Child's play

I love kids.  I love their feet. I love their smiles.  I love what they choose to smile about.  I love that when they get a free game in a happy meal that includes a deck of cards they immediately start “playing” the game.  My two little girls are sitting on the floor with smaller than normal sized cards between them playing some game they invented in their head in a matter of minutes.  I asked them if they wanted me to read the instructions and teach them the “real” game and they said, “no, we already have a game we are playing.”  That is pretty cool.  I’m not exactly sure how the rules work… I have noticed that the 6 year old seems to be winning more than the 4 year old (before you start feeling sorry for the 4 year old, know that she will always alert me to any injustice she feels … and if I don’t act quickly enough she will take matters into her own hands).  They are happily engaged in a game of their own creation and I had no hand in trying to get them to do it or create it for them.  We don’t have to “teach” creativity and imagination.  It is a God-given gift.  Today I’m thanking God for putting that creativity in each of us… and taking the time to enjoy how that creativity comes out in my children.  It’s so fun….. and… it’s a process.

Heaven

Let me start this by saying I am not a Bible scholar and am in no way proclaiming to understand what heaven is really like.  I don’t even know if the word “heaven” should be capitalized.  But, since I am someone who loves to ponder the things not-of-this-world, and then talk about them, and ask questions about them, and maybe take a less-than-normal view of them… here I go:

From my research (okay, by “research” I mean looking in my Bible’s handy dandy concordance for verses about heaven) the things I do know about heaven are that it will have a city of pure gold that shines like fine jewels.  There won’t be death, mourning, crying, or pain.  There will be no sun or moon – God’s light will be enough.  There will be no night.  The city gates will never shut.  No one will do anything impure or shameful.  No thieves.  There will be a tree of life producing fruit every month… and if you are thirsty, there are free drinks.  We will have “treasures.”  Our inheritance won’t perish, fade, or spoil.  Moths won’t destroy our stuff.  Our homes won’t be built by human hands. There is no curse there. (There is a whole lot more about thrones and freaky looking creatures and stuff... but I’m mainly focusing on the “heaven experience” for a human). 

No pain – that is a good one.  I’m really looking forward to this idea… I’m sure the whole “hanging out with God in an eternal like fashion” thing will be good... but I have no concept of that in my current skin/sin state... so, for now, I’m really looking forward to no more headaches. As a chronic headache sufferer for the last 28 years, I can REALLY appreciate the idea of no more pain.

I like that there is no cover charge for the drinks.

City of gold?  Really, I think I’d prefer chocolate… but I can see how chocolate wouldn’t be as reliable a product as gold, so I can see why God chose gold over chocolate for construction purposes.  I haven’t seen chocolate mentioned in any of the references to heaven and I gotta say, if there is no chocolate in heaven that will be a serious downer for me.

I like that our stuff won’t spoil or break… I recently had a dryer and two dvd players go out within like a week’s time and that was a total pain.  If our stuff is just ongoing… we won’t have to shop… and I hate shopping so that works well for me.

If the gates are never shut (because there is no night), why even have the gates?  

Am I gonna get one-on-one conversation time with Jesus?  I’m looking forward to having some good conversations with Jesus…. I wonder if that can happen, what with all that singing and crown-laying-down going on.  People like to say, “when I get to heaven _____ will be the first question I have for God”  but maybe when we get to heaven we won’t have any questions at all… maybe we will just KNOW when we get there.

Can we fly? It isn’t in the bible that humans can fly…. but it does say we won’t die, so I suppose if we want to strap on some wings we made and jump off a tall building, that could work.  So, if we fall off of a tall building in the golden city, do we land on our feet like a cat?  Or bounce? Or just fall really hard but not die… like Superman?  The idea of being a superhero type person is so cool.  No need to save people from crimes like Superman, but it would still be fun to leap over tall buildings with no human body consequences to fear.

It says that people are wearing white robes. Is this mandatory? I don’t look good in white… I’d rather wear purple, black, or red.  Do you think in heaven everyone looks good in white?

I wonder if we really will never get tired of the same songs of praise.  I wonder what our “treasures in heaven” will be.  Do you think we will each get a gift package when we enter?  Will everyone have the same gift box or will they be customized to each individual person?

