Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

These words are haunting me a bit right now.  Something happened earlier today that I can't quite get over.  I had an opportunity to show Michaela (she and Eliana were in the car with me) what it can look like to minister to someone in physical need and I let it pass.  I was guided by fear instead of compassion, distrust instead of love.  And thinking about that passage makes me tremble.  I know that God is not vindictive, but He is just.  And sometimes I am so conflicted about my own role in His plan for justice.  Or even kindness.  When it says so plainly that we are to care for those who are hungry ("Can you help me get something to eat?"), or thirsty, or unclothed, and we know it, yet we turn away from those people, or that person...can we be so bold as to ask for forgiveness?  I know what the Bible says about forgiveness too.  I think that I can and ought to seek God's forgiveness.  I wish I could ask for hers as well.  I pray for wisdom about what to do in the future when I am confronted with a choice, when I am looking into the face of need, when Jesus asks me,"What will you do for me?"   May God help me to know the appropriate, compassionate, loving resonse to offer.  I pray that fear would be conquered, distrust would be overthrown, and that I might be able "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with [my] God."

Helping Hands

The kids can seem so big, they can act so grown-up, and want desperately to be independent.  But then something happens that shows how much they still need us as parents.  They aren't quite ready to be "on their own."  That sounds kind of dramatic when I'm talking about my 7 and 5 year-old kids, and my 1 year- old.  I'm telling you, though, there are times when I think they really think they can do it all by themselves.  And by "it" I mean live! The other day Christian, Eliana, and I dropped Michaela off at her Bible study and then headed back home.  We were on the second level of the church and I had the stroller so we took the elevator.  Christian hopped up onto the railing that runs along the inside of the elevator, right around where an adult's waist is, and he sort of sat on the railing at this crazy angle because, of course, they're not really made for riding, but what's fun is fun, right?  In the corner, where he was, the two railings meet but don't touch.  The elevator stopped on the first floor and I steered the stroller out and took a couple of steps thinking Christian would be right behind me. I heard this terrified call,"Mommy!  Mommy!"  I turned around and saw that he wasn't getting off of the rail, and he had this stricken look on his face.  I quickly backtracked and caught the doors before they shut.  I stepped over to where he was and saw that his shirt had gotten caught on one of the rails and so when he tried to hop down he was stuck.  It reminded me of  Rabadash in The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, except Christian realized that he was stuck and needed help.  I unhooked his shirt and he hopped down with a smile on his face, knowing that I had rescued him and all was well.

Moments like that remind me that in spite of all of the bravado, the intense independence, and even the rebellion Christian is still in need.  And so is Michaela.  Eliana obviously needs her parents' protection, help, and guidance (for what it's worth!).  And their need requires that I humbly serve.  All of this has been going around in my head for a couple of days, and it illustrates to me our childlike dependence on God, our Father.  We like to think we are capable of doing things our own way and being just fine, thank you.  But then, we try to move on and realize we're stuck.  We're stuck and we can't go a bit further without someone's aid.  I pray that I will realize sooner rather than later that there is One to call out to, who will help me quickly and lovingly.  And I pray that knowing that will help me to be there to give my children aid, and to point them to their heavenly Father who can help them more than I can.

Let the Little Children...

Mark 10:13-16  People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.  He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."   And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. My mind is spinning with the large amount of information I received from several different organizations that were represented at our church today during an "Urban Fair."  There were booths set up all around the Fellowship Hall with booklets, info on volunteer opportunities, mission statements, pictures, and people who work with these organizations or groups all over Dallas.  The need is so great, and not just here in Dallas but all over the world.  There was a guest preacher who shared about some of that need; he is the president and CEO of an international organization that helps bring justice to oppressed and abused people.  All of this information is overwhelming on the one hand and empowering on the other. One of the many times Jesus was teaching, some of the people brought some little kids over to where he was so that he could touch them.  Maybe they were children who had diseases that kept them from having interaction with other people because of the cleanliness laws.  Or maybe they were misbehaving all the time and their parents thought that they might benefit from a touch from someone who had displayed such power already (he had just cast a demon out of a boy).  Or maybe they just knew that Jesus was kind and loving and was a teacher who had authority to bless the people.  I don't know, but here came some folks with some little ones and the disciples tried to shoo them away.  And Jesus was mad about that!  In fact, he told all of those grown-ups that they were not getting close to the kingdom of God unless they became like the children.  Jesus drew near those whom others were trying to push away. He says,"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."  There is a responsibility to "let" the children get close, and "not hinder" them.  We are called to help children know Jesus, approach Jesus, and be blessed by Jesus.  We are not to get in the way, or cause them to stumble, or send them in a different direction by either what we do or do not do.  There are countless ways I can do this at home with my own children, and there are just as many ways I (and we, as a family) can do this outside of our home. I live in such a protected, sheltered place-figuratively as well as literally.  I don’t go outside of this small area that is comfortable and regular and safe.  My kids don’t know what it’s like to live in a dangerous circumstance or what it’s like to go to bed really hungry or what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night because it’s too cold to sleep.  They have what they need and we are a pretty normal family (no, really, I’m trying to be serious here). I am still processing all that I took in today.  I hope that God will help me to see the practical ways that our family can live out the love he himself extended to children in need.  He touches and blesses-how simple.

