Ponder this

A couple of weekends ago, Shawn and I were in Katy for a wedding of a dear friend (Shawn had the honor of donning a tux...that makes THREE times within the span of a month that my dear casually-clad man had to wear suit-like clothes. Hee-hee!). Before heading back home, we visited our friend Neil McClendon's church. I had yet to hear the man preach and was looking forward to a good word. Well, I got a few...

First, while visiting in his office before the service, I learned that the week before Christmas is the last OFF-Peak week at Disney World! Eighty-two bucks a night on property! I had us packed and ready to go...for Avery's next birthday. I mean, c'mon - cheap!!

Then I remembered - plane tickets for four, park passes for four, food for four.
Not so cheap anymore.

So we'll save and go in two years, Lord-willing.

Second good word: Neil is now in the pulpit, wonderfully frank, preaching from Luke about the leper asking Jesus to cleanse him - if He is willing. Jesus replies, "I am willing. Be clean."

The challenge? To remember the LORD is always willing. When we ask of Him, worship Him, come to Him broken and despairing b/c we have failed again, He waits with the same response, "I am willing". Neil has taken to repeating that to himself in all situations: "I am willing, I am willing!" Nothing is too great for our Lord.

I liked that. A golden nugget to meditate upon. A simple phrase to repeat, remember, internalize.

Neil asked of the congregation, "what would it take from the Lord to show you that He is willing?" Mmmmm, that's good. I didn't have an answer right then. I never do well, this whole on-the-spot thing. So I left it out there for God to answer when He was ready.

And He did, at about 2 o'clock in the morning, laying in Asher's room, wishing my son would go to sleep. It won't be significant for you, probably. But it was sweet and is sweet when the Holy Spirit plants the words in your head. You know what I'm talking about.

If my God is willing, He will shift my focus from me and on to others in an unconditional, free from expectation kind of way. He will help me forget me.

Ah, that was music and life to my ears. I am an extremely self-centered person and I hate it. I am the victim, I'm never wrong, I have pride oozing out of every pore, I am the one that always has to sacrifice, endless comparison, blah, blah, blah. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I lie to myself about who I really am and then wonder why my marriage is struggling or why I can't get along with my mom, etc. I have to know Truth in my innermost being, like Psalm 51 says. David is desperate for forgiveness and change in this Psalm. He knows God is his only hope. And God says, as always, "I am willing."

And you know how I know God will be true to His word? Four sleepless nights with a poor sick little boy. Nothing gets your focus off of you faster than your children needing you.

I pray that each of you reminds yourself that the Lord is willing. He is so willing. So very willing.

Love to you!