Glory to God Alone

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.  He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and Earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"  We have all met that street sweeper.  Oh, he may be a check out clerk at Kroger who remembers your name every week, or the restaurant server who goes out of her way to make sure you get exactly what you want, no matter how far off the menu it may be. Yes, we've all seen him, and the excellence with which he carries out his job never fails to impact us.

I immediately thought of one of those "uncomfortable" verses of scripture that proves the truth of Dr. King's words.  Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  Whatever you do. Wow. 1st Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) echoes the same sentiment:  "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  Seriously, the Lord is concerned about what I eat and drink? The context of that verse is dealing with conflicting views between Jews and Gentiles on traditional Jewish dietary laws, but if God hadn't meant it, He wouldn't have put it in scripture where I could read it 2,000 years later. The truth is that if I claim to be a child "of the Book," I had best for a child who lives "BY the Book!"  If I want to associate my name with His, how can I do any less than work "as if for Him?"  The answer is, I can't.

Many people miss the great significance of the mundane tasks we are faced with every day.  I wonder if those who achieve great things in this world make it their life's goal to achieve great things, or if they achieve great things because they seek to do the small things that dot their daily calendars and to do lists with excellence.  I believe the answer can only be found in trusting the Lord and relying on Him day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

The world renowned composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, did something that we can all learn from.  A trademark of his original works are the initials "JJ" carefully scripted at the top of a composition.  "JJ" stands for "Jesu Juva," "Help me Jesus."  Bach recognized that he was incapable of completing the work without the help of the Lord, and he clearly sought God from the beginning to the end of the composing process.  When the work was finished, there was a final trademark left by the master.  At the bottom of the final page, the initials "SDG" can also be found.  Soli Deo Gloria. Glory to God alone.  What a concept.  Trust in the Lord and rely on Him daily, and when the day is done, give Him all the glory.  I am no theologian, but somehow this picture of working with all my heart as if for the Lord resonates within me. Pastor Robert Morris says the Lord doesn't need us, but he wants to partner with us.  I don't know about you, but this seems like an offer I shouldn't turn down.

I think Mother Teresa brought another piece to this discussion that bears serious consideration.  She said, "We can not do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love."  Great love that has it's source in the one who promises if we come thirsty He will give us living water.

So what ever we do-teach children, care for the sick, serve food, educate people on health and wellness, engineer buildings, or sweep streets-let's partner with the God of the Universe-for His glory.

Until next time..
Pam
SDG

It's Never Too Late to Become What You Might Have Been

"It's never too late to become what you might have been."  I absolutely love the hope that bubbles out and spills over the rims of this thought.  I most recently found this quoted in Mark Batterson's book, The Circle Maker.  A little research led me to discover that the quote is most likely originally attributed to George Eliot, a Victorian era novelist actually named Mary Ann Evans.  I can only imagine the feelings she must have had as she penned those words; a woman living in a society where in order to use her God given talent she had to masquerade as something she wasn't.  

While Evans' story seems extreme to those of us living in the open society that is 21st century America, it strikes me that the modern version of her dilemma might be more related to the fact that we live at such a pace that we never slow down enough to ponder some pretty basic questions.  Our world is filled with rushing, eye-popping images, deadlines, demands, and mind numbing noise; all of which serve to prevent us from asking fundamental questions like,  "What did the Lord put me here to accomplish?" "What is it that I want out of life?"  Many of us are are good at handling responsibilities and meeting obligations, but do we stop to figure out whether we are really on the path that the Lord intended specifically for us?  Are we using the unique gifts and talents He gave us to fully glorify Him?  Batterson says, "We have not, because we ask not, and we ask not because we don't know what to ask for."  I wonder if that thought is as disturbingly true for others as it is for me some days.

In my little world, the past couple of years have been profoundly trans-formative.  On January 7, 2012, I embarked on a health journey that resulted in a total weight loss of 75-plus pounds.  I am rather "petite" to be politically correct...ok, who am I kidding?  I am 4'9", which makes me down right short!  My total loss was approximately 45% of my body weight, so in a very real way, I am a brand new person.  The process was steady, slow, and for the very first time in my life, healthy.  My success was based on the fact that I (finally) let go of Pam's way of doing things.  I committed 100-plus percent to the program I selected, (Weight Watchers) and I decided if things didn't work, by golly the problem would be that the program failed, not me.  Turns out, if you do the program, it works!  No tricks, no gimmicks, it just flat stinkin' works! No quick fixes, no short cuts, no magical secrets.  My point is that I realized I had so many mixed up, crazy ideas that I was absolutely certain were true, I didn't allow myself the kind of success I could have had much sooner if I had only been willing to slow down and let go. I had to finally decide that my way hadn't worked for a lifetime, and maybe it was time to surrender to someone who actually knew something about the weight loss business.

Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that perhaps this was true in all areas of our lives.  Maybe I had done other things in certain ways because it was how I had always done them, so I began asking the hard questions.  The kind of questions that stop you dead in your tracks or wake you from a sound sleep in the middle of the night.  The kind of questions that cause you to reinvent not only who you are on the outside, but who you are at the core of your being.  The kinds of questions that bring you to your knees.

Just as I asked the weight loss pros about changing my body, I have earnestly sought the Lord about what He truly wants for me. Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  I am utterly convinced that the Lord of the universe wants to hear our concerns, and that Matthew 7:7-8 is a promise straight from Him.  So I am peeling my fingers one at a time from the steering wheel of my life and asking the ultimate professional what He wants for me next. What am I finding?  Well, turns out there are no quick fixes, no short cuts, and no magical secrets.  Just a Heavenly Father who loves me dearly, wants me to trust Him, and promises to give me good gifts!  I know that He wants to teach me how to be a better wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher.  He is also showing me that rules and limits I put on myself for a lifetime, don't necessarily have to be so.

Recently my husband and I traveled to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon. I had visited as a child--a fat, asthmatic child--who had no idea it would ever be possible for me to go beyond the rim and hike into the canyon.  I was nervous, but my husband and I were both convinced that this was an adventure we were to take together.  On two separate days, we hiked 3 miles down (and three miles back up!) experiencing the beauty of two different trails. The views were absolutely breathtaking, the challenges of the hike were daunting, and the feeling of going beyond what I had always perceived as a limit: priceless.

I am becoming more and more convinced every single day that it really never is to late to become what you might have been. It's the journey, the adventure, the dream of a lifetime. 

Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."