What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

‘Perspective’ or ‘What I did on my summer vacation’
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Declares the Lord, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I learned something as I was flying home from my summer vacation. As the plane took off from the Denver, Colorado airport I looked down on the landscape and marveled at the creation of God. I was struck at the flat landscape changing drastically to mountains. In my head I said to myself, I just don’t get it. Why did God choose to make creation look like this? Why, such a drastic change from flat to the mountains? We had been in Colorado all week, driving from place to place, going up into the mountains, back down into the canyon, out to the flat places but when I was at street level it didn’t occur to me how drastic the changes were. Only when I saw them from the heights of the airplane did I see the whole picture of what the creation actually looked like. And immediately I thought of my life and Community Bible Study, it hit me that I just don’t get why God has brought me here to do this service.

Let’s back up a couple of steps here and fill you in on my perspective. I only ask that you remember this is my perspective, as narrow as it may seem to you—it’s my experience. I don’t mean any offense to anyone who has a different experience—and all our experiences are different. Just bare with me, I did learn something here that might be valuable to someone; at least it is to me.

I have been involved in CBS for many years. I have worn many hats in my service at CBS and loved each and every one. And believe me, this is an honor to be here to serve Christ. I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to serve our Lord and be in relationship with women who love Him. To be able to come together and pray for this ministry, our lives and families, and our country is a great blessing. This organization is near and dear to my heart. So as my invitation into leadership unfolded in the last few months, I must admit to you that I was sort of taken aback. I didn’t understand why God wanted me in leadership, to be with the babies in the nursery. Don’t misunderstand me it’s not that I think this is an unimportant job, because I know it is very important to CBS. The nursery is an integral part of CBS. We must provide a solid children’s program for the ladies that God has called into this ministry, and we are planting seeds for the next generation of believers as well. I just didn’t get why me? I was always the one who shied away from helping with the kids. When my family gets together they still can’t believe I’m the one with four girls, and not my sister—who spent most of her young adult life babysitting, I never had a paid babysitting job—really, not once! My greatest fear after having Nikki was that the first time I held her she would cry—just like every other baby I had ever held. I was absolutely astonished when she didn’t!

But, here I am, ready willing and I think able to be in the nursery with the children.
But, I digress, this is about perspective. So as I watched out the window of the airplane and saw the mountains passing below me, as the plane turned away from the mountains toward the plain I began to understand that I didn’t have this whole picture perspective, but God does. And that’s really all that matters. As I was pondering this, clouds were beginning to pass below us and block my view of the landscape. I wondered if this too could be a lesson. Were there times when God brought things into my life that blocked my view? That he clears away when He chooses for me to see the whole landscape? Recently I’ve been somewhat depressed about my youngest daughter Stephanie going away to college. For the first time in 30 years I have not had to care for a child at home. I felt that my primary purpose of caring for children was over. Perhaps instead, God has prepared me for a new role of nurturing some of His other children here at CBS. This made me think about the sovereignty of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He had also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I also thought about when we were at street level, I didn’t always know what was around the next curve. If there would be a gentle hill or a steep climb. Life is like that too—we never know what is coming, if we will experience a time of trial or blessing. But God is sovereign in everything—he knows what is coming for us.

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I am so excited about this year and CBS. I’m excited about experiencing all the hills, plains and mountains God has planned for this ministry. I pray that He will reveal His plan and perspective to us all.

Halloween!

I gave a devotion for my Women's Council Leadership meeting this last Monday night. I was excited because I had seen this devotion given a few years ago at CBS. I had always wanted to give it but never had the opportunity until now.

Halloween has always held a bag of mixed emotions for me. I've always wondered just how much I should celebrate this holiday. I want to honor God in all things, and always felt like I was walking a thin line when I celebrated Halloween. I didn't want to teach my kids the wrong things, I didn't know where the bounderies were on this topic. But this word picture about the pumpkin and our realtionship with Christ somehow made me feel better about the whole thing. The apostle Paul often faced situations with people of different cultures that observed different customs and I think we can learn something from how he handled himself at those times. He didn't segregate himself away from them. he went to them and used who they were and what they were doing to talk to them about Christ. That's what this devotion does, it uses Halloween to talk to people about Christ.

Prepare Your Heart

Like it or not, Halloween is a part of our culture. Personally, I enjoy the costumes and the parties and (especially) the candy! But what can you do if you have serious reservations about taking part in Halloween? You can fight it; you can try to ignore it; or you can follow Paul's example.
In Athens, Paul was disturbed by the culture around him. (Acts 17:16). But instead of coming against it, he used things from that culture to present the gospel. (Acts 17:22-31).
Don't forget - the most important part of preparation is always prayer.

