Be A Part of God's Work

Ezra 1:6

"And all the Jewish exiles who chose to remain in Persia gave whatever assistance they could, as well as gifts for the Temple."  The Living Bible

The Lord used King Cyrus of Persia, in the first year of his reign, to fulfill Jeremiah's prophecy to return the Israelites living in exile to Jerusalem and The Temple. He gave the opportunity of resettlement to the Israelites.  Any who choose to remain in his kingdom were given the opportunity to give goods and finance to support the rebuilding of the city and temple. The first chapter of Ezra reminds me that I have the God-given opportunity to participate in God's work.

First, recognize what God is doing.  We had a small "windfall" in our finances.  We could spend it on our current needs ten times over.  Dick felt God was calling us to give it away.  We'd discussed several options.  Then we ventured to a new community and knew exactly God's plan for our windfall.

Acknowledge our responsibility.  Cyrus acknowledged it was God who gave him the vast empire and thereafter had a responsibility.   It may not be a financial gift.  Sometimes those gifts are the easy gifts.  Recently I've had the opportunity to give from my daily life so others would find God's work in their own community. Many are puzzled by our lifestyle but it's what God has asked from us and fortunately we have seen the "fruits".

Do it.  Don't wait, ponder or consider.  When you know it's God calling do it!  I don't like to live with regret.  So when I know it's God calling, I've learned I'll be more comfortable and satisfied later in life if I've given when the opportunity is presented.   The day at the new community we couldn't wait to get in the car to discuss the destination of "the windfall."  We issued checks later that day!

Share the opportunity with others so they can participate in God's work.  This is my fourth step for a selfish reason.  Too often, I think: "here's a need. If I get enough others to give, then I won't have to make the sacrifice."  Like I said, I don't like regret.  I make sure I've fulfilled my commitment to the need before I share it with others.  This principle keeps my "head straight."

Keep a record to rejoice later.  This is my reward.  I enjoyed perusing my  photos.  These may not mean anything to you but each photo brings me satisfaction, sense of belonging and joy.

 

 

What might God be calling you to do today? Respond and Enjoy!

Give God Glory for the Milestones

2 Chronicles 1:6- "...Solomon sacrificed 1000 burnt offerings to the Lord."

"I'm glad to be here!"  For the past 16 years this is my answer  to the query "What are you grateful for?"  It was my answer this year in Round 1 of the Grateful questions.  My four year granddaughter liked the pre-Thanksgiving dinner activity that we did it five times!  It was refreshing to be challenged to come up with not just one grateful thought but five, and you couldn't repeat according to the four year old's rules.

My answer is well used.  I'm a cancer survivor so especially at holidays and anniversaries, I'm really glad to still be here!  I commemorate each year with a photo showing the number of years.  The year I needed a third hand to show the years, my friends from high school gathered in the Lake of the Ozarks with matching Tshirts, memories and my first pedicure! This year I was in Montpelier, Idaho and Paris, Utah on a family outing. 

I regularly post the celebration on Facebook but maybe I'm not thorough in giving God the credit for the gift of the past year's existence.  The verse in 2 Chronicles reminded me I'm glad to here today, in this minute and God made it possible!

Solomon had achieved his goals.  The preceding verses tell me Solomon was the undisputed ruler of Israel.  His family history was full of family drama and rebellion, the stuff soap operas are based.  Solomon had established his kingdom because the Lord had made him exceedingly great.

At this pinnacle of life and career, Solomon gathered the military leaders, judges, political leaders and priests to join him his celebration.  They met in Gibeon, a historically significant location for Israel's relationship with God, and he sacrificed 1000 burnt offerings. 

1000 burnt offerings was a great celebration, bigger than pink T-shirts or raspberry shakes. The Recipient of the gratefulness is the same and greater still. 

2 Chronicles 1:6 reminds me that God has established:

my "kingdom"

my life

my family

my days

my moments.

God, I'm glad to be here.  Thanks a bunch.

Determine Value The Blue Chair Way

1 Chronicles1:6 - "...the sons of Gomer, Ashkenaz, Diphath and Togarmah"

"19 cents!"  The price of a gallon of gasoline when I learned to drive.  (Yes,  I am that old, that's why I have recently retired.)  In those days the best place to buy gas was named "Gomer's".  Now that I live in the same metropolitan area, I need to drive by Gomer's and see how it looks all these years later.

I remember my inflated pride, insisting I pay for my own gas.  I don't recall my parents insisting.  I believe they would have given me gas money if I'd asked.  Instead, I felt more grown up paying my own way, in 19 cents a gallon increments.  Perhaps I thought others would see my value as an adult when I shopped and paid for my own gas.

I've spent the last several months wrestling with determining value.  Early this year, I made the decision to retire from my job.  My husband and I decided to relocate near family so we embarked on an adventure to downsize.  Yikes, what an ordeal and a lifetime of lessons!

Here's just one of the lessons I learned from our adventure.  Who determines value?

I needed to find new homes for most of our furniture.  It was a hodge-podge collection of hand-me-downs and treasures I'd picked from the curbs of strangers.  I had a bit of emotional attachment to each one.  To display my valued treasures I created a Facebook page.  To my surprise many of my valued possession found new homes. 

Yet my grandmother's chairs never found a new home.  I loved the round tufted backs.  I loved the fabric which I'd had them reupholstered.  I presented them with a great price, so I thought.  Unfortunately,  even when offered up for "free", no new home was found.

I negotiated  with my husband to get them a spot on the moving list. They made the first move to the temporary apartment.  Then I saw my beloved chairs in new light, literally.  The new location of the chairs had much better light. I saw they were worn and shabby.  The dogs claimed them as their own.  I didn't fight too hard to reclaim them as I realized they were not that comfortable.

My husband breathed a sigh of relief when I announced "The blue chairs are not making the trip."  Instead, a friend delivered them to a thrift shop.

The blue chairs remind me that sometimes we value through distorted memory.  Too often our memory and emotions don't consider the reality.  I had to move those chairs to a new situation, with better light, to see their true condition and potential. 

Hallelujah, God not only sees our value and condition but He also overlooks our condition and He determines our value.  He chose us in spite of value and condition. No matter how adult I act or look or how proud I am of my independence, God sees my worth in His eyes and gives me my potential and purpose.  The blue chairs taught me not to value worth with emotion or the opinion of others but to look to God, and God alone, for worth.

Determine value the blue chair way.