The Power of Words in Social Media

In the past few weeks God has been impressing on me over and over again the power of words. To be completely honest the impressing has been showing up within the confines of the office counselling session to the pages of social media. No matter the setting I find my heart breaking over and over again. I see so many of my dear friends, loved ones and church members suffering the agony of hurtful words, either intentional or unintentional.  How easily we forget the power of words.

God takes words seriously.  His word tell us countless times over of the power of words both carelessly spoken and aptly spoken.

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
Matthew 15:18

Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.
Proverbs 11:12

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 
Colossians 4:6

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Proverbs 25:11

Please keep in mind that I do not write these words as an act of condemnation toward anyone. How many times have I forgotten the power of words in my daily journeys? Too many to count, I'm sorry to say. I am not using this blog as an opportunity to give anyone a smack down. It is more of a reminder of what God has been reminding me of, through the people I have been ministering to over the past few weeks.

Let him without sin cast the first stone......I will be stepping to the back of that line.

Close your eyes for a moment and think of a time in your life when someone said something to you that filled your emotional sails with joy and in turn set you on a wonderful voyage. You can remember that person. You can remember that time. It may not have been anything that would be considered earth shattering or awesome to someone else, but the words were apples of gold in a setting of silver to your heart and mind. They were words aptly spoken that made you feel loved, accomplished, valued, important......you know how those words made you feel.

Now, think of a time in your life when someone said something cruel and heartless to you, either intentionally or even unintentionally. You remember those words, they seared an unforgettable burden of pain into your heart and mind. They brought forth not only accusation, but also the guilt and shame you were carrying at the time. Those words made you feel worthless, unlovable, unimportant.....you know how those words made you feel.

In both instances the words had power.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21



Death and life are in the power of the tongue. We've all experienced it, both on the giving and receiving ends. We do not regularly recognize the power of our tongues to do good, by speaking good words, but we do fully realize the power and capability of our tongues to rip into someone and tear them to shreds. It seems that has become much easier with the induction of social media. How easy it is to sit behind a computer screen and annihilate another individual. They cannot defend themselves. You don't have to hear their side of the story. (Remember there are always two sides.). You don't have to see their eyes rolling. You don't have to yell over them yelling at you. You don't have to carry the guilt from seeing the pain of your words instantly register on the face of another human being. To me it seems a form of cowardice. If it isn't something you are willing to say to another person's face then perhaps it is something that shouldn't be said at all.

My all time favorite of course (not really) is the post or tweet that indicates a wrong done, but does not name the guilty party. (Pause: I am very sorry to say that on occasion I have been guilty of this one.....recently too. I'm not proud of this admission at all. Hind sight has always made me realize that if I have something to say to someone who has hurt me I need to do it face to face. Matthew 18:15). However, the guilty party inevitably will be able to figure out if it is him/her. They generally know the intimate details of the situation enough to garner the 'set down' they are receiving in the public forum. 

Let me pose this question  Do you think that God judges differently words conveyed to another via text, tweet or status vs. those spoken in person, on the phone or voice mail?

I think it is safe to conclude that the words we type, tweet, or text still fall under the same realm of holy judgment as those we speak.

Matthew 12:27 says, For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

It doesn't say whether those words are spoken or typewritten. I think it is safe to assume they all count. It doesn't matter if they are on a bathroom wall, a boxcar, a subway train, the underpass of a bridge or Twitter. In God's eyes they count.

God's word is shared in the timeless medium of the page. Does it really matter if the page is a tablet of stone, a piece of paper or an electronic screen- His words or ours?

Moreover, as Christians we are held to a higher calling and expectation in both our words and behavior. Your demonstration of Christ's love whether in person or via social media is visible to the world. Can the people you live life with and share life with on social media see the evidence of Christ in you?

Today, I share with you a few rules and regulations I follow to the best of my ability when sharing my life on social media. I have shared them with my children, I have shared them with my friends, I have shared them in the counseling office. This is not a definitive list. This is my list. You may need to lay down a different set of rules for yourself, but you get the idea. Decide in advance how you are going to behave on social media and stick with it. God's kingdom depends on it.

