Hide and Seek

I am inspired to write things during the craziest of mundane activities in my life. Today, I was cleaning the bathroom. Mind you, not my favorite task by ANY means. As a matter of fact, I rather enjoy living in a clean and organized home, but I don't like the effort required to get it that way. You can ask my mother. "Neat and tidy" was never my nickname as a kid. Now that I'm an adult, I am responsible for it. And I still don't like to do it.

As I was cleaning, it crossed my mind how we often "hide" things when we are having company. We'll stash this or that instead of taking the time to really clean it, because, you know, "they'll never know." Who is going to come for a visit and immediately look under the bed, in the drawer or the closet? Most people wouldn't, right? I mean, how rude to walk into someone else's home and start digging through their closets!

I was chuckling to myself about that thinking, if we'd all give the time required to keep things neat and tidy we wouldn't have to hide things. Then, a new thought crossed my mind, what if our guest was Jesus? What would we try to hide?

I've done that in my spiritual life often during the course of my journey. I'll bring something to God that is a complete and utter mess. It's chaotic. It's disorganized. It's filthy. Covered. I've done all I can to clean it up and finally relented it's impossible under my own strength. And I realize God is the only "cleanser" for this problem. Finally, with my head ducked and my tail tucked, I will present it at the His feet and sheepishly mumble something about how I can't do it and I need Him once again. All the while, there are a thousand other things I've crammed into my closet in an attempt to hide them from the One who can cleanse it all.

Why do we do this?

As I ponder that question in light of my own life and walk with God, I think it boils down to my view of Him. It's kind of fluid. And it really should be static, in my opinion. It moves from the Angry God I learned about as a child. To the loving God I've met as an adult. Depending upon what needs cleaning and how "horrible" I see that mess determines where I see God on the continuum.

Here's my revelation for the day, God is love. He's always love. He's never shame. He's never condemnation. Nothing I do surprises Him. Nothing I hide is hidden. He patiently waits for me to swallow the pride of this world I so arrogantly display and come to Him in humility realizing once again that this mess I give Him, this convoluted, tangled, mud covered, sin stained mess doesn't shock Him and doesn't decrease my value to Him. Because I've run crazy trying to "handle" this world, trying to change things that aren't mine, trying to orchestrate the stars for my gain, trying to think I can do things better than God -- none of that decreases my value to Him. And He's never surprised that I tried again. And when I return to Him with my latest mess, or sometimes the same mess He wasn't finish cleaning that I stole back, He greets me the same: open arms, loving face, kisses on my head to tell me, "Child, let me do it this time. Just be still. Just be patient. I love you. I have plans for you. Not harm. Trust me, daughter."

I needed to "get this" again today. I needed to remember God is love. I needed to remember that I have the ability to pick and choose this mess or that mess to give to Him; but He wants all of my messes. He wants all of me. And even though I've stacked the closet full until the door won't shut, He does know what's in there. And He wants it all.
What are you hiding? He loves you. Open your door. He won't shame you. He will help you.

Be blessed my friends.
Jeani

Matthew 11:28 (New Living Translation)
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

It's been an interesting year so far, to say the least. Twenty days into 2011 and I'm about to start working again. Praise God for that. Provision is amazing! God's timing is even better.

There is a battle going on in our family. We're fighting an illness. And I thank you all for your prayers, love and support with regard to that. It's brought more stress than I care to endure. But even through it, I see God's hand moving. I see His protection. I see Him fighting for us as well. And I praise Him daily.

You've seen from me more than once share my belief that we don't always understand why things happen. But there is usually a purpose. And if no other purpose can be seen, trust that whatever it is God can bring glory to Him from it. It could be something tragic, something terribly painful, something tremendously scary. And yet, if we can find it within ourselves to calm our minds and shift our focus from the obstacle, and from the attacks of the enemy (which purpose only to keep our eyes off our Creator), and we can actually shift our gaze to Him instead, it's amazing what we might find hidden within a kind word from a total stranger, love from family and friends, random expressions and reminders of Who sits on the throne.

I feel sometimes like 2011 has already been going for several months. And I could easily adopt the opinion that I am not looking forward to this year if it's to be anything like these first 20 days. However, it's not my attitude toward things. I've made myself become aware of God's movement in my life more in the past 20 days than maybe in the past few years.

I am amazed.

I am humbled.

I am grateful.

And I am excited to see what else is in store for the rest of 2011.

All of that said, I've felt challenged for some time about involving myself directly with a few of the charitable organizations I discover through billboards here in Nashville, musicians who are active with different organizations, family, friends, etc.

I've learned to recognize the tug. You know the one I'm talking about? Where you see the ad, and you think to yourself, "Aw. That is SUCH a good cause!! I should do something with that."

And then you keep driving. And think to yourself that you're going to donate money. Or you're going to donate clothing. Or food. Or just whatever it is. Right? You've been there.

And you get home. And you become distracted by daily life. And you go about your business. For me, that means Farmville or some other game, chores around the apartment, grocery shopping. Maybe watching some basketball. Football is about to go away for the season. Maybe some movies. Reading a book. And then it's time to drive along and dang it!! There is that billboard again!! Yes! Yes!! Okay, today, today is the day. I will do it!!

And you get home. Repeat previous paragraph.

Well, today, I was watching a podcast sermon. And this particular sermon (several weeks old now) was a challenge to that congregation to leave their shoes they were wearing THAT day for Souls4Soles. And I thought to myself, "DOH!!!!" There it is again.

This time, I went to my closet. And I pulled out every pair of shoes I have. And I set them on the bed. I have 17 pairs of shoes. Know how many I typically wear? Four.

Now, in time, I might get rid of a few more. I decided to keep eight pairs. A couple are seasonal and one pair is "dressier" than anything else I own. But I'm going to donate nine pairs of shoes.

I followed this link and clicked on locations. It lists the donation locations here in Nashville close to my zip code. There is a place not far from here. I called them and discussed their "drop off" system.

http://www.soles4souls.org/

What about you? How many pairs of shoes do you own? How many do you ACTUALLY wear? The ones you don't wear, can you part with them so someone somewhere who doesn't have ANY shoes could have ONE pair?

If we attend church together, allow me to remove one excuse, "I don't have time to drop them off." Bring them Sunday. In a black plastic trash bag (if you have several pair) and I will take them for you.

If you don't attend church with me, what about offering to be the collection person for your church, social group, workplace?

Let's save some folks from some blisters. Let's give someone something that will make it easier to walk that long walk to collect water, to go to work, to stand in line for food or medicine. These shoes are taking up space in our closets. And they could be helping someone who may not otherwise receive a pair.

You wear all of your shoes? No problem. You can donate on their site.

Let's make 2011 the year we got involved. Let's make 2011 the year we "cleaned house" and helped out. Let's make 2011 the year we showed love and gave back. For I assure you, each of us are very blessed.

Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'