The month of November has flown by!
What a busy month!
Looking back, I am amazed how the Lord sustained me with inner strength to do everything I needed to do.
Can life get any busier?! I exclaimed one night.
“No!” My husband said.
“It cannot get any busier!”
“And will not get any busier,” he added.
LOL, he is so funny!
But you know What? He is kind of right.
Maybe I have taken on too much?? With two jobs??
The way things are currently going cannot be sustained for a long period of time.
I know this, and honestly, I am looking forward to the day when things slow down a bit.
I better be careful in saying this because I may get my wish.
My governor may order everyone to stay at home due to COVID-19 restrictions and then my life will slow down considerably!
But this is not my wish. Nor is it yours, I am assuming.
If a busy life is what I must bear right now, I am thankful for it, and, “Lord please give us grace!”
But, if we get confined to our homes for a short while, I will be thankful for that too, and, "Lord please give us grace!”
Last May, the Lord spoke to me to live a simple life.
I even wrote about it in my blog titled, “A Simple Beautiful Life.”
So, what happened between then and now?
A whole lot of everything happened, that's what, and now I am longing for that simple beautiful life again!
My husband is longing for that too!
More than anything, I think I am longing for plain ole’ alone time.
Time to pray and meditate, read, and think - in solitude!
Or work on my book projects – for which there is never any time!
None of this can happen when you are constantly on the go!
Or when you are around people 24/7.
We need to face it – people drain us! Young or old!
If you are pouring out and ministering in anyway, you get drained!
Being around people, talking to people, and managing people, drain our spiritual power and resources.
Even Jesus had to get away from everyone in order to fill His cup back up.
And after he had dismissed the crowds he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, Matthew 14:23 (ESV).
My cup is a bit empty right now… way empty, in fact.
I have given out so much and am very spent.
If it were not for my daily bread, I would be a shriveled-up prune!
Thank the Lord for my daily bread!!
Finding time during the day to turn my attention to the Lord has been my saving grace.
I call this my daily bread.
It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
"Sir", they said, "always give us this bread."
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty," John 6:32b - 35 (NIV)
Sometimes on grueling days, I need a lot of daily bread from heaven.
Thankfully, I work in a Christian school where the atmosphere is clean and the kids have a sense of who God is.
I am so thankful for the Bible lessons I get to teach to the children in kindergarten class each day.
It is a time when I can tap into the flow of the spirit and speak to their little hearts.
During such a time recently, I was able to lead two of the children to the Lord. It was very precious.
I consider these Bible lessons a bit of my daily bread as well.
It does not replace my personal devotion time with the Lord, but it is an added blessing in the midst of grueling days.
My spirit is fed as I feed the little ones who listen to the Bible stories.
I think the Lord must be tickled with their innocent, keen interest of these stories.
They stare at me wide-eyed waiting to find out what happens to the baby in the basket, or the strong man named Samson, or little Samuel left at the temple by his mother. It is SO cute!
Of course spiritual truths are weaved into every story aiming right at their little hearts - boy does this get their attention!
Sometimes, I can sit and look out the big windows in our classroom if the kids are behaving during playtime.
Being able to let my thoughts drift for a bit has been a healing balm to my rattled nerves.
This past fall, I was able to watch the leaves on the trees turn colors and fall to the ground.
It was beautiful. I enjoyed it very much.
And recently, I have been able to watch the snow come down in big fluffy flakes, or people walking their dogs on bright, sunny days.
These are little breaks in my day when I turn to the Lord for my daily bread.
When I mark time and give thanks.
A little moment of quietness in my very busy day.
Of course, these moments do not last long in a kindergarten class, but I am so very thankful for them.
It keeps me in tune with my Heavenly Father.
Another way I try to slice out some alone time with the Lord, is at the lunch table in the teacher’s lounge.
If I am not apart of the conversation going on, I eat my food quietly and lift my thoughts unto the Lord, receiving my daily bread.
As I think upon Him, I reflect upon His grace, mercy and help and this sustains me.
When it is my turn to watch the kids during recess, I make sure I leave my cell phone in my classroom.
