Yes,
this is a new year’s/Christmas post. Yes, I
realize that it is now the end of January.
Yes, I am also aware that this fact means that I am late posting my new
year’s/Christmas post. I could weave an elaborate
tale to excuse this lapse, but it’s late and I’m tired and my brain has used up
all the available bandwidth for the evening, so let’s just say that, yeah, it’s
late...
This
is the time of year when we all reflect on the past 12 months. In my case, I reflect on the past 12 months
and breathe a sigh of relief that I managed to keep all of the creatures that
insist on calling me “Mom” alive for another year. There were no bones broken, no stitches
required, no major illnesses, no major car accidents, no one was thrown out of
school, arrested, or labeled a delinquent.
All in all, that adds up to a pretty good year for me.
Most
of you know that I returned to school recently to finally pursue my dream of a
degree, an actual piece of paper to prove that I have a working brain in my
head that does something other than keep my hair from falling out! (come to think of it, what does that say
about J??) Because of the craziness of my new schedule, (okay, you caught me!
My schedule had nothing to do with it!! I’m just crazy!!) we were a little late
getting the tree up this year. We
finally managed to get it up and decorated.
I use the term “we” loosely. In
years past it was a family affair, this tree decorating thing. I would prepare an abundance of junk food and
we would make a party of it. It evolved
into a tradition with the same foods being prepared every year and the boys all
joining in to get the ornaments on the tree.
Now that they are older and busy with much more important things like
girlfriends and video games, they still show up for the party, but now it’s
only for the food. They make a plate and
disappear back upstairs or park themselves on the couch to shout instructions
to those of us trying to adorn the evergreen.
This year proved no different.
The only time the older boys hung an ornament was when we ran across one
they had created or one that had their name on it. We all have special ornaments that carry
special memories for us, even J.
Many
years ago, when we were a young, broke couple with a couple of kids and
continuing his college education was still a dream, I bought J a Ga Tech
ornament. It was gold and black and had
Buzz the bee on it. Every year, even if
he did nothing else, J would hang his Ga Tech ornament. This year, however, I feared the tradition
may come to an end. I couldn’t find
it! I reached the bottom of the box and
it was nowhere in sight. After digging
around a bit, I found it down in the corner under some packing paper. I was so excited. J had already gone back upstairs so I walked
over to the bottom of the stairs and, holding it proudly up by it’s little
metal hook, I shouted “J! I found your Ga Tech ornament!!” It was at that moment that the little metal
hood that had steadfastly secured this little gold ball to nearly 20 different
Christmas trees finally gave way. As if
in slow motion, I watched in horror as the much loved gold and black ball with
the cute picture of Buzz on the side hit the hard wood floor and shattered into
a million pieces. In disbelief, I realized I stood holding nothing but the top
of that little metal hook. My glorious
shout of victory upon finding it was immediately followed up by an incredulous shout
of “J! I broke your Ga Tech ornament!” He
told me later he thought I was kidding him.
Sadly, I was not.
Is
there a lesson here, you ask? Well, yes
dear reader! There is always a lesson! I
guess you could say I had become somewhat complacent about my ornaments. I had not really looked at them, checked them
over for damage or weakness in, well, ever! So it completely caught me off
guard when it broke. I am reminded of
the scripture that says “Be careful when you think you stand, lest you
fall”. I had assumed the little gold
hook would continue to hold the same as it always had, and therein I made my
mistake – I assumed.
One
thing I have learned, is the danger of assumptions. We can get into trouble when we assume the
Lord is telling us to ______________________, (fill in the blank) just because
our friends or family members are doing it. It could be working in the nursery
at church or teaching a Sunday school class, singing in the choir, reading that
popular book, shaving the cat, taking underwater basket weaving, bull-fighting,
mud wrestling or belly-dancing. (is it
just me, or did that list somehow go waaaay off track???) Here’s the deal, even good deeds done for the
wrong reasons become bad. There is a
verse in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Pay
attention to the last little bit of the verse – “God prepared in advance for US to do”. That is a personal thing, that’s not really a
royal “us” there. God has a plan for
each one of us that includes certain tasks for us to do. What do you think happens when we decide to
take on something the Lord does not mean for us to attempt? Sure, in our natural giftings we can manage
to achieve some success at times, but at what cost? If we are doing something not mean for us,
that means it is meant for someone else.
If we are doing it, that means they are not doing it. (I know that’s a difficult concept for some,
but stick with me here) If they are not
doing what the Lord means for them to do, they are not learning the lessons the
Lord had for them to learn as they completed that task, whatever it may be. So
while we may be fulfilling our need to be Susie Spiritual, we are robbing a
brother or sister of a blessing from the Lord.
Just because we can do
something, doesn’t mean that we should.
The Lord is pleased with a heart that desires to serve others, but let’s make
sure that as we are busy working for him, that we are not simply attempting to
fill the places in our heart meant for relationship with him with that
busyness. It’s important to not assume that just because
there is a need and you can, that you are the one meant to fill it.
Assumptions
can get us into trouble. They can take
us places we were never meant to be and therefore don’t have the grace
for. In the coming year one of my goals
is to stay on track a little better, to exercise my faith by listening for his
voice. Lately, the only exercise I seem
to get is when I jump to conclusions and run off at the mouth! But I digress...
I challenge you, my lovely friends, to be careful not to fall into the old
routine, the usual way of doing things simply because it is the way you have
always done them. Are you assuming that is
the way it will always be? I gladly
share with you a page from the book of insanity that is my life so you may be
spared the lesson I learned. Assume
nothing! Ask the Lord to show you where he may be leading you in the new year,
what new things he may have for you and what new lessons there are to be
learned. But don’t be surprised when the Lord shows up and asks you to take on
something new, something out of your comfort zone. And when you’re standing on
the edge of that cliff and the Lord tell you to step on out into thin air, don’t
assume that he’s going to catch you. He
may just be teaching you to fly.
Until
next time I’ll be here, checking my hooks and cleaning up shards of gold and
black glass as the fragrance of evergreen, pizza rolls and nacho dip still
linger on the air...
As
always, I’m soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor
