Day 18 Saturday March 7 – [S] Take a treat or meal to someone
RO: If you and I hope to discover our mission and our identity on this earth – what God might be calling us to do – there is no getting around it – we also have to spent lots of time in prayer getting to know God, getting to a place of quiet where we can hear the voice of God speak. // “God, what can I do today?” “How can I grow closer to you today?” “Do you want me to speak to someone?” “Do you want me to be quiet?” “Do you want me to make a move or a change?”
Micah 7: 14-15, 18-20
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt?
Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. // His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. // ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’
God made this one easy for me today – a no-brainer. My friend Darcy just had a baby. I made her a meal and a dessert and dropped it off on my way to church. As I was cooking her the meal I felt happy. And I did pause a moment to realize that if I was making the meal for my family I would have thought it a bit of a chore rather than time pleasantly spent doing something for someone else.
I am glad I had that thought. Because:
Who do I love more than my family (other than God)? No one. If that is true and I really mean it then making my family a meal should not feel like a chore. It should be an act of love. And I benefit from it too so really I shouldn’t complain – What’s that? I get to eat this great food once it’s all cooked? That sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
Often I find myself caught up in the day to day and the “To Do” list of what “has to” get done and I don’t think of it as anything other than a chore. But this is my life, and if so much of it is going to be me doing the stuff that has to get done I better change my perspective of it.
While I made the cookies Nora was there, ever trying to get dough out of the bowl and trying to reach the sugar bowl I was dipping the doughballs in. It was a balancing act of telling her no, keeping her hands out, giving in and letting her have some, and making sure Ryan had her when I opened the oven door. I am grateful that I did remember to laugh a few times at how persistent Nora was running from one side of the table to the other trying to get the sugar bowl and arriving just in time for me to move it to the other end. When she wants something she really isn’t stopped by anything. We had time together and I got to enjoy how cutely exhausting she can be. (She knows the word “No” but chooses to ignore it when she’d prefer the answer was “Yes”.)
This all reminds me: Day 11 I mentioned I have often forgotten (forgoften?) to pray before eating. I have an update! For about a day I still forgot. For a few days I remembered, but only after having already eaten. For a few days after that I usually remembered while eating. For a few days after that I had a lovely mix of pre, during, and post remembering and praying. And now I typically remember before I eat or after just a few bites. So perhaps it took a week to get back on the right track, but I am glad I seem to be getting there. (Day 19 Update: I forgot again til after eating… so really this continues to be a bit of an uphill battle!)
Continue to Day 19
Give God Your Yes 