Laced With Grace

Thanksgiving was 4 days ago and if you are like me, you are still eating on the leftovers! Let’s see…first, there were turkey sandwiches, then turkey soup, then turkey casserole and now today, warmed up turkey, dressing and potatoes! Turkey, turkey, turkey and more turkey!

I have seriously had my fill of leftovers.

Somehow by the 4th day it just isn’t as exciting as it was on Thursday! I’m kind of tired of having nothing but leftovers.

I not only get that way around the holidays, but my spirit man also tires of leftovers. A few years ago, my husband was overworked, underpaid, stressed and frustrated at his job. While he was at his job during the day he gave 120 percent, doing everything he could to resolve issues, be kind to others, even do his work and the work of others but by the time he came home from work it seemed like all the children and I would get was his leftovers. You know how we get when we are tired, cranky and just downright stressed.  While he gave his best at work, he brought home the overloaded stress to us which didn’t always come across as his best.

Leftovers are not always as appealing as they once were. The salivating over the roasted turkey has diminished some from Thursday to Monday. Spiritually speaking, when we give less than our best, when we give our leftovers to others, we also lose our sweet aroma.

God wants our best to not just be yesterdays menu. He wants our best to be renewed each and every day. Sometimes we worry about tomorrow, so we try to live on what we have today or what we had yesterday. The children of Israel worried that hunger would overtake them while in the wilderness. After much grumbling and complaining, God finally told Moses to tell the people that Manna would rain down from heaven every day to feed them.

 EXODUS 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. “

But there was a catch…

The people could only take enough Manna for the day, no extra. On the Sabbath day, God would double the food gathered the day before so that the Sabbath day could be observed and they still have plenty. In His attempt to teach them faithfulness, the children of Israel were not all quick learners. Some worried there would not be enough for tomorrow so they took more than their share. They took leftovers. But the manna literally grew old and rotted if more than the allotted share was taken.

God did not need them to live on leftovers. His bread was new each and every morning. He wanted them to trust Him for their daily bread. Likewise, He does not want us to live on leftover experiences either. Yesterday’s blessing was for yesterday, TODAY God has something new for us!

LAMENTATIONS 3:22″Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

Too many times I think we come to the Lord’s table still eating the crumbs from yesterday. Our testimony seems to be about what God DID instead of what He is DOING! One of the reasons that I think that we give our leftovers to others is because we are still living on the leftovers of our yesterdays. It is time to partake of the fresh Bread of Life that He offers us TODAY!

Aren’t you tired of living on leftovers?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)

” To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

           A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;    a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;    a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;   a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;    a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;   a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace”

Our front porch with the "love-birds" Fred and Louise.

Autumn is my favorite of the four seasons.    At the beginning of autumn we still have the bright colorful flowers of summer along with the bursts of sunflower yellow, burnt orange and burgundy colored mums.  As the season continues I love to see how each day the leaves on the trees turn from bright green to orange, yellow and red.  Our rural mountain community looks like a beautiful oil painting by Thomas Kinkade.  Communities begin hosting Harvest Festivals and Oktoberfest’s with hayrides, candy apples, pumpkin carving contests, and the sweet aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pies and hot apple cider fills the air. 

Autumn is also a time when I ponder upon the above passages in Ecclesiastes.  There is so much wisdom in those eight verses.  I reflect upon these verses in reference to my own life. 

