* Keeping It Clean

As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
Luke 11:37-41 NLT

Christian comedian Tim Hawkins does a skit about hand sanitizer and Greeters in the church. It's funny, but I have to admit, I am one of those people who has a "thing" about clean hands. I cringe when someone wants to shake my hand, using the same hand I just watched them cover their mouth with while they coughed or sneezed. I don't refuse to shake their hand - after all, Jesus touched and healed lepers and He said we could do the things He did and greater works shall we do (John 14) - but when the greeting is over, I do reach for the hand sanitizer in my purse. (Y'all pray for me...)

Am I as careful with what goes inside of me? Do I guard my heart with due diligence knowing that out of it spring the issues of life? Do I practice and implement forgiveness when offended or hurt? Do I bless and release those who have trespassed against me? Do I protect my thoughts, thinking only on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, do I think on these things?  

If not, why not? 

Jesus asked, Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? I'd say He nailed that in more ways than one.  

Prayer:

Father,
           Keep us ever mindful of Your Truth. We pray according to Your Word in Psalm 24. We want to be able to climb the mountain of the Lord and to stand in Your holy place. We want to receive Your blessing and have a right relationship with You. Give us clean hands and a pure heart, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lessons Learned +

They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 

Jeremiah 32:38-40 NLT

It was my weekend with Lalee (or Lala, as she is more commonly known) Alexandra Katherine - my oldest granddaughter. Lalee is an adventure all by herself! Lalee was starved as an infant (she is adopted), so she has some challenges to overcome, and she is overcoming them, slowly but surely. There are some days when her brain seems to get stuck in a loop and she will fixate on something - usually keys - and I will tell you that God has blessed the child with fierce determination! And it is our grand adventure to steer her in the right direction.

One of Alexandra's greatest gifts is to love unconditionally and forever. No matter what. Whatever else may not work quite right in her brain at times, she forgets nothing and no one she has ever loved. She always asks about Gramps, and about Gigi, and about Big Mama and the girls (former roommate and her mother and granddaughters) even though it's been years since she's seen any of them. When this little girl loves somebody, she does not change her mind or her heart. 

I have the honor and privilege to be her Granna - and while she can be a great challenge - I always learn something from Lalee when we have one-on-one time. The following story is perhaps one of the greatest hard lessons I ever learned from her.

We were on our way to church. I was a little distracted because I wasn't sure if my greeters were going to be on post and I was running about 10 minutes behind. KSBJ was playing praise and worship music as part of their every Sunday morning "Enter His Gates" program, and Lalee and I were counting off landmarks, so she would know how soon we would be at my church. About halfway there, I heard her say something very softly. She often has conversations with toys and things, so that's not unusual, but this time, I was prompted to ask what she'd said. Her reply pierced my very being. "I told God I couldn't wait to get to church to worship Him." I was convicted down to my toes! That's not where my focus had been...

We got to church - Greeters were on post - big sigh of relief. We put our things on our seats and got ready for worship and I found myself distracted again, hoping we would sing at least one song that Alexandra knew so she would be able to sing along. On the third unknown to me song, I looked down at my granddaughter, and she was lost in the music even though she didn't know the words. 

Alexandra was worshiping... with all her heart, and all her soul, and all her mind. Why? Because her purpose for being at church was to worship God. And it was then I heard in my spirit, "Is this about you or is this about Me? Are the songs for you or are they to be sung in worship to Me?"  I was going to respond with, "You don't have to tell me twice," but He'd already had to...

Lesson Learned.

Prayer:

Give us one heart and one purpose: to worship You forever, for our own good and for the good of all our descendants. Rekindle the desire in our hearts to worship You and to never leave You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen