Straightening Up Messes

(Psalm Study)

 “He’ll straighten out the whole world, He’ll put the world right and everyone in it.” (Ps. 98:9 MSG)

Think about all the messes that you have encountered in the past month. Did you try to straighten things out? Clean up the messes? How did it work out?

I am uncomfortable with messiness and feel the need to straighten things out, whether they are mine to clean up or not. Often I end up just spreading the mess. Sometimes I end up hurting myself.

When my son was a young child, I taught him how to clean up his own messes. Many mornings, when I woke up and walked through the kitchen, I would feel my feet sticking to the floor. I could tell that my child had spilled juice and tried to wipe it up as best as he could. Even though I would have to wet mop the floor to clean it properly, I appreciated my son’s attempts to clean up. However, there was one instance when I wished he would have just called for help immediately. One day, when he was around 5 years old, he dropped a glass thermometer that contained mercury. Mercury is toxic and the cleanup procedure is well beyond the skill set of a 5-year-old! But, he didn’t know that. Luckily, I heard the clink of the glass thermometer falling on the tile floor and walked in to find him trying to pick up the pieces with his bare hands. I helped him wash his hands and face and then made him wait in another room while I cleaned up this toxic mess.

When we encounter messes that are beyond our ability to straighten out, we have to call on a Higher Power. It’s difficult to differentiate between what we are meant to straighten out and what is best left to God. I’ve come up with a new version of the ‘Serenity Prayer.’

Lord, give me the grace to accept with serenity the messes which I cannot clean up, the tenacity to clean up the ones I can, and the wisdom to know the difference-- trusting that YOU will put the world right and everyone in it. 

Caught Up in God

One of my favorite descriptions of worship comes from R.A.Torrey: Worship is being “occupied and satisfied with God alone… It has been well said, ‘in prayer we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, in worship we are occupied with Himself.’”

According to Torrey, true worship requires divine intervention: “The first thing we should do when we worship is, with a realization of our own utter helplessness, to look up to the Holy Spirit to teach us and enable us to worship properly. He must present God to our mind for our contemplation. He must subdue and awe our hearts before Him in true adoration.”

So, getting pumped up with high-energy songs at church after loading up on donuts doesn’t qualify as worship?

Most of my time with God is spent in prayer—caught up in my needs. Right after a prayer is answered, I might focus on thanksgiving—thus getting caught up in my blessings. However, only a few seconds a day are spent in worship—completely caught up in God, occupied and satisfied with Him alone. I might be able to initiate prayer and thanksgiving, but worship can only be ignited by the Spirit of God. We can collect the kindling, but God alone can light the fire.

“I was caught up at once in deep worship.” (Rev. 4:2 MSG)

“Right then the Spirit took control of me.” (Rev. 4:2 CEV)

 There is a reason why the Holy Spirit is often compared to the wind. We can’t catch the wind, but we can get caught up in it. We can’t influence the wind, or manage it, but we can be influenced and controlled by it. Like a windmill stands in the path of the wind, we can succumb to the Spirit’s power, which, in turn, generates power in us and through us. 

Intimate Worship

I know several people who are motivated to exercise when they are surrounded by others who are doing the same. I am just not one of these people. I exercise daily, but I dislike going to a gym. I prefer to exercise by myself or with a friend.

I don’t like crowds, large gatherings, parties, weddings, funerals, airports, or big cities, either.

I find that even the most wonderful experiences are ruined when there are too many people milling around. Even the most beautiful sunsets, beaches, mountains—all become less appealing to me when there is a crowd around.

Maybe this is why I don’t like going to church. I like churches…when they are empty of people. I find churches to be full of noisy people—socializing, performing, and people watching. I go to church almost every Sunday, mainly just out of habit. I find it difficult to engage in corporate worship.

I prefer intimate worship—being alone with God stimulates my devotion and reverence for Him. I am able to sense God’s presence when I am alone, but rarely in a crowd.

A tree swaying gently with the breeze, a cardinal chirping, the pink sky at dawn, silence—these things stir my soul and draw my attention to the transcendent God. I find myself tuning in, listening, redirecting, and realigning to the transmundane. I am deeply grateful for these private, personal times with God which enrich and expand my soul. 

