Possessions
As we embarked on the homework for this week, I experienced
an apprehension that this week’s fast wouldn’t cut deep enough. Rather than seeking God’s guidance from the
start, I began by thinking that I would
give away seven things a day for seven days.
So I started a list. What would
be a true sacrifice for me to give?
Seven books, seven movies, seven music CDs. OK.
What else? I listed seven more
“7”s on the sticky note and set it aside.
I went through my bookcase at work where I keep lots of books to inspire
and encourage me. I grabbed seven books
and set them on the “giveaway” table in the break room, praying that the Lord
would use the volumes to draw people to Him.
Before you go thinking that I’m so thoughtful and generous, let me admit
that I only had a tough time giving away maybe one of those books. It wasn’t too much of a hardship.
That was my “fear” for this week, that I wouldn’t make the
hard choices, that I wouldn’t seek God’s will in this exercise. It would be easy to grab bags of clothes to
give away. The hard part is taking them
to a shelter and looking into the faces of the people who would receive that
kindness. What could I give away that I
possess that would bless someone else and draw me closer to God? Here is how I listed my choices next to those
four remaining “7”s on the sticky note:
Prayers. You might
argue that “anyone could do this”. True.
But would
they? Praying can be a challenge, so I
had to stipulate that it wasn’t a prayer I would routinely say. My first opportunity came when I received my
boss’ email saying he would be at home with a sick child rather than at the
office today. I prayed for the child’s
recovery, comfort and rest and for my boss’ peace and trust in his employees to
get the job done in his absence. I also
prayed that God would use the situation to draw them closer to each other and
to Him. I’m still awaiting other chances
to pray.
Contacts. I don’t
like talking on the telephone. This is a
genuine sacrifice for me. When I wrote
this one down, God brought someone to my mind who had been in the hospital
recently. I waited until I thought she
might be awake and called her house, hoping that she had already gone
home. The phone rang a bunch of times,
but she finally picked up and we talked for about 10 minutes. It was truly a blessing for both of us. My second contact will come at
lunchtime. I was supposed to have coffee
with a friend last night, but she didn’t feel well so we postponed. I plan to text her and ask if she’s feeling
better. I’m not usually that thoughtful,
so this is another significant step. I
can’t wait to see who else the Lord brings to mind during this week!
Witnesses. I’ve been
asking the Lord to give me opportunities to share my faith. The first was a woman at work who came up to
me and said she just learned that I was a breast cancer survivor. So I shared part of my faith journey with her.
I probably shouldn’t count her since I
talked with her before I decided this would be one of the “things” I gave away,
and also because she didn’t really listen to me while I was speaking. As I shared, she kept saying, “right, right,”
and watched television. The second was a
man I conversed with about humility and prayer (and also the woman who was in
the room and involved in the conversation).
I’m still praying for opportunities and that the Holy Spirit will fill
my mouth with the right words when those opportunities come. I’m looking forward to five more.
Hugs. Yes, I am
absolutely going to take the easy road on this one. One husband. Two daughters. One son-in-law. And I know I can find at least one person to
hug at church!
What “possessions” would you have given away if you were me? Or would you have handled this fast
differently?
Before we tackle the battle plan scenario, let me confess
that I totally dropped the ball this week.
I didn’t seek God, and that’s what this whole thing is supposed to be
about. Right? So, to formulate a plan of attack, how can we
translate this week into daily Christian life?
First, let’s recap: We’re meeting
with God first thing every day. We are
putting on the whole armor of God (I confess that I neglect to do this more
than I remember). So, how can we fight
this spiritual battle regarding possessions?
Third step in the
battle plan: To be honest, I’m having
trouble coming up with something. I
suppose we should be observant, engage people, get to know their needs and use
what we have to meet those needs.
Most gracious Father in heaven, carve the Pharisee out of
me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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