First Things First

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

How many times have you worried that telling someone the truth or being completely honest with someone would just hurt their feelings too much so you have to tip-toe around the truth to soften it for them. Being nice rather than being honest has become the norm in society but the Lord teaches us that we should take a first-things-first approach. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” By first going to the Lord and becoming more Christ-like we are seeking His kingdom and His promises. Jesus during His time upon the Earth did not soften his words when someone was seeking the truth. He delivered the hard truth even when those did not want to hear it. How refreshing that would be to ask a question and know that you are going to get the absolute truth, no sugar-coating, no half-truths, but the complete unbiased truth. Of course our feelings would be hurt from time to time but true friendships are built on truth and when it is spoken in love we can learn and grow from it.

When we align ourselves with the Lord and seek Him in all we do He promises to take care of us, walk beside us and never forsake us. That is an amazing promise and for us, being of Earthly flesh, it is a little far-fetched to believe. Someone to always speak the truth to us and never leave our side no matter what we have done or how far we pull away is an idyllic myth and so foreign to what we know.

Growing up I had a sister who was a complete narcissist, everything had to revolve around her and when it did not anyone in her path paid dearly for her unhappiness. She never sought the truth; she desperately wanted you to sugar-coat the truth so it made her look good. When she would ask me if she was a good sister, I would have to say that she was or she would get vicious. I bear a slight scar on my face from telling her that she was a selfish person. She is still the same way today – four children and fifty pounds later. Watching her children when they were younger I saw the unhappiness they felt at having to compete with their mother’s ego for attention and affection. Her love was always conditional, still is to this day. Now that I am an adult and able to see her clearly, I understand that she always put herself above anyone else; her husband, her children and even the Lord. In her quest for self-love and self-satisfaction she became a very jealous and unhappy person. Having her as a role model growing up – every little sister looks up to their big sister – I had the hardest time believing that Jesus sacrificed His life for my sins. There had to be some kind of ulterior motive, and there was; but it was a motive that benefited me not Him. God loved His people so deeply that He sacrificed His son to a horrific death so that we had the ability to draw closer to God. What a love that must be!  Once I figured out that the Lord wanted me to seek Him and His word before all else, I understood the unhappiness that my sister felt. She put herself before the Lord – her wants and needs were her first priority, not her relationship with her Lord.

I have in the past several years since my daughter’s birth taken my wants and needs out of the equation and focused on my relationship with my Lord first and my relationship with my daughter second, all else in my life comes after and I know that He is here with me as He promises in Matthew 6:33. By focusing on Him, He is there to pick me up and carry me if need be. He promised to be there and provide for me but He did warn of trials and tribulations in this life. My true reward will come after my journey has ended in this life.

Refreshment, Anyone?

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

I had a good friend tell me one time that she had no clue how I did all the things I did and not be overwhelmed. I sat back and thought about what she had said. To me, this life – all my activities and chores; even my past excursions – have made me who I am today. I have been doing these things for so long, having daily routines that cover a myriad of activities so that I do not feel overwhelmed or weary. I liken myself to the farmer who rises every morning at 4:00 a.m. to tend his farm. Although I admit to not ever-rising at 4:00 a.m. I do have a set time for doing things and all that I do, I enjoy and am at peace.

One of my other good friends told me she thought I was amazing because of all I do. I do not feel amazing, in fact, I feel wonderfully ordinary. When I was younger I was always told that it was my responsibility to become someone extraordinary and forge a path for others to follow. Where this path might lead I had no idea. Most of those expectations melted away when I became pregnant just like an ordinary young woman acting out. As I matured, I found a wonderful new hobby – people-watching. There is nothing more entertaining to me than to sit in the local mall's food court and watch people rush here and there through the corridor of shops. You learn a lot about people that way. But now I have wandered off-topic.

Back to refreshing the weary and satisfying the faint; what an amazing promise! Even though my daily life is routine to me, there are still times when I become so tired – when my daughter turns into a stubborn mule and we butt heads all day long; or when a puppy is feeling under the weather and I am up and down with her for several nights straight. Being weary can drag on my immune system and after a time I start to feel the effects. I am getting much better at going to the cross as soon as the first signs of weariness set in. I used to tell myself I could handle it, I did not need to bother the Lord with every little thing. As I have grown in my faith and become more comfortable in my place with Christ I have discovered that He encourages us to come to Him with all trials and worries no matter how trivial.

Psalm 55:22 says just that, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV) When weariness starts to take over, everyone in my household knows. No matter what I am doing, if I start to feel weighed down I will put my praise and worship music on and start singing and dancing; usually Zumba-inspired dance since starting a new workout regimen. My students are starting to realize I am not ignoring them when I pop an earbud in and go into my own zone for about five minutes. My mp3 player has a mix of music on it but my favorite playlist is my praise and worship music. It revives my soul and gives me the energy to keep going. Through His word and music that praises Him, I am renewed. His promise is fulfilled every time I ask for Him to help me and take care of me.

Everyday Miracles

For the past seven years or better I have rolled out of bed and drifted through my life without truly seeing the wonders around me. I always prayed to the Lord and waited to be knocked over the head with His answer to my prayers. I never sat still long enough to listen to what He was telling me. I did not find a quiet place to commune with Him and receive His instructions, I forged ahead with my own plans thinking that He was not listening or did not want to give me what I had asked for. It took listening to my friend who had knocked on death’s door and been rejected for me to realize that God really was listening to me and He really was trying to have a deep relationship with me; I just was too hard-headed or dense to hear Him instructing me. My friend, Jim, told me that each day of his recovery journey is a gift from God, each step he is able to take without assistance is a miracle and each breath that he breathes into his severely damaged lungs is a miracle. Listening to Jim’s labored breathing and hearing the awe and love in his voice when he speaks of the miracles that happen to him every day humbled be beyond anything else I could have witnessed.

I had always thought of miracles in terms of huge events that the multitudes witnessed and gave the glory to the Lord. I never considered what was happening in my daily life to be anything miraculous. But I started really looking and examining every detail that took place in my life. One day I was short on money but needed gas to get to work. I sent up an entreaty to the Lord to help. The day was colder than normal so I slipped my heavier coat on and when I put my hand in my pocket I felt a piece of paper. It was not just a piece of paper; it was a $20 bill that I had forgotten. It was a miracle. Another instance happened when I was sitting with my daughter on the couch one evening. It had been a difficult day and I was in a sour mood; she was also in a sour mood. I sat there silently praying to the Lord for wisdom and guidance regarding a problem at work and also how to not bring my moodiness home and heap it onto my daughter. After about 20 minutes of watching a television show together, my daughter turned to me and told me that I was the best mommy in the world even if I was a little cranky. That was an immediate mood lifter and another miracle.

Once I started really taking the time to listen to the Lord and to open my eyes and see what He was doing within my life I realized that He has been here all along loving me and caring for me in the everyday miracles that I experience. I now get out of bed with the expectation that I will hear Him and witness an amazing feat that maybe only I will notice but it is no less miraculous than the miracles that are witnessed by the masses.