a child of god
this is the way, run in it
We've just finished a Bank Holiday Monday, over here in the United Kingdom. And back in my home country, the United States of America, they were also having Monday off for Memorial Day. It's one of the few Monday holidays that we share, for different reasons.
Ian and I really enjoyed yesterday. Looking back on it, I've been pondering on the skill of taking time off. I had to learn how to do that. As an American, our work ethic and shorter vacation/holiday allowances once we hit the work force meant that I had to get used to taking time off. When Ian and I got married and he took it for granted that we would take a whole 2 weeks time off for our honeymoon, I was shocked! Ha, ha. That seemed extravagant to me, as often early on in careers in the USA we only have 2 weeks time off a year. It seemed like a huge splurge to me, right at the beginning of our married life together. We will have been married for 12 years in June. I have learned a lot of lessons during that time, and one of them is that people are worth investing time in. We all know what it is like to have a list an arm long of things we need to do, people we'd like to see and touch base with, and God tasks we need to prepare for. But that list should not take precedence over the people God has given us to love and live with. I had to learn that and I got to practice it yesterday. :) This morning, Psalm 127 was in my bible reading line up, and it reminds us/tells us that we can't make something happen that will be a blessing by hard work and toil alone. We need God's hand on it, His blessing. The Psalm says this, "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for God gives to His beloved even in his sleep." I love that! I love it that God wants to be in the middle of what we are doing, and that He will give to us what we need even as we sleep. So just as it is ok to go to sleep, and trust that God will help us and provide what we need, it is ok to down tools for a day and take a break off to rest and play with our people that God has given us. He is in that too. He created the first sanctified day of rest, anyway - way back when He created the world. Now this doesn't mean we aren't responsible to Him to be good workmen, preparing ahead of time and working towards the goals and in the jobs He has given us. We should. But, it does mean that there is a balance in life. And that people are important. I'm thankful that Ian and I took the day off yesterday together. We worked hard in the morning out on the allotment. He was netting our gooseberry, red currant and black currant berry bushes - to keep their fruit safe from the birds. I was digging over a bed and planting out the courgettes (zucchini for you Americans!) from the greenhouse. We enjoyed being out in the back garden together, and cooking and eating dinner together, in that slower pace of life that days off bring. It was good. God was in it with us. He blessed us. And today, it's back to work - the proper cycle of life that God says in His word is good for us. I'm thankful to God for teaching me how to get this balance of life right, and for being in it with us.
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I've just finished reading the book of Ezekiel, in my read-through-the-bible plan. And instead of breathing a sigh of relief, as some might, I say - I'd like to be like Ezekiel. And I'll tell you why.
A lot of people, when you mention the prophet Ezekiel, say, oh that poor man! The things he had to do. And he did have some difficult, and some disgusting, tasks to perform for God as God's spokesman during his time period. For a reason, I hasten to add! God always has a reason. And the reason was God was trying to get through to His stubborn, sinful, willful and hard of hearing people. The reason I say I'd like to be like Ezekiel is he was privileged. Yes, privileged. He got to see the glory of the LORD God almighty, not just once at the river Chebar, but three times. He saw when the glory of the LORD departed from the temple, from the midst of God's people, because of their sin, and he got to see the prophetic vision of the glory of the Lord when He enters the temple again in the Millennial Kingdom, after Jesus comes back. Not only that, but Ezekiel has seen in visions things that no one else has seen yet - they are yet to happen - like the river of life flowing from the Millennial temple. He was the first person to see these things, because He served God faithfully. He had the privilege of being the first to see what God was going to do, on down the line. For people like Ezekiel, though, and the sons of Zadok, priests to the LORD God mentioned in chapters 40:46; 44:15-16, 23-28, it was the nearness of God, being in His presence that was their reward. That is why they did what they did - serve Him faithfully no matter what the people around them did. And God saw that and He will give them their proper reward - they will get to minister to Him, be in His presence, stand before Him, teach the people the difference between the holy and the profane, and have God Himself as their inheritance. For Ezekiel as well, who was scorned and not listened to for most of his prophetic service, God says, in Chapter 33, v. 33, "So when it comes to pass - as surely it will - then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst." God will vindicate Ezekiel. He says so, and God keeps His promises. I think that is a lovely and loving gesture from God to Ezekiel. That sort of validation only God can give. It's like when God says to you, or to me, "You are Mine." God claims, protects and cherishes His own. So the next time you have to read Ezekiel, think about the amazing visions he saw, how God revealed some of His glory to Ezekiel, His servant, His prophet. And consider what God might want to say or reveal to you, today. And for what purpose. For any of that to happen, though, we have to have our eyes and ears on God, and give Him our time and attention. He's worth it! This year has been so full of change and we are only in May! Sunday, we held the leaving service for one of my vicar bosses and his wife. They are off, to South Africa, to work as pastoral peeps for the ministry that Mercy Air does there and in the surrounding countries. This has been a growing, dawning realization of a calling for them from God. He snuck up on them! I love that. But they responded to God's call by saying, Yes, Lord. I'm so proud of them for stepping out of the boat, out onto the waters with Jesus. I said to them, if Jesus comes back next year, He will find you being obedient and in the place where He called you to. What could be better than that?
