We have a problem

 

Dear Children,

We have a problem. 

Just in case it was not obvious to you before, PopPop made this wonderful visual I commissioned him to create. Do you see it now? Just look at October. See all of the birthdays in October? Get it now?

So, I don't mean to get up in yall's business but for those who are not yet married, I'm going to need to know the birth month of any potential suitors before you start dating. No, and I repeat, no October birthdays allowed. 

And those of you who are married, let's just agree that you will need to consult the birthday chart before, well, you know, just consult the chart. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's related to that Science with Dad conversation you had once upon a time so go ask your father. February, August, and September are very open. Although you have to be careful with September as we cannot afford any overflow.

Other than that, significant others and grandchildren are welcome at any time. 

Carry on.

Love you,

Mom

Faces

 The question was posed from friend to friend, "What would people at your church think if a visitor showed up who .............." The answer, without needing to think, was, "Well, we'd say they were being selfish.."

Let that sink in. 

Maybe you think you need more information to have an opinion. What was the offense the friend posited?But the actual offense in the original query shouldn't matter. Not to Christians, anyway. Should it? 

I've been pondering Romans 12:18 a lot recently, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." The word given to me for today is peaceful. I went back and looked at the context for verse 18. In my NIV translation, it is sectioned off with verses 9-21, entitled "Love".  I found that this admonition to live at peace is just one of twenty guidelines for love including...

Love sincerely

Hate evil

Honor others above yourself

Serve the Lord with zeal

Faithfully pray

Bless those who persecute you

Be willing to associate with people of low position

I don't see anything about judging others for their behavior. Hate what is evil, yes. But love sincerely came right before that. And right after it is, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." Next it says to honor others. Can we do all of that when we make assumptions about motive? 

So, what was the original question? Was it, "What would people think if a visitor showed up who was stealing from the offering?" Was it referring to someone who living a lifestyle of wealth without giving to the poor? Was it someone whose personal choices were clearly negatively affecting their spouse or children or neighbors or coworkers? While I would hope that Christians, who say they are following Christ's example, wouldn't judge any of these people, none of these questions represent the original question posed. 

No. The question recently asked, relevant to today was, "What would people at your church think if a visitor showed up who was not wearing a mask." 

Friends, I know I fall short many times but I am making the commitment again today to be the embodiment of Jesus and my job description is found in Romans 12:18. I want to live in such a way that as far as it depends on me, I can be at peace with everyone. I want people to feel like they can "come as they are" around me. I want to remember that we are all struggling in some way, with some thing. We all have external behaviors that cover the internal battles. I want to be so secure in my faith and identity and destiny that I can see every visitor, every issue, every outcast, every struggling soul, as a child of God. It is God's job to judge the heart. My job is to love and honor and live at peace. It is God's job to deal with the sin issues. It is my job to faithfully pray, to bless others, and to welcome all.

Come as you are.

There's a reason

We used to have a pillow that said, "I'm why we don't have nice things." It used to be Victor's. For reading inside his teepee. For some reason the Good Doctor gave it to Lucy. I'm not sure why. My questioning has nothing to do with whether or not the sentiment applies to both of them. It does. But why hand it from one source of destruction to another?

And...true to form...

That's the end of that pillow.

So, this morning, when Victor was leaving for Camp Socks and I entered the basement to find what looked like the remains of one or more kitchen bowls smashed to smithereens, I was frustrated but not surprised. What's new? I postponed the things on my to-do list for these three hours of bliss and got out the vacuum cleaner and trash can instead.

Happens all the time. Trauma. ADHD. Dysregulation. Unknown causes. Who knows what goes on in that little mind? (Notice the tic tac toe board drawn on the wall as well? And the missing paint? Guess if it was the child or the dog.)

Except this morning. We got a glimpse as Isaac drove Victor to camp while I cleaned up...

Victor: I want to call Mom and apologize for the mess I made.

Isaac: How did that happen?

Victor: I wanted to see what note it made.

Isaac: What?????

Victor: Well, I dropped the bowl by accident first and I heard what note it made. I knew it could make different notes. I wanted to see what note it made if I dropped it somewhere else. Except it broke. And then I felt bad so I spread it out to hide it.

And there you have it. A glimpse into what goes on in that little mind. Must be difficult to be inquisitive, to lack the connection between actions and consequences, have perfect pitch, to hear the notes made by dropping bowls, to try to create new tones, only to find that...surprise, surprise...bowls break.

And there you have, too, a glimpse into our day. All day. Every day. Yes, we chose this life. Yes, some days it's really difficult. Yes, there are moments of victory. And yes, there is great unexplainable joy when we take it all to the One who isn't surprised by any of it, not even to find smashed pieces of bowl all over the basement floor. Not even to find that bowls have specific tones when they drop.

My house might have holes in walls, missing paint, tic tac toe boards where they don't belong. It might be chaotic and loud and messy. I might have had a lot of nice, irreplaceable, sentimental things broken to smithereens. But people are more important than things and that's the lesson that God continues to have to teach me each and every day.

And some days, you have to learn to find joy in the note you hear when a bowl is dropped.