1. Follow Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

2. Consider your audience.  Who are you friends with, following, etc? Is something you are planning on posting a word of encouragement or discouragement? Will it build the person up or tear them down? Recently, I had two very dear friends encounter a very difficult social media situation. One shared a post she felt was very important. However, the same post caused great pain to another friend who thought it was posted as an intentional dig. It wasn't, but none the less it ended up being a most painful situation for both of my friends. In no way was the original post an intentional slight, but I could see how it could be mistaken as such, and in hindsight so could my friend who shared the post. She was heartbroken that she hurt her friend.  It wasn't intentional, but we all learned from that situation how important it is to consider your audience.- I know. I know.  Just stick with me on this one. I'm sure some are thinking, "If they can't handle it then they shouldn't be on social media."  I can most assuredly say that is the wrong attitude and perhaps you need to rethink your motives. Remember the whole love your neighbor as yourself thing? The internet has broadened our scope of neighbors. How do you want your neighbor on social media to love you? Love them the same.

3. If you plan on posting something controversial, be prepared to face the consequences, take the heat, get a smack down, eat crow, be humiliated, proven wrong, feel foolish, get chewed out, etc. Then when it happens be prepared to respond with the love of Christ. You asked for it. You got it. Now you'll have to deal with it. Are you responding as Jesus would want you to? Is your response God honoring?

4. If you aren't sure you should post it, then you better not do it. As a Christian I try and make every effort to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Let's get real here for a moment. You know when the words are typed in the little box and the cursor is blinking at you and you are just sitting there deciding whether or not to hit the post button, and you sense a little niggling in the back of your mind or an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach, then perhaps you should reconsider hitting the post button. I'm positive most of us know that feeling. Chances are if you feel this way, it is a clear indicator that whatever you are considering posting is not edifying. Now would be a good time to refer back to number 1. Follow Ephesians 4:29. 

Again, let me reiterate that this post is not a set down for anyone. It is a reminder to all of us that our witness transcends to the electronic pages in our lives as well. Every facet of our Christian thought, deed and word should reflect the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior. Those who are yet to be found are counting on us, even if they don't realize it. Let's show them who Jesus really is on social media by how we love each other.


But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. James 1:22-27

Putting You Where He Wants You

This past Monday I returned from a children's ministry conference in Columbus, Ohio. The first thing I need to confess is that I didn't really want to go to said conference. I know, I know. It's an opportunity to learn more about what I am doing. I know how important this is. I signed up for it, after all. I knew I needed it. I was feeling very weary in my ministry, just as the year was kicking off. That is not a good time to feel weary and worn down.

There was so much going on at home. I really didn't feel good about leaving. I just put my youngest son Alex in public school after being privately educated and homeschooled most of his life. My daughter Annie just started a new job as a barista at a nearby hospital coffee shop, and my son Ryan, who daily battles the difficulties of Asperger's Syndrome started a new job working in the local high school cafeteria. Everyone was in the middle of big changes and adjustments. It didn't feel right to bail on them just now. Church was another story. Not a bad story, mind you, just a little chaotic right now. I just finished meeting with three groups of wonderful, dedicated volunteers, sharing with them the new child safety policy. I still haven't caught all of my volunteers yet. So a fourth meeting is on the way.  We added a new children's ministry wall in our fellowship hall. The wall was designed to provide a more child friendly children's area. There really isn't a children's ministry area in our church. One of my children's pastor friends suggested we ask for a wall since we don't have a room. We now have an awesome wall and a quarter, thanks to some of those amazing and talented volunteer children's ministry workers! We finished our BIG EVENT Fab Friday kick off the previous week- complete with monster mud trucks. In the middle of this I am working with my district children's ministry team to bring in FX (kind of like the Christian version of Nicolodeon, with slime and big props) to Western New York. I've never done anything like this before, so it is a bit daunting to say the least. To that we add the regular responsibilities of being a pastor, weekly children's ministry, counseling, and prepping for the upcoming months. I can see clearly now why I was weary. I needed to get away. I needed to refocus. I needed what I didn't want to do.

