Friday, July 29, 2011

Just a 'Normal' Week

Describe life at the moment? Noisy, tiring, busy, running, late, hurry, grab a bite to eat, out the door, keys in hand, where am I going?, keep awake at the wheel...... Life is crazy for me these days.  Running one thing to another, one place to another, one job to another, one thought to another (I think that's called scatter-brained..).  Teaching, babysitting, working, studying, language learning... and there's supposed to be something called spare time.  I guess I lost that somewhere along the way.

Most days I'm thrilling just to live.  I love life.  There's nothing I'd rather do, than to live life rejoicing in God and loving Him.  If you want a thrill, try it sometime.  Nothing like it! But other days, like today, I have to remind myself of my purpose.  Center myself again by looking to Jesus.  Somehow I can't walk crooked while I'm gazing at Him - it just doesn't happen!

So...take a peek into my day.  I taught sewing class yesterday again, and this time we were working on cutting out dresses.  Laying the patterns on the fabric so as to spare as much fabric as possible, pinning the fabric down, painstakingly cutting around the pattern.  Those big, sharp scissors were making me nervous, as I let the girls attack their newest project.  That was nice polyester dress fabric...but the perfectionist in me has to let go and let them learn.  It's not a disaster to loose three yards of fabric; but it IS a disaster for the girls to remember their first times sewing by that piece of cloth they ruined. ;)  They're more important!

Did you know that you can run a sewing machine as fast as it will go, and it will smell like burning oil?  I didn't.  But we found out yesterday at sewing class!  What about the sound of nice, sharp metal scissors opening and closing endlessly (while I was trying to teach another student...patience is not her virtue...)  - did you ever think that it sounds like a Goodwill shopping trip?  Neither did I.  But come to think of it, it's remarkably accurate! It's amazing the things we learn at sewing class! :)

And we also enjoy our miniature, in-home steaming geyser. (More commonly known as a steam iron)  My lessons have been interrupted numerous times by sudden and impulsive peals of laughter as the steam iron spits out a cloud of steam.  At first it was a terrifying thing, but now that they're getting used to the iron, it's just so much fun to steam it into the air and watch the cloud dissipate.  Sewing class? Absolutely!

Anyway, I think you get the point. We have alot of fun at sewing class, and this teacher has learned a thing or two in the process as well!  There's joy in watching little minds understand something for the first time.  We're building relationships, learning to appreciate and love each other.  That's precious, and it's going to last over the years - even if they do forget to back-stitch. ;)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My recent thoughts...

 The following consists of  my thoughts last night...uncensored, just-as-they-came.  :) 

There's a obvious connection between receiving the grace of God – in all of it's unreasonableness – and in giving grace to others. If I see myself as nothing in myself, and everything through the work of Christ (He makes those things that are not as though they are.), I will see others the same way.
If I see myself as the one who has received mercy – mercy that I did not deserve, could not have earned, could not have bought – I will NOT be able to turn around and refuse to give that mercy to my brother. In fact the very idea would be uncomfortable; I am living simply on the life of another. I'm free because Someone went in my place. I am not worthy of it, I could not free myself from the crime and sin I was entangled in; I would be the same old, sinful person had Someone not exchanged His life for mine.
Can I really refuse that kind of grace to my brother? Am I any better than he is? Outside of the grace of God, I'm nothing. I'm false and full of sin to the core and nothing I can do will help that. I would be terrified to refuse the very grace I received, undeservingly, to my brother. Quoting from Matthew 18:32-35 “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Following the same thought, I see Christ's heart clearly from Matthew 9:11-13 (also see parallel in Hosea 6:6) “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” Jesus was saying this as he listened to the pharisees talking about why Jesus – Jesus! - would sit at the table with tax collectors and sinners. Why would He defile Himself like that? Mercy, not sacrifice. Love, not hatred and disgust. His reply was quite startling, if you read through the Old Testament and levitical law.
Looking at mercy and undeserved grace, I turn to Romans 8:31-34 These verses are radical verses; I read them and weep to think of how we would live if we only lived out the Bible and weren't afraid of what might happen. “What then shall we say to these things? 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 with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Wow. If we lived that way – if we saw each other as Christ sees us; If we judged as He does; if we loved like He loved/loves us, what a difference! We would see the power of God poured out on us! I can hardly imagine the freedom to live all-out, to serve, to love. The church would be built up; the Gospel would be spread by people who are reveling in God, and in His grace; people would see Christ by our lives, as we love one another; and the ultimate goal of life would be lived – God's name would be lifted up! Glorified! Honored! Made GREAT!!!
Oh God, wouldn't you do it?