The Sacrifice of Mothers

   Last year, on Mother's Day, I delivered a sermon on Hannah's story from the Bible. During that sermon, I said something that scared my father. I said, "I am not a mother, YET." After the sermon, my dad questioned me and I just rolled my eyes. This year is different; I am technically a mother now as I am carrying a child in my womb. There are times it doesn't feel like it, but it is true that I am currently a mother to a child I haven't met yet. There are even times when I ask my husband, "do you think I'm going to be a good mom?" He usually says, "you already are."

   The prospect of being a mother is scary. I mean, you are bringing a little child into the world who solely relies on you for everything. On top of that, the world we live in can be scary. Then there's all the things you don't think about or know until they happen. I didn't research anything on pregnancy, childbirth, or raising a baby until I became pregnant. There's a lot to think about and there are a lot of opinions out there. 

   Then you have the fact that complications arise. In past Mother's Day blogs and sermons I have talked about how much mothers sacrifice. While no one may tell you this, the sacrificing begins once the baby is in the womb. Aside from all the symptoms you may hear about, there are the ones you don't want to think about. Symptoms like Gestational Diabetes. This is what the doctor diagnosed me with.

   Gestational Diabetes sounds like you just have to focus on not eating sugar but there's more to it than that. I need to count my carbohydrates at every meal, eat half a plate of vegetables at every meal, eat protein at every meal and snack, and eat small snacks throughout the day. I'm only allowed to have 30-45 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. I'm pregnant; this is the time I am to be enjoying being able to eat pretty much whatever I want (I was avoiding sugar most of the time before this) but instead I'm hungry most of the time. 

   Before I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, my husband kept saying something to me whenever a symptom would come up or when I would get overwhelmed. He would say, "we've entered our time of sacrifice." Being parents, being a mother, requires sacrifice. You give up your time, money, and health to do what is best for your child. And, yes, it can be annoying at times. I don't like the fact that I have to say no to sugar when we are at family get togethers. I don't like that I feel tired a lot lately. But I know that I'm sacrificing for someone I love, even if I haven't met them yet. That's what love requires: sacrifice. 

   Jesus was the one who ultimately sacrificed for all of us. He loved us enough to give up his life. When I am struggling with things happening in my life, I can look at him and thank him for what he did. I can try my best to emulate him and show his love to others. That's what we are all called to do each and every day.

   Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and mother figures out there. I hope you know how appreciated you are, even if you don't always hear it. Know that your sacrifice is worth it.

Active Listening

    Listening: it is not easy for some people. We talk a lot about listening with students. When you work with 3–5-year-olds listening is hard. Children don't like being told what to do. They want to do what they want. But that's not how the world works. Many times, we cannot do what we want to do whenever we want to do it.

   That's why we teach the skill of listening to students. We tell them their ears need to be open wide. Their mouths need to be zipped. Eyes are looking at who is talking. And their body is still. That's how you are an active listener. But listening doesn't just involve hearing.

   Listening involves doing as well. When we are asked to do something, we should do it right away all the way. That means we don't wait; we try to listen as quickly as possible. And we don't do things part of the way we complete what we are asked to do. 

   It sounds easy in certain ways, if you are used to listening, but how are you at listening to God? Romans 10:17 says: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." That means to be listening to God we need to dig deep into his word, so we know what he is asking us to do. It means we need to be in communication with God. Communication is not a one-way thing. We don't just talk when we pray. We need to be actively listening for God’s nudging. No distractions. No talking. No doing other things. We are in silence and solitude.

   Then, when we do hear from God, we need to listen right away all the way. James 1:22 says: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Yes, we are to take time to be and be still. But if that's all we, do we are missing out on the mission God has given us. That's why it is so important to be actively listening to God.

   So, are you spending time with God each day? Are you actively listening to Him? If he calls you to do something, will you listen right away all the way?

 

Curiosity Vs. Condemnation

    Have you ever had a moment where you witnessed someone doing something and it seemed wrong? Maybe you even noticed someone sinning. What is your initial reaction or response when someone does something like that? Maybe you feel the need to correct them. Maybe you turn a blind eye. Maybe you swing back and forth and wonder if you should say something or not.

   Can I give all of us a third option? I'll do it anyway, if you said no. Be like Jesus. Yeah, I know we should all be doing that anyway. But I'm not just taking about how Jesus showed love to all. I'm talking about the way he approached people and teaching. Instead of condemning people right away, he asked questions. If we approached people with curiosity instead of condemnation, what could happen?

