ONE MORE

I do get phone calls, asking if I will help another child or teen to get up to speed, concerning what is behind our faith.  I never tire of these calls. Rather, I get excited, willingly ready to bring one more to the faith. I have found that I really do not bring only that one closer to God, I bring in the family. This has not my intention, yet I find what I say is then shared with others.  What a bonus from God!

Teaching about my faith is my passion. We all have passions. It may be the art of cooking, an art of helping another understand algebra, or an art of getting others involved in community service. I am blessed with the art of rhetoric, in the subject matter of how important God is in every moment of our lives. The more I understand about God, the more I want to share my knowledge with others. I go beyond the miracles of God, saying how we can have Him actively in our everyday lives.

I have been awed in how He has helped me; now I must awe others, through the Word  of God. It is fascinating to see how He is there, though we do not t expect Him to be. As I share my thoughts with others, it can bring an ‘aha!’ moment, or a smile on the face. All of us need a tap on the shoulder, telling us how God is there, even though we are not thinking about it at that specific moment.

All of us need to go beyond ourselves, seeing how we can help our brethren. Feel the touch of God, and reach out to others, through our words and through our actions. After all, we are to live our lives in the image of God. Take these words seriously.  Think about each thought, word or action taken. Is this how God wants us to deliver the message? Sometimes, we might catch ourselves, realizing what we are doing is really is not the way God wants us to be.  At these moments, we can only smile, asking God for forgiveness. If He sees our sincerity, we will be absolved, but we must continue on, living in the way God prefers.

I may be giving words of kindness to a nine year old, a 16 year old or someone who is 60. I never look at what I share as my words. They are what God has asked me to say. He continually talks to me, communicating His thoughts through me.  It is a privilege to share His Words. He has given me a gift, to make what He has to say to be of interest to others, to brighten their eyes, wanting them to spark an interest, excited to learn more.

I am not the only one with this gift.  Each person reading this has the same present. We have to do what God wants, not being timid to share His love for everyone. It is not always easy.  But, feel the strength of God, who is with us, no matter the second, minute, or hour of the day!!

CHANGES

There are different ways to respond to change. If it is a change of the seasons, there can be excitement, looking forward to what that particular season will bring. A change in careers might also bring excitement, or it may set the nerves stirring, unsure of if the new work environment will be a happy one .
If a member of a family passes away, there is another form of change. A void is there, one that is irreplaceable. Learning how to carry on without the loved one can cause considerable change in someone’s life. With the passing of an individual, there may also be changes for friends, classmates and coworkers. It can mean new seating arrangements, a change in the work distribution, and the possibility of a newly assigned workspace. Most importantly, emotions are strong, with changes happening in the lives of those left behind. My own daughter changed her college goals after the death of a friend this past summer, because of a drunk driver hitting her car, killing three other friends with her. Instead of going into her passion of singing, wanting to become involved in opera, she changed her major to social work, wanting to help any teen going through a struggle after losing a friend.
This leads into another change. Because of a change in her college major, she could change the lives of future teens after the death of a dear friend. God intervened here, we do believe, to have her reach out to others in a different way than previously planned. As parents, we have also changed, excited before about a career in opera, now emotional and proud of her, turning to a life of service.
Changes continue. However, at times, the change is not accepted very well. How many times do we enter a meeting, commuter train or bus, always taking the same placement at the table or the same chair in a specific row of seats, only to find someone new there, sitting in OUR SPOT! We are not happy about this. Just who do they think they are? After the meeting, there is still talk. How can someone take precedence when it is MY seat! It can throw off the whole day! I will just have to give a GLARE to this person…as if the person could understand the purpose of this look of anger!
One of the places where the blood pressure rises if ‘our seat’ is taken is at church. How funny it is, to think this is where we can we get quite emotional. Instead of welcoming the newcomer, we look at them with disdain. Here we are, in the house of God, being angry with our brethren, all over a seat! I would love to see the look on God’s face as we make our own faces and react through our words of demise, of not getting to sit where we always do. It can ruin the whole service. Everything looks different, including the people surrounding us. How can we make it through the hour? A shifting of the legs, arms folded across our chests, shows how unacceptable it is to have to make a move.
Rather, we should be glad to meet the people surrounding our new seats, enjoying the different ‘scenery.’ We might be surprised how the change can be good for us. In change, we can be refreshed, looking at something new. It is not the ‘same ol,’ ‘same ol,’ where we can almost forget where we are. With the change, we can observe things we had not noticed before, possibly something that could change our lives. Meeting a new ‘seatmate’ could lead to a new friendship. Instead of looking at it with such negativity, it is good to see the positive side of this change. It might even mean one would like to return once again to the new seat. Let the newcomers keep the previous, permanent spot. Enjoy the new surroundings. Of course, this may mean we have taken the spot of other ‘permanent residents!’ We can look at the other with a smile, reaching out our hands in greeting, or acknowledging with a nod as we show happiness on our faces. Another change is now occurring, as they find a new place to sit. Change can be good. It keeps the body going, giving a dose of refreshment, visiting God in a completely new light!
At the next meeting, class or church service you attend, think about taking a new seat. It is not good to get stuck in a rut. How can we grow if we stay in this rut? Take a different route to work this week! Sit at a different place at the table. Seriously think about sitting at a different place while at a church service! You can start just by moving a seat forward from where you usually are. Do not worry about what others will think. Think about yourself, how you want to be renewed! Others will be renewed, as you make the change to sit elsewhere and so must they. Imagine God’s smile as you decide to get to know Him through a different view! There is nothing like envisaging a smile from God!

