Sock It to Me, Lord

 “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”

Proverbs 21:19 (NIV)

 That was it! I was done! Once again, even after repeated reminders, my husband had walked into the bathroom and dropped his socks b-e-s-i-d-e the clothes hamper. Not IN the hamper, but beside it! I could feel my jaw tighten as I scrolled through my mental list of zingers to throw his way. “Are you blind?” “How hard is it to open the hamper and drop in the socks? Too much effort?” “Do I look like your mother? Your maid? Your servant?”

And then I did what I believed all wives were required to do: I stored that incident in my mind along with all the other times that socks were dropped on the floor, and anniversaries and birthdays were forgotten and an empty toilet paper roll was left in the bathroom and . . . you get the picture.

You probably know what came next, too. A little thing – my husband was 5 minutes late picking me up from work – and I hit him square in the heart with every single thing that I believed he had done wrong since the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately what I just described didn’t happen just once in our marriage but that scene was repeated over and over with few minor changes.

Then one day the Lord had had enough of my behavior and He placed in my life an older Godly woman who shared her marriage with me. She talked about being a newlywed and her determination to change her husband into her idea of perfection. That continued on for years until the day she received an unexpected life-changing gift from her son.

He walked into the kitchen and said “Mom, I’ve been teaching myself how to use my tape recorder so I taped you and dad talking yesterday. Do you want to hear it?” She smiled as he hit “play” but in an instant the tears flowed as she listened to the tone of her voice during her conversation with her husband.

She said that not only was her voice  negative and her words accusing and absolutely horrible but she could not escape the hurt in her husband’s voice as he barely answered “yes” or “no” to her questions.

In that instant she realized that instead of praising God for her husband and all the good qualities he brought to their marriage, she was literally ripping him and the marriage into pieces. “I went to my husband immediately and asked his forgiveness for my attitude,” she said, “and then I resolved to do everything I could to be the Godly wife that the Lord had called me to be.”

I have to tell you, ladies, that I was completely convicted that day of my attitude of arguing and complaining toward my husband and our marriage and called him at work to ask his forgiveness. And I would love to tell you that the toilet paper roll was always full after that and anniversaries were never forgotten again. Not true.

But somehow socks next to the hamper were no longer as important as my acceptance and love of my husband, God’s gift to me. May it be the same with each of you.

Father, I thank you for this man that you have given me as my husband. May I always remember that he is your gift to me and treat him with the love and respect that he deserves. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• If someone were to tape record your conversations with your husband, would you be ashamed or embarrassed by what you say and how you say it?

• Would the majority of your conversations be affirming and positive or demeaning and negative?

Apply

• Praise God every day for your husband and all the unique, wonderful qualities he brings to your marriage.

• Think of ways to praise and affirm your husband as an important part of your life and then tell him.

Power

• Proverbs 21:19 (NIV) “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”

• Proverbs 21:9 (NIV) “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

• Proverbs 31:10 (NIV) “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

Number Three

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach

the good news to all creation.”

Mark 16:15 (NIV)

My sister Mary shared a life-changing experience that was a huge turning point for her and sharing her faith. She was sitting at the doctor’s office in the waiting room and noticed a man across from her who had a look of anguish on his face as he waited for his name to be called. She said “hello” and they had a brief conversation.

The Lord prompted her to share His love with this gentleman and to encourage him on whatever journey he was on but she hesitated for a second. “What if he gets angry with me? What if he thinks I am being nosey?” she thought for just a moment and then she was called back to a room. He was gone when she came out and she never saw him again.

A few days later, Mary looked up from her desk at work and noticed an older gentleman wandering up and down the aisles in the store. As she helped him find what he wanted, she sensed his loneliness and immediately felt in her heart that she needed to share Jesus.  Mary felt the Lord’s urging: “Go talk to this man. Encourage him. Share the Good News.”

Once again - unsure of exactly what to say - she hesitated. As the man walked out of the store, the Lord gently spoke to her heart: “Please…don’t let there be a number three.” Her mind instantly went back to the gentleman in the doctor’s office days before and now to this man leaving her store.

            Immediately she confessed her disobedience to the Lord by not sharing His love with these two gentlemen and resolved from that day forward that she would share her Savior with everyone she met.

God gives us one opportunity after the other to share Him with people around us. Nothing – absolutely nothing – should keep us from speaking about eternity with people we meet every day. What if we are the one that the Lord has placed in the path of someone who is lost and hurting and needs to hear love and forgiveness?

Don’t let anything stop you from sharing Jesus. “Please…don’t let there be a number three.”

Father, I know you place people in my path that you want me to lovingly talk to about you. Please forgive me when I hesitate. Give me courage and wisdom to tell them the Good News that only comes from you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you felt the Lord nudging you to share His Good News with someone and you hesitated?

• What was your reason for not sharing Jesus with that person?

Apply

• Plan ahead different ways that you can share your relationship with Christ with people you meet.

• Pray for opportunities to share Jesus and listen for His voice to direct your path.

Power

• Mark 16:15 (NIV) “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

• Isaiah 52:7 (NIV) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…”
  
  

• Psalm 96:2 (NIV) “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

Best Reunion Ever

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,

with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,

and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who

are still alive and are left will be caught up together

with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in

the air. And so we will be with

the Lord forever.”

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)

The videos showing a family member coming home from the military to surprise those they love get to me every time. I automatically get out the tissues when one pops up on the internet or on television.

