An Example of a True Worshipper's Heart

I was in the shower this morning listening to how quiet the new fan is in my bathroom.  I could barely tell that it was on.  I hated turning on the old fan, and often did not, especially when Shelley's parents are visiting, because I didn't like disturbing the entire house with it's rattle.  I have heard that for most people, the in-law relationship is difficult.  Not for me, and for that I am very grateful.  Shelley's parents are true examples of the kinds of Christians that Paul exorts us believers to be.  He says we must be humble and serve one another.  Peter says, honor each other above yourselves.

     For one, it was Papa who replaced the fan, finding a new one after his standard exhaustive search of every home improvement depot in the area for $13.48.  We laugh every time he says it.  The rest of the fans were no less than $50.00.  And this little guy is practically silent, keeping the mirror and walls totally free of moisture.
     I later thought of the e-mail thank you I would like to send them.  I need to send an e-mail because I won't be able to remember all they did for us on this latest trip, and it be fun for them to see the list in written form


I'll share it with you:
Dear Papa and Mama,
thank you so much for your recent visit where you

• picked our grapes and made grape juice and jelly,
• trimmed our yard
• raked our leaves
• mowed the grass
• put up blinds in 4 different rooms
• found a glider for the baby room
• hung the mirror in our bedroom
• tightened the screws on our bed
• picked up our new deep freeze from Bi-Mart when I was at work and installed it
• mom emptied our small freezers and packed the deep freeze
• dad found and installed the new fan in our bathroom
• did the dishes
• did the laundry multiple times
  
• helped me load, unload, load, unload, and unload (at midnight) the music gear after our several ministry concerts, and house concerts
• performed with us at Friendly St. Church
• helped the arborist take down the 150 foot douglas fir, pulled the branches, moved the garden beds and other plants to prep for the job
• came to our ultrasound with us
• cleaned the floors in the kitchen,
• and probably some other things that I can't even remember.
• mended the torn quilt on the bed
• were cheerful and fun the entire time

    
This was an average visit for them, and they are in their seventies!  Every time, we completely enjoy the time with them.  They are fun to be around, never bring negative talk, and are wonderful Christians to fellowship with.  Over the two years we've lived in this house, they have painted our living room, put in flooring in our laundry room and painted it, plus countless other fixes, and upgrades to our home.  I am sharing this with you because it is such an awesome example of two people who have pure servants' hearts.  They don't complain about these jobs, but do them with joy, making us feel like they are lucky that we let them do it for us!  Every time I hug them goodbye when they are leaving, they say, 'thank you for your wonderful hospitatlity, and for such a good time.'  Imagine that?  They thank me, the son-in-law!  They are always saying that I am such a blessing to their daughter.  I don't take this lightly, because I know how hard the in-law relationship can be.  I have to add that Shelley's wonderful brother Kevin has been a huge part of some of these jobs.  He has replaced 4 doors in our house, in addition to working on and helping with some of the other jobs.  Being the son, he is an example of the home he was raised in.  He could certainly not want to give his time and talent to us, but he has the servant's heart as well.
     In addition to all of the house things, they are a blessing to our spiritual growth.  They have been pastors together for 47 years.  Last week at our worship night, I asked Papa if he would come up and share anything the Holy Spirit was placing on his heart.  Sure enough, the word he shared was enough to nudge one of our friends we were discipling to give her life to Christ a few minutes later!!  She said the words he shared caused her to want to come forward for prayer, even without us giving a formal invitation for salvation during the service.  Part of what he said had to do with what true worship means.  He said that in God's word, worship means to bow down.  To submit our bodies to service to Him.  As we go about our daily lives, we can worship the Lord by asking Him how He can use us that day to serve others, and be an example of His love to them.  

 1 Samuel 2:11 (New Living Translation) ¹¹ Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
 Matthew 16:25 (New Living Translation) ²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

  Matthew 20:27 (New Living Translation)
²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

How powerful that night was for me.  I have observed this lifestyle for 15 years that I have been married to his daughter, seeing him be a servant to many, including his son-in-law to whom he had no obligation to serve.  He could have been the domineering i'm-older-therefore-superior type of father-in-law, but he has never been that way.  They could have had reservations about their only daughter marrying a black man, but they did not.  They cared ONLY that I loved the Lord.  When they saw that, they considered me family, and there has been no doubting of where I stood with them from that moment on.

     What an example to me as a Christian, a husband, a minister of music, a counselor, and soon to be a dad.  I see the humility, service, and generousity that comes from the power of the holy spirit being allowed to grow in your heart year after year.  

I close with a passage of the November 13th day of the devotional Streams in the Desert by Mrs. L.B. Cowman.   

