelmed by the result.

So, next time you are tempted to sideswipe, detour, or cheat on what God has told you, remember – He may give you just what you think you want, and you may be surprised!

A Shoe Story

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unnamed[1] (8)We’ve had an 11 year old with us this past week, and to say it has been amazing is an understatement!  Robert’s grandson has stayed with us while his older sister had to have back surgery, and we have re-learned a lot about the joys of having children around!  He is a carbon copy of his dad, and cute as a button, with incredible manners and grace.

As I left the house today, however, I saw these shoes and just stopped to take it in.  Our grandson is a neatnik – always has been – and is VERY particular about where his stuff is at all times.  But here they were, his outside shoes strategically beside PawPaw’s outside shoes…snuggled up together for any immediate needs that Robert might have for a helper!

God spoke to me SO vividly through this that it caught my breath and I grabbed my camera before I missed the opportunity.  Conner’s shoes represented in every way his love and devotion for Robert.  He wanted to be ready for anything Robert was going to do, he wanted to be anywhere Robert was going to be, and he was willing to relinquish his normal control over their location so that they could be where Robert’s were.

My heart jumped with joy as I realized that is what I too so desperately want!  Not in physical shoes, but with my spiritual ones!  And not with Robert, but with my Heavenly Father!  I want to be so in love with the Lord, and so devoted to Him, that if a picture were taken of my spiritual shoes it would look just like this!  I want to be ready to go, desiring to go, and ready to relinquish any control I think I may have over where those shoes are, so that I can be available at a moment’s notice to do His will!  And I want people to be able to see that I am that close!

Isn’t that an amazing thought?  Any idea where your shoes are today in comparison to your Father’s?  Where will they be tomorrow?  It is my desire and prayer that we can ALL look at this picture and changed our shoe locations!

Our Persistent God

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IMG_0863As odd as it may seem, one of my favorite chores at work is doing the parking lot sweep!  A chore that most people dread is my time to get out of the building for a while, and to sing and praise the Lord as I go.  It’s awesome!

Most days I find cigarette butts, plastic bottles, etc but occasionally there sre interesting items.  The marble pictured above is one of those.  I found it one day and swept it up, then dumped my bucket into the trash inside.  The next morning, I was surprised to see it again, in the same place, but figured it had rolled under the bucket and not really been swept up.

Two days later ANOTHER marble was just down from the other spot, and I was intrigued but swept it up again.  The very next day, another marble, which I swept up, and then on the opposite side of the building, there was yet ANOTHER one!

I do not believe in coincidence, so I searched the entire grounds..shrubs, flowers, etc for a discarded bag where the marbles must have been, or some clue as to how they got there, and there was nothing!  And then God spoke to me and told me I was witnessing His character and His determination through those simple objects.  He will not stop pursuing the lost..they may try to “sweep” Him away, but He will continue to show up and call them to Himself.  He will also never stop working in this world.  Our government and leaders may try to discard Him, and “sweep out” His laws, but they will still be there!  And He will never stop pursuing holiness in His children..we may try to deny His right to be Lord of our lives, but He will constantly reappear and remind us tht we are HIS, and He will accomplish His plan in our lives!

So the next time you are tempted to “sweep” something past God, or “sweep” His laws under a rug to avoid them, remember…He is a persistent God, and He will keep showing up until you give in!

Apologies @ $.42

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Being in customer service for a living has its ups and downs, but very few extremes either way.  Yesterday, however, was one of those.  I had a customer, who between a language barrier and a misunderstanding of her order, had a total meltdown in front of me while we were 5 deep in each line at lunch.  Finally with the help of two supervisors we were able to almost make her happy..but she was still very angry and would not even let us carry her order to her table.  Sigh.

About 30 minutes later, she approached my register and waited until I was free, and haltingly apologized and told me that she wanted to order one more thing.  So I rang up her order, took her money, and handed her the change..which she immediately waved away and said, “you keep!  I was ugly..you keep!”

She walked away while I stood there openmouthed and counted the change..it was $.42.  I thought about the fuss, my splitting headache, and the delay other customers experienced..and she was giving me $.42 to make up for it.  Now, i did appreciate the apology, especially since she didn’t have to.  Yet I was left feeling a little shortchanged in the whole process.

AND YET!  Just as I was feeling a little self-righteous about the whole thing, God stopped me in my tracks by this thought and this verse…Isaiah 64:6..which calls OUR righteousness in God’s eyes filthy rags.  In other words, any attempt on our part to apologize to God for ANY of our sin is just like that $.42…totally ineffective and a totally unrealistic of the impact of that sin!  I took a quick minute to express to my Savior once again the gratitude I have for His totally undeserved grace.  And I now have a permanent reminder for every time I feel self righteous..I’ll just remember forty-two cents!

No Looking Back!

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The past three weeks at work have been fascinating, hard, and hilarious at times.  The end of the school year brings SO many “extras” at work here.  There have been field days, field trips, contest winners, high school seniors leaving school early, honors day celebrations for the younger students, preschool graduations, you name it, we’ve had them at Chick!  And the sheer giddiness of a school year ending and summer beginning has captured the hearts of everyone, parents included.  It is a fun time and I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of it again.