What is the thing you are most looking forward to in heaven?  What is your biggest question about it?  What is your quirkiest hope for heaven?

I don’t think I have all the answers about heaven….but it’s fun to think about...cuz, well…..it’s a process….

It's not easy being green

I tend to be slightly green lately.  There are two different types of green I’m talking about here……the “green” that conserves and the “green” that envies.  Both of these types of green show up more at Christmas time (funny that one of Christmas’ color’s is green).

The first type of green is something I lean toward all the time.  I’m not an over-the-top greenie, but I do like to conserve, reuse, recycle and take care of the earth in the ways I feel I can.  I have some hippie blood running through my veins… but not enough to feel secure running around with no makeup in clothes that reveal my views.  I will remain the gal in the jeans, t-shirts, and crocs who may or may not wear makeup…. depending on my mood.  The conserving green-ness comes from the crazy consumerism that is always pointed out around this time of year…..we are such a “stuff-driven” society.  Jesus’ birth marking the best time of the year to really go for materialism…. SO wrong.  Don’t get me wrong… I do like the gift exchange, santa, the whole deal….but not to the point that we (Americans? Humans?) take it.  Many are choosing to go into debt for the Christmas they envision.  That is just crazy talk!  Buying your kid that big item cuz he just REALLY REALLY wants it… is NOT showing Jesus’ love to the world…. It’s modeling irresponsible behavior for your kids and setting them up to feel sucked into that same trap when they are the parent trying to copy the Christmases they witnessed as a child.

As to the other type of green…..I’m not a person who normally struggles with envy. It isn’t my sin of choice (I have others, believe me).  I have had a struggle with it of late, however.  I’m not jealous that I can’t buy my kids the latest new thing,  I’m not jealous of Hanukkah with it’s 8 days of gifts,  I’m not jealous that I don’t drive a really new,really cool car, I’m not jealous of your paycheck, I’m not jealous of your figure (well, maybe a little)…..I’m jealous of your intact family.  I’m jealous that you have a relationship that has lasted through the thick and thin.  I’m jealous that when your mate said “I do” he/she did.  I’m jealous that you aren’t sending your kids away for half of your holiday vacation. 

Recently I hosted a small gathering of friends from my high school.  In that group that showed up, all the men were still married to their first wife.  I’m in my early 40’s.  I’m divorced twice.  I don’t have the life I thought I would.  When those men from my high school sat in my house… I really was envious of every single one of their wives…. the wives who got husbands who stayed……the wives who got husbands who didn’t wish for their harm, but their good.  Now, I do not have close relationships with all these men… I’m sure they don’t all have perfect marriages….. BUT the fact that they are still married after all these years says something to me.  It was the picture I had for myself.  I thought when I said “I do” the first time that it was forever….. I pictured laughing with my husband at all the inside jokes that were built after years and years of togetherness.  But that isn’t my lot in this life... instead I get to be empathetic to the divorced and downtrodden…… and plod through as a single mom. I have to agree with Kermit on this one… it isn’t easy being green. 

I will work on this problem of envy in me.  I know it is not a good thing….I’ll let you know when I can claim victory in this area (Holy Spirit power, baby)… cuz… it’s a process.

Knowing the voice

Don’t ya just hate it when someone calls you on the phone and you can’t for the life of you figure out who it is?  You just sorta go along with the conversation hoping for some identifiable bit of information so you can place this voice before your ignorance is revealed.  Oh, the nasty feeling you get in your stomach as the mystery caller asks something that is going to reveal that you have no idea who you are talking to!  You can go one of two ways at this point in the conversation: 1.  Admit you have no idea who you are talking to…. this can sometimes be quite embarrassing but if you put a silly spin on it--“I’m sorry, I am doing laundry and it is very loud here with the kids acting so crazy… I can’t hear all that well, who is this?”--you may just get away with a laugh and a reveal.2. Guess and hope….. when the question is asked, guess at the answer and hope that it will work!  This can either save you from the embarrassment of the caller finding out you do not know who you have been talking to, or it will reveal your secret in an even more embarrassing way… BUSTED!  In an effort to not cause my friends discomfort... I usually reveal who I am when I am calling someone.  There are a few really close friends I do not have to tell, however.  Why can these friends always recognize my voice?  Whose voices can you recognize without a proper introduction on the phone?  The people who never have to tell me who they are, are the people I talk to very, very often…. or the people I have known for a very, very long time.  When I speak to the same person every day for a year…. I do not need them to tell me who they are each and every day when they call.  In the same way, although I do not talk to my brother every day… or even every month ... when he does call me, he does not have to identify himself.  His voice is etched in my memory.  His voice needs no introduction.  I KNOW him well.  We have spent years addressing each other and all the different vocal qualities he has are well known to me.  There are friends I know pretty well and see fairly often….but I would not know their voice in the split second of a “hello” on a phone if I was not expecting their call.  It is really only the people I know VERY well or call VERY often that I can be assured I will recognize from the first syllable out of their mouth. 

