Michele Huey's Blog: God, Me, and a Cup of Tea, page 11
January 14, 2023
Troubles
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – Jesus, as quoted in John 16:33 (NIV)
“Troubles” was the name of the dog that made rounds in our neighborhood every day when I was growing up, “baptizing” my mother’s transplanted pine trees.
Why on earth anyone would name a dog “Troubles,” I have no idea. He wasn’t mean-tempered or destructive. He just padded from yard to yard, sniffing and marking his territory. No turf was off limits. Back then there were no shock collars to keep a curious canine contained. You either tied him up (and the whole neighborhood heard him yap from morning ’til night), kept him inside, or let him roam.
Isn’t that what trouble does? Makes rounds of the neighborhood. No one is immune from its visits. You can’t tie or lock it up to keep it from coming. And you can’t live in a box, afraid to venture out in case Trouble is in the yard. It will leave its mark. Sometimes it changes your life forever. And it always brings with it a lesson, if you’re not too stubborn to acknowledge it.
But I’m preaching. Sorry.
I got to thinking about trouble when I read “Trouble Was Bound to Come,” chapter 13 of Debbie Macomber’s book, Once Upon a Time: Discovering Our Forever After Story. As I prepared to respond to the chapter prompt, “Describe a time when trouble knocked at your door,” I ran into a little, uh, trouble. After six decades, deciding which time to write about presented a challenge. I could write a book, not a journal entry.
But that wasn’t the only difficulty I encountered with this assignment. Writing about a time of trouble meant resurrecting something I buried long ago and had no desire to exhume.
I’ve learned to deal with trouble by treating it as an opportunity—to grow, to change, to make changes, to better myself and my life in some way. Trouble, I’ve learned, is a wake-up call, a chance to see things from a different perspective, from the underside, as upside-down becomes the new normal. Trouble removes the blinders or rose-colored glasses we don in order to cope with life.
Does God send trouble? Sometimes—when He needs to get our attention. “See, I have refined you,” he says in Isaiah 48:10. “I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
But most times trouble comes simply because we live in a fallen world. The only time in earth’s history there was no trouble was in the Garden of Eden before The Fall.
Trouble comes because of our choices. Trouble comes because of others’ choices. Trouble comes because things happen. That’s life. Most of which, if we’re honest with ourselves, is out of our control.
So where does this leave us?
Back in the yard with Troubles.
How you perceive your visitor—and note that I use the word visitor—is your choice.
For me, yes, I have troubles, but I prefer to remember the words of Job: “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
When trouble visits, Lord, remind me that I’m too blessed to complain. Amen.
Read and reflect on 1 Peter 1:6–9.
From God, Me, & a Cup of Tea: 101 devotional readings to savor during your time with God © 2017 Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay
January 7, 2023
Venting Problems
Image by Berdan Mardinly from Pixabay.Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. —James 1:19 NIV
When we bought our camper, an RV refrigerator didn’t come with it. The sellers had installed a refrigerator that ran only on electricity. Since we planned to do a lot of traveling, we needed one that ran on either electricity or propane gas. We found a used one at an RV place near Raystown Lake, only a two-hour drive, for a reasonable price.
But when we brought it home and installed it, the freezer worked, but the refrigerator compartment didn’t. My husband, fix-it guy extraordinaire, reasoned the problem was the refrigerator wasn’t getting enough ventilation. Which was why the previous owner had installed a 4-inch fan on the back, which we took off because we didn’t think we needed it.
We tested Dean’s ventilation theory the first weekend we camped out in the yard. Dean hung a 20-inch box fan on the outside of the camper where the access door for the refrigerator compartment was.
It worked!
But when he slid the refrigerator out for the umpteenth time and re-attached the fan, it kept blowing fuses. After a week of frustration, he removed the fan and tested it with his volt-meter tester thing.
“It’s junk,” he said, tossing the fan on the table. Back he went to the camper.
Now, my husband refuses to let a stubborn problem get the best of him. He searches for a solution long after I would have said, “Nuts with it.”
It wasn’t long before he returned to the house, grinning.
“I found the problem,” he said, dropping a thick slab of Styrofoam on the table beside the useless fan. “This was in the roof vent over the refrigerator compartment.”
Apparently when the camper’s previous owners had the electric refrigerator installed, the Styrofoam was inserted in the vent for whatever reason.
The refrigerator’s working great now. It just needed to vent.
Like me.
At times, I need to vent, too, or I’ll get too hot and say or do something I later regret.