Have you ever noticed how God has a way of putting you right where he wants you when he wants you there? Yeah, he does that. As much as I knew I didn't want to go to the conference and the countless reasons I could have chosen to bail, God impressed on me clearly that I needed to be there.

So I went.  I took Jennifer with me. As you know from my previous post about Jennifer that everything is more of an adventure with Jennifer. And it was!

Jennifer @ the conference. Jennifer loves the @ sign. It seems to keep her grounded so she knows where she is @. You can imagine how happy she was to find a whole wall of @ signs! I'm thinking we need to do this in her house!



Now I won't bore you with all of the details you aren't interested in, but I will tell you how powerful God can press down on you when he wants you be somewhere. This conference was a huge conference. There were about a zillion classes and tracks you can choose from. (Well, maybe not a zillion, but it sure felt like it.) Name just about any topic from nursery to pre-teen and you will find something you need. So I chose a workshop with a speaker I am familiar with, I'd been to her workshops before. She was fun. She was engaging. The topic was fun and I was feeling tired. I knew I would need something to keep me awake. I went to her workshop about 15 minutes early and found a prime seat right up front. I like being upfront. I pay better attention and I'm less likely to doze. As I was getting myself situated I felt a very powerful "nudge" from the Holy Spirit. I wasn't supposed to be there in that workshop. There was no denying the nudge. It was powerful. So I got up and walked out of the room. This was probably one of the first times I've ever immediately acted on a leading from God without a "Why?". My only question was, "Where?". Remember there were a zillion classes to chose from. I had no clue where he wanted me. I made my way out of the door and down the hall, as I was walking along a class that had briefly caught my attention a week earlier when I was looking through the program was right in front of me. It was a full track leadership workshop.  Full track meaning that once you start you are in it for the long haul. I've done leadership in school, in pastors meetings, at the nearby Christian college. I just finished reading a book on leadership. I really didn't feel that was something that I really needed at this point, but my feet kept on going that way and into the room I went. Again I found prime seating upfront so that I would stay engaged and maybe learn something, even though I was sure I'd had enough leadership training to last me quite a while. Despite the topic I had a peace about me. I somehow knew I was in the place that God wanted me to be.

The workshop was AWESOME! It was just what I needed. I was engrossed from the first moment and when the first two hours were up I was so sorry to see it end. I couldn't wait to come back after lunch for another two hours of this stuff! I couldn't wait for the conference to start the next day so I could continue learning more in this class.

Steve Adams, Alex's Lego guys, and me. 
Steve is the children's pastor for all of the Saddleback Church's Children's Ministries. He's all over the place!
And I thought I was weary.....ppppfffffttttt!





In the midst of this I came to realize how poor my attitude had been. I was inwardly ashamed of myself. I had forgotten how blessed I am on so many levels to be able to do the ministry I do. I get to work in a great church, with a fantastic boss. (That was something else I learned while I was there. I work with a great senior pastor!) The ministry is growing and flourishing. God is making it fruitful.


Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

We all become weary from time to time. It is part of the human condition. When we get weary, our attitudes tend to slip. My attitude toward this blessing in the form of a children's ministry conference was lousy.  It's okay to get tired once in a while. However, when you start feeling  your batteries depleting take it seriously. One of the topics in this conference was about making sure your batteries get charged regularly. For me recharging is going to be making sure I take time out every year to attend a conference. It's going to be keeping in contact with the other awesome children's pastors I am privileged to work with in my district. It means a DAWG- Day Alone With God! Just so I can be quiet and hear from him.

God has blessed each of us in so many ways. Daily we have his word speaking to our hearts and minds. He provides us with church families, and friends who can help us when we are down. We have learning opportunities in the form of classes, conference, or just daily life. It is up to us to take advantage of these blessings in our lives so that we will not become weary in doing good.

So now I am back! My batteries are recharged and I ready to take on whatever the kids have for me this year! God is good. He is there! I get to keep on keeping on toward the harvest and I'm excited about it!!

