Boo-hoo

Boo-hoo! Who-you? Are you a melancholy mess or a rejoicing rescuer? Our attitudes both attract and repel. Do I sing the blues in difficult times or sing praises to my deliverer? People are watching each of us even when we are unaware.

Are they observing a recounting of troubles or counting of blessings? I can rejoice even if reason makes it appear highly unlikely and unwarranted. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 NIV).”  

I can shed tears of joy! Who-me? I will stock up on Kleenex, count my blessings, and raise prayers of confession, praise and thanksgiving. The Holy Spirit sweeps aside my melancholy mess and dresses me in party clothes! God, your will be done…

Labor in Prayer

The experience of giving birth is one that a woman carries close to her heart and clings to emotionally always. I clearly remember the severity of the contractions and increased frequency as labor progressed. I did not take Lamaze classes to gain helpful information on labor; yet taking deep breaths likely came without any coaching.

Do I personally identify with the feelings of urgency and expectancy, as I am inspired to labor in prayer? “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you- (Galatians 4:19 NAS).” This should be my burning desire; the need should nearly take my breath away. I want the heart of Paul who faithfully prayed for lost souls and I anticipate the promised breath of the Holy Spirit to move in hearts to birth children in God’s kingdom.

Remedy for an Unhealthy Heart

I had assumed blockage and hardening of the arteries was a problem only for the elderly. Today we hear of the serious health threats of obesity in children. It puts a new spin on what goes unseen beneath the surface; if beauty is skin deep it has a lasting relationship with cholesterol and arteries under attack.

I am not fluent in medications jargon. Frequently someone with medical background will confidently unravel a string of drugs given as treatment for ailments and I smile as clueless as a tourist in a foreign country. As a young girl, a new word entered my vocabulary; Grandpa Ford took digitalis. He had heart problems, rested after lunch and followed his doctors’ orders.

There is another remedy for an unhealthy heart: Did-ya-tell-Jesus?

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NAS).”  

Finding God in the Housework

I do not enjoy housework. Not even a little bit. Just yesterday I was telling the young lady who lives next door to me that I wished I had a magic wand that I could simply wave and have a clean house! Alas, that is not the case and I do have to put things away and do the dishes and the laundry and clean the bathrooms and mop the floor and the list goes on and on in a seemingly never-ending cycle. This, despite the fact that my standards for cleanliness are not all that high. It’s really been bugging me lately. There are so many other things that I would much rather be doing with that time.
In the midst of my aggravation, what message did God send me regarding this? An email reminding me that housework is an opportunity to encounter God.

And, so it is. Every moment of our lives, if offered to God and done to serve Him, is holy. That includes the time spent with the laundry or scrubbing the floor. First of all, we do these things because they are part of our vocation and one of our primary duties on this earth is to serve God by living our vocation to the best of our abilities. Secondly, we do our housework to serve those we love – so that they may have clean dishes and clean clothes and a healthy environment to live in. It may not seem that way as we are struggling to get it done, but doing the housework is actually an act of love.

The time spent on household chores can also offer a time to pray. These menial tasks usually do not require a great deal of brain power to accomplish. There are two ways to make them more meaningful. The first is to truly pay attention to them. Get off the auto-pilot and actually focus on the task at hand. Instead of simply rushing to get through them, live in the moment. Be thankful for the people you are doing these tasks for. Appreciate the fact that you have the physical ability to complete these chores.

Second, the time can be used to say some memorized prayer or to simply talk to God. I would be willing to venture that when you are performing your household tasks your mind is usually elsewhere anyway – perhaps replaying conversations, turning over worries, or making future plans. Why not turn one’s mind toward God? Prayer and work can go hand in hand. While there are certainly times when we need to focus on one or the other more exclusively, manual labor and mental prayer are able to co-exist quite nicely.

I needed the gentle reminder that God gave me that my housework has value that goes beyond the short-term results. The dishes I washed today will once again be dirty tomorrow. The dog will shed again and somebody will definitely spill something on the floor that I mopped. The clean clothes will on again be dirty. But, if I do these tasks with a loving, prayerful heart rather than a grudging, complaining one, they will acquire a much deeper purpose. Perhaps, someday, I will even come to look forward to them!

- Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Don’t Stop!

How long is your attention span? I learned as a childcare worker that very young children average one minute of concentration for every year of life. That explains why it is so difficult for them to sit still and quiet in worship service. It amazes us when we discover a child who breaks the mold. Thomas, a boy in my class could concentrate for long amounts of time, either by himself with an educational toy, or as a listener. He gave very close attention as I read an ABC’s book to him. Yes, Thomas demonstrated a superior attention span; he puts most adults to shame.

We can gauge our attention by our interest in the subject. Sports fans can spend hours at live events or watching television. They seem to be in a trance; yes, sports hold their attention. Avid readers and music lovers easily concentrate on a good book or sing along favorite. What about God’s word and prayer? I wish I could say we score as well there.

Our minds wander, and we think of all the other things that need our attention. Very often, we just get sleepy and give up; we need staying power. Others are depending on us to pray. “They said to Samuel, Don’t stop praying to the Lord our God for us. Ask the Lord to save us from the Philistines. Then Samuel took a baby lamb. He offered the lamb to the Lord as a whole bunt offering. He called to the Lord for Israel’s sake. And the Lord answered him (1 Samuel 7:8-9 NCV).” Please, don’t stop; the Lord will answer!