Ramblings and Object Lessons

Often when I think of Christians spreading the gospel, certain pictures come into my mind. One of the most common is the picture of a dandelion with the seeds, borne in the vapory arms of the wind, blowing to all corners of the world. But today, while preparing for Sabbath, a very different picture intruded into my thoughts. I say intruded, because I was rather fond of the ethereal dandelion picture and this one certainly wasn't filled with tranquil beauty.

I was sweeping the hallway, trying to corral the most obstreperous balls of cat hair I've ever seen. I still think long-haired cats are lovely, but I don't like sweeping their hair! I was beginning to get a bit irritated with the inanimate cat hairs when the picture intruded.

Maybe spreading the gospel is sort of like being a clump of cat hair. The lessons began to form themselves in my slow brain. (Remember, this blog is about my ramblings, so...)

1. Cat hairs are dead. They have no life in them whatsoever. In order to finish the work, God's people must be dead to self.

2. Cat hairs cannot reproduce themselves. They can only be produced by a cat. We cannot make anyone a Christian. And we shouldn't try to make someone be a copy of ourselves. Only God can produce a changed life. And the only one who should be copied is Jesus.

3. The presence of cat hair proves the presence of a cat in the vicinity. The presence of a Christian should prove the presence of the Christian's God, too.

4. How often does cat hair need to be swept up? Well, I could sweep every day and the next day there will be enough hair on the floors to warrant the floors being swept again. So with God's servants. As the devil tries to clean his habitation of the pesky things, he wakes up the next morning to find that they are back again. Is it any credit to the cat hairs that they keep bothering our house? No, the credit goes to the cat. No credit is due to the Christians who continually harass and render impossible the complete rule that the devil wants to have. The credit all goes to the Creator.

So, I still like the serenity of the dandelion picture. But I needed the less glorified picture of the cat hair.

Happy Sabbath!

Jewels

My nephew, Tyler, is seven years old. His mother is Chinese, born and raised in a home where Christianity was unknown. My step-brother married her and eventually brought her and their son to America. At one point soon after their marriage, Holly asked my step-brother about Christianity. He told her that he didn't want to talk about it, but that when he took her to see his dad and step-mom his step-mom would tell Holly all she wanted to know about Jesus and Christianity. Thus, some of the first words out of Holly's mouth when she met my mom were, "Jason said you tell me 'bout Jesus! I Christian, I just don't know anything 'bout Jesus. But Jason say you tell me." My mom almost cried.

Soon after that visit, my step-brother and Holly divorced. But Holly told my mom and step-dad that they were her American parents, she still loved them, and would they please take Tyler to visit them for a little while every summer and teach him all about Jesus? She lived in California and couldn't afford to leave her job, but she desperately wanted Tyler to learn about Jesus. "You teach Tyler about Jesus," she told Mom, "and he'll come home and teach me."

We haven't been able to have him every summer, but whenever he comes, it's pure joy! The last time Tyler was with us he had just turned five. He loved learning the songs like "Zacchaeus," "Only a Boy Named David," and "The Wise Man Built His House Upon a Rock." He asked my mom one time, "Grandma Shari, why did God die? My mommy said God died but she didn't know why and I should ask you. Why did God die?" Later I found him playing with his transformer toys in the living room, having worship with them and trying to teach them to sing "Into My Heart, Lord Jesus"! When he went home that summer, he told his mom they were going to pray before he went to bed. She said she didn't know how to pray. "That's okay, Mommy," he told her, "You just get on your knees beside the bed with me and I'll pray. Oh, and you have to close your eyes and fold your hands." Holly called Mom the day after he went home to thank her for teaching Tyler about Jesus. "Now he'll teach me!" she told Mom excitedly. Oh, what precious jewels these two are!