Prepare The Materials

This is an object lesson - the objects you will need are:
A pumpkin (instructions for preparing it are below)
A candle or flashlight to go inside the pumpkin
Lighter or matches if you are using a candle
A large knife (not sharp, it is for effect).
Some mud or clay dirt
A damp cloth
A cloth large enough to cover the pumpkin

Instructions - ahead of time:
Cutting carefully so that you can set it back in place, cut the top from the pumpkin.
Scoop out the seeds and inner membrane. Rinse, dry and save it. You may want to soak them in coffee or something similar to turn them dark. We will be returning them to the pumpkin.
Making sure to keep the cuttings on one side of the pumpkin only, cut a design into the pumpkin. You can use a traditional jack-o-lantern or some other design. Carving 'JESUS' into the pumpkin or carving a candle is effective. Be careful not to carry the design to the sides or back of the pumpkin as you do not want to show the cuts at the beginning of the lesson.

Put the seeds and membrane back into the pumpkin. If it is going to be over a few hours before the lesson, it would be better to put the seeds and membrane in the refrigerator until closer time.

Instructions - just before the session:

Set the pumpkin in front of you so that the carved part is toward your body. You do not want the audience to see that it has been carved.
If the seeds were refrigerated, return them to the pumpkin.
Put the top on the pumpkin matching it as good as possible so that the cut is not too obvious.
Smear a little clay or mud on the front of the pumpkin so that the audience can easily see it.
Set the other supplies (knife, light, damp cloth) where you can reach them.
Cover the pumpkin with a cloth so that it is not visible from any side when your group comes in.

Prepare Your Group

Begin with prayer.

The Lesson

Sometimes people ask what it is like being a Christian.I'd like to tell you that it is all fun and easy. But I'm a Christian. I'm supposed to tell the whole truth. And here it is. It is fun to be a Christian because I am God's child and God loves me. And it is never too hard for me because God helps me. But sometimes it is pretty hard to be a Christian.

(Lift the cloth off of the pumpkin)

I think I can use this pumpkin to help explain. We all start out like pumpkins. We're out in the garden along with all the others. God is always walking through that garden asking if any of us what to belong to Him. When we say 'yes' to God, he picks us up out of the garden.

(Use damp cloth to clean the dirt off the pumpkin.)

And he gently washes away the dirt. That feels really, really nice.

(Pick up the knife)

But there is more to be done. You see, dirt was not the only thing we brought with us from the garden.

(Pretend to cut around the top of the pumpkin)

Some of what we brought back requires surgery and that can hurt.

(Lift off the top.)

While we were out there in the garden, some things grew inside us.

(Take out a few seeds and hold them out to be seen.)

Sometimes the others were not fair to us.

(Take out more of the seeds)

We became angry and the seed of bitterness started to grow inside.

(Continue to take out seeds as you talk)

Sometimes others let us down or hurt our feelings. We began to feel sorry for ourselves. And the seeds of rejection started to grow. We try to get even with those who hurt us. The seeds of unforgiveness and violence begin to grow inside.

(Remove the last of the seeds)

Yes, all of this cleaning up hurts a bit. But if we won't let God clean all of this out, it gets infected. And then we really have problems. Christians who won't let God clean out all the junk from the pumpkin patch are really miserable. They have spiritual infections and they can spread them to others.

(Wipe the inside with the cloth)

(Pretend to make a few cuts with the knife on your side of the pumpkin)

I'm learning to hold really still and let God take care of anything that needs cleaning! Sure it hurts sometimes.

(Put the light inside the pumpkin and light it)

And sometimes I wonder what God is trying to do!

(Turn the pumpkin around for the group to see)

Then God reminds me that He has a wonderful plan for my life. He wants the beauty of Jesus to shine through me so others can see the way to Jesus. That's what we are, you know. We are not really better than those poor pumpkins who are still in the garden. We are just a whole lot better off because Jesus has taken us out of the darkness and into His wonderful light.

(Lights off)

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can't be hidden. Also, people do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand. Then it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven."*

Please pray with me. Father God, thank You for asking us to be Your children.Father, we want to be more like Jesus. We want others to see Your light shining in our lives. Help us to open our hearts to You. Take away all our bad attitudes. Give us Your light and love inside. We're asking this in Jesus' Name. Amen

*Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16 NIRV

This devotion is based on an inspirational E-Mail I received. I do not know the author of the E-Mail. You have my permission to copy anything that I have written.