Know Thyself

“Be yourself—not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” (Thoreau)

This quote, as well as the concept behind it, is somewhat convoluted.

Be yourself. This seems simple enough. Who else would I be? Well…in order to be myself, I have to first know who I am.

Who am I?? Umm…this is a bit more complicated. My self-identity is influenced by my environment, my relationships, and my experiences. Like a bat who navigates by echolocation, I project images and ideas based on how I would like to be perceived by the world. Then, I define my place in this world by the feedback I receive. My concept of self is based on my perception of other people’s ideas of me! Unfortunately, this is a convoluted way to figure out who I am and what I am about.

How would I define myself? Is it possible to define ourselves without being influenced by the perceptions of others? Most of our values and standards are shaped by our environment. Can we define ourselves without mentioning transitory things like a job title, relationships, physical attributes, or interests?

As you can see, in order to be yourself, you have to know yourself. Discovering who you are and what you were originally created to be—takes a lot of effort. It’s like restoring an antique desk that was originally built by a master carpenter. Previous owners might have painted it, varnished it, stained it, put stickers on it, or carved initials into the wood. The wood might be warped due to environmental exposure. In order to restore this desk to its original glory, you may have to patiently remove accumulated dirt and grime, methodically strip away layers of paint, repair damage, and replace missing hardware. In order to be yourself, your true self—you have to strip away layers of paint that have been applied by public perceptions, societal expectations, and cultural values. Self-knowledge is a stepping stone to enlightenment…for understanding the creation sheds light on the Creator.

“The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself.” (Thomas Merton)

Useful Work

I have a habit of writing down my chores and checking them off as I do them. This reminds me of the useful things I’ve done each day. I use it as a progress card, to prove that I didn’t just waste my day. If I have a nice, long list with check marks at the end of the day, I feel okay about winding down in front of the TV before I go to sleep. If I only have a few things on my list, I feel super guilty and can’t relax. My usual list may have tasks such as: vacuum, mop floors, clean bathrooms, cook, exercise, plan meals, brush dog, get groceries, laundry, wipe down kitchen counters, wash dishes, check finances, fill bird feeders, do yard work, do homework for online classes, etc. I consider these tasks as work, and thus it makes me feel like a useful person when I get these things done. Yet, I spend a large chunk of my day on things I don’t put on this list—because I don’t think of it as ‘work’ and I am not sure if it is useful.

I get up around 5:30a.m. every morning and spend several hours reading, writing, thinking, learning, and praying. I do this again throughout the day--whenever I can spare any time. I enjoy these activities, so they don’t seem like work—and thus it seems indulgent.

This morning, I woke up with the following thought: Is the time I spend in contemplation, reading, learning, and writing useful? Or are they just indulgent hobbies?

I remembered a similar question came up in the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible:

“Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha lived. She welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was busy with all the things that had to be done. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Don’t you care? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered. ‘You are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better. And it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-41NIV)

 The time I spend in contemplation and learning is not useless, even though it might sometimes seem like a wasteful indulgence. Listening to Jesus is essential, necessary, the one thing, worthwhile, permanently dependable, of primary importance…the most purposeful way to spend time.

In comparison, the rest of what I do in a day is of little worth.

(Disclaimer: This post might have been influenced by Joanna Weaver’s book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, which I remember reading several years ago.)

Burning Bridges

In the previous posts, I discussed some reasons why we don’t permanently DWELL in God’s safe shelter. We want to have God’s protection, but we don’t want to give up the freedom to pursue our own agenda.

Our local homeless shelter will allow alcoholics and drug addicts to stay at the shelter as long as they stay sober. In the summer months, most of them choose to camp out in tents in a certain part of our town. They are free to indulge in their addictions and diversions. In the winter, when the temperatures get bitterly cold, they will leave their tents behind and go to the homeless shelter. 

We all prefer to come and go as we please—so that we can still follow our agenda. We prefer to use God as an emergency shelter, not a permanent home. We would rather live in the tents we put up ourselves than move in with God and live under His values and standards.