I remember a woman whose anger was directed at me one time, saying in lieu of an apology, “Once I vent and get it all out, I’m just fine.”
“So does a volcano,” I said, “but look at the damage it causes.”
We all need to vent. We’re flawed human beings with emotions that can get out of control at times. Tears are one way to vent. I call them the release valve the Creator installed to relieve built-up pressure. Physical activity, such as running or, for me, cleaning, is another.
But we have to be careful of how we vent, when and where we vent, and to whom we vent.
I used to have a terrible temper. Throwing things, slamming doors and drawers, and screaming were my methods of venting. Not very pretty. I’m ashamed of how I behaved.
But God has taught me a better way to vent: prayer – and lots of it.
I’ve learned there isn’t a thing in our lives that He doesn’t care about — from the big, life-changing events to the small stuff, like an RV refrigerator that just needs to vent.
Thank You, Lord, for being there when I need to vent. Amen.
Read and reflect on James 1:19–25.
From God, Me, & a Cup of Tea: 101 devotional readings to savor during your time with God, © 2017 Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
December 31, 2022
An Alexander Kind of Year
Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
In her children’s book, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” author Judith Viorst writes about a boy named Alexander who’s having the worst day of his life. Everything that could go wrong does.
Last year, 2022, was that kind of year. Although I cringe to describe it as a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” year, frankly it was. It was a challenge to keep a positive attitude and not dwell on all the Alexander-type events that occurred. I often felt like Elijah under the broom tree (1 Kings 19:3–4), when he whined, “I have had enough, LORD.”
I’m not unlike Alexander, who dreamed of escaping to Australia, where he thinks things will be better. Or Elijah, who told God he was ready to come home. I, too, long for a place of peace and rest, where there are no problems to deal with.
Oh, to be sure, the enemy has tempted me to dwell on all the “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” things that occurred and give in to whining, hurtling myself into a pit of self-pity. But God tells me that focusing on the good things will give me the peace I long for (Philippians 4:8, 9).
Psalm 46 is the prescription for the Alexander times in our lives: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore (I) will not fear . . .” (verses 1, 2).
On a day when I was feeling the stress of these Alexander times and not bearing up well, I received a handmade card from a friend. On the front were the words I needed that day: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).
In these times I need to remember to put on my armor each day. But even with my armor on, my back is still vulnerable. I can only fight a foe in front of me, and the enemy often strikes from behind—attacking at our weakest points.
But I don’t have to worry: “For the LORD will go before (me), the God of Israel will be (my) rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12). And again: “The glory of the LORD will be (my) rear guard” (Isaiah 58:8). God’s got my back!
Yes, 2022 was an Alexander kind of year.
But through it I’ve seen the power of prayer, I’ve sensed the presence of a God who knows me well and loves me still (Psalm 139). I’ve perceived there’s a purpose for the pain, even though I don’t see it or understand it. I’ve learned that in spite of everything, prayer brings a peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:6–7). And I’m getting better at Philippians 4:8 kind of thinking.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my God will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
“See,” He says, “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:16).
Thank you, Father, for being with me in those “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” times of my life, for helping me to see there’s a purpose for them, and for giving me Your peace in the midst of them. Amen.
Read and reflect on Psalm 46 and Isaiah 49:13–16.
© 2015, 2023, Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
December 18, 2022
Feeling Down? Get a Light!
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Read and reflect on 1 John 1.
I have come into this world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. –John 12:46 NIV
Ah, Christmas! One songwriter called it the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the time for sleigh bells and jingle bells, mistletoe and holly, cookies and parties, angels and mangers. Yet for all the Christmas cheer, it can also herald the most down time of the year.
For those who suffer from SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, the long dark nights trigger the release of melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that can plunge them into a winter-long bout with depression. Symptoms, which can be mild to debilitating, include episodes of depression, excessive eating and sleeping, weight gain, and a craving for sugary and starchy foods. The months of January and February, for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, are the worst. The symptoms subside in the spring and summer months.
From the fall equinox in September, when the daylight hours equal the nighttime hours, until the winter solstice on December 21, the days get shorter and the nights get longer. That’s because, as the earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun, it also tilts towards or away from the sun. During the fall and winter months, the Northern Hemisphere gradually tilts away from the sun, and the climate turns colder. Plants lose their leaves and go dormant, appearing lifeless until the earth tilts towards the sun again in the spring and summer months. Then what appeared dead during the winter bursts with new life, warmth and color return, and people find renewed energy and enthusiasm.