Been Way Tooooo Long

I'm back! Finally. It has been a hectic few months. We started out the New Year with sick kids. Our yearly winter vacation consisted of two sick kids, one sick aunt and one healthy guest. (The nieces and brother were all good. They were sick before we got there.) After weeks of recovery, Alex got sick....again-pneumonia. Then my wonderful, awesome niece Matty had emergency surgery for an ovarian cyst. Then my husband was admitted to the hospital for bilateral pneumonia. Then my darling baby girl and I contracted a nasty bronchitis that seemed to last forever. Then my "NICE" goddaughter Brianna was admitted to Children's in Buffalo for a rather serious infection.  However, the good news is, as of today, every one is home and all seem to be in good health. I hope I don't prove myself wrong before the day is over. Annie was looking a little peeked after church today.

So, as for any life changing deep thoughts; I haven't had any time to have any, unless of course you ask Ashley about tissues and decongestants. Or you can ask Jennifer about repainting her shed. That pretty much sums up the depth of my thought processes over the past few months. I feel like I have only been getting by.

I can say that I know the source of the strength that was getting me by. It was the same strength I saw when my kids endured one of the most awful vacations of all time, while vomiting for 16 hours in the car. I saw that strength when my dear, Matty and her parents had to face serious emergency surgery in the middle of the night. It was the same strength I saw exhibited in my husband as he admitted outpatient defeat and was sent to the hospital for treatment for a week. I don't know how he could stand the steroids he had to take! He did though, without complaint. And again I witnessed it this week as my dear friend Barb, took her baby girl to the emergency room for tests and ended up with an ambulance ride to Children's Hospital, in the middle of the night, so far from home. I have to say this, and I don't mean this in a condescending manner in any way, but I am so proud of Barb. I saw her take huge steps in her faith this past week and it gave me joy, despite the sadness, to see her choose to lean fully on her Savior during a most trying time. She did things this week that I'm sure she didn't know she was capable of doing. She hung onto God with both hands and he sustained her and Brianna.

People have two choices when they encounter hardship.
1. Be angry and blame God
2. Have faith and trust God

So often people will choose to be angry and alienate themselves from God during the difficult seasons of their lives. For some it is easier to be angry and place blame than to have faith and trust in God, even when things aren't working out your way. Faith isn't easy, but I assure it is best. I've been there wanting to scream at God and ask him, what he was doing. It's okay to tell him how you feel. He already knows anyway. Talk to him. He wants to hear from you. It is a great exercise in strengthening your faith....remembering he is there and that you can talk to him.

This week's Bible memory verse for children's church is Isaiah 41:13. It's a good one for all of us!

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says, do not fear. I will help you."

Those are his words. Not mine. You can depend on them.

The bravest baby ever!