The most saintly souls are often those who have never distinguished themselves as authors or allowed any major accomplishments of theirs to become the topic of the world's conversation.  No, they are usually those who have led a quiet inner life of holiness, having carried their sweet bouquets unseen, like a fresh lily in a secluded valley on the edge of a crystal stream.

p.s.  PRAISE REPORT - At the time of this writing, the current news had not developed:  On their last visit, Mom looked that the housing section of the Register Guard, and was attracted to a house in Veneta on... Heavenly lane.  We have prayed for years that they could find a property here in Eugene, but finances have not been in the flow.  They lost a ton of money to a wicked former business partner.  They currently live in Abbotsford, BC where they pastored a church for 10 years, and have stepped down from that position to do music ministry full time.  The pollution there is so bad, that Mom's voice is hoarse half the time.  We would all love to be here in Eugene together. 

     They went and looked at the house.  It is brand new, never been lived in, and the builder is a Christian!  This is a large, very well built house for not much money because of the current market!!!  They are in the process of purchasing that house!  I have no idea how they have the finances to do that, but I only see the favor of the Lord on their lives all the time.  Now that our first baby is coming, you can imagine the excitement.  This is something that looked impossible for a long time, but with God, all things are possible.  He has made it so this house was waiting just for them.  He is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him.  Amen.  May you be encouraged and blessed by the Lord today.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

How good does it feel to give someone something they need?  Sometimes the Lord blesses us with some extra money we have sitting somewhere, and then a family member or friend shares with us a financial struggle they are having.  There it is in our hands to give to them.  That moment feels better than the moment of receiving the money.  It is truly more blessed to give than receive. Acts 20:34-36 - You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. ³⁵ And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them.
   It is all too easy to think of obedience to God as drudgery, having to follow his laws like cranky children grumbling while we take out the trash.   Our parents had to get on our case about it because we kept stalling, so by the time we do it, we have made it a major grind, when really, it was just a small request.  In our relationship to God, it goes even further.  When we obey Him, we experience blessings that we cannot even describe.  We also get to take in the fruits of His favor here on earth.  We only know this when we have fellowship with Him.  I tuned into Joyce Meyer's show where she sits down and interviews guests.  Her guest was a pastor from London who was talking about the incredible emptiness that people experience from their pursuits of money, houses, sex and other temporary things.  He said that is a big thing that drives people in London.  She confirmed that they do that here in the States as well.  What they continued to discuss is that people can make 100 million pounds, or dollars, and then still feel just as unsatisfied as when they began the drive to make the money.  The flip side of this is that God could bless us with wealth or things.  He does want to bless us even with abundance, but if we know Him, we can then use that money to bless others.  So it is not that God does not want us to have things, or success, it is just that if we are living for Him, we don't feel empty, we feel fulfilled to then give that stuff to other people.
    We see the importance of our relationship with the godhead established from the very beginning.  In Genesis, God made promises to Abraham, blessed him and his nephew Lot with possessions and land.  They had so much so, they had to divide it up and move to totally different parts of their land to have space for each other and their lives.  After he rescued Lot from the king of Sodom, he met Melchizedek the first priest of Scripture, and an honorable God worshiping man and gave him a tithe of the goods he was had from the spoils.  This offering to a 'King of Peace', the representation who Jesus was to be in the flesh.  Abraham honored the lord with the firstfruits of his house.  Then, when the king of Sodom wanted to give Abram the goods for the taking he refused it to ensure that glory for his wealth would go only to the Lord and not to the king of Sodom.  He had his priorities in the right place.  There is a proverb that says the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous.  and 
     So let's absorb, memorize, speak, and follow God's word about giving.  We hope to experience the plans that he has for us.  To prosper us and give us a future and a hope. Jer. 29:11.

Doing things God's way is great.


Here are some other passages on giving:

 Proverbs 15:6
Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,But trouble is in the income of the wicked.  

Isaiah 32:20 (New Living Translation)

 ²⁰ the Lord will greatly bless his people.
      Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.
      Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.

Luke 6:38 (New Living Translation)

³⁸ Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.^[a]”

Psalm 112 (New Living Translation)

Psalm 112

 ¹ Praise the Lord!   How joyful are those who fear the Lord
      and delight in obeying his commands.
 ² Their children will be successful everywhere;
      an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
 ³ They themselves will be wealthy,
      and their good deeds will last forever.
 ⁴ Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
      They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
 ⁵ Good comes to those who lend money generously
      and conduct their business fairly.
 ⁶ Such people will not be overcome by evil.
      Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
 ⁷ They do not fear bad news;
      they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
 ⁸ They are confident and fearless
      and can face their foes triumphantly.
 ⁹ They share freely and give generously to those in need.
      Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
      They will have influence and honor.
 ¹⁰ The wicked will see this and be infuriated.
      They will grind their teeth in anger;
      they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.