Gathering Rubies

I was reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) this morning. It starts out with an expert in the law, standing up to test Jesus by asking “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

As I read more of the story and another question of “who is my neighbor?”, I tried to image what circumstances could compel a person to simply pass by someone in obvious distress and keep on going without stopping to help. Is it lack of compassion, fear, busyness, selfishness or perhaps a combination of all of these?

We read that we are to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Lk 10:27 If we don’t reach out to help those in distress is because we don’t love God, ourselves or our neighbor?

The recent story of a two year old Chinese girl who was ran over by two separate Vans and ignored by at least 18 people passing by is probably what sparked my thoughts this morning. I watched an edited video clip of the incident and all of the people who walked, bicycled, or drove by were close enough to reach out and touch the toddler. I simply cannot comprehend this lack of concern or compassion!!

The man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (v. 30) was ignored by a priest and Levite, both who would have traveled the road frequently and would have been obligated to show mercy to the man who was robbed and beaten. Jews and Samaritans culturally had no love for each other, yet it is the Samaritan who stopped to help, he is the one who showed what it is to love your neighbor as yourself. And the two silver coins he gave to the innkeeper were equivalent to two days wages. The injured man was put on the Samaritan’s donkey, while the Samaritan walked.

Being a neighbor is showing the love of God to all who are in need. Love is the most excellent way and it never fails.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Lately in my prayers I have remembered the people of Japan, as well as others who have suffered great loss due to weather related tragedies. I think the following article by Charles Spurgeon adequately expresses my feelings.

“Remember the poor.”

— Gal 2:10

The following scriptures go along beautifully with Spurgeon’s thoughts.

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deut 15:10-11

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. Prov 19:17

How many times have you said these words or heard someone else say them? I know I have said them many times over the years. As I thought about what to post today I kept coming up empty, then my friend and blog host, Peter Pollack sent out a notice that this week’s Blog Carnival word is Sacrifice.

As I pondered what I might write about “Sacrifice” I decided to check out my Face Book page to see what was happening with my friends. It didn’t take long before I realized what I would write about. I came across a video from my friends Joe Wells and Erin Wells.

I watched the video and realized I needed to help this family. I’m asking you to PLEASE watch it too. I’m also going to ask you to please sacrifice something for this family. Can you give up Starbucks for a week or your favorite indulgence? I do know times are tough for many families and there aren’t any indulgences to give up. One thing is certain though; we can all give up some of our time in prayer just for this family.

So there you have it. Instead of me telling you of sacrifices I have made I’m asking you to join with me in sacrificing something for this family.

Let me say again, God does work in mysterious ways. I believe God answered my question for today – What do you have for me to do today Lord?

You can watch the video here:

Fall Creek Falls Accident – Caleb Timothy Brown Story

This post is part of the “One Word at a Time Blog Carnival” hosted by Peter Pollock. Check out other posts that were written based on the word “sacrifice”.

I have read several article and comments about what each one of us can do individually to make a difference in the life of another. I like the idea, and I agree that with very little effort we can make a difference. What I want to talk about today is being on the receiving end of making a difference.

There are so many people of all ages that have made a difference in my life and I thought I would share some of the things they do that have brightened my days and share some of the things that make me feel so blessed.

Saturday we went with Karla to the Volunteer Firemen’s Pancake Breakfast. The weather was absolutely perfect and we didn’t get there until 9am, so it was pretty packed already. While we were in line waiting to get our food, I saw from the corner of my eye, someone coming toward me at the speed of a quarterback and ‘kaboom’ I was tackled around my knees. I looked down and there was Kaylee looking up at me with a million dollar smile and hugging me with all her might. She is one of the little girls from our church family. She will be 5 in January and I have been a part of her life since she was born, she was just a few days old the first time I held her and I’ve been crazy in love with her since then. She always hugs me at church too and even sits with me sometimes.  Next J.D., Kaylee’s dad walks over (he is one of the volunteer firemen) and he is holding his youngest daughter Zoey who is one. More hugs and a big smile and kiss from Zoey. We have so many little ones in our church family and a fabulous group of teens and they bless me in so many ways. I am just amazed at times really!! They have so much love to give and I love being a recipient of that love. More friends show up for breakfast and we had the best time visiting and sharing our meal together.

