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Savor the Small Stuff too?

/ Bill Jones / 41 Comments
Foundation for a new house

Image via Wikipedia

Recent sports headlines:

“Blackhawk rookies have much to savor in victory over Sabres.”

“Patriots savor victory a little longer.”  (Obviously before the Super Bowl!)

“Nets can savor this victory over Pistons.”

The other day I walked out the back door, didn’t foresee any great victories ahead like those in the headlines, but savored the day ahead anyway. Taking a phrase from Zechariah 4:10, I looked forward to a “day of small things.”

“Then he (an angel) said to me (Zechariah), “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!'”  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” Zechariah 4:6-10

This passage refers to the time after the Israelites returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. The foundation of the second Temple had been laid, but rather than rejoicing, many of the people were discouraged because it was smaller than Solomon’s Temple (which was destroyed during the exile). Those discouraged ones were despising the day of small things.

However, God, in effect, said, “This is just the beginning. Stand back and watch!”- telling them the Temple would be completed and would be the House of God. The Lord had appointed Zerubbabel to lead the construction, and, with the Lord’s strength and help, he laid the foundation. Moreover, the victory would come and there would be rejoicing when Zerubbabel lined it up and set the top stone in place.

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            The victories in the sports headlines came from many days of small things: Days of practice, running, weightlifting, and sitting there studying their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

Our lives are also filled with days of small things. But, the exciting part can be that we don’t know which of those are the beginnings of victories. We buy seeds and plant a garden. We hold a musical instrument, hammer, or crochet hook for the first time. We meet a new friend. As a writer, we read a Scripture verse, hear a phrase or see something that gives us an idea. With God’s strength and help, these all may lead to victories.

As with Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the Temple, God often uses small things as the beginnings of His victories: The strings and stakes are laid out for the foundation of a new church. A thought burdens your heart that you should help with a particular ministry, or assist a family in need. An unbelieving friend or relative asks you a sincere question about Jesus. (Think of your own examples to add to this list.)

We can, and should, savor the victories God gives us (and remember all victories are from Him). Nevertheless, a day of small things should be savored too (and not despised); we need to stand back and watch, because we don’t know what great works God has begun that day.

“And he (Jesus) said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 ESV

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This post is part of the Christian Writers blog chain. Our theme for this month is “Savor”. Please see the list to the right and visit my friends’ blogs to see what they have to say about this topic.

How To Avoid Armadillo Thinking

/ Bill Jones / 6 Comments
armadillo

armadillo (Photo credit: linsuehoo)

As I walked down from the deck on the back of our house, I noticed a hole under the bottom step. Since we regularly have them as unwanted visitors, and their habits are now familiar, it was clear an armadillo was the culprit. It had spent some time digging to get behind the steps. I don’t know if the critter hoped to find a good hiding place or thought there might be a better food supply available.

I chuckled when I thought about it, because the steps are open on each side. If he had walked two feet over either way, he could have simply gone around and ended up in the same location with a lot less trouble. I wondered if he worked and worked, made it through, and felt a surge of triumph (maybe a fist pump and a YESSSSSS! or a little dance with his front paws in the air like “Rocky” at the top of the steps). Then, he looked around, saw the open sides and slapped his forehead: “Duh! I coulda’ just gone around!” Most likely, that didn’t happen. Most likely, he didn’t learn a thing.

I can fall into the same mode of thinking as that armadillo. A task needs doing and sometimes I take off in the first direction I think of. Often, a little pondering (as I like to say) and looking around would provide an easier solution.

A second problem with the “first thought” approach is that once I get started, it’s hard to stop or change direction. (“I’m gonna do it my way if it kills me!”) That could just be a “man” thing, but I think I’ve seen women operate that way too – so it could be a “human” thing.

So, as we face our next problem, what should we do to avoid “armadillo thinking”?

  1. Take a little time to ponder. Take a little time to pray. Pondering and praying go well together.
  2. Get some guidance – others who have faced the same problem can provide encouragement and sensible advice, and God’s Word is always our best resource.
  3. Choose the direction or method to pursue – inaction rarely solves a problem (although that’s sometimes my first response, it never works). So, with prayer and guidance, we need to choose a course of action and go.
  4. Continue observing progress and be ready to stop or change direction if prudent – as we follow our plan, we can find new information or encounter obstacles. If we need to make changes in our plan, that’s the time to do it.

In closing, we can add one more: If, after awhile, we end up slapping our forehead and saying:”Duh! I coulda just gone around!” – we can chuckle a bit at our oversight, learn from it, and take it with us as we continue to the next step we need to take (or go under or around).

 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Proverbs 4:26 ESV

Please, Lord, Make it Real!

/ Bill Jones / 2 Comments
prayer..

prayer.. (Photo credit: aronki)

“Please, Lord, make it real!”

I find myself praying that when I realize all the ways I fall short of where I need (and want) to be. “Real” can mean several positive things – like good, right, pure, strong, or genuine. When I ask God to make it real, I’m not shunning my responsibilities and saying it’s all up to Him. I am acknowledging that without His help and power I am helpless to do anything.

Please, Lord, make it real –

Make my anger a righteous anger for Your Name and Your Word – not just pettiness because someone offends me or has a different opinion than I do.

Make my compassion be from the depths of my heart and carried out with action – not shallow and within myself

Make my passion a passion for Christ and His righteousness – not for material things

Make my love a willingness to sacrifice with no thought of gain – not a simple emotion in response to others treating me well

Make my trust in You Rock solid through all times, good and bad – not just an “oh, well” or a “whatever”, or only evident when things go well.

The Bible tells of a father who brought his demon-tortured son to Jesus with the hope He could heal him. He asked that if Jesus was able to do anything, would He have compassion and help them? Jesus replied that if he believed, all things were possible, and the man cried out in tears “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24 NKJV).

Lord, I believe. Please, make it real in every aspect of my life.

Warm Up With God to Start the Day

/ Bill Jones / 8 Comments

Birds Greeting the Sunrise

The picture above shows birds sitting together in the river birch tree in our backyard. This is an everyday sight during winter, as they wait patiently for the sun to come up over the tall pines on the horizon. When the sunshine hits them, they sit still and puff themselves up to expose as much of their body to the warmth as possible. It looks like they want to absorb all they can to warm up after the cold night, and get ready for the day.

Some of the birds stay longer than others, but one by one, they apparently decide they’re ready, and fly down to the feeders or make the flight to the woods to start their day.

It makes me think of our need to warm up and get ready for the day. I’m not referring to temperature, though. I’m writing of our need to start the day by getting close to our Lord and letting Him warm us.

Like the birds, some of us may be able to spend more time doing that than others. I know some who get up early to make sure they have the time before things get busy. Or perhaps some have other activities that they are able to combine with time with God (something that doesn’t interfere with the communication). I’ve heard of others who get through the early morning rush and then grab a cup of coffee and  sit down for Bible Study and prayer.

There are many different ways we can get close to God and prepare for the day. I encourage us all to choose whatever time and method works best for us, and follow the birds example and take a few minutes to bask in His warmth.

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalms 143:8 NIV

Do you have a way you get close to God to start the day?

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