Discipleship

This whole week has been hard for me to even get motivated to go into my studio.  I’m wore out, is what I’ve been saying all week.  I’m wore out from all the kids, the constant dramas, the stealing (from my store), the wasted supplies (in my store), the lack of money.  I know I’m being a whiner this week.  Most of the time, I’m fine.  I basically laid in bed until 10 or 11 everyday this week, going in late.  There were always people there waiting for me; “where have you been,” or “why weren’t you here earlier?” etc and etc.   Like I said to one of the kids, “Grandma is tired!”   Also, like I said to someone else, “my fun-factor is down.”

What blows me away is how ‘loud’ God speaks to me, how often, and through various sources.  

Yesterday’s devotional:

Our Daily Bread, Aug. 7, 2014, Eph. 4:1-12

In the book God in the Dock, author C.S. Lewis describes the kind of people we have trouble getting along with.  Selfishness, anger, jealousy, or other quirks often sabotage our relationship with them.  We sometimes think, Life would be so much easier if we didn’t have to contend with such difficult people.

Lewis then turns the tables on us by pointing out that these frustrations are what God has to endure with each of us every day.  He writes: “You are just that sort of person.  You also have a fatal flaw in your character.  All the hopes and plans of others have again and again shipwrecked on your character just as your hopes and plans have shipwrecked on theirs.”  This self-awareness should motivate us to try to show the same patience and acceptance to others that God shows to us daily.

In Ephesians, Paul exhorts us to arm ourselves relationally “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (v2).  The one who is patient is better able to deal with a difficult person without becoming provoked to anger and retaliation.  Instead, he or she is able to endure, exhibiting grace in spite of upsetting behavior.

Are there difficult people in your life?  Ask God to show His love through you. – Dennis Fisher

See others as God sees you.

On the up-side, our garden is doing great – even though there have been serious thunderstorms all week, with hail.  We’ve eaten a lot of zucchini – deep fried (awesome), layered in a casserole (olive oil, lentils, onions, peppers, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and various spices).  There will probably be cucumbers to pick by next week.  Since there has been a ton of rain (I was surprised on how much this desert has!), there are a ton of weeds to take out!  William is finally feeling better, so he’s been out there.

We’ve been here a year; the whole adventure has been way over our heads, but God has brought us this far and will get us to the end – we have faith in that since He’s the one who told us to do this!  It’s been excessively rough this week for me not only because of the drama in the studio, but also because William has been laid up with his back, both rents are due, the electric bill (both places) are 2 months late, we haven’t gone grocery shopping in ages, and I’m wondering why I’m doing all this.  Of course, I know God wants us to go through this to learn perseverance and patience (James 1:3, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:7), how to get through tough things when all odds are against us, etc. and etc. so we can learn to fight.

God has told us that we aren’t done here yet, there is still more to do.  I don’t know all of it, just some, but God is always clear to us when it is time to move on.  We have a sketch of an idea about when (after the first of the year to spring time) and where we will go next; to the Rogue Valley for a few months, Coos Bay for several months (for William to write his book and for a time of rest), then off to Crescent City for several months (we know there will be a big work there).  I very much hope that God provides that motor home by the time we leave – we only want a class C, 26-30 foot.  We plan to live simple and travel light.  Either way, I just need to remain patient and continue the work here, until it is time to leave.  I know that all that we need will be provided.

Last week, some neighbors moved out.  I had a multitude of conversations with them especially over the past (almost) year, and I hope whatever I said may have impacted them and they turn their lives back to God.  She was raised by a very strict Pentecostal grandmother and grew to hate ‘religion’.  I told her being a disciple of Jesus and religion – especially with that legalism thrown in, were not the same thing.    Like William always says, “we may be given a minute, or a day, or even a lifetime to speak the right words or show the right actions with a person, the rest is up to God.”  We all have to remember that we don’t have to save the world (that’s Jesus’ job), we just need to be a Godly example to those around us.  We are all to be missionaries to our neighborhoods – we are ALL called to be evangelists – who is willing to listen and obey!

That reminded me of a devotional from several months ago:

Our Daily Bread, April 26, 2014, 2 Chronicles 12:1-8

The video starts with a puppy at the top of the stairs afraid to go down.  Despite much encouragement from people cheering at the bottom, Daisy can’t figure it out.  She wants so badly to join them, but fear keeps her pacing the landing.  Then a bigger dog comes to help.  Simon runs up the steps and then back down, showing Daisy how easy it is.  Daisy is not convinced.  Simon tries again.  This time more slowly.  Then he watches Daisy try again.   But Daisy still is too scared.  Once again Simon goes to the top and demonstrates the technique.  Finally Daisy dares to let her back legs follow the front ones.  Simon stays behind her.  She makes it.  Everyone celebrates!

What a beautiful picture of discipleship.  We spend much of our time trying to teach others to climb up, but the more important, and more difficult, thing to learn is how to ‘go down.’  Throughout Scripture we read that God desires humility of us.  Because the people of Judah humble themselves, the Lord said, “Therefore I will not destroy them” (v7).

On numerous occasions, God demonstrated humility by coming down (Ex. 3:7-8; 19:10-12; Micah 1:3).  Finally God sent Jesus, who spent His life teaching the technique we are to follow (Phil. 2:5-11). – Julie Ackerman Link

No one will learn anything at all unless he first learns humility.