Other ways people bless me -

Getting phone calls from people asking me to pray for them or a family member. What a blessing and an honor that I am thought of enough that someone wants me to pray for them. I am always humbled by this request.

Getting  notes of encouragement when I write on my blog that something is weighing heavy on my heart, not only from friends I know, but from my blogger friends (some who I have not had the pleasure of meeting in person) yet we share a special bond.

Getting unexpected compliments from my husband, phone calls and texts from my daughters and grandkids. Friends and neighbors, who watched out for me, took me to dinner and even mowed the yard when Larry was in CA recently. My sweet wonderful mother, who is my friend and amazing Scrabble opponent. Friday nights at the Opry, enjoying great entertainment, and the musicians proudly and openly proclaim their love for God and giving a show that reflects that love. Connecting with old friends on Face Book.

There are countless people who bless me on a regular basis and you may not even know it. You are shining stars in the universe and I thank God for each and every one of you. You make a difference!!

After writing on forgiveness yesterday a friend e-mailed this to me and I thought it to be a good follow up to yesterdays post.

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey,
they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
                                                         
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand
“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis,
where they decided to take a bath.  

The one who had been slapped got stuck in the
mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
“Today my best friend saved my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him,
“after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?’”

The friend replied…
“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away…  
but, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.

Author Unknown

Should we find ourselves in a similar situation our anger and pride may incite us to strike back, to seek revenge.

Jesus instructs us to do this- If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matt 5:39

I read a story of two men, a Professor and a soldier named Ralph, who met at an airport walking to the luggage conveyor belt to retrieve their luggage. As they were walking down the concourse Ralph kept disappearing. Once to help an elderly woman whose suitcase had fallen open, once to lift two toddlers up to where they could see Santa Claus and again to give directions to someone who was lost. Each time he came back with a smile on his face.

The Professor being curious asked Ralph “where did you learn that?”

“What?” Ralph said.

 “Where did you learn to live like that?”

“Oh,” Ralph said, “during the war, I guess.” He then told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam, how it was his job to clear minefields, how he watched his friends blow up before his eyes, one after another.

“I learned to live between steps,” he said. “I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I’ve been that way ever since.”

I love this story and I practice it as often as possible. In today’s society it sometimes seems as if we go out of our way to ignore people. We avoid eye contact and hurry about our business. Too often we aren’t even aware of our surroundings and we certainly don’t want to get involved.

Little acts of kindness have always put a smile on my face, when I receive them and especially when I give them. I am always touched when someone lingers a moment to hold the door open and countless other things that they don’t have to do.

The abundance of our lives is not determined by how long we live, but by how well we live.

I pray I might imitate Jesus while walking between steps.

This song reminds me of the abundance in my life…

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.

Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountains, The river running by,
The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water, To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-1895

On my last post I said I would share some of the thoughts that the story of Eddie Rickenbacker sparked in my mind; of how others perceive us and how we perceive others.

While living in California, you may recall that I was in the printing business for many years and our shop was located in an older area on West Main Street. Many of the buildings were outdated and needed a lot of TLC. Located on the same block were a Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center, Dry Cleaners, an Asian Grocery Store, a Law Firm, Multi-Cultural Arts Center, Comic Store, Gun Shop, Jewelry Store, Sewing Machine Repair Shop, a Bank and a Computer Store, a great little Café and a closed Movie Theater. At the beginning of the very next block was a very old Hotel which at that time, housed lower income people, some who were slightly mentally impaired and also some who were just released from prison. I share all of this to give you an idea of the people in that small area of downtown and the many different walks of life from which they came.

