JUST A PEBBLE

It wasn’t much of an aggravation. Just enough to make me uncomfortable. I kept on walking because I didn’t want to stop for such a minor issue. The longer I walked the more distracting it became. Finally, I was forced to stop and take off my shoe to find the irritation. A tiny (and I mean tiny) little pebble was floating in my shoe. How could such a tiny substance cause so much trouble? I quickly dumped it on the blacktop, replaced my shoe and continued walking. Such comfort! Why had I walked so long before stopping to remove it?

As I finished my walk in comfort, I began to think how I do the same thing during the day. I start the day in good spirits and then discover I am out of cereal milk. A bit later my electricity is momentarily disconnected, and I am forced to reboot my computer, reset all my clocks and check my refrigerator and freezer. I drop an egg as I mix my cookie dough. Nothing major, but my husband comes home for lunch, makes a reasonable request and I “jump down his throat”. I have let the little rocks of the morning rub too long.

So often I let the pebbles of the day rub for too long and my family and friends experience the result. Paul wrote to rejoice…not just when we were comfortable and all is going well, but “Rejoice Always” is his admonition to the church at Philippi. I need to stop, take a breath, get rid of the aggravation, and rejoice in my day. So many blessings come our way and we miss them because we have a “small pebble” interfering with our day.

I am trying to take out the “pebbles” of the day and Rejoice Always. I hope you will too.

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LIVE ABUNDANTLY

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As I sat down to write this morning searching for something to share, I began to think how blessed I am.  I had just come from the picture on TV of the thousands of refugees at the border in Texas and then came to my computer to read from a missionary about the situations in India. My mind was troubled.

On the shelf above my computer are five pictures, one wedding invitation, a small corsage of artificial flowers, one small piece of black construction paper encouraging me to “Be the moon” and a twisted piece of wire shaped like a person. On the frames of three is printed Grandkids and Great-Grandma and one is our great grandchildren surrounding me in hugs. The fifth is our grandson, Eric, as a small boy riding a go-cart.

Maybe the pictures and the wedding invitation from our youngest granddaughter would be explanatory, but the other items are only meaningful to me. Memories of Mother’s Day, of my great-granddaughter gifting me with a reminder from her Sunday School class and the pieces of copper wire reminding me of her father as a young teenager twisting the wire and talking to me at our kitchen table all flood my heart with how blessed I am.

Each of you reading this also have those mementoes which mean very little to someone else but are so very important to you These are memories that we hold to our hearts and know are the important treasures of life. The pandemic continues. The world news is discouraging. But we must take time to enjoy the many little happenings of life.

Jesus told his followers, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (NKJ John10:10)

Satan is still working in this world, and if we let him, he will destroy or impose on or destroy our abundant life. Those little things that may seem so minor but mean so much are his targets.

He said, “Let not your heart be troubled” and so today I am counting my “little” blessings of life and ignoring the thief who would steal my joy.

 

LISTEN UP !

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Many aspects of family life have changed in the past fifty years. Eating together as a family has become almost unheard of, and yet it is at the supper table or the Sunday dinner that many issues of life can be solved. Parents are wise to find time to sit down with their children for one meal a day.  Fast food and hurried schedules can sometimes make for so little time that children and parents have no time for one another.

 Children need to be heard. Listening to the ramblings of a ten-year-old when travelling from McDonald’s to the soccer practice may not be enough time. for the young person to get to the point of the story.  Recently, I picked my great granddaughter up from one practice and took her to another. We stopped at McDonald’s drive-through, and she ate on the run. She is a talker. We were just getting into a real conversation when we arrived at the ballpark. Time was so short and my opportunity to share with her that day was lost.  I plan to go back to that discussion, but time left us much too soon. 

As my children grew and changed, I found that one-on-one conversation as we rode to a nearby town for piano lessons or a ballgame became the confession time for both my children and me.  Sometimes I needed to talk to them privately. It can take a while before the true issue is revealed (particularly with some young boys). Families need to be together for a time each day if possible.  Just touching base with one another gives a security to each member of the family. (Parents as well as children)

As children bring home friends the family may begin to grow.  In our family our children had friends who had no family structure, so we became their family. Sunday dinners and family outings included these young people, and I spoke to them and disciplined them just as I did my own. They were held responsible for their actions as though they were a member of our family. “Take off your shoes when you come in here.”  Turn down that television” Get off that couch with those dirty clothes.” Get me a chair, please.”  Family behavior was expected. Of course, these same young people received “Good Job.”  “I was proud of you.”  “I will pray for you.” Comments of love and acceptance can make children feel they belong to the family group.

Making time to listen for all the people involved  with your family  is perhaps one of the most important factors for keeping each one close and in the circle of family love.

It isn’t a choice to take time-the choice is to MAKE time.