THE CREAK OF A RUSTY GATE

The Creak of a Rusty Gate

Based on 1Corinthian 13:1 "If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate."

You want to know what love looks like? Not a juicy novel, not a TV show, but ordinary people who know God through the love of Jesus Christ.

Without love, my life is a bit scary. You see, I'm losing my ability to communicate well. I can't seem to remember nouns. I'm afraid I sound like a slow, creaky, rusty gate! It's been going on for some time now, and I suppose it has something to do with my age. When I become tongue-tied, I must just stop talking and think quietly for a few minutes. Sometimes the word comes to me. Sometimes it takes a communicatee to guess what word I'm missing. It's embarassing, yes. But most people are wonderfully understanding---and that's what love looks like.

My grandparents often lived with us when I was a girl. I remember once when my grandmother cussed (yes, cussed!) at my mother. Mom had just waxed the foyer floor and as mom was helping grandma into her bedroom for a nap, grandma slipped and fell. As mom was picking her up (Oh, so carefully!), Grandma began to call her names with language I had never heard in our house! I yelled at grandma, "Don't talk to my mother that way!" And my mom yelled back, "Don't talk to your grandmother that way!" I stomped out of the house, mad as beans.

What I did wasn't love for the one who needed it--my grandmother. What my mother did and always did was--love. She loved the cranky old woman with a love that had been born over many years of giving--and taking--love.

People aren't perfect. Nope, and we'll never be. But Jesus in us shows the world in which each of us lives what love looks like.

I pray that everyone I meet will see love in me. My relationship with Jesus, again not perfect, helps me to see HIS perfect love in others, maybe in you.

So I want to thank you for showing the world--and me, included-- what love looks like. And ask you to forgive my concern about the loss of words. Who gives a rip about words when they've got people around to love and by whom they can be loved.
(Did you catch that last phrase? Never end a sentence with a preposition, but "Who cares?")

Let's see,what comes next?

"What's the word? Oh, yes!---"
Goodbye!for now. jo

PREPARE FOR A HALLELUJAH

PREPARE FOR A HALLELUJAH

Hey! I'm just an ordinary Christian, trying to listen to God and be and do what I think He expects of me. I don't often think about being prepared for doing and being, but I've had some recent thoughts on preparing, plus I really like the Hallelujah time. (I sign in sign-language for "Hallelujah" having been taught by my friend Becky. I really do like that. Of course, I can only assume that God likes it, too, or I wouldn't do it.)

I've come to wonder, however, if the hallelujah time isn't maybe when God Himself can say Hallelujah! because his earthling creatures really, finally "get" Him.

For instance, remember the bunch of guys Moses sent to scout out Canaan for the Israelites? The Bible was very clear about who went. God even had Moses rename one of the guys and that guy became Joshua and Joshua, in time, became very important to God.

Now God was very specific in telling these brave fellows what they were to do. They were to first present themselves to God and the congregation, then go to Canaan, observe, take note of what they heard, try and check out the veggies and fruit, bring back whatever samples they could, safely return, present themselves again, and report all that they saw and heard.

I'll bet there were a few Hallelujahs around the campfire that night! Well, not entirely. Some were afraid to go to Canaan in spite of God's command. Why? Because they saw giants!

Giants in that day were real. Not the fe, fi, fo, fum kind of giant, but really big, tall guys like Goliath who came later on in the Old Testament, the one David killed with a slingshot stone. Those giants. The ones big enough to make you swallow hard.

Well, did the chosen Israelites all go with Joshua to Canaan? or not? You know how it ends. Of course they go, at least some of them. And they do meet giants, but God has everything under control and it's all in His hands. All this story is really about is .... reluctance! and lack of trust! The desire to have every thing His people do done perfectly and be a hit! But, does God have a different idea of what is perfect than I do? You can bet on it!

Now, God doesn't have "perfect" in His vocabulary except for Jesus, His Son. For us, it's more like these words, "obeyed" and "disobeyed". Actually, I'm pretty sure God doesn't even measure our worth. He is only interested in revealing His worth, and hoping the people he created, (you know, us....the ones He loves)has noticed His very great worth and want desperately to be obedient, and love Him, and praise Him, and raise our hands and say "Hallelujah".

So, I present myself: Here I am , Lord. Do with me what you wish. I accept your instructions. Then, I go. And I work the work as best I can, not thinking of its outcome, only doing it with gratitude that God set it before me. It may be a small thing or not. It doesn't matter. I'm in His presence.

Then, I return and thank Him for using me in His service. I praise Him for renewing my spirit with His. And I wait to serve Him another day.

So, let's all be presented before Him, go where He asks us to go, watch, listen, and gather, return to Him and report. Love Him and be glad and sing Hallelujah (with or without the hand signing.) We have a worthy God!!! And we are well loved. That's all that matters.

Fondly, jo (raising her hands to sign Hallelujah!)