I used to joke about my winter weight and summer weight, and my tendency to want to hibernate during the long winter months. But I’ve learned to recognize the symptoms and deal with them to avoid having to work off all that extra weight when my energy returns in the spring.
The therapy for SAD is simple: more exposure to light, especially natural light. An hour’s walk in the winter sunlight, one study found, is as effective as two and a half hours under bright artificial light.
In our spiritual lives, we, too, have seasons of darkness and light, times when we lean and reach toward the Son and times when we tilt away from Him. During the winter of the soul, our spirits are lifeless and colorless. The further we get from the Son, the colder our hearts grow. We feed on things not healthy to our spiritual wellbeing. The more we consume, the more we want. It’s a downward cycle halted only when we realize what’s happening, decide we don’t want to live in the dark and cold anymore, and turn towards the Son.
Just as the remedy for Seasonal Affective Disorder is exposure to more light, so the remedy for our Spiritual Affective Disorder, also called sin, is exposure to the Light of the World, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God, who left the light of the Father and heaven to come to earth and take the punishment for our sin so that we may live in the light forever.
“I am the light of the world,” the Son said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
“In Him was life,” wrote John the Apostle, “and that life was the light of men.”
Just like in the physical world, where’s there’s light, there’s life. Do you have that Light? Do you have eternal life?
If not, turn toward Him today and celebrate, not only the earthly birth of the Son, but also new life in Him (John 3). Celebrate your spiritual birthday this Christmas.
As I light the fourth Advent candle, dear Lord, I am thankful that You left the glories of heaven to spread Your light in this dark world. Thank You for the light that gives life to my soul. Amen.
© 2004 by Michele T. Huey. All rights reserved.
December 10, 2022
Ready for Christmas
Prepare the way for the LORD… —Matthew 3:3 (NIV)
Are you ready for Christmas? That’s a question we hear frequently this time of the year. What’s your answer? Yes, no, almost, not even close?
Holiday preparations can be overwhelming. Just looking at my do list tires me out! Shop ‘til I drop? Well, I drop in two hours. Spend the day cleaning, and the place looks great—but for how long? Vacuuming hurts my back. And baking? Well, in addition to the mess I have to clean up, all those carbs and calories send my blood sugar skyrocketing and my energy level plummeting. And the cost of postage makes me think twice about mailing Christmas cards.
It was fun when the kids were around, but when they grew up and left, Christmas became not a celebration, but an unwelcome interruption in my busy schedule. How had I gotten so out-of-touch with Christmas?
I focused on the wrong thing. I worked on making a good Christmas for my children, but when they left, my Christmas spirit went right out the door with them.
To regain the true focus of Christmas, I need to remind myself that the garlands, goodies, greetings, and guests are all part of the celebration of an awesome event: God becoming flesh, fulfilling of the prophecy that “a virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel,’ which is translated ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14).
To get back in touch with Christmas, I must sift through the wrappings to find the real gift—the first Christmas present ever given: The baby Emmanuel: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
And that’s a gift worth celebrating—and a celebration worth getting ready for!
Are you ready for Christmas?
As I light the third candle on my Advent wreath, O God, remind me of why I celebrate. Restore my Christmas spirit. Renew my joy. Amen.
Read and reflect on Isaiah 40:3–5; John 1:1–18; Colossians 1:15–19.
From God, Me, and a Cup of Tea for the Seasons © 2018, Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
December 3, 2022
Dispelling the Darkness
Read and reflect on Isaiah 9:1–7.
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. –Isaiah 9:2 KJV
One night the motion-detecting floodlight on our house came on and stayed on, instead of automatically shutting off after five minutes.
“The light isn’t working right,” I told my husband, after flipping the switch several times.
“There must be something out there, setting it off,” he told me.
The light is programmed so it remains off until the imbedded sensor detects motion in front of it and automatically turns on the floodlight, illuminating the driveway and the surrounding yard. The light is also programmed so it doesn’t come on during the day, when there is plenty of natural light to see where you’re going.
Even though I couldn’t see what was triggering the light, there was something in the darkness beyond the beams of the light the sensor was picking up. So said my husband. But I’m one of those people who have to see it to believe it, so I wasn’t sure if I agreed. Since I couldn’t see anything, I figured the light was malfunctioning. We couldn’t have the thing turning on in the middle of the night every time a deer or some other critter tripped the sensor. We weren’t expecting anyone, so I used the manual override feature and turned it off for the night.
But the light does have its advantages. It saves on the electric bill and gives us light to see where we’re going when we come home after dark.
