A Handful of Hours

This is what I have today. I want to give God my very best and bring Him something worthy…but this is all I have. A handful of hours. That’s it. Nothing more. So I lay them down on the throne. I shuffle them around and sort them out, trying to make it look like fancier, like something more. But it’s still just a handful of hours. “What can you do with these?” I humbly ask, “What good are a handful of hours?”

They are perfect. It’s exactly what He wanted. My Father takes my gift and with strands of love, weaves them into a fabric, wrapping it tenderly around lonely shoulders. He paints them into a picture of kindness and chances to change the world in small ways... ways that matters to just one person at a time. He sculpts my gift into a home where joy overcomes frustration; a place where fear dissolves into peace. With this gift, he draws smiles onto the faces of children, erases a friend’s tears and etches in laughter. This tiny gift is embossing hearts with respect and lives with grace. He prints blessing after blessing with this handful of hours, coloring light into dark spaces. I should have known. He is the Creator.  

I’m not ashamed of my gift anymore. For he who is able to do remarkably more that I could ever imagine wants what is best…even for me! In 2 Corinthians (9:7-8), scripture says “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” I am going to write it out and tape it to my mirror.  You should see what your handful of hours can do. Look prayerfully and watch carefully. You, too, will be amazed.

A Good and Faithful Servant Day

Ever battle the to-do list bulge? I know I do. But there are times when the normal to-do list needs to take a backseat to life. Today,  I realized just how much this applied. The list, sporting a hefty number of need-to-tackle items on it, got distracted today. Prayers were sent and prayers were answered. Time was made for people instead of things, and that is a significant part of living abundantly. Let me give some examples...

My list said, Run 2 Miles with Toby (the dog), but God gave me "Walk 1 mile and meet and encourage a new neighbor." And I am ok with that.

My list said, "Wash the dishes in the sink," but God gave me "Spend time with Jesus and soak up God's word." A precious moment with Jesus that refuels my heart...I am definitely ok with that.

My list said "Clean out Facebook inbox," but God brought me to  "Chat a dear friend who is conflicted and struggling with a broken relationship, then share the verses we were just talking about." And I am so thankful for that.

My list said, "Clean all the tile floors," but life gave me, "Get back to blogging and sharing life......the floors will still be dirty later."  And I am blessed to oblige.

You see, my revelation this morning was not that To-Do lists don't matter. Oh, I'll still wash that sinkfull of dishes and fold the contents of the never-ending-laundry-basket. But if I had been so staunch in fullfilling my list, I would have missed out on some special opportunties to bless and be blessed this morning. And at the end of my day, I will take a "Well done good and faithful servant" over a checked off post it note anytime.  Wouldn't you? It is why God has put me where I am. So I can be useful in building His kingdom. Make it a Good-And-Faithful-Servant Day.

Artful Living

This struck my heart this morning. I get disappointed. Some people think that because you have a positive outlook you never get frustrated or angry or upset. That is far from the truth. The truth is what you do with it that matters. This is artful living. One source defines art as "process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions."  How you move from the situation is pure art, placing life on a canvas. No one wants to be miserable...not truly.  None-the-less the disappointment is often the most difficult to deal with, and most often, I am the disappointer. 

I am disappointed when I forget an important birthday or anniversary.

I am disappointed when I fall asleep on the couch instead of exercising like planned.

I am disappointed when the meal I prepare doesn’t turn out to be a five start culinary masterpiece.

I am disappointed when I am not organized and I can’t find a bill or other receipt.

I am disappointed when I have a few free minutes and I don’t use them effectively or productively.

I am disappointed that there are fur balls on my tile floors and and my baby's knees are doing the dusting.

I am disappointed when I let the laundry get so backed up we will have to eat on TV trays for the next two years. 

SO do you ever feel this kind of disapointement…either in your self of in others? 

Here is an amazing verse I found today from a P31 devotional.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love."
Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Then I read this: "When I am free from expectation, I am free to enjoy whatever comes."

Wow.

I was struck by a thought that hit like a freight train on jet fuel. I was reminded by my Dad’s gentle reminder and my Mom’s reference to this reminder. 

Lower your expectations. 

This goes against all I've taught and been taught about being your best, being mistake free, being an example to others etc. But as I pondered I realized its meaning is deeper... actually something different. Having super high expectations just sets you up for failure. Because we are human and we are bound by a flawed nature. So the next time I don’t get the kitchen totally clean at night and wake up to dirty dishes (like today) I am not going to stew in fruitless frustration. I am simply going to forgive myself and grab a dish cloth (or a match...ha ha, just kidding). How can this apply? How is artful living tangible in real life? Initiating God's involvement and surrendering to His total control frees you to be creative in how you handle every situation, big or small. It allows you to purposefully plan to work through each situation as an opportunity to be more creative. Beating yourself up defeats this purpose. Artful living is joyful living. And in Christ, it is abundant living.

Tuesday's Top Ten...

Simple but precise. That is what the art of life is all about. Appropriate, maybe not so creative, but with good alliteration. So we'll just call it Tuesday's Top Ten. This may be the only time during the entire week where I am able to focus my brain on a single subject long enough to come up with 10 related thoughts. In living simply, in living artfully, in living abundantly and sometimes just plain laughing at life. That would be right now. Tonight is for fun. Not so much the serious stuff. Drum roll please....