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

I've decided to take a quick break from my "Grocery Stories" for today. It's just a quick detour, I just can't help but share. Those of you who know me may already know this story, but I cannot help thinking back on it at this time of year.
First off, let me say that my mother absolutely loved Christmas! She loved God, so loving the season of Christmas was a natural outflowing of her relationship with God. From the time I was a little kid I can remember going off to school in the morning and coming home in the afternoon to our house transformed into a wonderland of tinsel and decorations. Mom did it up right. From the decorations, to the food everything was wonderful! She made it meaningful, beautiful and memorable for our family.
Fast forward from 1970 something to 1999. It was just a couple of weeks before Christmas. My husband Leo had just completed several rounds of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We were celebrating that the treatment was complete! A friend of ours had taken him to Buffalo for his appointment that day. I was at home getting the kids ready to go to their school Christmas program. I had just finished helping Annie put on her special Christmas dress, when the phone rang. Answering it, I found my mother on the other end of the line. She had called to tell me that she was going in for surgery, that she may have breast cancer. Suddenly the previous celebration was forgotten. My mother did have breast cancer and over the following nine months received treatment for the cancer. In August of 2000 my mom was pronounced cancer free. To celebrate my father and mother booked a trip to Ireland, with my aunt and uncle. Mom and Dad loved Ireland. At the end of September they flew off to celebrate my Mom's good health. A few days later my cousin called to tell me that Mom and Dad came home early from their trip. Mom wasn't feeling well. My husband and I immediately left for Mom and Dad's house in Cincinnati. Arriving we found my Mom looking very tired and sick. She was having a difficult time breathing. The next morning I went with her to the doctors office. X-rays, scans and blood work were ordered. The cancer had come back. It was everywhere. Her options were to treat and maybe get six more months of life, or not to treat and have six weeks. Mom chose not to treat. We went home, and made arrangements for hospice. Leo went home and I stayed with the kids to take care of my mom in her last days.
One afternoon I was sitting in the chair next to my mother's bed holding her hand as she slept. I couldn't keep the tears from pouring down my face. How I was going to miss her. Mom woke up and saw me crying. She reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek and I remember ever so clearly what she said to me.
"Don't cry Meggie. I get to be home for the holidays with Mom and Dad, and Mimi (her sister)."
The memories of Christmas came flooding back, how Mom did everything up right. I remember, particularly well how the radio was always on in the background piping in the sounds of the season. Whenever the song "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"  by Perry Como would come on, my mom would tell us about Grandma, her mom. It was her favorite song. Grandma had died when I was just a little girl. I had very few memories of her, but my Mom kept her alive and real to us through her memories. Every time that song came on the radio we would turn it up and sing along. It made my Mom so happy to hear that song.
Over the next few days Mom drifted in and out of consciousness. It was the middle of the night very close to the end. The house was still and quiet. Mom hadn't said a word all day. Everyone had turned in for the night sometime earlier. I kept my vigil in the chair next to Mom's bed holding her hand. As I sat in the chair memories of my Mom and the wonderful life she gave me, my brothers, and my dad floated through my mind. I thought of Christmas and how different it was going to be that year without her. Then I remembered what she said. "I get to be home for the holidays."
In the quite of the night I began to sing "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays". The tears were streaming down my cheeks. I didn't know if Mom could hear me, but I somehow wanted her to know I was happy that she was in fact going to be home for the holidays, celebrating her Savior with her Mom, Dad and sister. As I sang the song, I received the surprise of my life. My Mom, though seemingly almost passed from this world to the next began to sing quietly with me. I couldn't believe it! We got to sing it together...one more time. Mom passed quietly the next night.
This morning as I was getting ready for the day, "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" came on the radio, which is always on piping in the sounds of the season, just like when I was a little girl. As I stood in front of the mirror doing my hair. Alex came in and said, "There's Grandma's favorite song." I had to smile. You see, Alex never got to know my mother. She passed before he was born, but he knows all about her, right down to her favorite song. She is alive and well in all of our memories. I know God blessed me with that very special moment so many years ago when I got to sing her favorite song with her..... just one more time.
Annie once asked me if Christmas without my Mom makes me sad. My response, "No Annie. My Mom got to go home for the holidays and I wouldn't wish her anywhere else. She's celebrating with the REASON for the season."



