Just Doin' Dishes

      Not so many evenings ago, I was washing up dishes at our sink and finding myself drawing an unlikely but true parallel.  A plate or fork is not useless because it is dirty.  (I know, so deep, right?) It can be used again, and will be used again if only washed clean.  Each has a specific purpose. Each awaits its next task, which may be the next morning, next week or next holiday.

       You and I are not much different than the dishes in the sink.  We all need washing from time to time.  We all have seasons of pain or hardship whether it be from our own mistakes, or from trials brought about by simply living the human experience.  These could be described as our 'in the sink' moments.  We aren't at our best.  We aren't fruitful. We feel useless.  But from any situation, God can make a thing of beauty.

          My mom is 'in the sink'-so to speak, right now.  She has dealt for over a year with pancreatic cancer and all the treatments, appointments, discouragements , and surgeries that go with it. But you know what? At this very moment as well, she knows she won't be left untouched, unwashed by our Father. He has proven himself faithful in her battle and I know she has more to do after all is said and done.  She will be cleansed for her purpose here on Earth.   She will be useful again.  She will enjoy her grandbabies.  She will encourage others, cook for others, pray for others.

      Just know that you, too, will be purified, and made whole, if you believe in "He who is able to do more than you can imagine" (Eph. 3:20).  You may have to wait on Him...and it may take longer than you wish, but your days 'in the sink' will not outnumber the days in which you will fulfill your purpose.   You only need to look for the One who will cleanse and prepare you for what lies ahead.

A More Meaningful Egg Hunt

         

           As I was thinking about what kind of traditions I would like to start with my own family, I pondered this idea of an Easter egg hunt with a twist.  Like many of you, I found Easter customs fun and special. I specifically remember being excited every year to get that new dress for church, and like many kids, finding my Easter basket wherever the Bunny may have hidden it.  (My parents will still tell you that my sister and I were at times more excited on Easter than Christmas.)  That would be because we usually had a boat-load of goodies hand-picked by our mom, neatly arranged in our wicker baskets.

            Now that I am a mom, I am putting out there a new idea.  I thought that instead of making it ALL about the chocolate, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles, I would like to really impress upon my son the important story that IS Easter.  (Forgive my very Charlie Brown-like aversion to commercialism.  It is the way I am made.)  Perhaps once my little one can understand pictures, and the written word a little better, I will put more than candy into the plastic eggs.  By placing tidbits of scripture from the Easter story, I would have my son & family piece together the entire sequence once all of the eggs have been collected.....Eureka!  I found a meaningful way to make the egg hunt more Christ-centered!  Now for smaller kiddos, it is a difficult story to understand.  There are a few sites out there that offer the story in pictures.  One that I found is:  http://www.sparklebox.co.uk.  Another excellent site for Bible verses is www.biblegateway.com, which offers many translations of the Bible and side by side comparisons.

              Whatever your family chooses to do for this Easter Sunday, I hope it isn't ALL Cadbury eggs and glazed ham.  Our children, more than ever, need to hear that amazing story of a man dying on a cross to bear our wrongdoings.  As I attempt this with my son in the coming years, I hope this will be a stand-out memory to him.  After all, the message will last longer than any of the basket fillers.  Happy Easter!
           

Material World

     I am baring a bit of my soul here.  Just recently, I have noticed how much I "want" what others have.  I admire many homes on my daily drive, then I find myself thinking, "I bet that is a nice house to live in. It's better than mine."  Or perhaps, I look at a co-worker, who always looks like she could step into the pages of a magazine...and I want those clothes, that hair, her body, etc...

     To be clear I do not lack confidence in myself. I know I have far more than the majority of the world. Contentment is a tough pursuit for me though, just the same.  Our world is as shallow as it gets, and I buy into that.  Constant comparison between myself and another steals my joy and actually makes me less thankful for what I do indeed have.  There is nothing wrong with buying a new outfit or shoes, as long as I remember that those possessions are not ME.  My closet doesn't define me.  My appearance isn't even actually ME.

     If tomorrow, I had to give away all my "stuff", I know that would be just fine.  In fact, it may put things into perspective.  Contentment is a rarity.... I cannot be the only who struggles.

"Contentment is not synonymous with effortless." - Bennett