Tuesday's Top Ten
...Reasons I am Avoiding the Workout Video of the Night...

10) It involves so much jumping around, the kids may wake up.

9) I could really use this time to balance the checkbook.

8) I am exhausted just watching the first 5 minutes.

7) The dinner dishes are still on the table.

6) The lunch dishes are still in the sink.

5) The breakfast dishes are still in the dishwasher.

4) "Just do your best" should never be paired with exercises called "sucide jumps"

3) Now I'm going to have to readjust my insulin pump...again.

2) My muscles haven't recovered from last night's workout.

1) I really feel I have enough Insanity in my life without the help of a workout video

With that being said....I guess I better go change clothes. Somehow sharing that with the world makes the all out dig-in-with-every-inch-of-what-you-are-trying-to-get-rid-of effort a little more appealing. Cheers!

On Tuesday

I think that on Tuesday I will begin a top ten list. Sometimes I may not have all 10...but I am sure they will come to me. Perhaps they can even become newsletter material later. This thinking aloud is so therapeutic! You know, they may be things to do with a Food Lion flyer or possibly ho to use up left over chicken. Maybe the to ten things to get done during nap time or the ten best scripture verses for encouraging others. What about 10 favorite meals or vegetables to plant or ten ways to reuse bread bags? Hey, I'll start with what to call these little gems!


Top 10 Top Ten List Names

1. Top Ten Tuesdays
2. Tuesday Tidbits
3. Thinking and Plinking
4. My Favorites
5. It's Tueday Again, Here's the Top Ten
6.  Terrific Tuesday Ta Da or Terrific 10
7. Tuesday's Tangent
8. Ten To Count On
9. Ten to Think On
10. And Then There Were Ten...

Ok, so there are ten possibilities. More later...kids are waking up.

Potential

I love this time of the day, especially on Saturday mornings. Just after waking, while the house is still quiet and the floor creaks as you get cozy slippers. Children and husband still asleep…maybe for 10 minutes, maybe for an hour.  The precious time spent with God. The devotions, the prayer, the Bible reading, the mind blowing revelations that turn life as we see it upside down, because we are learning to see through new eyes. The potential of the day just stretching before me, like a blank canvas to be painted or a wide open space to gallop across.

 Shall we learn something today? Perhaps blue berry pancakes for breakfast? Maybe put up that picture collage I’ve been meaning to work on. Or maybe bring dinner to a sick friend? To dos, to calls, to make, to try…all presented like candies in a shop window crying “pick me, pick me.” The possibilities are so endless. It is my prayer that as a steward of my time on earth, these ponderings lead to fruitful action that glorifies God. That the day be used in a way that may not seem huge to me, but that impacts eternity in a positive way.  I love Saturdays. Life is good.

May the day unfold

With memories untold,

Stirring sights to behold

As we tend to our fold

May the seconds of smiles

Lead to joy over miles

And the company we keep

Give harvest Christ may reap.

May this day bring God glory.

Amen.

Did I mention...

"M'am, please put your cell phone in the bin."

"It's not a cell phone," I politely replied, getting ready to pat down  the device and explain it's function...life giving, not life threatening. My hands were swabbed and the test came back non-explosive. My nine month old daughter had to remove her sweater as well...but that topic is for another post.

 Did I mention that I have diabetes. Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with a disease that would change my life. It was on a warm summer afternoon in Novia Scotia and I thought that I had the flu. While the family toured the lovely town of Badeck I guzzled Gatorade back in the hotel room and tried to rest. When I became unable to breathe, my parents called an ambulance and by God's grace it was less than two kilometers (remember, we're in Canada). The lapse in consciousness was followed by the appearance a golf attired on-call emergency room doctor, Dr. Chow. He took one sniff and pronounced a diagnosis that would change my life.

"We need her insulin right away. Her blood sugar is very high."

My confused parents sceptically looked at each other.
"She is not diabetic. She doesn't have insulin."
My dad knew all too well about diabetes. His own mother became diabetic after a bout with pancreatic cancer. As a pharmacist, he knew medications better than most doctors.

Dr. Chow looked calm. "Ah-ha. That is the problem."

So on this adventure of life, I received both a blessing and a curse, depending upon how one chooses to look at it. My choice is blessing. I view my health as precious. What I eat is easy to pay attention to (unfortunately sometimes still easy to ignore) because I calculate my insulin based on carbohydrates. I have no intentions of trying to mask the undeniable risks associated with the disease. But I have come to terms with a life that is different...a little bionic even, with the addition of an insulin pump. I want to encourage others who wake in the night wondering if their sugar is low...or high. Those who face countless needles, reloading lancing devices for the 7th time that day, and refusing decadent desserts. To laugh at the snafoos (like boarding an airplane) diabetes brings.

But I cling tight to Joseph's words from Genesis..."You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." While I realize he was speaking to estranged family members, not a personified disease, the reality is that many things seem bad that might be beneficial in the bigger picture.  Being sure that who you are is both who you are meant to be and a vital part of who you are becoming is a deliberate step of faith taken with thoughtful consideration. Blessings to all on that journey, with diabetes or without. I'll be walking beside you. Living abundantly.