Spotlight on

Service.

One of the memory verses that stuck from Sunday School:

"Col. 3:23 Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men"

The child like understanding of this verse is still something I need to be reminded of regularly at my adult age. We weren't told to do only the difficult things as unto the Lord, or only the easy things as unto the Lord, but whatever we do. Yikes. Talk about the burden of responsibility...
Something I've only been able to grasp in my adulthood however, is the liberty this command brings.
Often times when I am in the midst of a difficult task I will often try to think of 'good' reasons I should NOT resent the task. For example, when cleaning up after someone else. (We should all sit down right now and write our mothers thank you notes.) I often reason "there are times I have to run out the door myself and leave a mess behind, so I should give grace and mercy." or "they are so busy and have a lot on their plate." While these sound like noble things and may improve the spirit in which I am acting, there are moments those reasons just don't cut it. Sometimes the task at hand is something I abhor, and no amount of gratitude or cheering up make the task seem worthwhile- especially when I am serving someone I am at odds with.
The little voice in my head can logically weed out every single reason I should NOT do the task at hand and either leave it or refuse it. Either way, the task becomes a problem for someone else. That is 1-irresponsible 2-NOT the heart of a servant.
Here is the root of my problem. My motivation is human oriented. I find my motivation in what I am doing for man, not the Lord. As unto the Lord, with all my soul- that is my command. The Lord is worthy of all honor and glory... and when the task at hand becomes an opportunity to bring Him these things, suddenly there's a certain joy that floods the heart. The mundane becomes an act of service for the God who gives us so much. It's the spirit in which we act that makes all the difference. How much more zeal and effort is there in something done as unto the Lord? The reward and satisfaction then are priceless because the knowledge that you are serving your maker is something no one else can evaluate. Greater still is the knowledge that He knows and sees your heart and effort-He receives the gift of service. That is so much greater a reward than any human accolade or recognition, because the things of God are eternal. Your work as unto the Lord will be forever a step in the molding of a heart that is being refined as gold.

For your entertainment

Next time you're in the mood for a snappy romantic comedy, I suggest this one from the vaults:
Adam's Rib.
Battle of the sexes meets courtroom antics. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy duke it out as opposing lawyers in a case of "Woman attempts to shoot husband and mistress but botches up and now they want to take her kids". Hepburn defends the woman, Tracy the man. The best part, they're a married couple that happen to be madly in love.
Hepburn and Tracy paired up a few times, and this is my favorite of those films. The Ease and mutual respect they held for each other make their on-screen chemistry a thing of beauty.
Kate and Spence were quite the professional pair, and people talked often of their work relationship-as well as their real life romantic entanglement. Katherine was enamored with Spencer and it was rumored she asked him to marry her, but he refused to leave his wife-though they were separated. (The act of faithfulness is attributed to his catholic roots)
That just makes the story of Adam's Rib all the more interesting. Above all things it truly is a fable about marriage and commitment. As the trial progresses, Amanda (Kate) and Adam(Spence) find the proceedings taking a toll on their life at home. Trust and pride become the issues that surface and threaten to sink the love boat these two have been sailing on happily. Who wins? Adam and Husband or Amanda and wife? The true twist isn't even the verdict.
An added bonus is a young Judy Holiday who was an unknown to film audiences at the time. Her role in Adam's Rib was actually a bid cooked up by Spencer and Tracy to get the studio heads to notice her and let her reprise her broadway roll in the film version of Born Yesterday(Which was re-made again in the 90's with Melanie Griffith.)

