Wise Man - Foolish Girl

If you grew up going to Sunday School, chances are that you remember the Parable of the Two Builders.  If not, may I recommend reading Matthew 7:24-27?  For a quick recap, Jesus tells a story about two men.  The Wise Man built his house on the rock and the Foolish Man built his house on the sand.  When the rain and storms came, guess whose house stood firm?  That's right - the Wise Man's.  Jesus said that, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."

Well, I am a Foolish Girl.

Last Thursday our neighborhood irrigation system came on.  I noticed a slight problem at 12:45 when there was a small puddle in my backyard.  Unfortunately, a main water valve in our backyard neighbor's sprinkler system was broken.   At least, that is what I am assuming, since water was literally gushing out of his valve box a foot high!  And guess which way his yard drained?  You guessed it - into our backyard.

Did I trust God?  Did I even take a moment to pray about what to do?  Was I wise?
Unfortunately, the answer to all the above questions is "no".

I panicked.  I called my poor husband at work (what was he supposed to do?).
I called the home owners' association (HOA) (they couldn't come into a person's backyard un-invited).
However, they could try to contact the homeowner if I gave them the neighbor's address. 
I didn't know what that was!  I look at their back door.  I would now have to drive down the long block and back up the other street.  (at the time it seemed like a huge inconvenience....)
Of course the neighbor wasn't home, but I jotted down the house address.  The HOA said they would try tracking down the homeowner.

By now it was almost 1:30 and the water was still saturating my backyard - I was now the owner of two newly formed small ponds.  Besides being worried about the rising water level reaching our house's foundation, I had an 8-year-old birthday party the next day.  I needed a dry backyard!  It was all RUINED!!!!

To wrap up quickly:   The water got turned off a little before 3:00 (before the owner even arrived).  Miraculously, the yard dried out by the next afternoon and the birthday party was saved.

I was thankful my house and the birthday party were saved.
I was ashamed at how I handled it. 
Where was my trust in God?  Did I not remember all the times God has done great things in my life?  Could HE not control irrigation water?  Could HE not dry up my backyard in time for the party?  In the midst of a (small) flood, I was foolish.

Fortunately, God is Good - All the time... whether I deserve it or not.
Thanks be to God for his love, mercy, and faithfulness to this foolish little girl.

Letter to God #2

Dear God,
I've been thinking about when you led the Israelites around in the desert.
Remember that?
Do you also remember giving them an obvious sign of when to move?
I believe you used a pillar of fire and a cloud. 
(Was it a gray storm cloud or a fluffy white cottonball one?)
Anyway,
I've been thinking that perhaps you could do that for me?
Although I would much prefer something more modern.
A facebook shoutout on my homepage, an email, shoot - I'd
even settle for an old-fashioned billboard ad.
Mabe I could throw my old wool sweater out back tonight and see how "dewy" it is tomorrow morning?
...
...
What's that?
...
...
I should "be still" and I'll hear your voice? 
Trust in Your Word?
Be patient and trust in Your timing?
Gaw-od. 
When I asked for a sign, I did not mean
a yield or stop sign!
Well, I better go.
I've gotta figure out a plan here....
Talk to you later,
Britt

Would I Recognize God?

This morning I read Matthew 9:1-9.
(Remember there is a Bible app on the sidebar if your Bible isn't handy)

Jesus goes into his own town and heals a paralytic man - after proclaiming to the paralytic,
"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Verse 8 says that when the crowd saw this miracle, "they were filled
with awe and praised God, who had given such authority to men."

I'm not a Greek scholar and haven't attended seminary, so I might be wrong;
but it appears to me that the crowd did not recognize
Jesus for Jesus-the-Son-of-God.
The crowd praised GOD for giving their neighbor man Jesus
the power to heal the paralytic.

Hmm - I think I do that.
I tend to think of Jesus as more of a tool than part of the Trinity. 
Someone I use when I am paralyzed by fear and need healing.

Yesterday's Sunday School lesson spoke to my heart concerning this.
Psalms chapter 8:
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!.....
what is man that You are mindful of him?...."

I forget the Lordship and awesomeness of Jesus Christ.
I forget to praise Him ........ just for being GOD,
and not only when He answers "yes" to a cry for help.

Interestingly, in Matthew 9:9, right after Jesus healed the paralytic,
Jesus walks past Matthew the tax collector's booth and says, "Follow Me." 
Matthew gets up, leaves his booth, and follows Jesus. 
I think Matthew recognized Jesus to be more than a man.

I'm not sure I would have.

Two Words

Two Words

A poem...  by Britt...  from God

God says:
     Be Still
     Let Go
     Trust Me

I cry:
    Help Me

God says:
    I AM

Happy New Year...1 week Late

Wow.
I'm amazed I remembered my password to get in here!
Time flies when you're having fun.... and that is what I've been doing the past THREE weeks.
Our family went back "home" to Iowa for Christmas. 
While I missed regular doses of Hotmail, Blogger, and Facebook,
it was wonderful having real face time with loved ones - some whom I hadn't seen in over 2 years.


Last January I stated my goal for the year was to have more "Joy of the Lord".  (Nehemiah 8:10)
Happy to say I'm improved .... although still working on that one.

This year, I want to focus on discovering God's omniscient plan for my life and then resting in His timing.

Psalm 1: 3 should be a nice theme verse.
(v. 1,2) "Blessed is the man whose... delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (v.3) He is like a tree planted be streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."

Catch that?   "...yields its fruit in season"

I wish I could do it all now. 
Gonna need some prayer for meeting this year's resolution.

A couple mornings ago I had an unusual experience.
While brushing my teeth, my toothbrush snapped.
Snapped.
There I was brushing away and suddenly my fingers grasped a headless toothbrush handle!
Shouldn't toothbrushes be dependable?  At least for 6 months until the next dental checkup freebie?
Had I placed too much trust in a physical object? 

I do that with people sometimes.
No - not snap their heads off. 
I mean place too much trust in them.  Depend on them with the attitude they are infallible.

Guess what?
People by nature are fallible. 
Only GOD is completely trustworthy.  HE'll never let me down.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.  ~  Psalm 20:7,8

P.S. - There is that "stand firm" again.  I haven't forgotten I want to do a post series on "standing firm".  Just not ready yet ;)