Living in this world, we’re surrounded by spiritual darkness and will stumble unless we have something to light our way and give us understanding. What can give us spiritual light? There is only one source, God Himself: “The LORD is my light” (Psalm 27:1).
Through His Word He gives us understanding and guides us in the way we are to go: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
If that wasn’t enough, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to make things clearer for us: “I am the light of the world,” He said when He was here. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Even when He left this world physically and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He did not leave us in the dark. He gave us the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God, to guide us into all truth, teach us what we need to know, comfort us, and be with us forever (John 14:16–17, 26; 16:5–15).
Knowing we humans need something we can see and feel, He told us we Christians are to be His lights, shining in this dark world of sin and grief and rebellion: “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14–16).
He who is spiritual light created physical light (Genesis 1:3–5), and at the end of time, when physical light is destroyed with the old creation, He Himself will be all the light that is needed: “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of the Lord illumined it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23). “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light” (Revelation 22:5).
Yes, much spiritual darkness surrounds us. But God’s love is the motion detector that senses our stumbling and groping, reaching for something to show us the way. His light is the only light that will illumine our life’s path. When it blazes in the darkness, we can choose to turn it off, walk out of reach of its guiding beams, or stay in the light and follow the only way that will bring us salvation, joy, and eternal life in a place of light forever.
As I light the second Advent candle, Lord God, I am reminded that You are my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? No one. What shall I fear? Nothing. Thank You. Amen.
From God, Me, and a Cup of Tea for the Seasons, © 2018 by Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
November 26, 2022
What’s in the Darkness?
Read and reflect on John 1:1–18.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. –John 1:5 RSV
When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark. That was because my brother and sister, both older than me, would scare me with ghost stories and hide in the dark, making mysterious noises. I had a vivid imagination even then, and their antics only increased my fear. When I went upstairs at night, I had to flip on every light switch along the way, and I couldn’t fall asleep unless the hall light at the bottom of the stairs was turned on, its beams reaching into my bedroom, dispelling the darkness and calming my fears.
When I grew up, however, I learned no spooks lurked in the darkness, waiting to harm me, and the darkness held no real threat. But still, inky blackness had the power to resurrect old fears buried deep in the recesses of my heart.
I remember one time my husband, our three children, and I were camping, and all the lights were extinguished. It was so dark I couldn’t see my hand two inches from my face. My heart beat faster, and my breath came in short gasps.
“Calm down,” I scolded myself. I thought about turning on the reading light and reading through the night until I fell asleep, but the light would disturb my husband. So I squeezed my eyes shut, pulled the covers over my head, and forced myself to breathe deeply and slowly—and think about something other than the blackness that still held terror for me.
While adults may scoff at a child’s (or another adult’s) fear of the dark, I believe we need to respect it for its power for good and for evil.
The Bible tells us there are three kinds of darkness: Physical darkness is the absence of light and can harbor both good (rest) and bad. Our fears, worries, and heartaches are felt more acutely at night, and loom larger than in the light of the day. Spiritual darkness, not knowing what is right and true, also represents everything evil, gloomy, or hopeless. Eternal darkness is hell, the absence of God.
As Christians, we are to avoid spiritual darkness, respect its power to destroy and send us into eternal darkness, but not fear it. Why?
“I am the light of the world,” Jesus tells us in John 8:12. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus, the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, the child born in Bethlehem, the God-man who never sinned and became the perfect sacrifice, paying the punishment for our sin by shedding His blood and dying on a cross so that the darkness will no longer have power over us. Jesus, whose name means “God will save,” who overcame the eternal darkness of death and rose from the grave, continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness has not—and cannot ever—overpower Him.
Like that hall light when I was a child, His beams of love and life continue to reach out to me, surrounding me, enfolding me, dispelling the darkness around me, and calming my fears. I know I need never be afraid of the dark anymore.
As I light the first Advent candle, dear God, remind me that in this season of long, dark nights, that I never need to fear the dark, as long as I walk in the Light. Amen.
From God, Me, and a Cup of Tea for the Seasons, © 2018 by Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
November 19, 2022
Lessons from the Lepers
Give thanks to the LORD for he is good; his love endures forever. –1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
Tucked away in the Gospel of Luke is the account of Jesus healing ten lepers—nine verses that we may read, think we got the main idea, and move on.
Much is said about the one who, when he realized he’d been healed, returned to Jesus, threw himself down at His feet, and thanked Him.
But let’s not dismiss the other nine as totally ungrateful. Instead let’s take a closer look at this miracle—and what we can learn from it.