Doing this assures me my attention will not be distracted and I am able to watch over the kids with my eyes, while I lift my heart to the Lord.
I am finding out, no matter how busy my day is, or how many people are around me, I can still find time to turn my attention to the Lord if I really want too.
Something I have been thinking about during these times is a quote from a pastor friend of ours:
“The only things you can take to heaven, are those things the Lord has done in your heart and those things you have done in the hearts of others.”
Doesn’t this make you stop and think?
I committed the quote to memory as soon as I heard it.
Nothing of this earth can go to heaven with us when we pass away.
The only things we can take to heaven are those things the Lord has done in our hearts and those things we have done in the hearts of others...
These are heavenly rewards.
What are some things the Lord has done in our hearts?
Works of righteousness?
Fruits of the Spirit developed over time?
Lessons learned, acts of mercy, times of giving, personal sacrifices… a clean heart?
Bible verses committed to memory and the law of God written on the tables of our heart?
Scripture tells us the word of God will remain long after heaven and earth pass away...
What about the things done in the hearts of other people?
Perhaps this could mean leading people to salvation?
Teaching people God’s ways? Planting the word of God in people’s hearts?
Counseling them according to God’s ways, and pointing people in the right direction?
How about loving them, showing mercy, offering forgiveness, and comforting them in times of need?
Blessing others with a smile, a hug, a friendly gesture, or a word of encouragement?
Could it be that my busy days are worth it after all? Since I am investing in the lives of these little kindergartners?
Showing them love? Offering gentle guidance? Teaching them about God’s ways? Leading them to the Lord?
Even though my job is being their teacher, I am impacting their little lives! One way or another!
Because people impact other people! Young or old!
We deposit a little bit of ourselves into other people when we spend time with them.
Just like the Lord deposits Himself in us as we spend time with Him.
And unbeknownst to me, I am impacting everyone else I share my day with as well in big or small ways!
These thoughts make me want to walk carefully before people – those whom I meet on the street, at my jobs and those in my home.
Thinking about heavenly rewards coming from the fruit of what I do in other people’s hearts, makes me want to make more of an effort.
To take more time to receive my daily bread.
As I was pondering these thoughts earlier today, I remembered coming across a box in my closet containing cards and letters people sent us during our move to New York a few years ago.
There were birthday cards, thinking of you cards, letters, holiday cards, you name the card - and it was in this box.
Looking through all the cards made me feel very loved by our friends and family we left behind in Michigan.
As I shuffled the box and looked over each one, I noticed that every other card or letter seemed to be from the same person.
This astonished me.
How come I had never noticed how much this person had reached out to us during that time?
I reached in and read some of her letters and cards. They were so sweet.
And there were so many of them!
It touched me greatly and I was very blessed at this person’s sweet generous actions.
It inspired me to want to do the same thing.
To give.
To touch someone greatly.
It impacted me.
I am sure the Lord took note of her kind gestures to us and I am sure He took note on how it affected me - even after the fact.
Do you think she will get a reward in heaven someday?
Yes, I believe so.
Not just for her sweet generous efforts to comfort, but through her actions she deposited something into my spirit that I in turn want to pass on to others.
“The only things you can take to heaven, are those things the Lord has done in your heart and those things you have done in the hearts of others.”
I share a story in my memoir of a young teenager who showed great kindness to me when I was young.
To this day, because of her kindness, I in turn show the same sort of kindness to others, thinking of her a lot of the time.
Do you think she will get a reward in heaven every time I show kindness to others the way she showed kindness to me?
Yes, I believe so.
I really do.
She deposited something precious into my spirit.
She invested in me.
And she will get the return of her heavenly investment someday.
There is a deep desire in me to lay up treasures in heaven.
To deposit riches into my heavenly bank account.
This past year, I have been focused so much on finishing my songbook, my memoir, and other personal projects all in the name of furthering the kingdom of God and laying up treasures in heaven.
But at the same time overlooking the people in my everyday life I could be impacting.
There are treasures to be had right within the walls of my kindergarten class!
