commitment | Grandma's Ramblings
This weekend I attended a church conference and one speaker’s message really resonated with me. He asked us what we were preoccupied with.
Preoccupied – (of a matter or subject) dominate or engross the mind of (someone) to the exclusion of other thoughts.
Reflecting on that thought I realize there are a few things that do dominate my mind. Blogging is one of them. Often, I read or see something, and I immediately think “that would make a good post.” I hear a favorite song and I think “I want to share that on my blog.” Reading posts from some of my favorite writers on WordPress I then spend time thinking about what they have posted.
American history interests me. My library is full of books about the Revolution Period and our founding fathers. There are volumes on the Civil War and the Reconstruction Period that followed. My eyes were really opened when I began reading of the Reconstruction Period and the Jim Crow that followed when politicians gave up the gains former slaves were beginning to make. Gave them up for political reasons. Watching our current political and economic events I am fascinated by how much is a repeat of our past history. The only difference is with 24-hour news channels and social media we are made more aware of what is happening. Right now, watching the rise of Trump and all the support/opposition reminds me of the rise of Andrew Jackson and the beginning of the two-party system in our country.
I am very preoccupied with a series of books – “The Oxford History of the United States.” This is a multivolume narrative history of the United States. It is broken down into the different periods of history of our nation. The third volume, which I am now working my way through, is 855 pages of detailed history of the period 1815-1848.
But, enough of that.
What spoke to me this weekend was the speaker’s question: “As a Christian what should I be preoccupied with?” The question that follows that is: “What was Jesus preoccupied with?”
The writer of the Gospel of Luke tells us, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
We were challenged to take a close look at our own life. Just how much time and effort were we spending to share the love of Jesus with our family, our community, our nation. How much of our Savior and His concern for others occupy our mind.
Confession: As I reflect on how I spend my days I realize I fall short of being preoccupied with thoughts of God and of His love for others.
It is my prayer today that I will begin to be more preoccupied with Jesus than with blogging or study of history.
Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
Matthew 28:19 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
Matthew 16:24 – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
This was written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was hanged on April 9, 1945, for his opposition to Hitler. He clearly recognized his need of God in facing the evil of Nazi Germany. While we do not face prison or death, we need to understand how much we also need God’s help.
O God, early in the morning I cry to you.Help me to prayAnd to concentrate my thoughts on you;
I cannot do this alone.
In me there is darkness,But with you there is light;I am lonely, but you do not leave me;I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;I am restless, but with you there is peace.In me there is bitterness; but with you there is patience;I do not understand your ways;
But you know the way for me….
Restore me to liberty,And enable me to live nowThat I may answer before you and before men.Lord whatever this day may bring,Your name be praised.
As we participate in the season of Lent and seek to grow closer to the Lord, one little word often keeps us from following through on our good intentions.
My recent bout of heart concerns has had me thinking of my life. Decisions I made – what if I had made a different choice?
When reflecting on my life, I remembered one of my favorite poems.
Thankful to say that after two months of tests ending with a heart catherization, I finally have answers.
Doctor said the heart has two systems they looked at. The “plumbing” part is fine. No blockage, no valve problems. The “electrical” part is not. My lower heart chambers are putting in extra beats. At this point there is no reason to be too concerned, although we will need to keep an eye on how the episodes continue.
Meantime, I have meds to slow down my heart beats. Must avoid caffeine, alcohol and stress. Will follow up with doctor periodically.
The meds have made me so tired. Hopefully my body will adjust and as I restart my exercise program, I will regain more energy.
Just for the record, I am glad for the road I have taken.
I posted this last year but after being in church Sunday – wanted to share again. My husband and I are both having health issues right now. He has injured his back and is in a lot of pain and I am still having some heart issues.
When we arrived at church a dear friend said to me, “You don’t have to come to church. You have been faithful for years. There are plenty of younger people who can come.”
She just did not understand. We did not go to church Sunday because we had to; we went because we wanted to. We find strength in worshipping with others on Sunday; we find strength in hearing God’s Word. I truly understand what the Psalmist meant when he said:
“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
One of my favorite verses is found in Colossians 1. It is a prayer Paul prayed for that church – and one I often use to pray for my family.
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
There are five qualities in these verses that I desire in my life and in my family’s life.
When I think of all that God has done for me, my heart desires to please him, to bring honor to His name. Saying I am a Christian, I am taking the name of Christ as my family name. May I always bring honor – and never shame to His name.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Life sometimes brings trials and difficulties. Disappointments. I pray that both I and my family will recognize the resource we have in the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
As we endeavor to trust the Lord and remain strong, we must also be persistent in our walk. Persistent in our study of God’s Word,, Persistent in our time of prayer and devotion. We do not give up when the going gets rough or even when we make mistakes. We make adjustments, we learn from our mistakes, we get up and keep going for Christ.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
We sometimes confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is an emotion that comes and goes depending on circumstances. One writer says “Happiness is a reaction to something great. Joy is the product of someone great.” (Meg Bucher). When we realize how great God is and how much He loves and cares for us, we can experience deep joy no matter what life may bring.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:9-11
Many times, I pray and ask God for something. Then, when he answers I just move on to another need with little time for saying thanks. It is my desire for me and my family that we will take the time to really look around and see all that God has done for us and be thankful.
As I pray this prayer each day – God grant for me and my family these qualities. May we be pleasing to you in all we do/say/be.
I cannot get this song out of my heart or my head. At my age it is so easy to think I have done my duty and now I can just take it easy.
It is also easy for us old folks to complain about the younger generation or how bad society has become.
But this song speaks to me. “Is it I Lord?”
I can sit around and complain, or I can seek ways that I can help the younger generation experience the love of God.
I can sit around and take it easy, or I can seek ways that I can encourage the younger generation.
I can sit around and expect others to share the good news of Jesus Christ, or I can seek ways that I, even in my old age, can share the love of Jesus.
Living out our faith privately was never meant to be an option.
The following is taken from the book “The Hole in Our Gospel’ written by the president of World Vision, Richard Stearns. It speaks much better than I can of our need to make a difference. I have expressed my thoughts on this topic in other posts: What is on Your Menu for the Christmas Meal? and Poverty – It’s Real!
“It is hard to read the headlines each day without a growing sense of alarm. We hear about terrorism, ethnic and religious tensions, wars and conflicts, corrupt governments, massive natural disasters, climate change, nuclear intimidation, and even child trafficking and slavery. Our post 9/11 world seems both frightening and threatening, and the majority of us struggle to understand it, let alone do something about it. The world’s problems just seem too big and too hard for most of us; it’s so much easier to retreat from them…
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