They all make me cry. The son who thinks he is throwing a pitch to his catcher, when the catcher’s mask is suddenly pulled off to reveal Dad. The wife who has been told she is to receive an award for her husband in his absence, only to turn around and see him running toward her. The child in class who looks up from her deskwork and yells “Mommy, you’re back!” as her mother peeks in the door and falls to her knees to scoop up her daughter.

The stories behind those beautiful reunions are similar. Family members have been gone for several weeks or months, serving their country in the military. Some have been able to Skype occasionally as well as talk on the phone; others have not been able to communicate with each other except through mail.

They also share one common bond: none of those getting the surprise reunion had any idea it was being planned. They knew they would see each other again but had no idea exactly when it would occur

.

Today’s Scripture from I Thessalonians has become sweeter than ever to me in recent years. Paul is speaking about Christ’s return and he is explaining what will happen. From this passage we learn that Jesus will be the one leading the glorious get-together. First He will collect His children who have passed away and then those who are still alive. Both groups “will be caught up together . . . in the clouds.” Wow!

Can you imagine it? Hugging a spouse or child again! Or smiling as you once again see a parent or grandparent! I can only imagine the hugs and laughter and smiles that will roar through the clouds at that glorious reunion.

Please do this for me: think of those special people in your life who have passed away. Now, picture meeting them again face to face.

Just as the military families don’t know when the reunion will take place, we Christians do not know the exact date. But we DO know it’s going to happen one day.

Oh the smiles and laughter as we all shout “best reunion ever!”

Father, oh the hope that you give with your promise that we will be together with our loved ones who knew you. Thank you for that joyful reunion. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you had doubts about seeing a loved one again?

Apply

• Re-read today’s verses of Power and picture in your mind what the beautiful reunion will be like with loved ones who have passed away.

• Praise the Lord for His death and resurrection that make heavenly reunions possible.

Power

• I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

• John 14:2-3 (NIV) “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

• I Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) “ . . . No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him . . .”

I Really Want to be Nice

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Romans 7:15 (NIV)

Right before I climbed out of bed early one morning to work out, I lifted up my day to the Lord. I asked Him to direct my attitude to be one of kindness and compassion; to help me see anyone who is hurting or needs an encouraging comment; to overlook those whose attitude is less than kind toward me; to ignore things that are hurtful and instead look for good in everyone.

Requests sincerely spoken from my heart as I tell Jesus that I want to be like Him. And then I go to the gym.

The one with the music blasting at a “permanently damage and rupture your eardrum” level turns the music UP louder when I ask if he could turn it down just a bit. Immediately the anger in my heart begins to grow as I quietly wish he would pull a muscle and have to leave.  I really DO want to be like Jesus but to this guy, Lord? Are you kidding?

Then I follow an elderly woman driving 10 mph in a 40 mph zone as I hurry to the store. She signals she is turning left and then suddenly swerves back into my lane and never realizes that I came within inches of hitting her. Honestly! Why in the world is she even driving? Impatience and unkind thoughts join the anger already building in my heart.

And if that wasn’t enough, I have to deal with yet another call to the phone company and explain for the 5^th  time that my bill is incorrect and I never made any calls to a foreign country nor have I ever called one in my entire life. Add the fact that I can’t understand what the woman is saying and she keeps repeating that she is sorry but doesn’t correct my bill because she needs to transfer me to yet another department! People like this, Lord? Those who really don’t care about my problem? I’m supposed to be kind to them?

It is 10 a.m. and I have already done the complete opposite of what I had just prayed only hours earlier. What in the world is wrong with me?

Paul, in Romans 7:15, totally understood what we are facing. He writes “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Sound familiar? That’s us!

Paul was a Godly man who loved the Lord with all his heart and yet he struggled with the very attitudes and emotions that we struggle with every single day.  I truly long to be like Jesus. I want to be His hands and feet and for people to know by my actions that I serve Him with every part of my life. And yet, I fail again and again.

Thankfully, we have a Father who understands that we will fail repeatedly because we are human and because we are weak. We allow sin to creep in and unfortunately try to determine for ourselves just who WE think we should be kind to in our lives.

The Lord has given us a helper as we maneuver through every day. He is the Holy Spirit. We read in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

He is the nudge in your heart that says “Take a deep breath. You have no idea what is going on in her life.” He whispers “You just did that same thing yesterday and you are forgiven.” He reminds me that the Lord of my life is the Lord of all. And that He loves everyone – no matter how loud the music or how slow the driver.

And so I will try again. I will ask for forgiveness and a second chance. God replies with “Of course.” I will remind myself of Colossians 3:13 that says “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

My blood pressure will go back to normal. My breathing will relax. And my heart will rejoice that God forgives us for the very things we get angry about with other people.

Father, thank you for your patience and forgiveness with me as I try to live a life as you would have me live. I will focus on you and your word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Can you remember a time when you became angry over an incident someone did that you did yourself?

·         Why did you think that what they did was somehow “different” than you doing the same thing?

Apply

·         Journal your actions in the last week when someone did something to irritate you or make you mad and your reaction.

·         Thank the Lord for forgiving you for your negative reaction, take a deep breath, thank Him for His forgiveness, smile and praise Him for what He has done in your life. Repeat as necessary.

Power

·         Romans 7:15 (NIV) “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

·         John 14:26 (NIV) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

·         Colossians 3:13 (NIV) “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”