In the story of Eddie Rickenbacker, the author mentioned that “Ed might seem like ‘a funny old duck.”  There were several people I saw on a daily basis who fit that description. I don’t know much about them or what happened in their lives that put them in the circumstances they were in.

There was one woman I think everyone in town either knew of or had at least heard of her. She (sadly) was referred to as “Crazy Mary”. She was a woman of slight build with pure white hair. She always pushed a grocery cart and had a small dog on a leash with her. She walked many miles daily. She usually wore a dress and sweater and always looked cleaned and well kept. I was told that she had lost her entire family in a fire, as well as her previous dog and that she pretty much lost her mind after that. I really don’t know if that is her story or not, but it was the same one I got each time she was mentioned.

There were others who frequented our store often and it was obvious they had problems of different kinds. Most of them were very sweet and almost childlike and sometime I would have to gently remind them that I had to “get back to work” as they all seemed starved for attention and would spend the whole day at work with me if I would let them. I never discouraged them from coming in, they all seemed to like me, but I liked them and often marveled at their great attitudes and innocence. Many people didn’t want to be bothered with them and ignored them.

There was one woman though that frightened me on more than one occasion. She was supposed to be on medication and often refused to take it. The times that she didn’t take it she became very violent. She would get upset with the copy machine and start hitting it and cussing at it. I would have to ‘intervene’ and that upset her even more. I could tell from her eyes that she would do me great harm if I wasn’t very careful. I had to call the police on her once as she was so out of control and she became very combative with the officer’s.  Other times she would have arguments with someone only she could see and hear.

Some who came would without fail, tell me the same stories over and over, stories of long ago. I was in that same location for sixteen years and had contact with these people, often on a daily basis. The ones I have mentioned were just a small part of our customers, their purchases certainly could not have kept the doors open, yet after all these years I can still recall all of their names, their faces and their specialness. I look back now and wonder if God put them in my life to help me understand how each one of his children has a purpose and to help me understand my own precious daughter Annette.

If you have been reading my blog from the beginning you may recall that my second daughter Annette was born profoundly mentally handicapped, she has never uttered one word and she is now 43 years old. You can read about her in the archives under “Annette”. Over the years because of the seriousness of some of her medical conditions I have had numerous phone calls from doctors and hospitals telling me that she wouldn’t make it through the night. They were giving me their honest medical opinions, what they don’t know is that God still has a purpose for her. She is still touching lives in her very own special way.

I know I have rambled, I just want to encourage you, the next time you come across what may appear to be a “funny old duck” try looking for their specialness. You may be blessed beyond measure.

Finally, remember what was said about Jesus. Many thought him to be someone or something other than the Messiah; he was cruelly treated and called many names. He was feared, lied about, misunderstood and finally put to death.

While at the grocery store earlier this week I ended up on the same aisle with a dear friend. Her husband passed away about two years ago. She is elderly and was stocking up for the big freeze we were expecting here in Northeast Oklahoma. I have been pretty good about calling her or visiting her, but with the holidays I let other things get in the way.

We chatted for a few minutes and she said she was getting along fine and mentioned that she talks to her cat and he never says a word. That really made me sad, and ashamed of myself for not being more diligent about staying in touch. I got “it”, she was very lonely.

Loneliness is a terrible thing. We can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. It’s important for us to know that we matter to someone else and if we have times when we feel as if we don’t matter…that’s not good!

I am reminded of the following lyrics-

One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It’s the loneliest number since the number one

I would like to encourage and remind all of us to remember those who are alone, regardless of their age. A visit, phone call or even a card can put a smile on another’s face and bring a bit of joy into their day.

A lawyer asks Jesus “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:29-37

I wonder how the priest and the Levite, both religious officials justified going out of their way to ignore the man who had been beaten nearly to death and robbed? Yet a Samaritan stopped to help him, put him on his animal and paid the equivalent of two days salary and more if needed, for a room for him until he was well enough to get back on the road. (Remember, Jews thought it unthinkable to associate with Samaritans).