On Books and Rice

While this is the kind of reading Mike really loves to do: he does a lot of the more academic reading these days as he is finishing his Ph.D. Our family loves books.  We love to read at the dinner table and, of course, before bedtime.   And we have a LOT of books. And Mike reads a LOT of books in all his studies.  So it is no surprise that our dining room table looks like this right now: It doesn't always look quite so heavy-laden.   But the books do go back and forth between home and office depending on where he is studying.  And these books came home so he could prepare for a trip to Princeton to work on his dissertation there.   He was going in order to use the seminary library, to check out some books that he will need, do some research, you know, the kinds of things you do when you are trying to finish a dissertation.   Here is the point of this story...just before he left on this trip he found out that every five years or so the library shuts down its entire computer system in order to upgrade it.  The upgrade was scheduled for two days after he arrived in Princeton, of course.   This left him with one day to do all he needed to do using the library's system.   He handled the news much better than I would have if it had been happening to me.  This is one of the major differences between the two of us.  I get all in a huff about circumstances that I can't control while at the same time I do not do things that are within my control to improve my circumstances.  He does not let circumstances dictate his attitude and tries to do things in a way that will make the best of his time and circumstance.  I could learn some things from him, you know. Fortunately, everything worked out fine and he was able to get done the things he needed to get done there. Nothing like a little pressure to motivate you!  It's like a rice cooker.   Um, does that even make sense?

Oh, I Get It...

I have been trying to do a Bible study each night using a study guide, trying to get in the routine of reading and meditating on Scripture each day (something I've struggled to do consistently for the last fourteen years).  I came to a question that I thought was a little silly, and I asked Mike his opinion about it, and we started talking a little about Bible studies in general.   I told him I don't really know how to do a Bible study, and I clarified by saying,"I mean, I know how to do a Bible study, like answer the questions and stuff, but I don't know how to..." and I can't remember exactly what I said after that but it had to do with making what you learn when you study God's word real in your everyday living/thinking/feeling/ doing.  That is the part I always feel like I'm not accomplishing.  I know lots of stuff in my head (toot, toot) but the translation from head to heart is a little slow.  Well, back to the conversation with Mike.  I really like what he said.   He's smart and wise and has an amazing perspective (and has plenty of his own issues, no fooling anybody, but I do respect what the man has to say) so I was listening carefully.  He said it has to do with your affections and your orientation.  That was the gist of it.  We don't study the Bible just so we'll know all the answers and do well in Sunday School, or look like a smart theologian or scholarly academic.  But if I'm aimed in the right direction, because I've been focusing on and absorbing who God is, what He has said and done, and allowing it to penetrate my heart, then maybe I'll keep getting closer to the target.  And with the reading and meditating will come a slow change in my affections.  It makes me think of the verse in Colossians 3, that we are to set our hearts and minds on things above rather than on earthly things.  It's about a change in everything, rather than looking up the right answers to all the questions, just knowing the facts.  I've been thinking a lot about this the last few days, and I'm sorry I keep getting off track a little, but back to that conversation with Mike, he pointed out something that I know I've heard before but really needed to hear again, and I really appreciate the reminder.   I'm going to spend quite a bit of time this week reading and taking in, and hopefully memorizing Colossians 3 (it's a really good one).  So, hold me accountable! Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Colossians 3:1-4 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Colossians 3:12-14