But for those of us left behind, there is loss, there is sadness that we don't get to be an active (and annoying for some of us!) part of their lives. We will miss them. Monday morning in the office came and there was no Nigel, coming through the door, saying "Get to work!" and then the "What is it we need to do today?" I'm going to miss Erin's outspoken wisdom and challenges. And her food! I wonder if the disciples felt that, too? The loss, the lack of that person with whom they had had so much to do and who taught them pearls of wisdom from heaven - something no one else could do. (I can hear Nigel laughing now - pearls of wisdom, huh?! My answer to that is, yes, and I know you find that hard to believe.) They were grieving a death, which we aren't. We get to rejoice for Nigel and Erin and follow their journey in this new season of life and ministry. But they felt the loss, and we do, too. There's also a sort of milling about time period. We are milling about, getting ourselves reorganized in the parish office, figuring out who will do what, and what that will look like. We have a good team. But as with any family of God, we need to work together. I'm praying that God gives us His grace, His kindness, His heart for each other through this process. There is also the anticipation of what's to come. What new life, what new season, will come from God for us in the parish of Pype Hayes, the deanery of Aston? Considered by some to be lowly, urban poor, dysfunctional - I'll tell you what I have to say about that. On Sunday, I spoke with one lady from Pype Hayes who comes and cleans the church, who always has a smile on her face, even though there are troubles in her life, and who loves me, the parish administrator, out of the generosity of her heart, not for anything I have ever done. I spoke with people from the congregation of Aston Parish Church who attended, and they all had smiles on their faces, too, and they were eager to share names and stories, and were truly interested in those at Pype Hayes. And I saw an elderly lady in a wheel chair come up during the prayer time for Nigel and Erin, and she held out her pale, thin hands to hold Nigel's and Erin's, and she prayed a blessing over them. She knew them before Nigel became a curate. It is for people like that Jesus died and rose again. And it is for people like that I serve in my lowly post of parish administrator. I hope to be found faithful by Him through this changeable time, by His grace, helping steady our small, leaky boat, as we sail with Jesus. Because, Yes! We get to sail with Jesus! He's like that! He's awesome. He comes and is with us in small and large gatherings - He doesn't care about size. He comes for His own. He walks amongst us. Isn't He lovely? And we never have to say goodbye to Him. I was out weeding my raspberry patch at the allotment today. It was a great day to get at it, as it wasn't so hot and bright that it made the labor harder. I hadn't weeded the raspberry bed all winter, and it showed! The grass had crept in and taken hold. Weeds that are easy to oik out when small were tougher to get out - especially without damaging the new raspberry shoots that are putting out their flower heads to form fruit from. (How's that for some alliteration?)
And it occurred to me, tonight, that our hearts and lives are like that. If we don't work on weeding out the things that aren't of God, that aren't edifying, good, true, of Him, if we don't get rid of them quickly when they are small, they are harder to get out later. Nothing is too hard for God, of course, but He wants our cooperation. And sometimes we feel like it is too hard, too much effort, when we have let the roots take hold, the bad habits form. But that raspberry bed today! After I had worked over it for about an hour and a half, the fruit plants could feel the sun, they could benefit from the light, the ground around them was clear and they had room to display their flowers where fruit will flourish later. The Lord said to me at the beginning of this year, "Get lighter." And He meant in many different areas. Lighter, with open empty hands, and a heart larger for Him to fill, so I can run with Him. That raspberry bed is lighter now, and healthier. I want to be, too. It's worth the effort. He's worth the effort. Can you hear Him calling you now? Let's go! |
Franci Ballwatching and working for the kingdom of God in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - UK Archives
January 2019
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