However.  It is also a time, when the restaurant is crowded, to hear the inevitable phrases from those not involved – i.e. older than 30 – such as “I wish I could go back to that time” or “I wish I had enjoyed it more” or “it must be nice to feel/look/move that good”.  But that is the world’s view…not the Biblical one.  While all of us may wish we had better physical health, or hadn’t done some of the really dumb things we did in our pasts, we cannot look at the next generations and make that statement.  Because we see a narrow vision of them right now – the best one.  But the truth is  that they will have their own mistakes, fight their own battles, and face their own hurdles in this life.  They are just “fresh” right now, and not tested and tried, and while we should celebrate that for them, we should also thank the Lord that we do NOT have to repeat those years. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned, and grateful that the Lord has helped me remember them.

I have also heard the statement “I would go back if I could take with me what I know now”.  Um…no.  Because that just means we wouldn’t make the same mistakes, BUT!  We would just make new ones – because we are sinful people by nature, and we could never go back and be perfect.

So how should we approach this time?  Just the way the Apostle Paul did – “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.”  (Philippians 32:13-14)  May we all press on and live our lives to His glory!

The Power of One

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IMG_0826It’s amazing what happens at my workplace sometimes, and how God uses that in my life.  Friday was an EXTREMELY busy day, and I was trying my best to keep up, smile, get things right, and pull through.  In spite of the busyness however, I was able to occasionally have moments to talk with my customers.  I chatted with an older couple as I filled their drinks and we discovered that we had ministry in common – he is a pastor, I was a pastor’s daughter and now am a pastor’s wife.  I had a great time helping them and they left smiling and happy.  As I waited on my next customer, the husband came back in and waited for me to finish, then brought his hand from behind his back and gave me this flower!  He said his wife wanted me to have it for “being so great to them”!

If you want to know what the power of one can do, I can tell you from that personal story.  Suddenly my world was a little bit brighter, my knees a little less painful, and the next at least 10 customers got EXTRAORDINARY service because of my happiness!

And not wanting the joy to be just mine, I took it back to the kitchen to someone who does a lot of the thankless things there, and showed it to her.  She was amazed that someone cared enough for ANY of us to do that, and she too was encouraged.  She told me when I left that afternoon that it had made her day, too.

So what’s the point of this?  It is this.  Tomorrow is another day….and for all of us, it’s another opportunity to encourage each other and share God’s love.  I’ll be at church tomorrow, looking for someone who just needs something small to lift them up and keep them going.  Wherever you are, I hope you do the same.

We as Christians sometimes get bogged down in all the evil in our world, and think there’s no point in trying because it’s all going downhill.  WRONG!  We see every day now that one terriorist with a bomb, or a gun, can make a HUGE impact – in all the wrong ways.  We need to start fighting back with what we have – the love of Jesus!  One hug, one smile, one kind word – can also make a HUGE impact – and all for His glory!

Little Moments, Big Gratitude

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One of my main goals spiritually is to grow in my gratitude for everything, especially in recognizing my blessings and giving GOD the credit for them, and no one else.  I especially want to grab those little moments – moments of pure pleasure and joy – and embrace them for the gifts they are – gifts from a loving Father who delights in surprising His children.

This morning was one of those.  I am off today and the morning was gorgeous – deep blue sky, and cool temperatures.  A God-given day to ride our motorcycle, and so we took advantage and went about 45 minutes to Valdosta to eat breakfast at Denny’s.  Yum!  My favorite breakfast place, ever.

After receiving our order, we blessed the food and dug in.  And then it happened.  As I cut into the fluffiest, most beautiful pancake stuffed with plump, juicy blueberries, I realized that I had everything I could ever wish for, right then, right there.  Did I have thousands of dollars in my bank?  No.  Did I suddenly lose those 20 pounds and have a gorgeous body?  No.  Was I eating filet mignon surrounded by the rich and famous?  No.  Did I drive up to Denny’s in the most expensive car available?  Again, no.

And yet!!  My God had so carefully arranged my morning to bless me!  Having a day off during the week.  Having the money to go out to eat, in spite of having my income cut in half.  Having a retired husband who had time to take me!  Having a beautiful day to ride, and a motorcycle to ride on.  And sitting beside the love of my life, who I am still crazy about after 32 years of marriage!  A perfect little moment in my life and a perfect opportunity to worship and praise the Lord for all His goodness to me.

And tomorrow?  Tomorrow I will be back in the land of cleaning tables, washing trays, taking orders, and sweeping rugs. And you know what?  Tomorrow will also be a wonderful day, because I have the opportunity to share how God blessed me today, and to try and “pass on” a blessing to someone else!  Little moments are ours for the realizing, and I pray that God continues to show us how to grab them, and then THANK Him for them!

