I'm getting pretty sick and tired of all my friends having grandbabies, and we don't have a single one. They go on and on about their grandchildren like they are the only ones in the world. Just wait until mine and Wanda's get here. We just bought a digital camera in faith that someday we will have some. Just wanted to warn all you current grandparents. Picture day is coming from the Ashley's. Count on it.
Lynn, my niece, just had her first grandbaby girl. I held Lynn in my arms when she was a baby, and now she has a grandbaby before I have one. There is something wrong with that picture. Anyway, she said something that made me think about how much Papa really loves us.
Like all grandmas, she has pictures, and she's proud. She showed off her precious to a co-worker the other day and all they said was, "She's cute."
"CUTE?!?! You better look at those pictures again. There's nothing in those pictures that is cute! Puppies are cute! She is beautiful! I don't know what you're looking at!" Lynn straightened them out right quick.
I thought to myself... If my niece feels that way about her grandbaby girl, can God feel any other way about us? He IS love, you know. How did we ever get the idea that God was not crazy wild about us? I know that the bad taste in our mouth about the goodness of God came from the off-limits fruit in the garden, but why has that bad after-taste lingered so long?
God has gone out of His way to pursue a love relationship with us. Jesus, His Son, came to earth to show us the way God intended for us to live... carelessly free in His care. Jesus died breaking the power of sin (living independently from God rather than in dependence upon Him) and setting us free. Free to do what? LIVE! Live life to the MAX! To enjoy life like we've never enjoyed life before.
Some of us have been programmed to believe that God expects us to be perfect. To do everything right and never mess up in order to gain His love and acceptance. Let me ask you grandparents out there: Do your grandkids mess up your house? Do they mess their diapers? Do they cry when they don't get their way? Do you put your life on hold just to be around them? Honestly, are they perfect? Really?
Don't you act like a monkey around them just to see them belly laugh? I've seen sophisticated people do some things they would have died over before they had grandchildren. Now they do stupid stuff routinely. Why! Because they have grandchildren!
I've come to believe that the people who make a difference in your life are not the people you believe in, but the people who believe in you. Many people believe in God, but He doesn't make much difference in their life. But those rare people who understand that God believes in them, they are the joyous, "live-life-wide-open" people who savor every drop of life, who are not afraid to fail, who take time to see the beauty of the world all around them. They enjoy the life Jesus died and rose again to give them. They don't take it for granted. They laugh out loud and are not afraid to cry when they are hurt, sad or mad. They live and love one minute at at time. They live carlessly in the care of God. Kinda like grandparents and grandchildren.
I'd like to leave you with some idea of how grandchildren view grandparents. Hope it brings a smile to your face... maybe even a belly laugh or a tear... both are cleansing for the soul.
• Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own but they like other people's.
• Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.
• Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run but it is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
• Grandparents take us for walks and they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillers.
• Grandparents show us things and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on the sidewalk "cracks."
• Grandparents don't say, "Hurry up."
• Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
• Grandparents wear glasses and they can take their teeth and gums out.
• Grandparents always have time to answer our questions and they always know all the right answers to everything because they have lived a long time.
• When grandparents read to us, they don't skip and they don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
• Everybody should try to have grandparents, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
• Grandparents know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted badly.
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren, but He sure does act like one. You think about that, Beloved.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Graceline
Once upon a time, a foolish king complained that the rough ground hurt his feet. He ordered the whole country to be carpeted.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Graceline
When elephants are just babies, trainers tie the end of a rope around one of their ankles and attach the other end to a huge tent peg. The baby tries and tries to get away but to no avail. Restriction and captivity become a given. Eventually, he ceases to make any attempt to escape and accepts his lot in life.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
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