blessings

My husband is sitting at the kitchen table with my precious cherubs right now, teaching them their weekly history lesson.  For the first part of the lesson, I went outside to trim back some plants, deadhead, water, etc...and as is often the case, when I go outside to "tidy things up," I move from one thing to the next therapeutically until I've worked myself up into what my mother used to call perspiration (because girls, after all, do not sweat).  After beads of whatever it is called covered my forehead to the state of dripping saltily into my eyes, I decided to come inside where I grabbed a clean washcloth (made easy by modern conveniences known as a washing machine and dryer), poured some cool, clean water coming right out of a tap in my bathroom onto it, and proceeded to wash up.  Now I sit here, in an air-conditioned house listening to my husband teaching happy children and I am simply overwhelmed by God's tender mercies.

Yesterday I listened to the first hour of a new book by Joni Eareckson Tada which you can download for free at Christian Audio through July 31st.  I love Joni!  I love her heart and ministry to others in this broken world as she points them to our amazing Savior.  She exults in God as one who has come to adore His sovereign love even in the midst of His severe mercies.

And here I sit, marveling at His tender mercies which so often I am guilty of taking for granted and thanking Him for being my Treasure at all times, be they tender or severe.  Also weaving into my thoughts this week is a three part interview with the Touhy's (the family that inspired the movie The Blindside) found at Family Life Radio (titled "In a Heartbeat").  One of the things that struck me about their story is their emphasis on God calling us to be cheerful givers.  Emphasize CHEERFUL.  The other thing that stood out to me was their answer to the question: Do you ever worry about getting scammed or taken advantage of?  Though there is certainly room for discerning neediness, their emphasis was on giving cheerfully when able as needs present themselves and leaving the judgment to God.  The same God who will judge us on how we stewarded the "plenty" He put into our hands will also judge the sincerity of the askers-for-help.  I loved their message.  The "plenty" may not be money, it may be time or encouragement or skills, etc...the cheerful giving is simply an opportunity God gives us to share Him with others as we meet a need.  Peter and John once said: "Silver and gold have I none, but that which I have I give thee..." -- God has given ALL of His children some form of "plenty." 

So connecting the dots, I am thankful for the plenty God has given me and I want to do a much better job at sharing it with those in need and giving it away cheerfully, for His glory.  Stuff -n-comfort isn't my treasure, God is.  I want to live in a way that makes that plain.