Saturday, August 26, 2017

Little Things Making a Big Impact

Sometime, notice in your Bible the many little things that were of great significance:  the little gift of the widow, the water pots in Jesus first miracle, a little lunch of 5 fish and 2 loaves, spit and mud, touching just the hem of Jesus cloak, the red cord of Rahab, the jars that Gideon's army smashed and on and on.  There is no doubt in my mind that little things are important.  Every little detail is important.   And in doing little things, I think we become more Christ-like-- offering a smile, giving a hug, even just a look or a brief touch on the cheek of a child - all little things, but so important.  For often, the little becomes the big - think about each of those little things from the Bible that I mentioned - a big lesson, a big ministry, a big crowd gets fed, the blind man could see, a woman healed, a family saved, a small army victorious.  Huge outcomes from simple acts. Jesus was simple. He told simple stories. He spoke of a flower, a bird, a gardener, a single lost coin, a single lost sheep, a boy who ran away from home and He was concerned for the little children.  Everything and everyone was important to Jesus. He used little things to make a big impact.  I see that God uses those small things we do in big ways, too.

A few Sundays ago our church held a River Baptism in the mighty Boise River.  Over 100 people made a decision to be baptized to show the world that they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, love Him and are one of His devoted followers. In each case, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the road to that big decision began with a little thing - a smile, a hello, or an invitation - Come!

Think about it this way - the little things we do or say can make the difference in how a person spends his or her eternity.  That's actually huge!  We get to be part of God's big story for each and every person we meet.   Little things, make a big impact on people.  It's up to us to just do what we can and then God does the rest...more than we could ever ask or imagine.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."   Ephesians 3: 20-21




Monday, August 7, 2017

You're Strange, I'm Unique - Marriage

Today marks 47 years of marriage.  Yes, to the same guy!!!  They all said it wouldn't last but we proved them wrong - perhaps out of pure stubbornness or maybe it is our competitive natures.  We both hate to lose. But I say -- it must be love.  Whatever the reason, here we are.

Married at a young age, we sort of grew up together.  This can be advantageous.  There really were no surprises.  But, there was a huge learning curve.  The phrase "young and stupid" comes to mind.   When we went to get our first apartment, we were literally pulling change from our pockets and the bottom of my purse to make the deposit of $110 for the rent.  We made our first meal in our new apartment in a popcorn popper.  Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup heats up quite nicely in a popcorn popper from the 70's.  Who knew!!!

He swears marriage is more difficult for men than women.  Women are so hard to understand he says. For my first birthday after we had been married for a mere 7 weeks, he gave me a vacuum cleaner. He was so proud.  We needed a vacuum cleaner (we hadn't vacuumed in 7 weeks - ewww!) and he was being a good provider.  I cried!   35 years later, I asked for a shed for Christmas.  He got me two sheds and I was happy as a clam!!  So what's not to understand?  Women make perfect sense.  If I had asked for a vacuum cleaner and got one, a vacuum cleaner would have been fine -- but seriously, who would ask for a vacuum cleaner?  Certainly not I.

For the first several years of our marriage, he gave me a sympathy card for our anniversary.  I was never really sure if the sympathy was for me or if it was transfer sympathy and he was feeling sorry for himself.  The jury is still out on that one.

At 6 years I got a t-shirt.  This was not just any old t-shirt - no, this one was special.  It had words of love on it.  It read -  "6 years, I must be nuts!"  Lovely.  That could go both ways, so I wore that t-shirt to rags!! I have been known to hang on to clothes for quite a while so he actually asked me today if I still had that t-shirt.  I don't, but I do still have the other t-shirt gem from about 20 years ago that reads - "Tyrannosaurus Rox."   Speaks volumes doesn't it?  Now I affectionately wear one with a picture of Grumpy on it that reads "I Love Grumpy Guys".  Just sayin'.

Over the years - 47 to be exact - life has thrown us curves, there have been ups and downs, but always we had each other and God.  When people ask how we have stayed married so long I often wonder if they are asking because they know us and can't believe we are still married to each other - or if it is because they just wonder how we've made it this far.

Marriage is not about the stuff.  It's about commitment.  It's about taking the good with the bad.  It's about forgiving and forgetting.  It's about respect and honor.  It's about laughter and tears.   It's about doing life together.  "Two-gether" - Two as one!  Your strangeness and my uniqueness combined in one life under the umbrella of God's great love.

Through it all, with God at the center, it's all about love and the rest of our lives "two-gether".

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."  Genesis 2: 24

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."  1 Corinthians 13: 4- 8a