Unworthy Servants

Luke 17: 7-10
"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

I read this verse this week and was struck by it. I don't recall reading it before, but it really made me think of the myriad of things I do, expecting to be thanked. Things that are really just in the line of duty. Things that God just expects of me.

Loving my neighbor, serving others, training my heart toward peacefulness and upright godliness are expected things as the servant of God. And yet, these things are sometimes what I'm looking to be thanked for, or looking for pats on the back for accomplishing. In reality, they are things expected of a follower of Christ. In reality, they are part of the character, part of the role of a servant of God.

Sometimes, I think when I do something for God, I expect Him to be smiling and pleased with me, when I should be just thinking about it as being in the line of duty. At work, my boss does not thank me for accomplishing certain tasks. Sometimes those tasks are tedious or difficult to accomplish, but it is expected I do them, and do them well. I do not get extra thanks for them. It's my job to make sure the tasks are finished.

Doing hard things in my life, holding myself to a high standard, and keeping my heart loving and open to God's leading is what is expected of a Christ follower. I should not expect anything from these things, other than knowing that this is how it's supposed to work, how it's supposed to be in the kingdom of God. After all, I am God's unworthy servant, undeserving of anything. His love is what has redeemed me, His forgiveness has made me whole.

Something I've been mulling over this week.

:Bounce: :Bounce: :Bounce:

This is just a happy little post because I'm ready to bounce off the walls. And there's a lot to be happy about!

I just had a cup of coffee. It's Guatemalan, and was roasted in the last few days not too far from here. Gosh, was it good, too. I'm ready to tackle anything now! Coffee buzz, top notch.

God has been really moving and working in several situations lately, and I'm humbled that He'd take time to care for me like that. He answers prayers, brings strength, and heaps blessings upon blessings. I certainly don't deserve it! But I am deeply grateful. I'm so glad that I have a personal connection with the maker of this universe.

I'm so thankful for the many gifts and things God has done for me. Too many to count or mention, but they are crowding around me, demanding that I share the goodness of the Lord.

Psalm 9:1-2 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

A Few Notes On Caving

#1. I'm totally out of shape. How do I know? Because surely 8.5 hours in a cave would not leave me this sore and moving around like an old lady. I have a new sense of sympathy for those with severe arthritis, because I imagine they must feel similar pain when trying to do basic things like sitting or standing or walking. Today for PE the girls skipped around the gym. I thought I was going to die.

#2. I found my niche for sporting activities. Spelunking has to be the best one I've tried so far. Where others have to crouch or crawl, I can stand upright. Where others struggle to fit through crevices or small spots, I can not only fit, but also change position. Being small has suddenly become a much more desirable and positive trait.

#3. Whoever invented helmets is due a huge huge debt of gratitude. My brains need all the help they can get, and the helmet I was provided with certainly saved the little brains I do contain in my noggin.

#4. It feels good to get so dirty now and then. I don't believe I've had so much mud on me in years. I was covered head to toe in mud and dirt. And just as it felt good to get dirty, it felt equally nice to take a SHOWER.

#5. It's amazing how easy it is to lose all sense of direction in a cave. Perhaps climbing over rocks and sliding through passages known as "Suicide Crawl" has something to do with this.

Ok, so Saturday had to have been the most awesome and epic expedition of my small life. I just loved the cave, and enjoyed exploring everything. I loved seeing the secret hidden things in the dark, the crystals that glowed like sparkles and little stars, the rocks that were so big and solid and the interesting formations on all sides. A 450 foot waterfall. I picked up white cave crickets and examined a bat at eye level. It was amazing and totally worth the effort. I love little places, and I like mysterious things. The cave was certainly both.

I can't wait to go again.

I can't help but smile because God thought to make caves hidden away.

When we were in the cave, we were sitting on a ledge with a huge room before us. We turned off the lights and sat in complete, deep, darkness. There was absolutely no light, nothing to see.
Then someone on the opposite side of the room flashed their light.
One small light pierced the darkness.

I've been thinking on this. Perhaps more later on the one small light.

