Cleansed

    The Touch of Healing 

     While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
      Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
      Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
      Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.             ~Luke 5:12-16

     A man covered with leprosy approached Jesus, fell at His feet and cried, “Lord if You are willing.  You can make me clean!”

    The leper recognized immediately that Jesus had the power to heal him, what he was uncertain of was Jesus’ love and willingness to heal him personally.

     But Jesus answered the doubt of this man’s heart completely with His response, “I am willing.”  

     With the professional accuracy of a physician, Luke tells us that this man was “covered with leprosy.”  The man was in an advanced stage of this disease.  Leprosy destroys the nerve endings of the bodies extremities, which would become damaged and fall off.  The Jews called leprosy “the finger of God” believing it to be incurable and a direct punishment from God.  Lepers were untouchable.  They had to cry out “Unclean, Unclean,” in the streets, to warn others to stay away from them.  They were forced to live outside of cities, separated from their loved ones and families.  Lepers were truly alone.  This man had not felt a loving caress or someone’s hand touch him in a very long time.

      People would draw back from him in horror and revulsion, but Jesus was moved with compassion for this man.  As Jesus spoke the healing word, He reached out His hand and touched the leper.

     If you have ever been lonely, ever felt rejected or unloved, you know what that touch must have meant.  If you have ever been convinced that no one could possibly care for you, then you understand how that leper felt.  Jesus’ touch was not needed to heal the leprosy, His spoken word could have easily done that.  Jesus meet the man’s heart felt need for love.

     Later, the leper would go to show his body to the priests so they could officially pronounce him cleansed from leprosy.  He could not however, as easily show the priests what had taken place in his heart.  The touch of love healed his heart even as the power of the word cleansed him from leprosy.

     If you have hesitated to trust God in an area of your life, or if you are convinced of His power, but uncertain about His concern for you, you personally, look at what He did for this lonely man.

     Jesus touched him.

     Jesus yearns to touch each one of us.

Stop for One Tuesday: Chips and Dip

   One night last week Connor was singing one of our church songs as I was tucking him into bed.  This blessed me and not looking to let a teachable moment go by, I told  him that I like singing worship songs in my head before I fall asleep, because when I wake up they’re the first thing I think.  It’s like “One More Time,” all night long.

     Let me set the scene for you the next morning as I was getting ready to go to school.  I stood at our kitchen counter pouring boiling water into my thermos for tea.  My back was to the rest of the room.  

     Connor came bounding in with way more energy then should be allowed at 6:30.  He began gathering things for his cereal.  I heard the clatter of bowls and silverware, the slamming of the refrigerator, and the patter of his feet as he skipped about the kitchen.  I heard what I thought was way to much cereal ring as it was poured into his bowl.  As he thumped about the kitchen Connor was loudly singing.  In my head I thought, “Oh isn’t that sweet he woke up singing church songs, just like we talked about last night.”

     As you may have guessed, it was NOT a church song.  Connor sang,   “Chips and dip.  I’m having chips and dip.  Chips and dip. I’m having chips and...”

   About that time the lyrics permeated my obviously not wide awake brain.  I turned swiftly. Yup, he had chips in his bowl and a spoon in the dip. 

   “Connor, you may not have chips and dip for breakfast!”  After some discussion, Connor dramatically put his first choice away and settled on toast.  You all know that had Connor feasted on chips and dip for breakfast that would have been the day he would have been asked to report what he ate as part of a nutrition unit at school.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praises shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; 

The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, 

And let us exalt His name together. 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; 

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 

those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 34 selected verses

     Today stop for Him.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Drink deeply of His living water.  Satisfy your spiritual hunger and thirst.  Look for your happiness in Him.

     What is the least nutritious breakfast you have allowed your child to eat before going to school?

     Mine is on one occasion, Yoohoo and chocolate cake - but that is a story for another day.

-Donna

Stop for One Tuesday: Hot Chocolate and Windex

 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 

     For me there always seem to be fewer hours in the day than items on my to do list.  Some days, I crawl in to bed and I wonder where the day went.  I decided that I wanted to understand where my 960 daily minutes were going.  I reasoned if I had 960 dollars to spend each day, I would know how I spent them.  With that in mind, last week I kept a log of what I do with my time.  Every half hour I made a note of what I had been doing during the previous thirty minutes.  It was really interesting to me to see how I thought I spent my time versus how I actually spent my time.  I was spending more time than I thought on a few things and less time than I thought on others.

     My before school routine packs a lot in each morning.  I am the first person up, usually between 5:00 and 5:15, depending on how often I hit the snooze alarm.  I shower, dress, then wake Anthony.  Patty gets up on her own and joins us.  I am not quite capable of coherent thought or speech before coffee.  The three of us are a pretty quiet bunch as we eat.  I make lunches, take care of unloading the dishwasher and send Anthony out the door at 6:30. 

   

     Connor-the-Irrepressible has strict instructions to stay upstairs until his brother leaves.  The front door barely shuts when he rushes down the stairs like a whirlwind.  Connor talks, listens to a story on his ipod, eats, plays with the dog, and causes all manner of chaos in minutes.  I get him started on breakfast then run upstairs to complete my hair and makeup.  Patty leaves for her bus.  When I come back down I cycle the laundry.  Connor cheerfully follows me around talking nonstop.  Finally, just before I leave I make him a cup of hot chocolate and clean his glasses.  A hug and a kiss for Pat and Connor and I fly out the door by 7:10 to drive to my job at a local elementary school.