Spotlight on Illness

Being sick makes people miserable. At least it makes me miserable. There's the whole getting sick part, which is frustrating. The sinking sensation that all the vitamins and healthy things you throw into your system are an exercise in futility, because you are slipping still into the realm of the sick. Then there's the crash. Your body full on protests to any normal activity by taking all senses and making them difficult-the eyes are unfocused, the nose becomes not only useless, but a hindrance to sleeping as well as breathing, because snoring now enters the picture. These impediments are almost worse than not being able to do anything at all- because you still try to use these senses as if they were fully functional-which calls back the frustration. Then the coma like state of exhaustion, which turns to restlessness when your mind won't stop thinking about all the things you should be doing, but can't because you won't be able to complete them in a manner that is helpful or efficient-because your mind is cloudy-partly from medication, partly from exhaustion. Then the stir crazy-where you know you don't feel well, but you're done and bored with the just laying around and feeling useless. You have 2 options - still sit around and try to keep your active mind quiet, or become prematurely active and relapse.
The worst part of all however, is the loneliness. The loneliness is the worst because it breeds selfishness and pride, grows resentment from bitterness, stokes the fires of our tempers to produce anger. Loneliness can also speak dark things to us, and create a growth environment for insecurity and pain, which can open the door to the downward spiral staircase of depression. And to cope with this horrible foe-we turn to the things we've exercised to escape. The escapism of a television show or movie. Food that brings comfort. A video game that brings excitement- anything to leave the present state. Using these diversions to ignore the loneliness works less and less, so we do the logical thing and seek after these things more and more, turning the escapism into gluttony. Sure it's only for a few days, but when do we start picking up the slack again? Do we wait til we're no longer ill, or at least use that as an excuse?
Why turn to these things at all? Why can't the time instead be filled with seeping ourselves in the Lord? Listening more carefully for His voice. Praying, reading the Word- filling the time and myself with things that will build up the soul. Is it possible that the Lord even allowed this illness for this time to get my attention? If this is my trial, and I'm being tested, what a missed opportunity this would be. For if I were truly using this time wisely, the loneliness would not defeat me, because I'd be spending my time with someone of far greater worth than any diversion.

Spotlight on Patience

A friend of mine not too long ago told me a story about a day trip he took with his sister and nephew to the beach. As they wandered the sand, the toddler dropped his pacifier. His mother quickly picked it up and proceeded to wash it and clean off all the sand before she handed it back to her son; the child all the while loudly complaining and calling for his accessory. My friend then went on to say how in that moment he had seen a picture of what we so often are to God. Desiring the thing we know we want, and sometimes even sense just out of our reach, we can be loud and complaining to our Father God- calling for immediate attention and gratification. While God is making ready the things He has for us, we impatiently grab and tantrum through our emotional gales and endless imploring of "why?!?" Never mind that His timing is perfect, and His plans are greater than our imagining. We want it NOW, dern it!
Patience can be one of the most difficult virtues to come by. (I certainly am NO master.)
It isn't simply the process of deferring ones hope, but what to do in that time while waiting- that can be the most difficult to understand. How does one act in patience?
In Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. If you're unfamiliar with it, you can read it at biblegateway.com Lets look at verse 15.

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. ~NLT

But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. ~ NASB

But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (^[a]noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience. ~ AMP

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. ~ KJV

There is the promise of fruit. But in order to produce fruit, we are called to take the word of the Lord to heart. We are to keep it and cling to it, hold fast to it. It's not only to be something we use as a reference, tool, and guide, but something we have a sense of dependency on- to hold fast, purposefully bonding ourselves to and relentlessly digging into. With the word we are to take it, and live out lives that are just, noble, virtuous, honest. In fact, it is the word that enables us to have any of those qualities. It is by searching and living out the word of God that we can persevere. It is only after living this life of patience and perseverance that we can hope for and expect fruit - which we are indeed promised.
So my time while I wait for the things God has promised me is to be filled with me searching the Word of God, and living it out. It's as simple as that. Trusting His perfect will and timing. Letting Him refine the things out of sight that I seek.
So in the moments of doubt, the question isn't so much "What is He DOING!? with my life? Where are the things He's spoken to me?" but more "Am I living as I'm called to? Can I say I cling to and keep the word of the Lord in my heart, mind, body, thought and deed?" Or am I just a toddler throwing a tantrum for a dirty binky that's being prepared for me? If I did get that binky at the exact moment I demanded it, my mouth would be filled with sand and other unpleasant things.

His timing is perfect.

Be patient.

Hello

Here goes... testing testing 1 2 3... well, how's it from out there? Good? good.
Hey out there and welcome to the spotlight. Where I'll shine a light on whatever happens to suit my fancy at the moment. In this moment it is.... nothing in particular. That will probably change... very soon.