Over the last two weeks my three favorite Burpeau gals have come to spend the night. They each came alone and for the two younger ones it was their first time to spend the night away from home on their own. With each visit little gems of wisdom were left behind. They all came together on Sara's night over.
We watched the Prince of Egypt. She knew the story of Moses but had not seen the film before. When the scene with God asking Moses to return to Egypt was on she had loads of questions. How does the bush burn and not burn up at the same time? Why did God choose that bush instead of any others? Why should Moses go back to Egypt, couldn't God just free the people on His own? Why did Moses argue with God? Why didn't he just go the first time God told him to?
I answered the questions briefly during the film but they came up for discussion later as we were getting ready for bed. She asked me what was the thing that meant the most to me from the story of Moses. I told her the thing that impacted me the most was God's response each time Moses gave a reason why he couldn't do what God asked of him. While God told him of the many miracles He would have Moses perform, His first and repeated answer was " I will go with you."
I told Sara God does the same thing for us. Whenever God asks us to do something it does not matter if we are good at it or not. God goes with us and He can use anyone to accomplish His work. I told her our goal for life should be doing what God wants us to. She then wanted to know how we can know what God wants us to do.
I swallowed a chuckle and told her there were some things we can know for certain God wants us to do. I explained Jesus had left us some rather detailed instructions which we could consider to be our job description. He told us to love God with all of our being and to love others as ourselves.
Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."
Matthew 22:37-40
The Message
I explained this is something everyone can do and know that it is what God wants them to do. Just to forestall any further questions I told her that God always goes with us and helps us to do the things he asks.
She is young enough to not let external limitations keep her from doing what needs to be done. You will find many older Christians who come up with a variety or reasons why they cannot do a particular task.
Common replies includes :
"That's not one of my spiritual gifts."
"I am uncomfortable _____________" (fill in the blank with serving, talking, witnessing, teaching Sunday school, meeting strangers)
"I don't have the skills to do that job."
"I don't feel the Lord is calling me that way." N.B. The Lord always calls you to love and share His love, that's a given
"I am not that kind of person, I just can't do that."
For all of these excuses there is but one answer. It is the same one God gave Moses.
"I am going with you."
I told Sara the saddest thing on earth is how many people who call themselves Christian who never read the job description.
working at it,
jene'
27 August 2007
17 August 2007
Hope of a promise
Walker Joseph, you are the hope of a promise .
You who were so new from the Hand of God.
Who returned to the Father as quickly as you came.
You were a gift which celebrated your parents’ love.
They cherished and adored you.
You have grandparents who longed to spoil you.
You have aunts and uncles who eagerly awaited the chance to make you laugh.
You were to be welcomed to a large extensive family.
That family, Walker Joseph, is made up of many who are also part of the family of God.
Because of that, we are assured we will get to know you someday.
For now you wait with the Father in Heaven.
Because His Son Jesus made it possible,
our future will lead us to Heaven too.
There we will finally be together again.
That is the hope we all know will be fulfilled.
Until then,
missing you,
your cousin jene’
You who were so new from the Hand of God.
Who returned to the Father as quickly as you came.
You were a gift which celebrated your parents’ love.
They cherished and adored you.
You have grandparents who longed to spoil you.
You have aunts and uncles who eagerly awaited the chance to make you laugh.
You were to be welcomed to a large extensive family.
That family, Walker Joseph, is made up of many who are also part of the family of God.
Because of that, we are assured we will get to know you someday.
For now you wait with the Father in Heaven.
Because His Son Jesus made it possible,
our future will lead us to Heaven too.
There we will finally be together again.
That is the hope we all know will be fulfilled.
Until then,
missing you,
your cousin jene’
13 August 2007
Heartbreaking
This morning my cousin gave birth to a stillborn son. There is nothing I can say or do for her that will take away her heartbreak. I sent a message that just says " I love you."
She doesn't need me to help her make sense of this. There is no way to do so. When horrible things happen you just have to hold on to the love you can find and pray you'll be able to survive.
Thankfully, while it may be hard for her to believe so today, she knows God loves her too.
Please keep Drew and Carolyn in your prayers. They will need them.
Sadly,
jene'
She doesn't need me to help her make sense of this. There is no way to do so. When horrible things happen you just have to hold on to the love you can find and pray you'll be able to survive.
Thankfully, while it may be hard for her to believe so today, she knows God loves her too.
Please keep Drew and Carolyn in your prayers. They will need them.
Sadly,
jene'
08 August 2007
04 August 2007
Which is it?
A friend in California has been sending me random obscure links to blogs and their comments on the latest Harry Potter book. After spending the last two weeks reading them I have come to a few conclusions.
J.K. Rowling wrote a great series. I believe her only agenda was to write something she loved and to provide for her family. I don't think she set out to lure anyone to occult rituals. I don't think she meant to make any religious statements either.
The oddest thing I have found in following the great Harry Potter blog trail is how atheists see her stories two ways. Some say she should be credited for not giving in to Conservative pressure to put a "Christian spin" on the plot line. Some say by not outwardly having the characters declare there is no God she leaves the door too wide open.
Christians have been lambasting her for not naming God as the source of all power. Others have been praising her "obvious" comparison of Harry's sacrifice to the sacrifice of Jesus.
So from both sides she is alternately loved and hated. You might wonder how this happened. The answer is simple.
Everyone reads and interprets what they have read from their own mindset. They will see what they desire and will take the pieces they like which reaffirm what they already believe.
That's what happens when you read a book.
Literature is nothing like that.
Literature is to be consumed, to be taken to your heart, to make a change in your life.
The difference between reading a book or a piece of literature depends on the reader. If the experience you have reaches beyond your mind and into your heart you have literature in your life. If you enjoy what you read but it has no causal effect in your life, you have read a book.
How are you changed by what you read?
J.K. Rowling wrote a great series. I believe her only agenda was to write something she loved and to provide for her family. I don't think she set out to lure anyone to occult rituals. I don't think she meant to make any religious statements either.
The oddest thing I have found in following the great Harry Potter blog trail is how atheists see her stories two ways. Some say she should be credited for not giving in to Conservative pressure to put a "Christian spin" on the plot line. Some say by not outwardly having the characters declare there is no God she leaves the door too wide open.
Christians have been lambasting her for not naming God as the source of all power. Others have been praising her "obvious" comparison of Harry's sacrifice to the sacrifice of Jesus.
So from both sides she is alternately loved and hated. You might wonder how this happened. The answer is simple.
Everyone reads and interprets what they have read from their own mindset. They will see what they desire and will take the pieces they like which reaffirm what they already believe.
That's what happens when you read a book.
Literature is nothing like that.
Literature is to be consumed, to be taken to your heart, to make a change in your life.
The difference between reading a book or a piece of literature depends on the reader. If the experience you have reaches beyond your mind and into your heart you have literature in your life. If you enjoy what you read but it has no causal effect in your life, you have read a book.
How are you changed by what you read?
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