     Prior to the time charting, I was completely unaware of how much making a simple cup of hot chocolate and cleaning his eyeglasses meant to Connor.  In fact, the first few days I didn’t even note the two on my paper.  It was Connor who wanted to make sure that they were included in the list of things I do every morning.  And yes, my son is wearing an "explorer's hat" and drinking cocoa with a straw.

     Connor reminded me to I stop for those few minutes each morning to focus on him.  I can get so caught up in getting things done that I miss the important moments with the ones I love.  Each morning I have been given an opportunity to set the tone for my son’s day.  To leave him with the taste of something sweet in his mouth, looking forward to the day set before him, and with a clear vision to accomplish it.   

     Do you have a time in your daily routine where you stop for someone you love?

-Donna

Linking up with: Positively Alene

Stop for One Tuesday: Compassion International

And of some have compassion, making a difference.  Jude 1:22

     About six years ago a guest speaker came to our church.  I confess that I have forgotten the speaker entirely.  I do not know if it was a man or a woman.  I couldn’t even tell you what they talked about.  But I can say confidently that this unknown person made a lasting impact on several lives that day.  

      Our guest speaker carried a bundle of information packets for children to sponsor through Compassion International.  The packets were placed at a table at the back of the church.  After the service people who wanted to sponsor a child looked at the faces of the children.  I waited until only a few were left on the table.  I wanted to sponsor a child that for one reason or another had been left.  My son Anthony asked if he could chose.  He quickly handed me a packet for a little boy in Indonesia named Jimi.  Anthony pointed out that Jimi was the same age as his younger brother and had a name similar to an older brother.  Perfect.  Jimi’s picture was on the front.  He clearly wore his best clothes, a little denim outfit several sizes too large.  Jimi had enormous brown eyes.  He was just five years old.  We signed up.  I placed Jimi’s picture in a small frame on the window sill by the kitchen sink to remind me to pray for him and his family regularly.  I sent Jimi a few notes and a picture of my family.

      Soon a year had passed and I received a new picture of Jimi.   He still wore the little denim outfit.  It had faded somewhat from washing.  It was not quite as big on him.  Jimi and his mother began to call me “Mama Donna.”  His father sent me a small carving that he had made.  I was touched that he had taken the time to create something for me.  I wrote a thank you note and moved Jimi’s picture to my desk.  Jimi was no longer a strangers child a world away.  He was a child that I knew and cared for.  Sponsoring Jimi had become personal.

     Over the years, letters of appreciation continue to come from Indonesia.  He and his family are so grateful for every little thing.  Jimi blesses me with his kind notes and drawings.  I enjoy learning about his life.  Jimi plays soccer.  He likes school.  He has a new baby brother.  Jimi does not like to have his blood drawn for medical testing (who does?).  He does chores and helps his father.  He has had colds and illness.  He likes to play.  Jimi prays for me.

     In turn,  I write Jimi small notes of encouragement.  I send him stickers and coloring pages.  I give a little extra for a birthday and Christmas gift.  But in reality, this is so little.  I give out of my excess.  I am more like the Pharisee than the poor widow.  And yet in the hand of our Mighty God little becomes much.  Through our contribution, Jimi receives food, medical care, clean water, educational opportunities, and the opportunity to hear and learn about Jesus.

     Would you consider sponsoring a child through Compassion?

     I have been richly blessed because one Sunday morning I stopped for one.

Linking to:

Stop for One Tuesday

-Donna

Stop For One Tuesday: A Cross In My Name

     Have you ever been stopped in your path by God?  That happened to me several years ago when my daughter Patty was just four.  God taught me many lessons during that time.

      My delightful daughter was at that time very busy.  She loved to sing little songs to herself and chattered like a bird.  One afternoon I learned never to leave her alone with her baby brother, Anthony, and in the vicinity of big brothers permanent Sharpie Marker.  When I returned to the room moments later she had drawn whiskers across Anthony’s chubby cheeks and an eyebrow on his forehead.  “Patricia Margaret, what happened?”  My children know they are in TROUBLE when I use their full name.  With an angelic look on her face, Patty assured me, “He did it.”  Did I mention it was a permanent marker?

     That same day, Patty cooked in her play kitchen with baby powder.  There was powder in her pots, pans, and even in the pretend refrigerator.   We vacuumed and restored her kitchen together. 

     Patty and I were in the car when God blocked my path.  Patty was talking away in her car seat.  I was truthfully only half paying attention to her.  I was thinking of the things I had to do when we arrived at home.  A huge truck was sitting sideways across the back road that I was on making a delivery to a home.  G.O.D. was written in huge letters on the side of the truck.  G.O.D. was the initials for Guaranteed Overnight Delivery.  GOD had literally stopped me in my tracks.  I thought with a laugh, “Well God.  You have my attention.”  That was when Patty piped up from the back seat, “Hey, Mom.  Do you know that I have a cross in my name?”  She had noticed the “t” in Patricia written on one of her nursery papers.

     Patty repeated herself, “I have a cross in my name, Mom.  Do you have a cross in yours?”

     Doesn’t God have a great sense of humor?  One of the most important questions we must ask ourselves from the mouth of a four year old.

But now, this is what the Lord says,

He who created you, He who formed you.  

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; 

I have summoned you by name; 

You are mine.  

When you pass through the waters, 

I will be with you; 

And when you pass through the rivers, 

They will not sweep over you.  

When you walk through the fire, 

You will not be burned; 

The flames will not set you ablaze, 

For I am the Lord, your God, 

The Holy one of Israel, 

Your Savior.  Isaiah 43

     Is there a cross in your name?

Linking with:  Stop For One Tuesday

-Donna