First, all ten lepers were in a difficult, impossible situation.
Today leprosy can be treated, but in biblical times it was a death sentence. It changed your life—you no longer had a life, except as an outcast to be shunned. You were forbidden to be in contact with family and friends. If you sneezed or coughed on someone, you’d transmit the incurable disease to them. So you were avoided at all costs.
Leprosy disfigured you. Its stench was nauseating, disgusting, and repulsive—and so were you. You lived your life as a pariah, shouting “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn others not to get near you.
So you wouldn’t be alone, you joined other lepers and wandered about the countryside, a mere beggar because you could no longer earn your livelihood and support your family. You were dependent on the mercy of others, who would slip you money or food to help you survive. You had no pride left.
Your only hope was a miracle, and the only One who performed miracles was an itinerant rabbi, the controversial Jesus of Nazareth. But, hey, He was your only chance. What could you lose if you tracked Him down and asked?
Do you find yourself in difficult circumstances? Remember, God specializes in the impossible. He wants to help you in your circumstances. They aren’t too difficult for Him. All you have to do is ask—and you don’t even have to track Him down because He’s with you all the time (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20).
Second, when they asked for mercy (translate: miracle), Jesus told them to do something.
No words of healing were spoken. No curing touch given. Just a command to “go, show yourselves to the priests”—the normal procedure the Jew was to follow when his leprosy was gone.
They didn’t question. They didn’t argue. They probably didn’t understand the command—but they obeyed.
“And as they went,” Luke tells us, “they were miraculously healed and made clean” (Luke 17:14 AMP).
Remember, although only one returned to say thank you, all ten obeyed. Sometimes God asks you to do something that doesn’t make sense and that you don’t understand. Obedience is prerequisite to the miracle.
Third, all ten had faith enough to ask and faith enough to obey, even though at the start of their walk to show themselves to the priests, there was no change in their condition. Their faith wasn’t in what they could see, in their appearance, or in anything tangible.
“Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP).
Where are you putting your faith? In what you can see, hear, and experience with your physical senses?
Or in the promises of a God
who walks with you through the difficult (Psalm 23:4),who is bigger than the impossible (Genesis 18:14),works all things for your good (Romans 8:28),gives you strength to obey when you don’t understand (and even when you think you do) (Philippians 4:13),whose grace is sufficient for all your needs (2 Corinthians 12:9),who provides for all your needs (Philippians 4:19), andwho will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)?Take a lesson from the lepers:
Ask. Obey. Believe. Receive. And then rejoice.
How awesome, Father God, that there is more to thank You for than to ask You for! Amen.
Read and meditate on Luke 17:11–19
© 2017 Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
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November 12, 2022
Sharon’s Hands
Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash She … willingly works with her hands … she extends her hands to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy … give her of the fruit of her hands.–Proverbs 31:13, 20, 31 NKJV
One Saturday several years ago, my friend Sharon treated me to a girls’ day out. The daylong event was a “HeartSpa Getaway” held at a local Christian campground and included activities to nourish, refresh and renew both body and spirit.
In addition to enjoying inspirational music provided by a women’s singing group and searching soul and Scripture, we also pampered our hands, faces and feet.
Our first pampering station was for our hands. First we rubbed them with an exfoliating scrub, then slathered on a soothing lotion. The next step I was a bit hesitant about—dipping my hands in a crock-pot containing liquid paraffin. I was afraid it would be too hot. But it wasn’t, and as soon as I brought my hands out, I was instructed to hold them together in a prayer position. My folded hands were then encased in a plastic bag and wrapped with a hand towel. While we waited for the paraffin, plastic and towel to do their therapeutic work, we were to pray with and for our partners.
Sharon and I clasped our towel-clad hands and began praying. As I prayed for Sharon, whom I’ve known for over 40 years, I envisioned her hands—long and slender, with nails clipped short so they wouldn’t interfere with the work she has to do.
I remembered when these hands brought me homemade chicken soup when I was in bed recovering from my second C-section. She hadn’t known it, but I’d asked God for some homemade chicken soup when I was still in the hospital.
These hands, I realized, have spent a lifetime doing for others—cooking, cleaning, mending, gardening, canning—the million and one things that need done for a family. These hands have written countless notes of encouragement, slipped uncounted dollar bills into scores of needy hands. They could be counted on to do what needs to be done. They’d held sick children, changed messy diapers, cleaned up puke, scrubbed bathrooms, cut hair, washed dogs, wrapped gifts, rubbed backs, blew kisses, prepared Bible lessons.
