"Giving Credit Where It's Due" (II Corinthians 10:15)

Good morning. I try to get something out of my Bible every morning, and I try to read my Bible every morning. The first is -immeasurably- harder than the second, some days :P

Sidebar: This is my blogging site. Which means that I just write about my day and my life whenever it strikes me. The other one ("silentexpression") is my actual poetry site. Not that I can't/won't write poetry here, that's just not really what I want to use this site for, atm. Back to what I was saying...

So, this morning I'm reading death and destruction in Isaiah like "...um...Lord? I sure do hope that this doesn't have a lot to do with me..." :P but then it made sense at the 15th verse: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness..." (Isaiah 10:15-16a.

Let me break that down a bit. In the modern vernacular God is saying "What're you so proud of? What did you -actually- do by yourself?? You're just the instrument. The tool. You are doing what you were made to do. Good job -not- messing it up, but -I- got this". Now...we realize that God is love and all that so He doesn't really talk like me. But that's the gist of it. Then 16a says "And that why you don't got nothin now. You're so great that you did all of this? Then do it again. Don't worry, I'll wait". And this is the problem that we run into. See...ever since I was a little one two -very- important things were made known to me by my father (yes. He taught me alot. And I mention it and reference him alot because I believe in giving credit where it is due as it is laid out in II Corinthians 10:15).
The first one is that God is in the habit of giving. Ask and ye shall receive (Luke 11:19). On at least two memorable occasions my father illustrated this by giving my sister and I a hundred dollars -just- because we asked him (mind you that both of us were under the age of 12 and this was in the 90's not too long after the corner store down the street stopped selling penny candy). That lesson is -still- coming in handy. Also...if they say no, ask again. Try it a little harder or a different way. If you keep trying you'll find a way.
The second one is that God likes to be praised, too. See Above. We just tend to forget. When you do something nice for someone it makes you feel good (even if you're embarrassed and you'd really rather that they didn't) when they acknowledge it to other people. It makes you want to do more. Don't forget God and He won't hold out on you (Psalm 91:14b). Case-in-point, I have atheist friends. They are still atheists. They are -all- aware of the fact that I have a relationship with God and that I'm not too shy about it. However, I respect them while respectfully telling them that I don't agree with them, and they afford me the same courtesy. Plus...it's -really- hard to deny that someone is undeniably blessed. It's pretty freaking obvious. I think this started when my father blessed me (at birth and then numerous times like...every time he -thinks- about me :P) and God and I kinda created a pact. He continues to bless me, and I am His rather vocal example. "Do what He wants and you too can be blessed like this!" I'm workin on a deal to be the spokesperson for blessings ;) That's not meant to be blasphemy. God has a sense of humor, so lighten up. Anyway...I was talkin to one of my atheist friends the other day, and I was explaining to her that I don't really have the choice of whether or not I want to believe in God. He works in my life so strongly and often that I'd have to make a conscious -choice- to ignore Him...and that doesn't work out too well. I tried it before. Anyway...the -very- next day I've got a testimony for her. A small thing, but -never- underestimate the small things. You don't need a big miracle, all you need is a bunch of small things. They add up. Trust. Plus...which is harder to believe in, that He turned water into wine and raised the dead, or that He made sure that you had enough money to get your hair cut, and sent someone your way to fill up your gas tank?? Yeah...we don't really think about that, but the World does. So...here's the plot.
Last Sunday a woman in my church got up and the pastor is announcing that she's moving. She needs help. It's during working hours. If you've got the time, lend her a hand. I'm on terminal leave (translation: -no- working hours). So I'm like...I've got a little time. God goes "such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Pause. I want you to read that scripture and understand that He does not -need- you. He gives you the opportunity to be blessed through blessing other people. Joseph was blessed when he didn't condemn his brothers (Genesis 45), Job was healed when he prayed for the friends that reviled him(Job 42:10), and of course Esther was blessed when she remembered where she came from (Esther 8:7). Ok...resuming. So I get the lady's information. Important note, my phone is not working at this time so I give my email and request to be contacted via email cause my phone doesn't work. The plan is to get a phone -before- I help her move at 12 so that I can get/keep in contact. Day of: I put money down on the phone and they guy let's me walk out of the store with the phone trusting me to come back on the 15th with the rest of it (blessing number 1). Then, I help the lady move and she presses a Walmart gift card on me. That seems small...allow me to explain. I moved into my apartment in November. Some of my entertainment stuff is still in a container. I keep sayin that I'm going to get a little DVD rack from Walmart for like 10 dollars, but I forget. Now, I've got stuff to do that doesn't justify the expenditure. Then, the -night- before I helped the lady move I was like "...this is really bugging me. I think I'm going to make things stretch to get that DVD rack". So...-that- was the biggest blessing because it was just so timely. So...back to my atheist friend. I tell her and her reaction is (this is a quote) "Wow...yeah...stuff like that never happened to me. Even when I was a Christian".
People...you never know just how much the little things that you might take for granted, or might think aren't really that important or interesting to other people are. I have been reminded of that time and again. One thing that I forgot...like the parable of the sower planting seed (paralleled across the gospels in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8), you have to give a blessing to get a blessing. Even if all you have left is just a little oil in a cruse (I Kings 17) and you're about to make your last hotcake so that you and your seed can die. Understand that you have to be empty to be filled, His strength is perfect when our strength is gone (II Corinthians 12:9, and that when you start, sometimes He just won't let you stop (I Kings 17:15-16! I just wanted to let y'all know that God is alive and well. He hasn't taken a holiday...He hasn't fallen down on the job...and He isn't quite sure what this whole "recession" business is about, but He's seen worse (Genesis 45:11, and He's carrying on with business as usual!

If that doesn't put a little pep in your step, then perhaps your praise is broken :P
Get your praise-game up. Just keep smiling...it confuses and annoys the Devil, and it helps to remind God that He's got a blessing coming your way "Now...did I remember to -give- him/her that blessing?...oh well. I'll just give him/her another one. I've got plenty to spare and I -like- that smile" :D
Remember: praise where it's due. And smile with me, y'all. Make someone else's day