Birds on the River

Isaiah 40: 30, 31  "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

Turn the Other Cheek

A man took several blows to the eye from a stranger during a road rage confrontation.  This young man's wife and small child were in the car.  What would be the natural reaction to this ridiculous unwarranted attack?  Many a provoked man would strike back, but this man did not return a punch and announced "We're done," and got back in his car to remove his family from the situation.

My friend was telling our mission trip group this true story about a friend during our last meeting.  I announced, half-serious and half-way hoping that I was joking, that you never know what would happen this week--when we might have a "turn the other cheek" moment.  Well, I kind of had mine today.

In Matthew 5:39, Jesus says, "But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

I wasn't socked in the eye nor struck on the cheek, but I was confronted by a neighbor.  I had pretended to be a gardener, apartment style, and transferred my zinnias to a smaller pot.  In the process I managed to get potting soil all over my balcony.  I swept the dirt off my second story balcony thinking the wind would carry the dirt off breaking it up and away to the river.  Thirty minutes later, I had a startling knock at my door.

My downstairs neighbor, whom I had never met, confronted me, told me that the dirt had covered his chairs, and asked that I not do that again.  He was bold and assertive in his manner but not rude.  After the fact, I thought about what my human nature wanted to say to him, fuel ignited by assumptions about character previously to this encounter. 

However, in the moment, I responded apologetically and with kindness.  I offered to clean it up which he declined.  I also offered him some extra potting soil which he also declined.  I think the kind response caught him off-guard.  I can only explain my response by the Holy Spirit guiding me to do not what is natural, but what is unnatural.  I feel that is the way Jesus responded, the supernatural.  Perhaps that is what He meant by turning the other cheek.

I certainly have not responded the way I should have more times than I can count, but here is one time I actually did respond in a way that is unnatural, and that is why I wanted to share it. 

Celebrate the Small Stuff

In the midst of graduation parties and Mother's Day and birthdays and...all the fun events and people to celebrate, I was able to have more reasons to give thanks.

On a recent Friday, I arrived at my speech therapy room at work to find a student hovering around my door.  He said, "Come here.  I got something for you."  I was surprised and excited.  "For me?" 

"Yeah, come here. I want to show you."  He led me to my back door to a tiny unused patio where I sometimes let the boys take a shortcut to the playground through the bushes.  He had a little crate of zinnias for me and one for his mother.  I smiled and told him, "You made my day."

He spent the first ten minutes of the school day tracking down our Gardening Instructor and begging her to let him plant the zinnias in pots for his mother and me.  How precious!!

That very day after lunch, I checked my mailbox in the workroom.  There was an anonymous donation of $100.00 to go towards my Haiti trip (see previous blog re: garage sale blues).  I boo-hooed!  I was touched, humbled, and deeply grateful!  I wanted to thank someone but didn't know who to thank.  I told a few co-workers to spread the word of how thankful I was if they knew who contributed (as I teared up again). 

So these may seem like small things to celebrate to some, but to me they were so special!!

He's Able

Well, I was certainly challenged to believe what I wrote in the last blog.  I worked so hard today with two other team members to have a garage sale to raise money for our mission trip to Haiti in July.  I tried hard not to have any expectations of how much we would earn.  I remained positive when other vendors around us were seeing the glass half empty.  We battled last minute advertisement and construction surrounding our site.  We battled complaints from buyers, broken glass, and unfulfilled handshakes.  Still I chose to have a smile and enjoy the nice weather, the shade, and the conversation with new friends.  

Boy was my hope tank deflated when we only made $130.00 which is to be split three ways.  All that work for a small amount.  I certainly was frustrated and had put my trust in circumstances.  I had to return to my previous blog entry as well as take a long nap.  I prayed to handle this with perseverance.  

I recently told the team that you never know how God will provide the money for our trip.  My mentor has told me before "If God has called you, he has also called the funds."  Of course, we will be faithful to contribute and do our part.  

I told my team of my first mission trip to Peru and the lessons I learned in fund raising.  The woman whose house had recently burned to the ground was the very woman who provided the most money towards my mission trip.  I cried, and I will never forget it.  I can only assume that she perhaps felt so blessed by others helping out after her house burned that she wanted to help others.

Music is so important to me and such a lifter to my soul when the song is encouraging.  I listened to "He's Able" by Darwin Hobbs.  It is a song I heard on a gospel channel last year while driving to work.  Later that Spring as I was going through a dark time with a loved one who was in the hospital, the song ministered to me.  As that loved one was being transported by wheelchair in the elevator, the hospital transport randomly belted out that one line of the song, "He's able."  I knew that was from God.  A little message to trust at a time when I couldn't understand what was going on and was tempted to despair.

So once again, I am reminded, 

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen."  -Ephesians 3:20