Parenting in the Aisles

Today's grocery story actually took place at Wal Mart. It was back before it was a Super Wal Mart. One chilly November afternoon my daughter and I picked my sons Mark and Ryan up from school. Annie was probably about two, Mark was eight or nine years old. Ryan was six. I seem to remember Ryan's age well. You will understand in a moment. We were shopping in the girls department for a gift for a little girl we knew. Ryan was 'driving' the cart that day. Annie was perched happily in the front seat, playing with a small toy. Mark was just being Mark, climbing in and out of the middle of the racks of clothing. I stepped away from the cart to look at a Christmas dress that I was contemplating purchasing. Ryan and Annie were on the other side of the rack, Ryan, bored, leaning on the handle, Annie still playing contentedly with the little doll she had. Now this is where the fun begins. In all my life I have never called any of my children and had them immediately comply with my wishes. They most always comply, but generally not in an immediate fashion. I called to Ryan and told him to drive Annie over to me. I am not sure if it was due to Ryan's state of "boredness", or the fact that he just felt like being super obedient that day, but the following seconds are forever seared into my brain. Ryan immediately took the cart in hand and proceeded to whip it around the rack. As he made the turn the cart leaned on two wheels and then subsequently tipped over. In the space of a few seconds the cart was overturned, Annie was buried in a pile of items screaming her head off. Ryan immediately burst into tears.  Mark emerges from within a cloths rack and makes a bee line to the accident scene. His concern for his sister spewing from him in a very loud voice. "Ryan! Look what you did! You could of killed Annie!" (I think boys between the ages of 8-11 have no volume control. I have 5 sons. They have all proven this theory over and over again.) The lady behind the nearby jewelry counter leaps the counter and comes running to the scene. Here I stood in the middle of a pile of merchandise with three screaming children and one freaking out Wal Mart employee. It was one of those moments you want to cherish forever.......not really. After assuring the employee that everyone was fine and righting the cart. I took my three upset children and raced for the nearby shoe aisles. It was the only thing I could think of that might muffle the tears and upset of my children. Once in the shoe aisles I held Annie on my lap, reassured Ryan that there was no permanent damage done to his sister, and reminded Mark that it was my job to handle discipline, not his.
I am absolutely sure God was with me that day. First in the fact that neither Annie or Ryan got hurt when the cart overturned and second in that I somehow kept my cool in the midst of total chaos. The kids and I spent several minutes in between the rows of shoes, composing ourselves before returning to shopping. It was just before I walked out of the shoe department that I realized great compassion for my mother in law. You see, my husband Leo, did the same thing to his little brother Robert when he was a little kid. It must run in the family. I couldn't help but laugh.

It's about fifteen years later now and it is one of the funniest stories that we still reminisce about every year around this time. I'm even smiling as I type this. It truly is funny. God may have spared my children great injury that day, but we were also gifted with a memory that will make us laugh for years to come!
Be encouraged as you go out into the world with your children. We all have our moments. Our kids just help make more of them.
God's Peace to you....in aisles!

The Audacity to Argue with God!

Byrn Dairy returnable glass milk bottles.

Once again it is time for another Grocery Story. Today, I was thinking about another quick trip made to our local grocery store. It was a Sunday morning, approximately ten years ago. I had gone to church for worship team practice. Shortly after practice our youth pastor's wife came up to me asking if I could run to the store for her. She was in need of something for the youth class. I grabbed my keys and headed toward the car. It was only ten minutes before the service was to start. I needed to get back quickly. I made the short four block drive to the store, parked the car, and headed across the parking lot. Making my way to the store I discovered my choice of footwear that day was not wise. I picked out some really cute laced-up heeled boots. I love the way they looked with my outfit that day. I loved how tall they made me feel. However, I didn't like how they made my feet hurt. Walking toward the store, I glanced around the parking lot. Perhaps, to get my mind off the blisters forming on my toes. Looking to my right I saw a man with crutches parked in the handicapped parking spaces. He was reaching into the trunk of his car to retrieve four, returnable glass milk bottles. I remember wondering to myself how he was going to carry those milk bottles into the store with crutches. They aren't very light. That was going to be a job. It was then that God spoke up. It was clear in my mind. "Megan, you need to help him with those bottles." (Why He even had to speak to my heart is beyond me. I should have known what to do the minute I looked at the man.) Now mind you, I was a woman on a mission that day. Church was starting in approximately seven minutes. I needed to get what I was sent for and get back. So my inward response to God was. "I don't have time." Taking a few more steps, again the message was clear. "Megan, you need to help him with those bottles." Apparently, I was struggling with my desire to be my own god that day and I remember thinking to God, "I don't have time for this. My feet hurt and if I help him I am going to have to walk all the way back there. I need to get back they are expecting me. Church is going to start soon."  (Can you believe me? I was telling God being at church was more important than being the church!) Continuing to walk toward the store I felt the weight of God on my shoulders and His presence all around me. "Megan, you will help him with those bottles." It was not a request that time. It was a command. Frustrated, I relented and turned around, my feet hurting inside my really cute, not so practical boots. However, I wasn't frustrated with my boots or with God for sending me back there. I was frustrated with me. Who am I to question God? What was I thinking?, Nothing going on in my life is more important than the will of God! I made my way back to the man. He was still struggling with the crutches and the heavy glass milk bottles. I walked up to him and asked him he would like me to carry the milk bottles into the store for him.  I remember his response vividly, "Oh, you don't have to do that." I remember my vehement response vividly. "Oh, yes I do. Please allow me."
Taking the bottles from him, I made my way back toward the store. The bottles were as heavy as I remembered. The plastic handles were biting into my hands. I thought to myself. How would he have ever managed to get these into the store on crutches? Shame filled me. I was willing to, disobey God's directive and let this man suffer because I was on a mission. Really? Isn't my whole life a mission for God? In the space of those few moments I was broken and humbled.
Once in the store, I left the milk bottles at the service counter for return. I told the woman at the desk that the man would be by to collect his deposit, and went about my errand...... suddenly, not in as much of a hurry. As I came back around the first aisle, heading for the check out, I saw the man at the service counter. What I heard him say made me feel so small. He told the woman at the counter "Some beautiful angel brought these in for me. God bless her."
Wow, I didn't deserve that blessing that day. I wanted to cry. If only he had heard the argument I was having with God on the inside, he might rethink his blessing.
I paid for my items and made my way back to the car. My feet completely forgotten, my reason to hurry no longer important.
The lessons I learned that day changed my life. I learned that I was not submitting to God in the way He wanted me to. I seriously needed to work on that. I was reminded that everything we do is part of God's mission, whether it is running to the store on a quick errand or stopping in the middle of that errand to help one of God's own. God wanted me to lose the fight and do His will. God won as He always should. From that day on submitting to God took on a whole new light.
So, what is the point in all of this?
Today as you go about your day keep in mind, your mission is not what you have on your "to do list" or in your mind, but what God puts in your life. His "to do list" is so much more important than yours. Don't look at the interruptions in your life as something negative. Look at them as opportunities to be God's missionary. When these things happen to you, keep in mind that He picked you for those moments. Consider it an honor, not a burden, to be called to do His will.