Here are a few examples of self-created shelters: money, jobs, education, influence, relationships, health, accomplishments, intelligence, beauty, talents, etc.

How can we DWELL in God’s protective shelter? First of all, we have to TRUST him completely…and not rely on any other worldly, self-created shelters. We can’t keep all our options open.

I’m reminded of these verses from an old hymn:

‘The world behind me, the cross before me…no turning back.”

Well, sometimes…the only way NOT to turn back…is to burn the bridges behind us. We have to have nothing to fall back…we have to burn our tents so that we are not tempted to go back to these self-created shelters. 

Murky Reasons

In the previous post, I mentioned how basements are more common in the northern states than in the southern states. I had heard that this had something to do with high water tables, clay soil, limestone, etc. However, the most cogent explanation I read is the following:

“In the north, housing regulations require home foundations to be dug below the frost line, which may be 5 to 6 feet down. Builders must sink the pipes that far down so they won't freeze and break. At that point, one might as well build a basement. In the south, the frost line tends to be less than a foot, so digging down is an unnecessary expense.”

http://greekgeek.hubpages.com/hub/Why-Dont-Homes-in-Texas-Have-Basements

Basements are considered an unnecessary expense to those who live in warmer climates. Why not spend the extra money on building above ground where it is more visible to the world! Not to mention that above-ground square footage is much better for resale than basement square footage. It is more valued by the world.

The murky reasons for why we don’t dwell in God’s protective, underground shelter are similar: It’s costly—we have to give up above-ground square footage for it—and most of us are not willing to give up worldly values and live in obscurity with Christ.

Continued…

Storm Shelters

My relatives, who live in the southern United States, have very little protection against tornadoes. Although they live in tornado alley, their homes don’t have basements. I did some research on why basements are more prevalent in the north compared to the south, and the reasons are murky. Some of my relatives in Oklahoma have now built tiny storm shelters in or near their homes. I hear they are uncomfortable and cramped, so they only use these shelters if a tornado has been spotted in their area. My home in Iowa has a comfortable, finished basement. As soon as the weather alarm goes off, we try to gather up everybody and go down to the basement. Yet, most of our living space is above ground, so sometimes it’s difficult to convince my family to stop what they are doing and seek shelter in the basement. I have a friend who lives in a berm home. Most of her home is underground. Unlike us, she doesn’t even have to wake up at night to move to a safe place. She dwells in a safe shelter most of the time.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”

The Bible tells us over and over again that God is our shelter, our safe place. Yet most of us prefer to dwell someplace other than in God. We might run to Him in an emergency, but it feels too cramped for daily use. How can we abide in God, find rest and shelter in Him all the time? 

Continued…

Transplanted Lilacs

About a dozen years ago, I planted some lilacs by the north edge of our acreage. Even though they survived each winter, they stayed about the same size every year—just some twigs with a few leaves but no flowers. Last year, I transplanted the lilacs. I dug them up from where they had been and replanted them in a south-facing flower bed, next to the house. This year, for the first time, they have bloomed with fragrant, purple flowers.

St. Francis de Sales is known for the saying: “Bloom where you’re planted.” Basically, this means: ‘Try to do the best you can, no matter what your location or situation.’ Well, this sounds like a good idea…but it puts the onus of growth completely on the individual. I’m not saying we aren’t responsible for our own growth, yet I have a strong feeling that we shall not fully become who we are meant to be until we are planted next to God’s presence.

“Transplanted to God’s courtyard, they’ll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age.” (Ps. 92:13-14 MSG)

Sometimes, I feel like I haven’t quite ‘bloomed’ yet. I’ve done all right; I’ve made the best of each situation thus far. Yet, I wonder if I have fully become all that I was created to be. Thus, I have asked God to transplant me closer to His presence:

Lord, dig me up from familiar, yet unfertile roles. Transplant me closer to You. Then, I shall thrive, grow, bloom, and be fragrant. 