They’ve been bitten, blistered, burned, calloused and cut, yet still wave a friendly greeting in a grocery store, on the street, in church. As busy as these hands are, they always take time to comfort. They’ve been clasped together in prayer for others, and they’ve grasped the hands of others as she prayed for them.
The hands are the instruments of the heart. Sharon’s hands are giving hands, for her heart overflows with kindness, compassion and love.
I thought of my daughter’s dog, Tess, rescued from an animal shelter. Tess was afraid of hands and slinked away in cowering fear when a hand, however loving, got too close. Who knows what cruelties were inflicted on her by hands that wanted only to dominate or harm?
Hands can hit, pinch, pound, punch, slam and slap. A closed hand is tight and tense. Hands that grasp and cling when it’s time to let go cannot be open to receive.
Sharon’s hands are no longer supple, smooth and nimble. They bear the scars of a lifetime of love. But they are not empty. They overflow with blessings poured out from her heavenly Father, blessings she passes on to others.
I have no choice over how pretty my hands are—whether they’re long and slender or wide and knuckley. But, as Sharon likes to say, pretty is as pretty does.
I choose what these hands do. They can lend a hand, pass on a hand-me-down, give a hand up. They can be the hands of God in a needy world.
Have you taken a good look at your hands lately?
Dear God, thank you for Sharon’s hands and the many hands that have met my needs over the years. Bless them, O Lord. Forgive me for the times my hands have hurt others, and help me to forgive and forget those hands that have hurt me. Show me how to use my hands for Your work. Amen.
Read and reflect on Proverbs 31:10–31
November 5, 2022
Surprise Party
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. – Matthew 5:7 NIV
When I was in grade school, I always wanted to have a real birthday party – you know, when you invite the whole class at school. Every year when I asked, though, my mother’s answer was always the same: “No.” Maybe the class size of nearly fifty had something to do with it.
“Please, Mom,” I’d plead. “Everyone else has one. Why do I always have to be different?”
No amount of begging, whining, or pouting, however, changed her mind. Her lopsided cakes were for family only.
One year, though, I was determined to have the kind of party I wanted, in spite of my mother’s usual “no.” So I invited all the kids in my third grade class to come to my house on Saturday, November 5, for my birthday party. My mother, of course, knew nothing about it.
I bowled in a youth bowling league on Saturday mornings, and when I left the house that day, I still hadn’t told my mother about the party. The walk home after bowling was the longest walk I ever took in my life! I trudged the eight blocks home in the cold, damp November wind, thinking of how much trouble I was going to be in once the kids started showing up at my door.
Not only was I going to be in the doghouse at home, but I’d be the laughing stock of the whole school once word got out about the party with a lopsided cake, and not enough ice cream and pop. Don’t even mention games. That was not my mother’s forte.
When I stepped into the dining room at few minutes before two – the time I told everyone to come – I gasped in surprise. There in the middle of the table, set for a party, was a big, decorated birthday cake!
“How did you find out?” I blurted to my mother.
“Vivian’s mother called to ask me what time your party started,” she said.
Thank you, Mrs. Bludis, I thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
“We’ll talk about this after the party,” my mother said quietly as someone knocked. “Go answer the door.”
For the next three hours, I tried to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d probably be grounded for the rest of my life. When the last guest left, I hurried to help clean up, grateful to my mom for helping me save face and hoping my initiative would lessen my punishment.
“What would you have done if Mrs. Bludis hadn’t called?” my mother asked me after we were done.
I shrugged.
“I didn’t understand how important this was to you. I’m sorry,” Mom said, “but I hope you realize you were wrong to go behind my back.”
I nodded.
As it turned out, my only punishment was three agonizing hours imagining what my just desserts would be when I could have been enjoying my birthday party.
My mother taught me an important lesson in mercy that day. While it isn’t easy to forgive someone who has done something wrong, showing undeserved kindness blesses both the giver and the receiver, and brings healing to broken relationships.
I deserved justice. Instead I received a birthday present I never forgot.
[image error]Free-Photos from Pixabay" data-medium-file="https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/..." data-large-file="https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/..." class="wp-image-1934 size-medium" src="https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/..." alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/... 300w, https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/... 600w, https://godmetea.files.wordpress.com/... 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Image by Free-Photos from PixabayThank you, God, that Your mercies are new every morning. I sure need them everyday. Amen.
Read and reflect on Matthew 18:21–35.
God, Me, and a Cup of Tea
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