I am so guilty of being the Priest and the Levite and treating others as “non-neighbors”. Too many times I have seen cars on the side of the road with a flat tire or the hood up and I have kept on driving. I justify my actions in many ways and I will list the most common ones I use. I have also seen “the down and out” and walked on by.

1. I’m afraid to stop
2. I’m running late
3. They probably have a cell phone and have already called for help
4. I don’t know how to change a tire and I’ m not a mechanic
5. I might get robbed or worse

Those of us who “justify” know the list is endless. For the record I have stopped and I have helped on many occasions, still there are many times I haven’t and to be honest with you I wonder if it is something I am going to have to answer for.

I pray that I will come to a point in my Christian walk that someday I will have the attitude that “What I have, God has given to me, so I’ll share it.” I pray also that my faith will be increased and that my fears will be replaced with complete trust.

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Gal 5:14

Larry does many “little things” for me. Little to him… enormous to me. He washes the windows for me and he usually does it when he knows I will be gone for a while because he likes to surprise me. He paints my toenails if I ask him to and he even mops. He shakes his head at me when I share these things, and he never ever blows his own trumpet. I love him so much that I have to sing my own praises of him once in a while.

Holds on guys…if you’re going WHAT???  He is not a twig…he is a mighty oak. He is a man of character and integrity. He is a man after God’s heart. He does those things for me because he knows it makes me happy, and believe me he is a 10 + when it comes to making me happy. We will be married 29 years in July and he still makes my heart skip a whole lot of beats.

I’ll tell you what else he does that makes me happy. He prays for me, for our friends and he prays for people he has never met. Have you ever thought about how absolutely awesome it is when someone is praying for you?  That is a real “biggie” to me. Someone talking to God about me or for me. That’s huge! He writes little love notes to me and hides them around the house, sometimes I don’t find them for weeks or months. When I do find them, I feel like a school girl with a crush, giggly and giddy. I could write pages on all the things he does for me and for many others.

Many other little things that touch my heart are: answering the phone and hearing my daughters on the other end, or hearing my grandkids. Cards, phone calls and words of encouragement from friends. Children at church who give me hugs and wet kisses, teens that put their arms around me and say “I love you”. A note of thanks on my mothers day card, not only from my daughter but from my son-in-law too. Surprise pictures sent from my other son-in-law. E-mails from family and friends, both near and far. Text messages from my niece and grandkids.

I’m a bit of a pack-rat and a sentimentalist. That’s a dangerous combination. I have kept cards given to me since I was in the fourth grade. I have saved almost every birthday card, get well card, anniversary card and ‘thinking of you’ card ever sent to me. I have told my husband and kids they can do what they want with them after I’m gone, but until then, I’m hanging on to them. I get them out ever so often and I read them, cry over them (tears of happiness) and I take long walks down memory lane. They still bless me after all these years. I literally have boxes and boxes of cards.

 All of these occasions are not random acts of kindness, often they are deliberate, and they are opportunities put into action. I know from reading the many blogs I visit;  the things you write about are blessing my life and countless others.

I’m recalling these things because it’s easy to overlook deeds of love; it’s easy to take things and people for granted amidst the busyness of life. I shared with you yesterday that we lost a dear friend, and it reminds me how important it is to show those we love how much we love them. Lessons are learned and lessons are taught, in life and in death.

I don’t want to miss this opportunity to say I love you and Thank You to my family and friends. I am so blessed all of you are a part of my life.

What puts a smile on your face? What has someone done for you that is imprinted in you memory?

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

God is so amazingly wonderful, about halfway through writing this post the doorbell rang, we were not expecting anyone.  There stood Donnie and Debbie… who moved from our town a couple of years ago. Larry and I were absolutely thrilled to see them. We are still “glowing” from there visit. We love them so much and having them stop to visit truly blessed our day.