Raspberry Mocha

   I’m a person who needs sleep. If I want to be functional, not grumpy, and not ready to cry at the drop of the hat then I need a good amount of sleep. Lately, my schedule has been a bit crazy and left me with less sleep than normal. Yesterday, I found myself struggling with being cranky out of being tired and knowing that what I really wanted was to not just get out of bed. By lunch time, I felt like I was wading in deeper and deeper water and losing ground. It was time for extreme measures! A raspberry mocha – with an extra shot of espresso was my solution. The lady looked at me kind of funny when I ordered the extra espresso. “Ummm…. You know, that will be four shots?” I told her that that was okay and headed out with my extra caffeinated raspberry flavor treat.

   What is so sad is that this highly caffeinated yummy drink lasted did perk me up, for about four hours. And then, I could feel the tide returning and I resumed dragging myself along. “Must sleep!! Must sleep!!! O bed, where art thou!” Okay, I know I’m being a bit melodramatic, but it is really amazing how we require certain things to function.
   We need food for energy and strength. Sleep and rest is absolutely necessary for functioning. Certain minerals, vitamins – they provide good growth and help with good bone and joint health. Shelter, water, heat, clothing, each part is like an important puzzle piece, where all together it makes it work.
   We need each other as well; companionship, caring, and friendship also play a part; as we are not meant to be solitary creations. We also play a part in our differences, as the different pieces work together to create something new. But, just like the need for sleep, we have to be aware of our diversities and look for ways to use them as part of a whole, not see them just for their separations.

Row of Flowers

Sitting in church Sunday, in the pew row directly to my front and right there were several little girls sitting together. Made up of sisters and friends with the age range spreading throughout elementary school, the pew was soon covered with a variety of toys, coloring, and other little girl things. They were such fun to watch. During the worship, they were combinations of movement as they sang and danced, colored and wrote. My mother referred to them as a row of flowers. In many ways, they were just that.

A row of little lives, small but important, precious and unique moments caught and made up in their movements and actions. Planted in the love their parents have for each of them, watered as people pour themselves into them, fed with care and hope – such a beautiful little row of flowers indeed. Perhaps a hyacinth, a lupine, a daisy, a lavender, and a peony all in a row. Each has its own color, fragrance, structure, and distinctiveness. But, they are each beautiful flowers in the garden.
Looking at these little flowers in the row, I found myself wondering who else would water them, prune, weed around, and feed them. Who else will recognize their beauty and potential and pour themselves in, in an investment of future of growth? They are special flowers, will you help them to grow?

Splinter

About a week ago, I felt the need to pray once again, Lord change me. It’s a prayer that focuses like a laser beam on my own heart and life. Finishing up reading in Isaiah, finishing up a book about God answering prayer, I was hearing repent and restoration over and over. What was it in me, in my life that I needed to address?

Ever seen a child with a splinter in their finger? They will quite often take off across the room, yard, house, to avoid having the splinter removed. It will hurt to have it removed, the pain from it being infected will be worse. I think that admitting sin and then asking for forgiveness can be kind of like that splinter. At least it was for me this week. Mulling this over, wrestling with it, asking and seeking after God, I asked Him to change me and grow me. What I found was that I needed to first ask for forgiveness of God, where I was holding a splinter of sin and trying to just ignore it. The word malice came up. Malice? That has such a Hollywood dark flavor to it. Malice – as in wickedness and spite? Surely not!  Pride? I thought I had addressed this hurt long before. Still, a splinter remained and I needed to let God remove it. Once that was done, then that left a hole.
What now God? Amazingly enough, the book I had already been reading and the verses I had been leading up to led me to this very time. God’s timing is so perfect. The hole that is left when we ask for the sin to be removed, when we repent , can also be filled by God! He will not leave us with an open wound that just anything can go and get stuck in. I was amazed at the peace and relinquishment I have had.

By preparing me for this week, by insisting that I read these things, I have found that splinter removed. Restoration to God by God, starting with God urging me to get better – what an amazing God we serve!

Acts 3: 19-20 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."

Overwhelming

Yesterday, I helped to share 10,000 pounds of food through a food bank program. It was an amazing and touching experience. A local food pantry made arrangements to bring the food to the church, making it a distribution point. About forty people showed up to help unload the truck, and then others came to receive the food.

It was just a really overwhelming experience, in a good way. Produce, canned goods, cereal, beans, pasta were all lined up around the truck. Then, people could get boxes and bags, to gather a certain amount of each.

I think the first time it hit me, the type of impact this could make, was watching the volunteers unload the truck. There was a wide age range that came to help, old and young and everything in-between. Then, people came to get food. There were families and couples, people by themselves, and all variety of ages. There were great needs being met, great needs that were there. Needs for food, needs for care, needs for someone to talk to, needs for hope. So many needs, so many many needs. That, blended with the turnout to help meet some of the needs was a beautiful thing.

I am thankful for the full freezer that greeted me, a pantry well stocked. I am full, I am not hungry. I have needs, just like everyone else. But, I am thankful that my needs are met.