All Girl, Part Two

So I'm really excited about the next girly adventure...not dancing. No, this time, spelunking! I'm so excited! I hear this cave has a 40 foot waterfall, bats, and all sorts of formations to take in. Not to mention lots of mud and the opportunity to get soaking wet.
No perfume, dresses, or curled hair for this venture! Instead this time we're looking at clothes we can destroy and hiking boots and headlamps.

Mostly I'm excited about seeing the beauty of the world beneath us.
I always wonder about the secret places we don't even know about that God made and enjoys.
Perhaps I will catch a glimpse.

All Girl

This is a totally girly post because I'm excited about going dancing and decided to write. Read at your own risk. ;)

There's just something that happens to a girl when she gets all dressed up. I spent the day in my grubbies doing things around the house. I cleaned my room, put away winter clothes, got out summer ones, and made an apple pie. 

Then.

I put on a little makeup, curled my hair, added a dash (or two!) of perfume and put on a pretty dress with a perfect twirling skirt. And then something happened. I turned into a GIRL. I just love it. I like being feminine and feeling pretty. I like the scent of perfume wafting around me, and giving a little extra twirl because my skirt is swirly. And I like being treated like a girl and having doors opened for me and being escorted in dark parking lots. Not because I am afraid, but because I like being a lady.

And I LOVE dancing. I like being the follow and going where the lead takes me. I like the swings and the waltzes. So! Fun!

Just thought I'd share some exuberance about being all dressed up and having somewhere to go. :)

Thoughts

It's an afternoon of reflection.

Quiet, peaceful. Sun playing through the shady leaves of the trees out my window. Music soft in the background.

And thoughts bubble up. Up and out of the deeps of my heart and mind. It's like a fountain, or a spring of fresh water. Deep down thoughts begin to form and eventually they bubble up and out burbling like a spring, flowing out and eventually reaching the blog.

I sit and stare at the words, or gaze out the window as I type, thoughts becoming real under my fingers, thoughts taking form before my eyes.

Thoughts are sometimes to be pondered in the heart. Thoughts are sometimes to be kept quiet and thought about when washing dishes, or mowing the lawn, or when busy doing other mundane tasks that fill up the day. Thought about and pondered softly in the soul. And never shared, never spoken. Just thought and felt.

Thoughts are sometimes to be shared. They deserve to be written about and talked about and given life by giving them language and form. They bubble out to others who can in turn think and ponder and share.

I wonder how many of our thoughts are not really ours, but given by the Holy Spirit. Whispered in our ears at night as we sleep, in our hearts as we ponder, the scarlet thread of thought weaving in and out of our existence and minds. Scarlet threads of thought from God.

It's funny how you can share a thought without exchanging a single word. It's funny how you can share a feeling and idea and not even speak.

And it's funny how you can talk using a barrage of words and never get the thought across, never communicate the idea. Emptiness filling up the space with noise.

I wonder about my thoughts sometimes. Are they really empty? Are they really fluffy? Perhaps nothing wonderful, but they are mine. Some of them are here, bubbling out. Many many more are quiet in my heart. They will not be shared here. They are just for me. And perhaps others.

It's easy for thoughts to get out of control and start going in a direction far far away, far away from righteousness and truth. Thoughts that bring darkness and hell to haunt our minds and dreams. It takes self control to bring them back to the thoughts of Light and truth and God. Thoughts of beauty, loveliness, goodness and virtue.

I don't want darkness to exist in my mind, in my thoughts. I want sparkling light, and colorful beauty.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy holy Name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

One Day Soon

One day soon, I will speak a new language, and bring the spice of communicating in a foreign language to my tongue and heart. I will be free to share the thoughts of my soul and mind with others who understand another way of speaking, with others who in turn will search for words as we join in a deeper level of communication. It is a joy I anticipate and look forward to.

Words that have been chained up inside, frustrated and blocked will be free at last. Words that could not be uttered, only thought and hidden in my heart until the moment it could all be translated into a common understanding. A moment when I learn the secret to communicating, and translating my abstract ideas and feelings in concrete understanding.

One day soon, I will have the satisfaction of expressing myself in ways that I understand, elucidating a inner world of thoughts, sharing them with others.

One day. Soon.