• Do I “die” to my fleshly desires so I may “live” in Christ anew each day?
• Do I plant seeds of the fruit of the Spirit so others may reap the harvest? 
• Do my actions tear down the work of the Lord or do I build up others with words of kindness?
• Do I help bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted?
• Do I weep when I see poverty, abuse, starvation and hopelessness in my own community?
• Do I mourn for the lost souls who need the Lord as their Savior?
• Do I find time to bring laughter in my life and rejoice in the joy of Lord?
• Do I dance with joy when a lost soul receives Christ as their Savior?
• Do I embrace the life the Lord has given me?
• Do I purge the things in my life that hinder my witness for Christ?
• Do I know when to “let go” and “let God” take over?
• Do I speak up for the “right” things and for those who cannot speak for themselves?
• Do I keep my mouth shut when I really want to lash out and hurt others as they have hurt me?
• Do I have a Christ-like love for others?
• Do I truly hate “sin” or do I tolerate “sin”? 
• Do I have a conscious awareness that there is Spiritual Warfare going on trying to keep me from living for Christ?
• Do I seek a life in peace with others as well as share the Peace that passes all understanding? 

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enjoy my favorite time of the year, I ask that you examine my heart and bring to my mind the things I need to confess so that I can be a better witness for you each day of my life.  Lord, remind me that to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  In Jesus precious name, amen. 

Indulge me today.

Let me introduce the cast:

One- small furry, cute (deceptive) cat
One- small dog named Peanut
One – teenaged girl 16 going on 27.
One – believing mom and keeper of the home.

It started several months back. The rainy season. It’s cold, wet, and dark. One early evening during a light downpour as we sat in the family room watching TV. From the hallway we hear a tiny, “Meow.”

The neighborhood cat, Cleo, found her way through our dog door and peered around the corner of the kitchen at us. She was wet, pathetic looking and only wanted to jump up in my teenagers lap for a quick dry nap. She slowly made her way to the couch. Crept up on her lap and laid down.

“Isn’t she cute mom? She just wants to be warm and dry.”

Little did we know….. This was only the beginning.

Over the next several weeks, the cat began to “sneak” in regularly. We would find her curled on my daughter’s bed. She would come in at times and meow and entertain us with her sweet nature. Slowly and unnoticed by us, Cleo’s visits became more and more frequent. And slowly and imperceptibly, she began staking her ownership of our home.

A few months ago, she slipped into our house early in the morning. I was reading my Bible. She jumped up gently and the next thing I knew she was smack in the middle of my lap purring loudly as I read and prayed.

Within weeks, Cleo slipped into the house in great regularity and no longer was she quiet. She arrived with loud meows that would wake the dead. She threatened the dog into servitude with one quick swipe across the nose. She picked at the trash and pawed at the fish tank. Jumped on counters and tried to drink my coffee.

Her charm had morphed into dread.

Cleo in the sink

Meow.. Meow..MEEEEEOOOOOOW.

One morning not long ago, I was too tired to do battle, I sat reading my Bible she came in and jumped up on the couch then wormed her way onto my lap. As I started to rise to put her out, she turned and bit me. With sharp teeth might I add.

Finally one evening I went into the family room to sit on the couch and watch the news. Sniff sniff. My nose curled at the most revolting odor.

“WHAT IS THAT SMELL?” I screeched.

There was a putrid stench of epic proportions rising from the couch. The animal had been sleeping there most of the day. The rot rising from the cushions put my barf reflex into action.

Ahem, need I say more???

I wonder if you can see the analogy in this retelling of our cat story?

How cute the little varmint first appeared. How sweet and needy. How loving and pretty. How slowly, every slowly, seemingly without notice the invader takes ground. Tiny changes occur and tempers flare, teeth are bared. Right in the middle of my Bible reading.

The next thing you know the marauder is a constant companion, a pebble in the shoe, and then before you know it, it’s rolled in the most horrendous and vile of grossness and it’s smell is all over the house.

Oh how like the enemy to work this way. Oh, how like our nature to see that little irksome thing as cute and harmless.

So, learn from me. Don’t give one entrance to the devil or his schemes. Don’t even allow a tiny dog door to crack open and allow entrance into your house or heart. Throw him out if he comes in and BAR the door.

……

Now for the end of the story and as for the cat……. She sleeps at the neighbors.

Woo Hoo! Let’s all hug a dog. Love you, Lynn

Deuteronomy 23:14 For the LORD your God moves about in your camp (home) to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

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