The Grumbling...

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation... " 

-Phil. 2: 14-15

My son is seven.  I think I've mentioned this before.


He's sweet as pie, loves wrestling, debating, Scooby Doo, and all super heroes.  And he's serious when it comes to God.  Sometimes I worry he's too serious.


As for me, I'm a pretty joyful person; always looking for the silver lining on any cloud.  I'm a bit of a 'Pollyanna'... and my son can be quite the 'Eeyore'. (if that helps)


This past week was pretty tight for us financially.  I got to the last few days of the week, knowing payday was on Friday and was doing my absolute best to wisely budget the last $12 in my wallet, and my son knows this.


I'm heading to the grocery store to get two ingredients for a potluck I have the next day at work.  I'm in the middle of giving the kids the, "don't ask for anything in the store because I'm going to say no" speech, when my son interrupts me and says, "Can we go to Burger King?"


"No, we can't go to Burger King, I just don't have the money right now."


"Well, can I get a toy?"


"No, I don't have the money right now...I can only get a couple of ingredients for something I'm making for work tommorrow...please don't ask me for anything extra, I just can't give it to you today."


His response: "So, I don't get Burger King, I don't get a toy, AND I have to go into the store with you to get food I don't even get to eat!"


My response, "Yes."


His response, "This is so unfair."


And my mind starts reeling.  I'm thinking of all the things we've done lately...games, clothes, food, bounce houses, parties, candy, time with friends, toys, a warm house, clean water, health insurance...and then I stop.  


I can hear how I'm grumbling to God about my son.


Grumbling is "to complain in a surly manner; mutter discontedly."  While I wasn't doing it out loud, I was doing it in my heart.  


My words to my son were something along the lines of, "Well, buddy, we have gas in the car, a warm house, food on the table, water to drink and air to breath...sounds like God has given us exactly what we need for today, and that's still probably more than we deserve."  And we headed into the grocery store; I was somewhat relieved to stop arguing with my son...but still grumbling about his attitude, not out loud, but certainly in my heart.


Me...I was grumbling about my son's grumbling.  


The Isrealites grumbled.  God let them wander in the desert for a while.


I get the sense God doesn't like grumbling.  What's worse is when I think about it, my thought process is all about grumbling about my son...a person I begged God for over eight years ago.  God gave me one of the greatest blessings of my life, and here I am grumbling about him.  Grumbling is discontentment.  Grumbling is to be unsatisfied with what you've been given.


To sit face to face with my hypocritical attitude is terrible.  I don't even want to glance at the heap of stinking flesh with which I am attempting to seperate myself.


Jesus got upset with hypocrites.  Those people who pretended to be what they were not.  


So, here I am.  All stinky and fleshy and thoroughly disgusted...and the Pollyanna attitude God instilled in me is starting to emerge.  I know God's grace has to be sufficient for me, otherwise I might crumple under the realization of my wrong.  


I've grumbled to God about my grumbling precious boy...and now I have a glimpse of an idea of how to give grace to my boy, because it's the grace God has given me.  


I'm so sorry for my grumbling Lord.  Thank you Father, for my precious boy.  For all of his personality and wit, his humor and fight, his love and anger...and thank you for teaching me grace...so I can attempt to teach it to him.




H :)

Beautiful Feet and the Good News of Jesus...

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! 

Romans 10:15

This has long been one of my very favorite verses.  In my small group this past week I came to the realization I was struggling with parts of the good news of Jesus.


I realized that I frequently confess stuff I've done to God.  I confess my anger or impatience, my struggles, my grumpy untrusting, unfaithful heart.  I also say (almost daily)..."and Lord, please forgive the things I've done that I don't even know I did."  


It's like the ultimate last minute, "Whew...I think I got it all."


Huh,..."I think I got it all God."  I think I was able to confess everything so somehow I can appear clean to you.  I know I'm clean because you see me through the filter of Jesus...but I still want to make sure I've got every last ounce of yuckiness out...that way I'm covered.  


Huh,..."that way I'm covered?"  Isn't that what Jesus did?  Covered me with His perfect sacrifice so I no longer have to stress about getting it right...about being righteous?  


I think it saddens me to think that after all this time, after this long walk I've had with Jesus for many years now...I still don't have ALL of the good news.  


I know it's part of the journey with Jesus.  I know fully understanding his love, grace and mercy...and fully understanding what He did for me through His death...and His life, I might never wholly grasp while on this planet.  


But...is the good news I'm walking around with look good to others?


"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"


That verse has prompted me to ask: How good is my good news?  It should look like the BEST news ANYONE could EVER have...but does it look that way?  What do people see when they see me?


Do people see the work of the gospel, of the good news, when they see me?  If they don't...how can I really help bring the good news to others?


How about you...how good is your good news?


Curious what you're thinking out there in blogger-land...would love to hear from you.


H :)

New Year, Same Jesus...

This morning, getting ready to head back into work after a week and a half of Christmas/Family/Traveling busyness, I was listening to some Seeds Family Worship music.  They have a song called, "More Than Conquerors."  

"We are more, more, more than conquerors!  Through Him who loved us, through Him who loved us!  What could separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus?  Nothing!"

Here's the link to the song if you don't know it: 

It's a very addicting song...the words and tune are stuck in my head this morning.  

It's from a few verses in Romans 8, where Paul is writing to the church in Rome, and he says, 

( I tried to simplify it so it wasn't so long...but decided against it.  Who couldn't use a little more of God's word?)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose.  

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the 

likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; 

those he justified, he also glorified.  

What, then, shall we say in response to this?  

If God is for us, who can be against us?  

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - 

how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  

Who will bring any charge against those who God has chosen?  

It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns?  

Christ Jesus, who dies - more than that, who was raised to life - 

is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

 As it is written:  

'For your sake we face death all day long; 

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerers through him who loved us.  

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God 

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I'm struck by all of the TRUTH in His truth.  

We've participated in such wonderful traditions of our Christmas celebrations.  We've had grand feasts, exquisite sweets, lovely gifts, laughter and joy and we've brought in the New Year with great anticipation.  

Yet, as everything feels new and fresh, with New Years Resolutions and a new beginning to a year that holds great promise; we can be reminded that Christ remains the same.

He is constant.  For those of us that have died and risen again with Him, we can be assured of His ability to hold us close, keep us from separation from Him, continuing to do the good works set before us. 

As we begin this New Year we can have confidence that Jesus already knows what's in store for us...and His will is good.  We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

It is indeed a Happy New Year!