Scripture standout: Ps 119: "33 Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.[a]
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.[b] "
Isaiah 30: "20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Morning thoughts: Put me on the right path today, God, and whisper to me which way to go. Sometimes, most times, I am not good at seeing the right way or reading a map.
The Deed/The Day: Wow, seems like with each day a different friend is facing a new challenge. Within the past 24 hours I heard about two women in my community who are battling afflictions. In another time, I might have just thought how sad that was. But today's me made a call and sent an email message. When terrible things happen, it is so easy to talk your way out of taking action. These phrases go through my brain — do they sound familiar: "I don't know her well enough to say something; Maybe she doesn't know I know and I don't want to throw anyone under the bus; For sure, she doesn't want to talk about it; Why bother her during this awful time? I've never checked in on her before, surely she'll think it's weird that I'm calling; I'm sure she has a long list of good friends who are getting her all squared away — she doesn't need my help. Blah, blah, blah. That stuff is baloney.
When I called Friend 1 and left a message "just checking in with her," she called right back. She gave me the run down in a return message and wanted to talk tomorrow. I emailed Friend 2. Today's scripture was tailor made for her — so I shared it. I was on such a roll, I said yes to having Ashrafulla, our Afghan friend around the corner, stay with us and help him through his surgery at the end of the month. Why not?
Isn't it just terrible and hysterical that doing something as simple as "checking in" or making someone feel thought of — or opening your home to someone who needs comfort — can be turned around to be something about SELF? I need to get some earplugs to ignore those voices that try to tell me why it would be weird for me to do something. I'm knee-deep into this do-gooding anyway, so I might as well just assume everyone thinks I'm freakish. My new motto will be like Nike says, "Just do it." What the heck.
The Deed/The Day: Wow, seems like with each day a different friend is facing a new challenge. Within the past 24 hours I heard about two women in my community who are battling afflictions. In another time, I might have just thought how sad that was. But today's me made a call and sent an email message. When terrible things happen, it is so easy to talk your way out of taking action. These phrases go through my brain — do they sound familiar: "I don't know her well enough to say something; Maybe she doesn't know I know and I don't want to throw anyone under the bus; For sure, she doesn't want to talk about it; Why bother her during this awful time? I've never checked in on her before, surely she'll think it's weird that I'm calling; I'm sure she has a long list of good friends who are getting her all squared away — she doesn't need my help. Blah, blah, blah. That stuff is baloney.
When I called Friend 1 and left a message "just checking in with her," she called right back. She gave me the run down in a return message and wanted to talk tomorrow. I emailed Friend 2. Today's scripture was tailor made for her — so I shared it. I was on such a roll, I said yes to having Ashrafulla, our Afghan friend around the corner, stay with us and help him through his surgery at the end of the month. Why not?
Isn't it just terrible and hysterical that doing something as simple as "checking in" or making someone feel thought of — or opening your home to someone who needs comfort — can be turned around to be something about SELF? I need to get some earplugs to ignore those voices that try to tell me why it would be weird for me to do something. I'm knee-deep into this do-gooding anyway, so I might as well just assume everyone thinks I'm freakish. My new motto will be like Nike says, "Just do it." What the heck.
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