Right within the walls of my home! My church!
My eyes are set on a heavenly city, and that is where I want my treasure to be.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV).
Yes, my projects will eventually get done and may even impact someone’s life someday, but they are not done yet and I am here and now and need to keep my eyes turned heavenward, and my heart open to others who are in my present moment -
And not barrel through my day so I can get home and work on my projects!
I need to be ever ready to come to the aide of someone in need, give a hug, encourage them, or pray with them – investing in them and our eternal futures.
Daily bread is a necessity for this!
We must make time for our daily bread.
As the Lord gives us this daily bread, we in turn can give out to others with grace and dignity.
I know I make time for a snack or two during the day...
and I know I make time for a cup of coffee...
Then why shouldn't I make time for my daily bread?
This can be the simple action of looking out the window for a few minutes and turning your heart heavenward, receiving from above.
It is just enough to sustain you until you can look out the window again.
We need sustenance everyday.
And we need our daily bread every day too.
It fills us for the moment, brings life, gives perspective, ushers in grace, and sustains us.
Then we have the power to impact people in a beautiful way.
There is a little girl in my kindergarten class who plays teacher during playtime sometimes.
Guess who she is mimicking when she plays teacher!
Me!
She mimics me!
It is so precious...
and scary a little bit too, LOL!
Who knew she was paying such close attention to my mannerisms!
She isn't the only one that takes note of my mannerisms, other people do too!
That is why we need to be careful to walk in love, impacting others for the kingdom of God.
My daughter Avery, who teaches 1st and 2nd grade in the same school, told me at the beginning of the school year, that I walked around the halls like I knew what I was doing.
"Oh really?" I said with a laugh.
She wanted to encourage me because both of us felt very inadequate when we first started.
This made me laugh!
"Well, thanks Avery, but you know I've taught kids before," I wanted to say!
But I had no idea I was projecting that kind of confidence. But, hey! That's cool!
Her comment brought things into perspective for me.
I am being watched. People are taking note of what I do and what I say.
I am sowing seeds into other people's hearts all day, everyday. In one way or another.
That is what I will take to heaven with me.
The things the Lord has deposited into my heart and the things I have deposited into the hearts of others.
Which makes my daily bread very important.
I have to confess, I was a bit shook up this past month of November, wondering when I would find the time to write this blog, to finish my songbook, to make dessert or dinner, to call a friend… to read my Bible… all while juggling two jobs, and taking care of two guys at home.
But there was no need to worry.
As I committed each day to the Lord, he provided the necessary daily bread needed for that one day.
So, that was my resolve – to take it one day at a time.
Running my race swiftly, but surely.
Trusting the Lord to help me overcome obstacles that came my way.
Giving me grace to face things head on and accept things I cannot change.
Yes, I have a press in my spirit to finish all the projects set before me, but there is not enough time in the day sometimes.
So, I trust those projects to the Lord and wait for the appointed time of their completion.
As for now, I will walk in love, building myself up in the word of God, filling my cup so I can pour out to others when the opportunity arises.
So I can be a good example others can follow.
Someone once asked me what I hoped to achieve with this blog and website?
Well, I hope to bless and encourage the hearts of Christian women everywhere -
and lay up treasures in heaven of course!
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven,
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the power and the glory forever,
Amen
“The only things you can take to heaven, are those things the Lord has done in your heart and those things you have done in the hearts of others.” - Curtis Sharp, missionary in Coast Rica.
This quote was taken from a sermon by Pastor Curtis Sharp, titled, The Trying of Your Faith. He is an ordained minister and missionary with Zion Fellowship International, Waverly, NY.
Meet his wife Cathy, here: FRIENDS
She has written a book titled, Winning the Prize and offers insights to Christian living on her podcasts.
Read other books offered from Zion Fellowship International, Waverly, NY, HERE.
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Blessings ~
My Sun & Shade
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Here is a link to my favorite devotional: Streams in the Desert
Easy to read, yet true to the essence of the original, this Streams in the Desert offers a refreshing daily dip into God's purpose, plan, and enduring promise.
