I got to thinking, if we step back from our own wants or frustrations in life and notice those around us who are really hurting, we will see how little our problems really are. There are situations where we really need to focus our time and money; where we need to give instead of take. If we can see past our own selfishness we can then see what truly matters and who is truly in need.
When I was leaving Walmart the other day there was an elderly man getting into a car. Someone was picking him up at the door. He had one leg and was on crutches. As I drove away in MY car, with MY legs, and the FREEDOM to go wherever I wanted next, I thought about that man. I wondered if he had been a part of why I had the freedom I have; had he been in an accident? Was he born that way? I instantly felt thankful and blessed.
Another situation that got me thinking was when Lilly wouldn't eat all of her dinner. As I dumped a few green beans in the garbage I wondered how many children would do anything for those few bites. It absolutely broke my heart. Now, I realize I could get completely obsessed with thinking these things constantly, but when you compile how many times you dump a "few" pieces of food in the garbage over a number of years-that's a ton of food wasted!
Yes, we need to take care of ourselves and our own. What does that mean though, "take care of?" Does it mean to get our children the latest games and technology or that name brand pair of shoes that everybody has? Do we need another pair of jeans to go with that certain jacket or a new car because the current one is "out of style?" Or is taking care of our families teaching our children to love others; to be compassionate, kind? Are we taking care of our children if we teach them the bible and about Jesus; who He was and what He stood for? By teaching our children about these things will they be equipped for the world or do they need to learn to "want" and learn selfishness and greed like the people around them most likely have mastered? Should we teach them to always think "What's in it for me?"
According to Jesus, by giving, helping and serving others we will be rewarded. Maybe not in this life, but GREAT IS OUR REWARD IN HEAVEN. Isn't giving, helping and serving a reward in itself, though? If you've ever given to a homeless person on the street, taken things to Goodwill or Salvation Army, or bought gifts for an angel Tree child, did you not get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside? Did you not feel good about what you had done? Did you need more recognition than that?
Here is what I'm currently learning: Jesus wants me to give, help, and serve others. By doing these things and sharing His love, I feel rewarded. People are desperate, hurting and lost (as I once was). Although I am no longer lost, I am definitely still learning. Can I give to, help, and serve every hurting person in this world? No. Can we all work together to be the hands and feet of Jesus to reach as many of these people as possible? YES.
I'm telling you, if we step back and look at all that we "have," then imagine it all being taken away, we will realize that we have nothing. If we stop comparing ourselves, house, cars, clothing, etc. to our neighbors and friends, we will release a weight from our shoulders that we probably never knew was there. If we focus on Jesus, our personal relationship with God and focus on other people rather than ourselves, it will be life changing. The worries and stresses of this world will fade away and our hearts will be filled with the "right" kind of treasures.
I think it is so easy to get comfortable inside our little bubbles such as our families, group of friends or even our church. I know I have had a hard time busting out of my bubble or comfort zone when searching for a church here in Chattanooga. My mother-in-law put it well, sometimes we look for entertainment in a church....and that is exactly what I was doing; looking for what a church can do for me rather than what I can do for the church. Rodney and I have desperately been trying to find ways to give and help others in our new city. We knew God had sent us here for a reason and we are finally getting a taste of what His plan is. It's an amazing feeling! As we've started to give more and more of our time, money, we have analyzed all that we "have." It's incredible how helping other people has opened our eyes and shown us how much of what we have we really don't need after all. It's crazy how the world can make us think one way when our minds should be focused another way; on Jesus.
So with the most wonderful time of year among us, I want to share something our pastor said this morning. He said that the most important thing we can know about Christmas is that Jesus' life did not begin in Bethlehem. I think this is a powerful statement that one can only understand if you know the bible and bible stories about Jesus (which I'm getting there! Still learning! Lol) I think about all of the Christmas songs we sing such as Away in a Manger, We Three Kings, Silent Night; all about welcoming this little baby- a king wrapped in cloth. I think what the pastor was saying is that Jesus innocently entered the world the way we all did, but His life had been planned for centuries because God is a great story writer :) I haven't read much in the Old Testament yet, but I do know there were numerous, maybe hundreds of prophesies of Jesus' coming. It did not all begin the day Jesus was born. Pretty incredible how clever our God is to write such s story.
So anyway, in my personal story I feel like I am in the process of reaching what God has ultimately planned for me; a different way of life than I'm used to- putting others first and not worrying so much about "what's in it for me." It's hard to do sometimes but the internal reward is a blessing.
This DMB song sums up the world pretty well. Lyrics below.
Funny the Way It is by DMB
Lying in the park on a beautiful day
Sunshine in the grass, and the children play
Sirens passing, fire engine red
Someones house is burning down on a day like this
The evening comes and were hanging out
On the front step and a car rolls by with the windows rolled down
And that war song is playing, why cant we be friends?
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
Somebodys going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebodys heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song
The way your mouth feels in your lovers kiss
Like a pretty bird on a breeze or like water to a fish
A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor
You hear the laughter while the children play war
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, anothers dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldiers last breath his babys being born
Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must've been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
Watch the sky, the jet planes, so far out of my reach
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
Boy chase a bird, so close but every time
Hell never catch her, but he cant stop trying
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, anothers dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldiers last breath his babys being born
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebodys broken heart becomes your favorite song
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
A kid walks 10 miles to school, anothers dropping out
Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must've been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
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