I have found that a true test for how I'm doing spiritually can be found in examining my actions but even more so in my reactions. I can carefully think through my actions. But reactions seem to be a truer test of what is bottled up in my heart.
Living with 4 teenagers, one nine year old princess, a hunk of a husband, two dogs, and I'm sure a mouse or two... provides me with lots of reactions to examine. Just this morning I discovered that someone decided to make pizza in the late evening hours. That is fine. However, they also decided that my planner would be a perfect place upon which to rest their greasy, cheesy, saucy slice of pizza.
April of 2008 will now officially be my greasy month. Every time I turn to write in an appointment for this forth month, I will have to navigate around spots that my pen refuses to mark over. I mean really people... I hate sending notes to school with grease stains. It just smacks of unclean counter tops. And now I have to tote my planner around with residue of a pizza slice from back in February smeared about?
Hmmmmffffff!!!!!
Back to what is bottled up in my heart... have you ever shaken a bottle of coke? I mean really like danced to that song, "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" kind of shaking. Yes, and then just ever so slightly twisted the cap. It only takes the smallest opening and carbonated sugar will spray everywhere.
I can identify with the coke bottle.
Someone spilled super glue on my hardwood floors and half heartedly tried to clean it by smearing it into an absolute mess... shake, shake, shake.
Someone didn't care to notice that their cherry tomato somehow rolled from their salad onto my white chair. The next poor soul that sat down created a slight tomato explosion... shake, shake, shake.
The video store just called to inform me that I have once again purchased a video that no one seems to remember renting... shake, shake, shake.
April is supposed to be the month of flowers and gentle spring showers. Mine will look and smell like old grease... shake, shake, shake.
Sometimes I feel like I get shaken and shaken and shaken and shaken... and then pity that person who tries to twist my top ever so slightly. Unless I sit and let the Lord diffuse my shaken carbonated heart, I will spew.
That's why it is essential for me to meet with Jesus every morning. Every single morning...seriously... I can't miss a day. Sitting with Jesus I gain a perspective beyond myself. He helps me see the blessings in the messies. He fills my heart with compassion and a gentleness that is beyond my ability to just conjure up.
In Matthew 12: 34-35 Jesus says, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil out of the evil stored up in him."
I do want my kids to be more responsible and aware of their sometimes careless actions. But I must set an example for them in the way I react. Just this morning, about the time I discovered my greasy April, I was challenged with Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Oh how I want this to be the hallmark of my mouth!
I'm off to ponder some gentle answers. I guess I'll try to limit the shaking to my stellar dance moves.
Living with 4 teenagers, one nine year old princess, a hunk of a husband, two dogs, and I'm sure a mouse or two... provides me with lots of reactions to examine. Just this morning I discovered that someone decided to make pizza in the late evening hours. That is fine. However, they also decided that my planner would be a perfect place upon which to rest their greasy, cheesy, saucy slice of pizza.
April of 2008 will now officially be my greasy month. Every time I turn to write in an appointment for this forth month, I will have to navigate around spots that my pen refuses to mark over. I mean really people... I hate sending notes to school with grease stains. It just smacks of unclean counter tops. And now I have to tote my planner around with residue of a pizza slice from back in February smeared about?
Hmmmmffffff!!!!!
Back to what is bottled up in my heart... have you ever shaken a bottle of coke? I mean really like danced to that song, "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" kind of shaking. Yes, and then just ever so slightly twisted the cap. It only takes the smallest opening and carbonated sugar will spray everywhere.
I can identify with the coke bottle.
Someone spilled super glue on my hardwood floors and half heartedly tried to clean it by smearing it into an absolute mess... shake, shake, shake.
Someone didn't care to notice that their cherry tomato somehow rolled from their salad onto my white chair. The next poor soul that sat down created a slight tomato explosion... shake, shake, shake.
The video store just called to inform me that I have once again purchased a video that no one seems to remember renting... shake, shake, shake.
April is supposed to be the month of flowers and gentle spring showers. Mine will look and smell like old grease... shake, shake, shake.
Sometimes I feel like I get shaken and shaken and shaken and shaken... and then pity that person who tries to twist my top ever so slightly. Unless I sit and let the Lord diffuse my shaken carbonated heart, I will spew.
That's why it is essential for me to meet with Jesus every morning. Every single morning...seriously... I can't miss a day. Sitting with Jesus I gain a perspective beyond myself. He helps me see the blessings in the messies. He fills my heart with compassion and a gentleness that is beyond my ability to just conjure up.
In Matthew 12: 34-35 Jesus says, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil out of the evil stored up in him."
I do want my kids to be more responsible and aware of their sometimes careless actions. But I must set an example for them in the way I react. Just this morning, about the time I discovered my greasy April, I was challenged with Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Oh how I want this to be the hallmark of my mouth!
I'm off to ponder some gentle answers. I guess I'll try to limit the shaking to my stellar dance moves.
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