Now Tyler is seven and visiting us again. At first he couldn't remember the songs he had learned two years ago. When Mom asked if he remembered any of them, he screwed up his adorable little face for a minute, then pronounced solemnly, "Yes. One. I think it said something like 'Jesus loves me this I know.'" Of all the songs we had tried to teach him, I'm so glad that if only one stuck with him it was that one! As the first day wore on, he remembered more and more stories and songs that we had taught him. When he and Grandma Shari went to the post office to mail some packages, he asked her what they were going to make for supper. "Can we have those meatballs?" he asked. "I mean the meatballs that aren't really meat? I liked those. Those were the best meatballs I've ever tasted!" His delight at his grandpa's garden knew no bounds. "Of course, it's best to grow everything yourself!" he declared, much to his grandpa's satisfaction. (Little does the imp know that the surest way to win his grandpa's heart is to admire his garden!)

I am reminded again of our dear Savior's words spoken so long ago, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mk. 10:14). 

Little children, little children

Who love their Redeemer

Are the jewels, precious jewels,

His loved and His own.

A Trip to the River

Psalm 65 is a beautiful psalm that recounts some of the things God does for His people. This poem was inspired by verse 9 which says, "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it."

The River of God

The river of God is full of water,

Why stand you so still upon its brink?

The river of God is full of water,

Kneel down, and take a drink!

“What kind of water?” I hear you ask,

“Is it clean and free from dirt?”

Nothing can enter God's land that defiles,

No sin, no pain, no hurt.

“How much does it cost?” you ask again,

“Is it really free indeed?”

It is free to all who will drink of it,

To all who sense their need.

“I'm glad that it is so full and free,

But how long will it last?” you sigh.

All through the years of eternity,

And its tide will always be high.

The river of God is full of water,

Do you still stand on its brink?

Linger no longer! Move quickly; act now!

Kneel down, and take a drink!

Hard Journeys

"This journey is hard." 

My uncle, my mom, and I were in town after visiting my great-grandmother. Mom had gone into Taco Bell to get something for us to eat and my uncle and I were waiting in the car. Uncle Mark and Mom had been talking about serious matters and he remarked, "Oh, Bekah, when you're young it's so much easier to change paths." Then under his breath he muttered, "This journey is hard." 

Yes, the journey of life can be hard. But it's kind of like breaking a path through the deep snow. It's tough going, but when someone else has gone before you and you follow in their footsteps, it's easier. The Lord never promised this life would be easy, but He did promise to go before us and break the path, so to speak. When we walk in the path He has for us, He takes the brunt of the work and the majority of the pain and labor. It's when we strike out on our own that the going gets truly hard.

I want to stay in the footsteps of my Savior. Wherever He leads, I want to follow. Life is difficult, but a life lived contrary to God's plans for you is just plain miserable, in addition to being the hardest path of all. "...The way of transgressors is hard" Prov. 13:15. "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" Prov. 14:18.

My uncle's comment reminded me of one of the songs our choir director taught us this past year, called "Pathway of Hope." The words are by Joseph M. Martin.

The road is long, the way is narrow,

The path is steep, the mountains high.

Lord, when we walk through valleys filled with fear,

You wipe away our tears,

We know that You are near.

And when we stray, You are our Shepherd.

And when we fall, You give us grace.

When we are lost, You find us where we are,

You hold us to Your heart with everlasting arms.

Oh, Lord, You are the way, You are the journey;

Come walk beside us as we go.

Lord, You are the way, You are the journey;

You are our legacy, eternal destiny.

You are the pathway of hope.

Come join us faithful pilgrims,

We'll walk the road as one.

And when we've walked ten thousand years,

The journey will have just begun.

We'll walk with God, through every valley

We'll walk with God, through every storm.

And on the day our earthly walk is done, we'll sing before the throne:

"We've never walked alone!"

Oh, Lord, You are the way, You are the journey;

Come walk beside us as we go.

Lord, You are the way, You are the journey;

You are our legacy, eternal destiny.

You are the pathway of hope.