11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Ezek 34:11-16 (KJV)
When I was a little girl, I did not have siblings my age nor neighbors close enough to play with everyday. I did not have video games available to while away my time. I had me, myself, and I. I recall a time when I was in elementary school that brings back vivid smells, visions, and heart feelings that gives me a comfortable feeling.
It was in the fall of the year. The mornings were very cool and the days were warm. On this particular day, there was a "northerner" blowing in and the wind was blowing fairly brisk. The sky was dark in the north and it just appeared ominous. The air was cool as the weather was about to change. We had a huge (well it was huge to me then) oak tree in our front yard. When the wind started blowing, I looked out our front screen door and there were leaves falling from the tree. It was a beautiful sight to me. I ran outside and began trying to catch the leaves that were falling. As I look back now, I'm not sure if I was trying to "save" the leaves from hitting the ground or if it had become some type of game for me, but which ever, I was determined!
The scripture in Ezekiel tells us that He chases after us, but how? How does God, our Shepherd, chase after us? The scripture says He does. The scripture says He looks for those that are hurt and wounded. He searches for the ones malnourished. Obviously, we are His sheep. Have you been wounded? Perhaps, you've been wounded by the church. Possibly, you're own choices have brought you pain. If you are lost or falling...There is hope! The God of ALL creation loves you and He will chase you just like I chased after the falling leaves. He uses the very people you are surrounded by to lift you out of your struggle.
This is a message for Christians. God has placed you in your place of influence to draw the hurt, battered, and struggling back to the One Who can mend them. We should never take it lightly that God has a plan and purpose for our position!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Grandfathers AKA "Pawpaws"
Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Prov 22:6 (ASV)
When I was a child, I was fortunate to live about 2/10 of a mile from my grandparents. Oh yes, I was spoiled rotten. And yes, I was loved by them. They watched me before I went to school when mom worked. They watched me in the summers when I was too young to stay by myself. To say that I was close to them is an understatement.
Mawmaw and Pawpaw saw to it that I went to church when Mom and Dad were not "regular" attenders. I attribute my spiritual education as a child to them. VBS was ALWAYS a time I looked forward to. During craft time, the workers would let me make two of whatever the craft was that day: one for Mom and Dad and one for Mawmaw and Pawpaw. Those are great memories.
During the summer, my cousins that lived in Greenville, MS would come and spend two or three weeks with them (me) and I have wonderful memories of them, also. Getting into the hen house to make "mud pies" (well, we needed eggs!), walking to the cemetery (just behind Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house), climbing in the old barn and corn bin (with all the mice and snakes, I shudder to think!), swinging in the old black walnut tree...Oh I could go on and on. There is one memory however, that as an adult brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
Pawpaw had an old 65 Chevy truck. It was baby blue with white trim. I learned how to drive a standard on the column. In fact, I learned how to drive in that old truck driving on the gravel road between their house and ours. One summer, my cousins were down and we asked if we could paint Pawpaw's truck. What?! We were 8-10 years old. What were we thinking? He said "yes". What was he thinking?! He gave us a bucket of white paint and he told us where we could paint. And paint, we did! We tried to stay within the parameters he set for us, but hey, we were 8-10 years old! His reaction to our handiwork was priceless! He was so proud of what we had done that he showed it off to everyone that day! We were so proud that we had pleased our Pawpaw that we wanted everyone to see our "work".
That reminds me of our heavenly Father. I try to stay within the parameters that He has laid out for me, but I don't always make it. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of pleasing my Father and my Pawpaw showed me how much He delights in me by the way he found joy in me! To honor my Pawpaw's memory, I have restored his old truck. This time I had it professionally painted!
Prov 22:6 (ASV)
When I was a child, I was fortunate to live about 2/10 of a mile from my grandparents. Oh yes, I was spoiled rotten. And yes, I was loved by them. They watched me before I went to school when mom worked. They watched me in the summers when I was too young to stay by myself. To say that I was close to them is an understatement.
Mawmaw and Pawpaw saw to it that I went to church when Mom and Dad were not "regular" attenders. I attribute my spiritual education as a child to them. VBS was ALWAYS a time I looked forward to. During craft time, the workers would let me make two of whatever the craft was that day: one for Mom and Dad and one for Mawmaw and Pawpaw. Those are great memories.
During the summer, my cousins that lived in Greenville, MS would come and spend two or three weeks with them (me) and I have wonderful memories of them, also. Getting into the hen house to make "mud pies" (well, we needed eggs!), walking to the cemetery (just behind Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house), climbing in the old barn and corn bin (with all the mice and snakes, I shudder to think!), swinging in the old black walnut tree...Oh I could go on and on. There is one memory however, that as an adult brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
Pawpaw had an old 65 Chevy truck. It was baby blue with white trim. I learned how to drive a standard on the column. In fact, I learned how to drive in that old truck driving on the gravel road between their house and ours. One summer, my cousins were down and we asked if we could paint Pawpaw's truck. What?! We were 8-10 years old. What were we thinking? He said "yes". What was he thinking?! He gave us a bucket of white paint and he told us where we could paint. And paint, we did! We tried to stay within the parameters he set for us, but hey, we were 8-10 years old! His reaction to our handiwork was priceless! He was so proud of what we had done that he showed it off to everyone that day! We were so proud that we had pleased our Pawpaw that we wanted everyone to see our "work".
That reminds me of our heavenly Father. I try to stay within the parameters that He has laid out for me, but I don't always make it. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of pleasing my Father and my Pawpaw showed me how much He delights in me by the way he found joy in me! To honor my Pawpaw's memory, I have restored his old truck. This time I had it professionally painted!
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