A Thoughtful Gift

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My favorite 2 year old, Anderson, had his birthday party Saturday, and I was at the store trying to find just the right gift.  That may not sound like a big deal, but the toy/kid section is not where I spend a lot of time, and it can be intimidating.  Boy toys, riding toys, books, clothes….so much stuff!  And I was also trying to avoid buying anything that his family might be buying.  As I looked around, I first eliminated the “over my budget” category.  I also had the friendly box info to go buy, with recommended ages, battery info, and other details thankfully highlighted on the front of the package that helped me eliminate some more.

While making my choice, I tried to picture his face, and the look on it if he received some of them.  I wanted him to be delighted with his gift..and for it to become a favorite.  I also needed it to be safe and sturdy, so he wouldn’t get hurt and it would endure “boy treatment”!  It couldn’t be for a 1 year old, because he would be bored.  It couldn’t be for a 3-5 year old, because he wouldn’t know how to use it and it would frustrate him.  It didn’t need too many parts, because they would get lost, and it didn’t need to be too noisy because I love his parents!

Later that night, God reminded me that He answers our prayers and blesses us in much the same way.  As He listens to our prayers, He filters those requests.  He eliminates those that would harm us, frustrate us, and really won’t provide the joy that He wants us to have. He refuses those that are not in His will.  And He allows those that He knows will be a delight to us, and give us joy. Of course there are many other reasons for His answers and blessings, but I believe the process is the same.

If you are waiting on an answer, or have gotten a “no”, think about these verses – Luke 11:11-13 – and rejoice that our God loves us so much!  To Him be all the glory!

They Are Precious In His Sight

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10174985_10154140497620454_5344776850501140117_n[1] “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they were all written, 1477939_876743832387421_1127893204140839405_n[1]the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”  Psalm 139:16

Today is a very special day for me.  And here’s the story of why.

In July, 2012, little Bennett Coleman (picture on the left) was born to my cousin and his wife.  Bennett, whose names means “little blessed one” was welcomed into his family with great joy, joining his older sister and brother.  On April 28, 2013, Anderson Eaton (picture on right) was born to his family with great joy also, joing his older brother and sister.  Bennett is the 10th grandson of my aunt and uncle, while Anderson is my “adopted” grandson.  Both were born into loving, Christian families who are seeking to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

And in God’s timing, and his alone, Bennett left us a year ago today – on Anderson’s 1st birthday – April 28, 2014.  Bennett was diagnosed with cancer in December, 2013, and after a great fight went to live with Jesus.  In the words of his family, he is celebrating his first HEAVEN birthday today, while Anderson is celebrating his 2nd earthly birthday.

AND YET!  This story is not about sorrow and brokenness and death.  It IS a story about God’s sovereignty, and His plan.  Bennett’s parents have suffered through a year of grief and sorrow and pain – but also, as his mother Megan wrote, a year of watching God work through a very short life.  While Anderson continues his journey here, his parents and I have great hopes for how he will grow up to be a Godly young man and impact this world through his life.  While Bennett continues his eternal journey, his parents and I are seeing hundreds of thousands of lives touched and brought to Jesus because of his legacy here.

How could two little boys been born, and impacted their worlds with joy, and yet one of them be taken back to his home with Jesus?  The verse above is part of the answer.  God, and God alone, knows the span of our lives and what He is going to do with each one of us, whether here or in Heaven.  He is the author and creator of life and this world, and He alone has all the answers.  All we can know is that, like Paul said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).  To Him be the glory forever and ever.

Brokenhearted Together

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We were a group of four yesterday when we entered the airport, and then suddenly we were once again just three.  We had been four for a solid week – Robert, me, Mom, and my sister – having a great time, laughing, catching up, and just enjoying each other.  And suddenly, a week had flown by and she had to go back to her husband and her life. It was a pretty gloomy ride back to the house, with each of us lost in our own sadness at seeing her go.

When we got home, Robert and I were supposed to go to an awesome wedding of two very special young people in our church.  We had been looking forward to it for a couple of months. And yet…we needed each other.  And Mom needed us.  We needed to be together and just hang out, to give each other the strength to face our first evening back together as “just us”.  So we did.  Frozen lemonades and ice cream, then a movie, then soup and cornbread later.  Nothing fancy, just love…and being together.

Which is exactly the way God intended life to be for all His children – together (Hebrews 10:24-25) .  Life is hard enough without the added stress and danger of doing it alone (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).  Of course the Holy Spirit is with us always (John 14:16-17) but when sadness comes and hearts are broken, we need the physical comfort of each other as those who know and love Jesus, King of Kings.

The comfort of “together” provdies courage. It gave us the courage to  leave the airport yesterday, and my sister courage to go, knowing that we would have each other. It has given two friends recently the courage to leave gravesides and keep going as their church families surrounded them.  It is giving another friend at church courage to hear the words from her doctor last week that the diagnosis was wrong and she does have cancer after all.

Together in Jesus is the only cure for broken hearts. If you aren’t experiencing “together” on some level, make that change today, and watch our Heavenly Father bless you!