I want that kind of recognition for my Lord’s voice.  I want to know his voice every time from the very first syllable!  In John 10 Jesus says that the sheep follow the good shepherd because they know his voice.  If I assume that the way to hear God’s voice and recognize it goes by the same principles that I mentioned above… then I can assume the best way to know God’s voice is to hear it VERY often and know it VERY well.  Time spent with God is the way to know his voice.  Years of knowing my Lord will bring quick recognition, as with my brother.  Daily conversations with my Lord will bring quick recognition, as with the friends I talk to on the phone every day.  Time in God’s word reveals who He is. Time listening to His voice helps me to hear His voice above all the other voices in this world. I hope I am getting to know His voice better and better every day…. it’s a process.

Gross Healings

Jesus came to earth and healed men.  That was really cool… no doubt about that.  I do wonder at the WAY he healed some, though… don’t you?  I mean, seriously, did ya have to put spit on the guy’s tongue, Jesus?  I wonder if the mute dude’s first act was to gag after he had his voice back?  I mean, it was GOD spit… maybe it tasted divine… but the idea…. someone else’s spit in my mouth… ICK!  Jesus dug healing with his spit.  He made the mud with his spit to heal the blind guy in John 9, he stuck his fingers in the deaf/mute guy’s ears and then put spit on his tongue to give him hearing and speech in Mark 7, He healed the other blind guy in Mark 8 by spitting directly on his eyes. I’m sure there are more stories like that… I’m no Bible scholar (just a Bible reader)… but those examples are enough to make my point.  Jesus was God and all that it implies. We know he didn’t even have to be near people to heal them…he healed one centurion dude’s servant who was miles away.  We also see Jesus heal a blind man in Matthew by touching his eyes… no spit involved.  So, it wasn’t like Jesus couldn’t heal a person by any method he chose.  This leads me to wonder at the spit method.  He CHOSE to heal that way… it wasn’t like following a recipe or anything.  This is where I have to point out that we have a funny God.  I think God has the best sense of humor around… he did make us to enjoy humor.  He made some of us especially funny… and some of us especially appreciative of those who are funny.  If God made me, and I love funny like I love funny, then I have to assume that being made in God’s image means that HE loves funny, too. I believe these particular healings speak directly to God’s sense of humor. I mean, Jesus put spit in the guy’s mouth to heal him!!!!  That is hilarious!  Can you imagine how gross that looked?  Can you imagine what the deaf/mute dude was thinking when Jesus stuck his fingers in his ears and then made that face you make when trying to get a good load of spit in your mouth?  It was probably good the dude was still deaf as Jesus was making that sound you make as you are creating spit. I wonder if Jesus had a good grip on his shoulders so he couldn’t pull away.  I wonder if the guy was trying to pull back and run away from the freaky prophet who was in his personal space and about to stick spit on his tongue.  This was after Jesus had already put his fingers in the dude’s ears… so he was putting waxy spit on the guy’s tongue!  I wonder if Jesus just had a bit of spittle or if it was more like when my brothers used to “hock a loogie.” Jesus put spit in that guys mouth to heal him AND to make me laugh.  Generations of kids have giggled when that particular story hit the Sunday school rotation.  I giggle every time I hear it and picture the scene.  Thanks, Jesus… I needed a good laugh today!  I may not always understand the depths of scripture but I do know good comedy when I read it…… It’s a process.