Goldfinch Lessons

Sparrows are ill-mannered, noisy, messy birds. They prefer to nest and feed in large groups. They fight constantly and peck each other while feeding. In previous years, the sparrows would take over our bird feeders and wouldn’t let any other birds eat from it. Then last year I made a sparrow deterrent out of coat hangers and fishing line. Since they can’t fly in and out in groups, the thuggish sparrows now leave my feeder alone. A few individual sparrows still visit the feeder, but the gangs have gone elsewhere. Now our feeder is visited by mild-mannered finches, cardinals, and evening grosbeaks. Out of all the birds at the feeder, the goldfinches are the most well-mannered birds. They courteously take turns at the feeder, eat neatly, and leave polite distances between each other. They hang out in pairs or small groups. These birds have a sunny disposition that makes me want to refill the feeder, which benefits all the other birds as well.

Here are some of the lessons I have learned from these goldfinches:

-There is usually more discord in larger groups than smaller ones.

-Giving each other personal space encourages peace.

-A cheerful disposition brings blessings to you, as well as everyone around you.

-Courtesy, politeness, and neatness are conducive to living in harmony.

I hope to internalize these goldfinch mannerisms. I have already learned that small groups are much easier to get along with than larger ones. I am still working on giving others around me plenty of personal space to breathe and grow on their own terms. I would like to be more positive and cheerful. I strive to be courteous and considerate of those around me. I attempt to keep my home neat and orderly. Although I still occasionally succumb to sparrow-like tendencies, I hope to someday be more like the well-mannered goldfinches.  

Spreading Dread

Negative thoughts eventually get coughed up as negative speech—words that express our frustration and skepticism, but won’t really make any difference in the long run. I think it can be therapeutic to share our thoughts with a few close people, as long as it helps us improve our thinking process. However, spitting up negativity without changing our mindset merely spreads the dread. 

Not all coughs are contagious. Some people have a chronic cough due to inherent respiratory issues. These conditions can be annoying and irritating, but mostly just to the patient. Others have bacterial infections that are highly contagious. These diseases can spread to anyone who comes in contact with the germs and are thus much more dangerous.

Negative speech is a lot like whooping cough. It’s contagious, and merely covering your mouth while you spew it out won’t prevent it from spreading. Sometimes we try to mitigate our negative words by couching them in terms of concern or advice. When we are speaking about ourselves—our past, present, or future—we pass it off as being realistic.

Positive speech is not a very effective antidote to negative speech either. I have tried to counter someone’s negativity by pointing out the positives in their lives. This just seems to make them dig in deeper into cynicism. 

The only method I have found that works against negative speech is to avoid it. When I start speaking negatively, spreading my dread around like the plague—I remind myself to shut up. When others around me start spewing unproductive hostility and discontent, I try to walk away. This is very difficult for me to do, since my immunity to negativity is low—I easily get caught up—I have a difficult time disengaging from any conversation. I’m genetically predisposed to pessimism. I find myself defending, explaining, justifying, arguing…adding to the vomit—spreading the disease of dread. 

Thuggish Thoughts

“God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me and they don’t care a thing about you.” (Psalms 86: 11-17 MSG)

I’m frequently bullied by a gang of thugs. They are not human enemies, but subconscious antagonists. These oppressive thoughts browbeat me into fearful submission:

You will fail and look stupid.

It’s just a matter of time before you lose everybody and everything that you value.

You probably have an undiagnosed mental disorder.

You are a difficult person to be around.

Most people think you are weird, lazy, and useless.

You can’t handle new challenges.

You should be doing more.

The worst-case scenario will probably happen.

When something goes wrong, it’s most likely your fault.

You are not a good enough mom, wife, daughter, friend.

Thuggish thoughts follow me around day after day—tormenting and intimidating me. I wish I had a big brother or a body guard who stayed with me all the time. He would protect me from these thugs—his presence alone would discourage the bullies from pestering me.

“God-of-the-Angel-Armies will step in and take care of his flock… He’ll revive their spirits…Use them as tools and instruments…their heads held high…courageous and vigorous because God is with them, undeterred by the world’s thugs.” (Zechariah 10:3-5 MSG excerpts)

True Growth

Most of us would like to achieve our full potential in life. We want to use all our talents and opportunities toward maximizing our impact on this world. The most popular paths to this goal have been the pursuit of wealth, fame, power, and education. Generally, external gains are valued over internal growth.    

