You Can Run, But You Can't Hide

How many times have you known definitively that you were supposed to do something, but chose not to? It could of been as simple as returning a phone call, offering encouragement to someone you encountered, or removing yourself from a crowd for a moment of prayer. In each situation you knew that there was an action required of you. Instead of picking up the phone, you watched t.v. Instead of offering encouragement, you remained silent. Instead of stepping away for prayer, you stood right where you were. You remained rooted in the position that best suited you and made it easiest to run from what you were being called to do for God.

You might think that none of these things was an assignment. You might also think that neglecting to do them was not really a big deal and certainly not running away from God. In both cases you would be wrong. We are so consumed by the thought that God's purpose for our life is so big that we often miss the little assignments. We miss the way that he can use us to lift someone's spirit with a phone call or a genuine hello. We miss the importance of acknowledging Him in the midst of a crowd. We miss the fact that we are on assignment every moment of everyday.

God speaks to us from the moment that we wake up. We are directed to seek Him. We are directed to love and serve His people. We are directed to walk humbly and esteem others above ourselves. We are directed to go into all the earth and spread the gospel. These are all assignments. These are all truths that should guide us regardless of any additionally calling that God has placed on our lives. But daily we hide from them. We shrink away from seeking Him because we are afraid of what changes will come with truly knowing Him. We isolate ourselves from those who are not so easy for us to love. We turn away from service, reject humility, and refuse to imagine anyone being greater than ourselves. But, as we are running and skillfully hiding from the things that we have already been called to, God is waiting. You can run from God all that you want, but there is no place that His Spirit cannot find you.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"

Psalm 139:7

Adayinthelife :-)

Do My Prophets (Children) No Harm

As an educator, I have the privilege of standing before a captive audience day after day. My position within the school guarantees me a certain level of respect. Students are instructed by their parents and loved ones to listen to the teacher because he or she knows what they are talking about. The instruction given by parents shows that they too believe in the power of the one called to stand before their children everyday. I have seen educators use that power to build doctors, lawyers, and teachers. I have also seen the power used to destroy hopes and dreams with one misplaced word. 

This week I had the opportunity to be in a classroom working with a group of fourth graders. I have worked with them all in some capacity throughout this year, however this week I have been in the position of teacher. We had a discussion on Wednesday about how they believe teachers perceive them. One by one the students spoke honestly about what others thought and how their actions helped to shape those beliefs. When it was almost over and the last student was about to speak, I decided to take that opportunity to build. I decided to speak hope, encouragement, and life into nine and ten year olds simply because it was in my power to do so.

A few of the self professed bad kids were confused when I said "you have all the tools to be successful". More than one told me they didn't understand how I could say they were leaders knowing that they had already been suspended multiple times. I replied the same way to all of them. "I know that you have the capacity to be great. It's time that you knew that too."

I share this story because each of us has a choice to make. We decide whether we will build or destroy every single day. We work as Christ did when we choose to build. His word gave us life. His word sustains us. His word builds us. We never know if God has called the person in front of us to be the next mayor, police officer, or prophet of the Most High God. So we must be careful that the words we choose are blocks used to build and not those designed to cause nothing but harm.

Adayinthelife :-)

Thou Shall Not Steal

As a child, I always spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My own parents were very young and I had the privilege of being raised with the help of grandparents, great grands, and also one great-great-grand. All of my grandparents were stoic. They had a way of being that left you simultaneously in fear and at ease. I remember always thinking I had to be at my best in their presence because you never knew what might happen.

My grandfathers were especially unpredictable. They worked very hard to provide the things that the family needed. Most days they worked sun up to sun down. We had very little time with them one on one as a result of it. I always wanted to find a way to spend more time with them, but it never seemed to happen.

Time passed and I found myself becoming comfortable with them withholding their time, withholding affection, withholding love. I knew they had to work. I knew that them working so hard meant they loved us. I also knew that we would never get back what they were so skilled at withholding.

Time is a gift from God that we steal from those who are most important to us. We steal it and invest it in ways that seem profitable, but what is more valuable than time? What is more valuable than making sure to invest in the upbringing of a child? Is it more valuable to spend an hour with the ones you love or spend that extra hour at work? Time is the easiest thing to steal, yet it is impossible to recoup. There will never be another opportunity for granddaddy to take the time to read to us, take a trip with us, or share the story of how he became known simply as "boy".

My grandfather never devised a plan to go against the scripture thou shall not steal. If he were here today, I am confident that he would not have equated withholding time from us as stealing. However, everything that we have is given from God and when we neglect to give it back freely to his people, we are engaged in the actions of a thief.

Adayinthelife ;-)

Charity Starts At Home

The Christmas season is upon us and for many this signals a time of giving. The Salvation Army bell ringers are strategically positioned at stores. Local businesses are sponsoring toy and food drives. Churches and schools are doing their best to support families in need with food baskets and monetary gifts. You can easily find someone who is collecting something to donate or is just "in the mood" to give something away. It is said that Christmas brings out the best in everyone.

This is the time of year when people are united in the spirit of giving and statements like "we don't accept charity" no longer have a place. Isn't it interesting to think of some of the people who are among the season's biggest givers. They may never have paid a tithe. They may never have stood in line to give an offering, but charity (love) they freely give just because of the time of year.

So what does this mean for the Christian body, those of us who represent charity (love)? Those of us who are charged to give charity (love) in and outside of a certain season. Those of us who open our wallets to the collection plate, but close our doors to family. Those of us who feel so accomplished having adopted a family from our job while leaving blood relatives to fend for themselves. What does it mean when we flock to join the world to do for the stranger while having turned a deaf ear to the needs of an uncle or an aunt for the eleven months prior? 

I know its hard to face these things. The many phone calls from family that you ignored to spend time working for the ministry. The needs of those right in front of you that went unmet so that you could help a random stranger. The stranger has no one and your sister has a job right? Where is the love in picking and choosing who deserves our charity? How can we be so full from helping the masses when our own fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are starving from a lack of the word. Since charity (love) starts at home and home is where the heart is, could it be that we are only wearing the label of love while others are living it?

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

1 John 3:17

Adayinthelife :-)