Last weekend Ronn and I were excited to have Addy, our granddaughter, stay with us. She is the Princess in her home with three older brothers. They watch out for her and treat her differently than they treat each other. They are a little more tolerant and gentle with her. So the Princess came to stay for two nights and three days. We did many things together. If I was in the kitchen, she moved the chair right next to me and stood on it offering her help with whatever I was doing. She loves to crack eggs so we made sugar cookies. I let her crack the eggs and stir the batter. The only problem was that I could not turn my head away from her because when I did the spoon went into her mouth. She had sugar all over her face along with the raw egg. It's not a wonder kids get sick! Anyway she loved making the cookies.
We wanted to have a movie with her in the evenings. I was sure she would choose a "veggie tale" but she chose "Star Wars", the first one. This three year old princess sat and watched the movie loving every minute of it. After that, the entire weekend was spent wanting to watch it again. The cutest thing was when she told Ronn that he was Darth Vader and she was Princess Leia. She made the light saber sound and fought with him. Of course, she always won.
We played a card game, Skip-bo, with her for all of 10 minutes. She played 'hide and seek' with Papa a few times. She loves to play that with him. She hid one time on the couch by putting her hands on her eyes. It was precious. What a little Princess!
But then something happened a few times, my little Princess disappeared! These times involved the insubordination of her subjects (Papa and Grandma) when they refused her what she demanded. She folded her arms, stuck out her lip and ran to the bedroom to talk to herself. Is that the behavior of a Princess?? It never lasted very long. She would return to seek to reign her subjects going in a different direction. The great thing about it for her is that her subjects(Papa and Grandma) loved her just the same whether she had sugar all over her face, was fighting Darth Vader or running to the bedroom. Because that's the way we roll!
Aren't you glad that God rolls in just the same way! As His child I know that He loves me and nothing I can do will change that love or get in the way of that love or separate me from that love. I am so humbled by that fact! I hope that the next time I am sticking my lip out because I didn't get my way, I will remember it!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A Challenge For Humility
This week my grandson, Seth, gave me a short paragraph he had typed about me. He is learning to type and write paragraphs and had actually done it for school. I am so glad he gave it to me. It will go into my keepsake box. I am going to share it below and you will see why I have been challenged.
"I have three favorite things about my Grandma. These things are kindness, happiness, and loving. My first favorite thing about my Grandma is that she's kind. She's kind because she'll play games with us. My second favorite thing about my Grandma is that she's always happy. I'm happy that she's happy or she won't be kind. My last thing I like about my Grandma is that she is loving. Its good to have a loving Grandma or else well she won't like you. I have the best Grandma in the world."
As I read this I smiled and shed a tear but then it started to sink in. How in the world can I live up to these three words?? It is humbling to think that this is the way I am seen by Seth but what a challenge to continue in that humility. It makes it all the more clear to me that I cannot do this on my own. I need the help of the Holy Spirit to strengthen me to practice these characteristics without being proud.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Ephesians 5:22-26
We have read these verses but we like to concentrate on what the fruit of the Spirit is rather than the whole passage. Notice at the end we are warned about becoming conceited. As we see the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in our lives, we will be tempted to boast or be proud about what we are doing. In actuality when we do that we are not displaying the fruit of the Spirit at all, we are counterfeit. Do you see the challenge?? I am so glad Seth sees this in me and yet I need to remember that it is not me I want him to see. I want him to see Jesus.
Thank you Seth for your encouraging words. I will seek to yield myself to the Spirit and reflect Jesus in my actions. Because that is the only way to live!
"I have three favorite things about my Grandma. These things are kindness, happiness, and loving. My first favorite thing about my Grandma is that she's kind. She's kind because she'll play games with us. My second favorite thing about my Grandma is that she's always happy. I'm happy that she's happy or she won't be kind. My last thing I like about my Grandma is that she is loving. Its good to have a loving Grandma or else well she won't like you. I have the best Grandma in the world."
As I read this I smiled and shed a tear but then it started to sink in. How in the world can I live up to these three words?? It is humbling to think that this is the way I am seen by Seth but what a challenge to continue in that humility. It makes it all the more clear to me that I cannot do this on my own. I need the help of the Holy Spirit to strengthen me to practice these characteristics without being proud.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Ephesians 5:22-26
We have read these verses but we like to concentrate on what the fruit of the Spirit is rather than the whole passage. Notice at the end we are warned about becoming conceited. As we see the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in our lives, we will be tempted to boast or be proud about what we are doing. In actuality when we do that we are not displaying the fruit of the Spirit at all, we are counterfeit. Do you see the challenge?? I am so glad Seth sees this in me and yet I need to remember that it is not me I want him to see. I want him to see Jesus.
Thank you Seth for your encouraging words. I will seek to yield myself to the Spirit and reflect Jesus in my actions. Because that is the only way to live!
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