 “True growth is the ability of a society to transfer increasing amounts of energy and attention from the material side of life to the nonmaterial side.” (Arnold Toynbee, “Law of Progressive Simplification”)

Once our basic material needs are met—food, shelter, etc.—we should be able to invest more of our time and energy into developing our nonmaterial, intrinsic values. Instead, we tend to keep focusing on the acquisition of more and more extrinsic accomplishments.

Why do we neglect our potential for inner growth? I suspect it has something to do with the lack of public validation. Inner growth lacks visibility and is difficult to measure.

I have an only child, and I’ve kept meticulous records of his growth. Every birthday, for the last 18 years, I’ve written down his height and weight. I also wrote down his big achievements for each year; things like, ‘won geography bee,’ ‘graduated with honors,’ ‘got driver’s license,’ etc. However, I haven’t cataloged the signs of inner growth, such as—‘started becoming more responsible, self-directed, mature, and considerate,’ ‘developed good judgment and morals,’ or ‘progressed in ability to think independently and not to be influenced by peer pressure.’ Since these intrinsic qualities are immeasurable, and unrecorded they may seem to have less value than those that receive public validation. Yet, this is not true.

True growth is the development of our inner, human potential—an increase in discernment, compassion, fairness, and the ability to see beyond the superficial, measurable standards of the material world to the intangible, nonmaterial realms of our soul. 

Simpler Living

There are so many more things I ‘need’ now that I didn’t need a few decades ago. I ‘need’ a cell phone, preferably a smart phone. Actually, I ‘need’ phones for every member of my family, so they can text me and let me know they are safe. I ‘need’ a computer with internet connection. I ‘need’ some sort of credit card or debit card, so I can order things online. I ‘need’ my own car, preferably an SUV with All Wheel Drive for the snow and lots of cargo space. I ‘need’ lots of garage space for all my family vehicles, lawn mowers, bikes etc. I ‘need’ a lot more money now to buy and maintain all these ‘necessities.’

We live in a technologically advanced society. Those who don’t keep up with progress are afraid of being left behind—of becoming irrelevant.

Mahatma Gandhi had a contrary viewpoint:

"Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment, and increases the capacity of service."

Our ‘wants’ have multiplied exponentially over the last few decades. We have become so dependent on technology and comfort that many ‘wants’ have now become ‘needs.’

The term ‘ratchet effect’ describes the human tendency to increase our expectations over time. Like a ratchet in a wind-up clock—it is much easier to crank up our expenses than to wind back to a simpler lifestyle.

When I was faced with the opportunity to acquire something new or make a new commitment, I used to ask the following questions: “Do I want it? Can I afford it? Will this make my life more enjoyable, comfortable, and easier?”

Lately I have learned to ask different questions: “Will this simplify or complicate my life in the future? How much time, energy, and resources will it take to maintain this in the future? Will it create bondage or freedom?”  

How can we reduce our desires? Instead of equating progress with a ‘maxed-out’ lifestyle, can we learn to find satisfaction with less? 

Rabbit Fence

When we got our dog, we enclosed a part of our backyard with a 6-foot picket fence. This allowed us to let the dog out safely. We chose this type of fence over an invisible fence, because it prevented our dog from running off, and other dogs couldn’t come into her area and bother her. Well, this worked pretty well for several years. Smaller animals like rabbits could get into the fenced area. Our dog would chase them but rarely caught up to them. Until one fateful morning, last year, when a mother rabbit had her babies in our yard. My dog picked them up and played with them, killing a few. We tried to dig the whole litter up and move them far away, but I don’t think any of those rabbits lived.

It was disturbing to watch my dog killing baby rabbits. Rabbits also carry diseases that could harm dogs. So this year, my husband and I were more proactive. We knew that once the temptation of a furry rabbit entered our dog’s territory, she wouldn’t be able to resist it. In order to prevent this, we put up a layer of chicken wire around our picket fence. We covered the gaps in our fence so small animals couldn’t easily wander in.

We often prepare for the obvious big intruders, but overlook the smaller interlopers.

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that ruin vineyards.” (Song of Solomon 2:15 GWT)

I’m much better at watching out for BIG sins, but I let little sins sneak through quite often.