TEA

I love to sip a cup of tea. It is most relaxing. I start my day with a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, using loose tea placed in a small , empty tea bag, made for such a purpose. Mid-morning, I might go for the Earl Grey tea, finding it soothing as I work on a hobby, read or plan a lesson. It can raise my spirits, leaving me calm and good -natured, getting my creative juices flowing.
Remaining in high spirits, it is time to tackle the laundry, clean up the kitchen and perform other mundane household duties. I usually have the house in silence as I work, taking this time to say prayers for those going through rough times and to have my conversations with God. My conversations are as if I was talking to my best friend, which in a way, I am! I may be expressing gratitude for the previous day’s activities, or telling Him how I will need to come up with the right words to use while teaching a class for my Church.
Time goes quickly by. After my lunch, I may finish it off with a cup of red bush tea. This gives me energy to start my afternoon plans. I will likely be venturing out to the Church, to facilitate an adult group of students, sharing what I have learned with them. Often, I bring my thermos cup of brown rice tea with me, to keep my voice from getting hoarse, while at the same time, giving me a bit of nourishment to remain at my high level of excitement as I teach.
The rest of the day zooms by. It may consist of working with one more religious ed. student out of my home, a child unable to make it to Church classes. I offer a cup of peppermint tea to my young lady, while I have apple cinnamon tea. We wrap our hands around our mugs, sipping them as we discuss together different Bible stories, curled up on the couch, facing one another as we converse.
Tea is something I would offer to all my groups of students while I was still teaching full time. They loved it, sipping green tea with honey as I taught. Some had never seen a teabag before, ripping it open to pour into their cups. They quickly learned from their peers how to use the teabag properly. These same young people came to visit me, years after they were in my class, asking for a cup of tea while we visited. What a nice way to reconnect, making a pause in a busy life, to sit and enjoy the company of another.
We tend to forget about the simple things in life, such as enjoying that cup of tea. God wants us to nourish our bodies and our souls, rather than rushing around so. It does not take long to enjoy a cup, but it can bring a long-lasting effect upon one. Others feel the calmness, responding in the same way, letting the tenseness leave the shoulders and neck. This calmness can be passed on to the next individual, and so forth. It is the way God’s world should be, rather than getting angry because of the slow driver in front of us, or the person who takes forever to write a check and post it in the ledger before allowing us to reach the clerk at the counter. Even picturing that cup of tea in a time of tenseness can let the anxiety dissipate.
Spoil yourself. It is actually okay! Go find a favorite mug and purchase some fun flavors of tea. Grab a relaxing book, take off the shoes, cozy up on the couch, sip your tea and enjoy the moment! It is just what God has ordered!

MY LIST

Several years ago, a friend shared with me what her son does when he says he will pray for another. He writes down the name of the person. What a splendid idea, I told her. Since then, I have done the same. I write the names in my prayer journal, not allowing me to lose my list. Someone I know may pass me on the sidewalk, asking me to pray for a daughter, son, parent or friend. I immediately ask the name of this loved one, writing it down. Later, as I run into the individual making the request, I can ask how this person is doing, addressing the individual by name. I usually get a look of surprise, that not only am I remembering the request, but also that I recall the person’s name within the request.
My prayer list grows continually. At times, I may add the name of the same person twice. One month, it may be for a particular reason, while several months later, it is for something completely different. I never let go of the previous names on the list; I figure the more prayers someone has, the more one may be blessed!
All of us say to another, “You’ll be in my prayers.” We go home, having a distant vision in our memory, of someone asking us for an extra prayer. It is easy to say, “God, pray for all of those people asking for an extra prayer.” Imagine how nice it is, to address these people by name! It allows me extra time to contemplate how special each of God’s creations is. At times, it is especially sad, knowing I am praying for a deceased member of the said family, such as a young teenager after having an unexpected illness, for a parent, or for someone going through the wraths of cancer.
Other times, I add names on my own. I will write individuals on my list, hearing of a trip they are about to take, an illness or the passing of someone dear to the family. Little do they know I have written down their names, thinking about them and asking God to help them carry their burdens, sadness and joys. Recently, I ran into someone whom I knew had been going through a hard time. I asked how she was doing, truly interested in the heavy loads she is carrying. In today’s busy world, it is easy to put everyone under one umbrella, rather than thinking of them as individuals with single concerns. Though she was rushed, she stopped to talk, as she was not used to someone showing interest in her sorrows.
It enlightened me, seeing how much it means to others, to show a personal interest in the concerns of another. My writing of the names is not for me; it is for those who are calling out extra prayers to God, in times of need. Think about writing down those names. You will see how much you grow in your words to God! You may be helping those in need more than you will ever know!