Friday Fun and Freebies

     In case you didn't know, last Friday was Mickey Mouse's birthday.  That's right .. on November 18th, Mickey celebrated his 88th birthday.  I'd say he looks pretty good for 88, wouldn't you?  The management team where I work used this opportunity for us to celebrate and have a day of fun.  We were encouraged to wear Mickey or Disney themed clothes.  There were trivia games to play and various prizes were won.  
     Granted - not everybody won a prize - but we all got to participate in the fun.  That morning - free donuts were available to all and enjoyed by most.  And we all got to wear Mickey Mouse ears.  It was a great way to lift everyone's spirits and end a week of work.  I am thankful to those who gave us this fun time.   
      Yesterday, this country celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday.  It is a special time aside to be thankful for what we have.  Here in this country we have so many reasons to be thankful.  We are blessed in so many ways that others are not.  We reap the benefits of  freedoms we ourselves didn't earn.  
      Just as a side note - Mickey Mouse was "born" just 20 days after the stock market crashed in 1928.  The nation had just entered into very sad times.  The Great Depression was one of the most trying times in this nation's history.  I can only imagine the joy a little cartoon mouse brought to thousands of children across the nation.  
      Celebrating Mickey's birthday last week was truly fun.  I enjoyed the free donuts.  I enjoyed seeing everyone wear their Mickey Mouse T shirts and outfits.  Some went the extra mile and even painted their faces.  
      It seems almost everyone had fun wearing their ears (just a simple black headband with mouse ears glued on to them.)  I couldn't help but smile at one employee who wore the headband over his bald head.  Everyone got into the spirit.  
      Then of course, there were the "freebies."  As the winners were being announced, everyone anxiously awaited to see if their name would be called.  And we all applauded the winners.  
     This, my friends is what really got me to thinking.  Because you see, I came home to see the news on TV -- to see and hear about people grumbling with dissatisfaction about many things -- politics, government -- mostly about something they don't have or not getting their own way. 
    Nothing is ever really free.  That do-nut I ate was free to me; but someone bought it.  Those little mouse ears I wore were free for me ... but someone ordered them, went to the trouble of making sure there were enough for everyone, paid for them, and then took the time to pass them out to 100+ people.  And those prizes that were won?  I can assure you money swapped hands somewhere along the line.  
      In this country we have so much -- we are given so much -- it is difficult to remember sometimes that someone paid for it in some way.  Material things cost money.  If you enjoyed a feast yesterday -- it was paid for in some way.  It was either bought at the grocery store or grown in your garden -- and either way it wasn't free.  If you ate home-grown vegetables,  then you or someone toiled over the planting and growing of that food.  It wasn't free.  It took time and effort.  
     We enjoy the freedom of travel across this country to get to those we love.  We enjoy freedom of religion (not from, but of) and the right to bear arms and the right to vote.  Not everything is paid for with monetary funds.  Many things are paid for with time and sacrificed lives.  Our freedom was paid for long ago with the lives of those who fought and died for this country.  Freedom cost blood, sweat and tears.  Mothers and fathers lost sons.  Wives lost husbands.  Children lost fathers.  
     Even things we usually think of as free -- love and friendship, family -- those things aren't totally free are they?  Love and friendship take time and effort to develop.  Energy is put into every successful relationship.  We don't choose the family we are born into -- but it takes planning and dedication to establish strong family ties.  Love may be freely given- but usually sacrifices are made along the way.
    The most beautiful gift we can ever receive was bought with the highest and rarest price of which we can ever conceive.  God's great love for us cost Him His Only Son.  Jesus gave His life for us willingly and lovingly.  He wants us to be able to live with Him and the Heavenly Father forever and He paid the ultimate price.  
      We didn't deserve it ... and never will be able to.  God's grace and love is almost inconceivable. Yet not everyone will take advantage of this wonderful gift of love.  .  Some of us think that because "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish" is a given and there is nothing we are to do.  Not so .. my friends.  That word is should not shall.  
     The very next verse after that most famous verse of all says, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him"  (John 3:17 ESV).   Notice the word "might" -- that's conditional.  Just a few chapters over in the gospel of John ..  chapter 14, verse 15 Jesus says- "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  We don't all do that. We should, but we just don't.  Sometimes we don't even stop and think about things Jesus wants us to do for Him.  
      Yes, Jesus loves us!  He gave His life for us.  He lived a perfect life for us so that He could give Himself as the perfect sacrifice for us all.  We can never do enough to earn our salvation.  We will never be "good enough" to get into heaven on our own.  
      God's grace and mercy reaches out to everyone.  But this is not the end of the story.  We must reach out to Him.  I think Jesus says it best. Listen to His beautiful words of love:
   "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.   This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no on than this, that someone lay down his life for friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you."   (John 15:9-14)
      