Here are some recent ‘little foxes’ that have squeezed under my fence: I have been less than straightforward with a few people. I have tried to control situations. I have been critical, sarcastic, angry, unforgiving, manipulative, and negative. I have made several unhealthy choices and wandered down paths of dysfunction. I need a tighter mesh around my boundaries so these little temptations don’t wander into my territory. 

Beatitudes

Most Christians are familiar with the Beatitudes found in the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke. The word beatitude comes from the Latin word for ‘fortunate’ or ‘blessed.’ I’ve always been particularly drawn to the first beatitude:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” (Matthew 5:3 MSG)

If I had to put this verse in my own words, it would be:

You are fortunate when you no longer have the illusion of control—for then you may become aware that God is in control.

Or

You are fortunate when you are overwhelmed and at your wit’s end—for now you may be able to rely on God completely.

I’m not a very good driver, so I’m willing to let anyone who is a better driver take over the wheel. Yet, when it comes to my life, I’m reluctant to hand over the controls to anyone…including God.

The more I try to control things, the more I try to manage on my own, the more I get worked-up over a situation…the more I push God to the side. The more of me, the less of HIM. With less of me, the more of God. Either I drive, or God drives. There can only be one driver… and God is a better driver. 

Hitchhikers

I know it is unsafe to pick up hitchhikers along the road. But let’s say I am on a long, cross-country ride by myself, and I see a hitchhiker who looks non-threatening. I put my intuitions aside and pick her up and lo and behold—she happens to be looking for a ride to my exact destination. I decide to let her ride along—maybe she can keep me company on this long, monotonous drive. We talk for several hours, and she seems to know how to say all the right things that I like to hear. Well, after a while, when I get tired, she offers to drive. I’m not so sure if this is a good idea, but I’m too exhausted to think—so I hand her the keys and proceed to doze off in the passenger seat. 

I know what you’re thinking…Nobody with any sense would do such a thing!

Evil rarely appears in the form of a menacing hitchhiker—instead it is often amusing, charming, and validating. So, we might unwittingly place ourselves on the road to destruction.

The following lyrics are from an old gospel song by Aaron Neville:

Don't let the devil ride,
Oh, don't let the devil ride,
If you let the devil ride,
He will want to drive,
Don't let him ride.

We have all let the devil ride in the passenger seat at some point or another. We give space to our inner demons; we listen to what they say; they bide their time, knowing we will get worn down eventually, and then they can take over and be in control of us.

So…don’t make space for anything or anyone of questionable character.

Don’t let the devil ride…or soon he will want to drive.

Gravel Roads

I live on a gravel road. New visitors, especially city dwellers, often miss the turn to my house. They are expecting a clearly-marked, paved road—not this insignificant gravel path which looks like it goes nowhere. So, when I give directions to newcomers, I always have to tell them to look for this unexpected, obscure path. Once you drive down this gravel road, you notice that there is an entire neighborhood of homes tucked out of sight. A recent visitor asked if our neighborhood was new, and if that was why the roads leading to it were still unpaved. “Nope,” I replied, “We have lived here for a dozen years, and these roads will most likely remain this way.”

Recently, I was talking to a wise friend about God’s chosen path for my life. She mentioned that it might not be the clearly-marked, paved road that I am expecting—and maybe that is why I keep missing it.

The path I’m meant to take might be out-of-the way, little-known, inconspicuous, undistinguished, difficult to access, and untitled.

I’ve been looking for a path that is easily accessible, straightforward, visible, reputable, well-maintained, popular, recognizable, significant, and relevant.

God is pointing to the path he has chosen for me, but I keep passing by it, because it isn’t quite what I imagined… 

Post-It Notes

I have a fetish for office supplies. Every time I am at Costco, I allow myself to walk through the aisle filled with gel pens, mechanical pencils, yellow legal pads, and neon post-it notes. I don’t buy any of it, because I have what I need at home. Yet, I secretly visit this area because it is titillating to be surrounded by these voluptuous cases of bulk paper and writing implements. Yes, I admit I have issues. My friends know about my problem, so they buy me office supplies as gifts. For my birthday this year, a friend gave me some post-it notes. I love post-it notes—I can write little reminders to myself; I can leave short memos for others; I can leave little notes of love; I can use them as bookmarks, as well as stick it on pages that I want to ponder later. I am picky about my sticky notes—I prefer ones that are bright, which makes them easy to spot, but not dark colors like purple, because then it is difficult to read the writing. I don’t like ones with pictures that take up writing space. Most of all, I prefer the ones that have a good adhesive backing so the note stays where I post it.

God often places people, books, songs, or situations in my life that act as post-it notes. These little signs remind me of forgotten truths, overlooked paths, unfinished commitments, and messages of love and grace.  

“I come in the power of the Lord God, I post signs marking his right-of-way.” (Psalm 71:16 MSG)

God can use each of us and our circumstances as post-it notes—reminders of his glory, grace, love, power, purpose, truth, and commitment. Yet, in order to be a good sticky note for God, there are some requirements: we must shine brightly enough that others take notice, but not so intensely that it is difficult for others to get the message. We must not be so full of our own image that there is very little room left for God to use. And, most of all, we must have tenacity, stickiness, and persistence to stay put where God has placed us.    

Weeding

I have a flower bed in my backyard which I tend to neglect. It is not visible to outsiders, since it can only be seen from the inside of my home. Last year I spent hours weeding it, but the weeds were all back in a week. So, this year when my husband suggested that we tackle that project again, I was less than enthusiastic. However, we spent several afternoons weeding, culling, pruning, and clearing that space. We also put down a chemical that prevents new weeds from germinating, then covered the clear space with landscape fabric, and then topped it off with mulch. Hopefully, all our work will keep this flower bed in some semblance of order.

While we were working on this flower bed, I wondered about the many weeds which pop up in my day-to-day life. Weeds can be anything that is not meant to grow in a certain space—any habit, attitude, or choice. These unintentional seedlings take root and suck up the nutrients which are meant for what God intentionally planted in our lives. Now, during certain seasons we go through and prune, cull, and clean out some of these weeds. Yet, they pop right back up if we don’t pay attention. 

How can we prevent new weeds from taking root after we have cleaned out our lives? What kind of barriers can we put down? 

Real Housewives

The reality show series, Real Housewives, depicts women from different parts of the U.S. who spend their day in leisure activities, pampering themselves, and feuding among themselves. They are rarely shown doing any housework or child care.

I’ve been a housewife now for over 18 years. I’ve lived in several different cities during these years. I’ve had the opportunity to be around a lot of housewives and observe their lifestyles. I have heard of women who spend their days getting manicures and cosmetic surgeries, while hiring maids, nannies, and gardeners to do housework. Yet, most of the housewives I have met are nothing like the women portrayed on these reality shows.

I have been fortunate enough to be around some amazing housewives. Some are homeschoolers, some run businesses from their homes, and some are farmers. Over the years, I have watched some of these women grow their own food, mow their own lawns, lay their own bathroom tiles, steam clean their carpets, paint their homes, replace faucets, caulk sinks, take apart and fix appliances, plant trees and shrubs, mulch, weed, power wash their houses, shovel snow, change the oil in their cars, and refinish furniture. They are also skilled in the traditional arts of sewing, canning, knitting, cooking, baking, house cleaning, landscaping, and interior decorating. They help their kids with homework, give their husbands haircuts and foot rubs, take care of their elderly parents, volunteer in their community, and pick up groceries and prescriptions for their sick neighbors. They are advocates for children with disabilities, for the marginalized, and for the underprivileged. They groom their dogs, feed their horses, and raise chickens, cows, and hogs. They provide safe places for other people’s kids who are going through difficult times. They feed the hungry, clothe the poor, tend to the sick, and visit the lonely. 

I look up to these amazing housewives who are modern embodiments of the woman described in Proverbs 31.  

“She looks discretely to the affairs of her household, and she is never lazy. Her children stand up and encourage her, as does her husband, who praises her: ‘Many women have done wonderful things,’ he says, ‘but you surpass all of them!’ Charm is deceitful and beauty fades; but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. Reward her for her work—let her actions result in public praise.” (Proverbs 31:27-31 ISV)