 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Left Overs at the Grocery Store Door

I was making another quick trip to the grocery store today, to pick up some bread and milk. It was just starting to get dark out and I saw a woman standing at the garbage can just outside the entrance door. It looked like she was looking at papers or something from what I could make out, in the diminishing light. However, when I got closer what I saw broke my heart.  I realize that we live in an area of great poverty and that alone is sad, but this took things to new level of low. When I got closer to the garbage can I realized the woman was picking through the cigarette butts in the ashtray on top of the receptacle. Now, I am not completely naïve to think that people don't do this. Generally speaking, I don't run into them while they are doing this. I am not sure if I kept my face neutral when I saw her. I hope I did. She suddenly glanced up at me as I got closer, realizing she was not alone. She looked embarrassed and said "Hello." to me. I said "Hello" to her.  In her hand were used cigarette butts of various sizes. She quickly stuffed them into her worn out winter coat pocket. I went the rest of the way into the store and grabbed a cart. I turned to glance back and she was back at the ashtray again. As I was walking through the produce section I saw her come into the store. I could see her better in the light. Her blond hair was limp and stuck to her head. Her coat and pants had seen much better days. I watched as she made her way to the deli and placed an order for a sandwich. Up until that moment I was wondering if I should buy her some food, but obviously she had money of some sort since she was able to place an order for food. Perhaps she only had public assistance. That would be my guess since she was foraging through the ashtray. How I wished I could have helped her, but I really didn't know how. She didn't need food. She wanted cigarettes. Who knows maybe the ashtray finds weren't even for her. But....my heart was sad. What she really needs is Jesus. A chance meeting at the grocery store doesn't make that happen. Should I have bought her some cigarettes and invited her to church? I don't know. I have been over and over it in my head. So I prayed. In all actuality that is the absolute best thing I can do for her. God was looking down on her tonight. He knew she was digging in the ashtray. He was not surprised like me. She is His child. He must be hurting for her so much more than me.
Tonight when I spend my time in prayer with God, she will be there in the midst of them.

If you make a quick trip to the store tonight, keep your heart and  your eyes open. There may be someone God wants you to pray for today.

  Pray continually.  1 Thessalonians 5:17