Write On Time

Check my heart please…

My husband is the mechanic in our family and I must say that he does a great job! For years I have seen him under many a hood and most of those belonging to our friends and family. God has given all of us gifts and talents and he has definitely been blessed in this area among many others. I am proud of him as I have seen him use this gifting to bless countless people.

Although the mechanics of an automobile are not my area of expertise, I do know that it is important for the oil in the car to be changed on a regular basis. In order to keep things running smoothly, it must be clean and kept filled up. Sometimes the oil filter gets clogged up and there needs to be a new one put in. In doing these things, it helps to keep the car running smoothly.

The same goes for our heart as well. We have learned that many years of eating too many fat-laden foods can fill our arteries with plaque and cause them to clog up. This interferes with the flow of healthy blood reaching our heart. If we make a change in the way we eat, sometimes that can be reversed and help us to live a healthier life. Over the past few years, I have learned about some things other than high fat foods that can be really effective in clogging up our hearts. These things would be called Bitterness, Envy, and Jealousy, and they have the potential to cause serious damage to our bodies and possibly even lead to death.

I believe that we as individuals have a choice in what we allow into our lives and into our bodies. Whether it is unhealthy food choices or toxic thoughts and words flowing through us, they bring us harm. I can write about this because I personally know it to be true. I have struggled in these areas and therefore have experienced the destruction that they cause. I thank God that I have received some revelation and healing in these areas, but it is still a daily choice. The bible speaks of generational sin and I have seen these three things wreak havoc throughout my family line. I have made the decision that it will end with my generation. The buck stops here! I draw my sword and cut it off! It ends with my generation and it will not continue on into my children. But remember, it is a choice. I can only do my part and encourage those that come after me to make the same choice.

We have all been wronged in many ways, but I have found that when we harbor these toxic things, we are the ones that continue to suffer. There is coming a day when all wrongs will be dealt with and justice will be served! So for now do your best to enjoy all that you have been blessed with, to live your life without strife and enjoy each one of your days. Don’t harbor bitterness, envy or jealousy. Leave each one to the Lord and pray for others. I find that when I do this, life goes better for me and those that are the closest to me.

For my more mature readers, you remember the days of full service filling stations. The ones that you would drive into when your gas tank needed to be filled and it would be pumped for you instead of by you. I remember being in the car as a kid and hearing the words “fill it up please and check the oil.” There’s not too many of those places left anymore; it’s all self-serve nowadays. I am grateful that there is a place that I can go when I need to be filled up and cleaned out. I can always tell when I am clogged up and filled with particles of the devil’s dirt. I know when it’s time to go to the Master Mechanic and ask Him to check my heart. God has given me much to accomplish for Him and I need to be able to run on all cylinders. If you feel like you are chugging along or you are completely broken down on the side of the highway, He will come to your rescue. Just as some tow trucks seem to take forever to get to you, He may seem like He isn’t coming. But let me assure you He is and His timing is perfect.

A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones. Proverbs 14:30 The Message

Just One More Day

One of the hardest things in life to have is regret. It’s a sad time when we stand at someone’s funeral and wish that we would have spent more time with them, that we would have spoken the words; I love you to them more often. At that point, it is too late.

In my own experience, I have found that when we don’t love ourselves and we don’t know the capacity to which the Father loves us, it is difficult to offer that to someone else. My mom has been gone for a long time now, but I loved her to the best of my ability when she was here on the earth. Please notice that I said, to the best of my ability. During the years that she has been gone, I have learned to love and understand at a whole new level. I have learned more about my Father and the love that He has for me. I have learned more about myself and have learned to walk in forgiveness. And I have learned about the pain that she experienced in her lifetime which now explains so much about her.
If only I could have one more day here with her. For the most part, I would spend that day making sure that she knew how much she was loved and appreciated by me. I would thank her for every hour that she labored in bringing me into this world. I would thank her for choosing life in the midst of difficult circumstances. I would thank her for every day that she worked hard physical labor to keep a roof over my head, food in my belly and clothes on my back. Most of all, I would thank her for taking me to church as a child and letting me hear about Jesus and all that He did for me. You see, that’s when I first met Him, but not until much later in life did I truly come to know Him. My heart longs to share with her all that I have learned. My desire for that day would be for me to truly express to her the Father’s Love.

No, she did not do everything right when raising us, but show me a parent that has. My children are grown now and I know that I certainly didn’t do everything right while raising them. I know that they won’t do everything right as they raise their children. The wonderful thing is that from generation to generation, we are learning to do things better. We are learning to forgive and release, to encourage and teach how it can be better the next time around. I am excited about that! In my mom’s generation everything went unsaid for the most part. We know that everyone sins and everyone makes mistakes, but it was all kept secret, hidden and covered up. The shame that they must have carried through life is so sad. It didn’t have to be that way. We don’t have to live in shame over the mistakes that we have made. The Bible tells us that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is a remedy for every wrong, every mistake and that remedy is Jesus!

Because of my mom’s faith in Jesus, I know where she resides. Because of mine, I will join her in Heaven when the time comes. I believe that we will have that “one day”, but our conversation will not be about the things that she did wrong or the mistakes that she made. Instead, I believe that it will be filled with gratitude, thanksgiving and love for all that she is and who the Father created her to be. She is a daughter of the King and I am proud to have called her mom. I will tell her then, but I sure wish that I would have told her more often during our days here as we lived life together.

In just a few weeks, many will celebrate Mother’s Day. That will look different depending on each situation. In previous years, my family would make a trek to the cemetery to visit my mom’s grave. We would place some flowers there and let the kids release balloons. In some ways by doing that, it was a healing time for us. If you find yourself in this situation and it is new for you, I would encourage you to do this. I would also encourage you to celebrate your loved one by remembering her life and the love that she had for you.

As a family, we no longer go there on Mother’s Day. Because she was a believer in Jesus, my mom is not in that grave. After a while, I made the decision to celebrate life on that day. I prefer to be surrounded by my children and their families, to hear the sounds of their laughter and love and to feel the embrace of their hugs. As a family, we now celebrate our relationships and the love that we share. I am a firm believer in celebrating one another while we are alive to do so. I am one that would rather send and receive flowers while I am able to look at their beauty, smell their sweet fragrance and also know the joy felt by the one receiving them and the one sending them.

Whatever your situation might be, I encourage each of you to make the relationships in your life count. I don’t want anyone to miss out on giving and receiving love. I don’t want anyone else to know regret and have to wish for “one more day” whether it be with a parent, sibling, spouse or a friend. Please use the time that you have been given to celebrate those that you love and that love you. Time is a precious commodity and once it has passed, it’s gone. I have often heard the phrase “Life is not a dress rehearsal”. That is so true. Take it from one who knows.

" Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."
James 4:14 NASB