Quick to Listen?

Formula for handling people:

1. Listen to the other person’s story.
2. Listen to the other person’s full story.
3. Listen to the other person’s story first.  George Marshall

I must admit, this short quote stopped me in my tracks.  How often I think I’ve been a good listener; yet I’ve zoned out when something the speaker said reminded me of a similar story in my own life.  Or, maybe I wasn’t really all that interested in what they had to say, so I only listened halfheartedly.  Jesus listened with His whole being, heard everything spoken, and heard so much more than words – and changed people’s lives.

I think I’ll quit “speaking” now, so I can practice listening like Jesus.  Won’t you join me?

James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry NIV

Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Hear Jesus speak to you from the Message version of Matthew 11:27-30:

Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Stress and tension flee.  Confusion dissipates in the simplicity of coming to Jesus, walking with Him, and working with Him.  What do His unforced rhythms of grace take you away from, my sisters?

Salt of the Earth

Included with some receipts from one of the ministries with whom we partner was a typed note on a small piece of folded paper.  In the fold of the paper was one of those small packets of salt you find in the bottom of a bag from a fast-food restaurant.  It piqued my interest even more as to the contents of the note.  With only a few punctuation changes, I share it as I received it:

“Pass the salt, please,” is a common request at many meals.  Yet, wars have been waged, fortunes made and lost, and history rewritten all because of the only rock we humans eat.  Salt is so vital that, despite the admonition by nutritionists in our day and age to reduce its intake, we cannot live without it.  The production of salt has secured empires and inspired revolutions.  Yet, it is often taken for granted by those who consume it.

One method of salt production was to boil brine in large iron pans.  Then, at the right moment, the salt master would add a few drops of blood that would draw impurities to the surface to be skimmed away, leaving only salt of the highest quality.

Due to that precious blood shed by our Savior, we are declared pure and are called to season our culture.  Jesus proclaimed, “You are the salt of the earth . . .”

Thank you for seasoning, with your lives, a culture I might only be able to visit for a few days, if at all.  Blessings of God’s grace in Christ to you as you enter the New Year!

Another Big Bite of Humble Pie

As I went through the new (since September) procedure for notifying folks of the latest Prayer Nuggets post, my heart sank when I went to my website’s email only to find that none of the close to 200 contacts were in my address book.  I didn’t go into a total panic since I have a current backup list of the addresses in another part of my computer.  The thought of the work and time required to reenter them was not a pleasant thought.  I had to make a decision that the devil wasn’t going to steal from me in any way – peace, time, or otherwise!

My next step was to send an email to my web hosting tech person to ask for his help.  When I received no response after a day, I sent a second e, asking if he was working on the problem.  In his response, he asked a simple question to help him narrow down the source of the problem – which email address was I using?  There are 3 addresses associated with prayforthenation.org, and the contacts in associated with one are not automatically associated with the others.  As soon as I saw the question, I had this sinking, but excited, feeling that those contacts had probably been there all along in the right account, not the one I tried to access.  Since I had no recollection of the one I’d signed in under, but knew at that moment which one I had used previously, I tried the right one.  Guess what?  There were all those addresses and all the sent emails – just like they should have been!

I obviously hadn’t thought through what I was doing in the first place, encountered a problem, and immediately pointed my finger at the program as the culprit.  Oh, the insidiousness of pride!

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

As soon as I saw it, I repented for pride – for not even considering I might have made a mistake.  Why I would think that, I have no idea, since I’m not exactly the most accomplished of computer users.  I answered the man that his question had helped me discover that I was the source of the issue, and then I apologized profusely for the time and effort I had cost him.

In this story of falling to pride – again – the most important thing to me is the amazing difference in my attitude this time when I realized my error.  Yes, it bothered me to have wasted other people’s time when they were not at fault.  But I wasn’t in guilt or condemnation at all – not even allowing it a moment of my life.  I actually laughed inside because I knew the Lord wasn’t upset with me at all.  Jesus had already paid the price for the pride, and I believe He found it pretty humorous, Himself.  Yes, I ate a big bite of humble pie – again.  As I swallowed it, however, I also experienced the glorious freedom of the children of God ¹ – again!

Praying for you to experience this glorious freedom in His love and forgiveness, too, no matter where you fail!

¹ Romans 8:21

John 1:18 “No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].”

As I read this passage, I thought of you, my friends, and prayed for you to spend time in the bosom of the Father, in His intimate presence.  From that place, there is no need to be concerned about whether or not you are doing the will of the Lord.  Just like Jesus, when He was on this earth, you will reveal Him and bring Him out where He can be seen by all those around you.  When you spend that time with Him, living in whatever land – always in His bosom –  you will interpret Him for others and make Him known to them.  It happens as a result of being in His intimate presence.  It’s that simple.  Glory to God!  What a promise!

Loving you today and always, and praying for you as you continue to interpret Him for others!

Kay