     Remember to be thankful.  Everything you've ever been given was paid for in some way by someone.  Ultimately everything you have... everything that you are or ever will be ... is from the Father of Lights.  
     Christ died for us.  He loved us that much.  We should long to abide in His love ... to be His friend and follow His commandments.  As He died for us -- now so let us live for Him.  

Christ above all things, 
Robin

     

Let Her Who Runs on Fumes ..OR Running Out of Gas, Part 2

      "Let her who runs on fumes take heed, lest she end up on the side of the road."  

     I did say my thoughts on running out of gas might take 2 parts.  As I've thought about these incidents  over and over again the past few weeks another verse kept popping into my mind.  1 Corinthians 10:12 says:  "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands, take heed lest he fall."
     Again, so many thoughts go along with this verse as I apply it to my life.  First of all, spiritually.... we get nowhere...we go nowhere ... without God.  Just like our cars won't go without gas -- our souls can't go without God.  He is our source of power.   Just as a car needs fuel to move forward, so our souls need spiritual fuel to move closer to God and our home in heaven.  
     In Ephesians 3:16, Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians "that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being."   God gives us the strength to live a faithful Christian life.  But this is not randomly given.  It is given to those who seek to serve Him.  If we don't fill our tanks -- we wind up on the side of the road.  Just like we have to take our cars to a gas station -- we have to take our souls to Christ.  
     I thought I knew my car well enough to get one more trip out of it ... to go just a little further.  I thought I could wait just a little longer before I took action.  Do we sometimes do that with our spiritual life?  We think we know ourselves and we can go a little further without including our Lord in what we are doing.  
     Maybe we think we don't need Jesus right now.   Maybe we think we're doing pretty well on our own.  But in the scripture quoted earlier, if we think we are standing  -- we better be careful because we might fall.  We don't stand on our own.  It is through our Savior that we stand at all. 
         Another scripture that comes to mind is found in Isaiah 5:21 "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight."   Some of us may think we have a little more time, like I thought with my car.  But my thinking didn't get me home.  I couldn't go any further running on fumes.  
      Honestly, it was out of neglect that I ran out of gas.  It was no one's fault but my own.  If we fail to attend worship, we are neglecting our God.  If we fail to study His word - if we fail to seek the love we find throughout the scriptures - if we fail to talk to our Heavenly Father - then we are neglecting our spiritual lives.  And folks, we are going to end up stranded on the side of the road! 
     Not only can I relate to this because of my car, but I can relate it to my spiritual life.  There was a time in my life when I didn't put Christ first.  I became so indifferent, I didn't think I even needed Him anymore.  I had put God and all things spiritual out of my life.  It was a long time ago -- but I still remember.  I almost ended up alone and far from any promise of an eternal home with God. 
     But just like I had help with my car (on both occasions), I had help with my spiritual life.  Family, friends and people who were total strangers at the time - loved God enough to love my soul enough to stop on the side of the road ... they took me in ... they showed God's love to me.  They gave me fuel ...  and I realized I needed it.  When I came to that realization, I began to fuel up more and more often.  I praise God for those who got me back on the road again!!!  
      We have to be careful every day.  We have to pay attention to our tank ... and make sure we don't let ourselves get empty.  We have to understand we can't run of fumes.  We can use a lot of fuel up even doing good works for Him -- but we have to stop and fill ourselves back with scripture and prayer and wonderful Christian friends who give us encouragement to keep on going.   
      We can't allow ourselves to drift away - to become lackadaisical like I did.  That is a very dangerous position to be in!  God won't magically fill up your tank.  But I promise if you truly put Him first .. if you seek to learn of Christ .. and are willing to follow Him ...you will be "strengthened by His power through His Spirit in your inner being."  

Christ above all things, 
Robin