   Imagine if you were the person sinning and someone came up to you and just yelled at you. How would you feel? Maybe you didn't even know what you were doing was wrong. But if someone came up to you and asked you what you were doing and why you were doing it how would you feel? Asking questions open up conversation. It also helps to not make the person feel ashamed and burn bridges.

   Now, I'm not saying that the person who is sinning should not feel some shame. What I am saying is we don't need to be judge, jury, and executioner. We can ask questions to understand. Then, if someone is sinning, we can ask questions like "what do you think that is doing to yourself or others? Do you think this is going to bless you in the future?" Maybe the person isn't actually sinning. Questions help you understand. Questions build relationships. Questions help us be more like Jesus.

   So, when you see someone sinning, what do you do? How can you share the gospel each day?

How You Are Described

    One of the ways I like to get to know people better is by having times where I meet with them one on one. I do this with the players I coach. One time I had a meeting with a player toward the end of the season. 

   At the end of the meeting, she told me that she would have avoided having a meeting with me had I asked at the beginning of the season. I asked why? She said because she was intimated by me because I seemed very serious. I then asked what changed? She said she got to know me more and saw how I interacted with her and the other members of the team. She realized that I was a very caring person.

   Then, because I like questions, I asked her how she would describe me. She said in one word she would say caring. The next word she would say strict, but about soccer; and that's a good thing for a soccer coach. 

   This got me thinking about how other people would describe me to someone if they had to. The next day I asked a co-worker how she would describe me. She said caring, comedic, sarcastic, and generous. Some of the ways she described me I would have not used to describe myself. It's not that they were bad things, it's just that I didn't think of myself in that way.

   It is interesting to find out what adjectives people would use to describe us. The thing is it is important to think about how they would describe us. We, who call ourselves Christians, are labeled. People who know that about us will be watching to see how we act. Are we loving? Are we loyal? Are we generous? Are we a reflection of Jesus? 

   Matthew 5:16 says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." We are to be a light, not a hindrance to the gospel. There's a saying that goes, "you may be the only Bible someone will ever read." That should make us think about our actions. We can say we love Jesus but if our actions don't show it, why would anyone want to follow Jesus if we are the example? That's why we must walk our talk. We must reflect on our actions and be a light for Christ.

   So, how would people describe you? Are you being a light for Christ? If not, what can you do to change that?

 

Stranded but Still Good

    We were victorious! After a hard-fought battle, we beat Penn State Abington 1-0. We watched the men's soccer team play their game, which they won, then went to feast at Chick-fil-A. Getting on the bus at 7:40 pm, we expected to be home in about an hour and 30 minutes. 

   People were doing many things on the way back: homework, games, talking, quizzes, etc. Suddenly, the bus driver stopped and pulled over. The door to the bus had opened abruptly. Our bus driver got out to fix the problem and we were on our way again, but at a bit of a slower pace. 

   The bus had just gotten off the turnpike when the bus driver pulled over again. As soon as he did, we smelled something at the back of the bus. The driver and coaches got out because the check engine light was on. Low and behold we had lost a band we needed for the bus to go. The engine had turned off and we were left in darkness other than the lights of cell phones and streetlights.

   Now, being 20 minutes from home with no way of getting back on that bus could have caused us to panic or complain. Instead, people continued having conversations and playing games. We were able to turn a bad situation to good because we chose to be positive about it. We knew it happened for a reason. And we used that time to build bonds with one another and have a good time.

   Eventually, we were picked up by two LBC coaches and returned home unscathed. It was not an ideal situation but in life we will face those. When they happen, we have a choice. We can choose to complain about it or use it for good.

   So, when inconveniences happen what do you do? Will you choose to use it for God and good? 

 

Marriage At Easter

 There is so much symbolism surrounding the Easter story. Jesus entered the world and was placed in a tree (manger) and he left the world on a tree (the cross). Jesus was the perfect lamb sacrifice for our sins and we don't have to sacrifice animals ever again (praise the Lord)! But one symbol you may not know is about the cup at the Lord's supper. 

Matthew 26:27-28 gives us context for what I'm talking about. It says, "Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" Of course, there is the obvious symbolism here of that not really being Jesus' blood. But there's another picture here. According to Ann Voskamp in her book The Broken Way when an engagement was happening back in Bible times, a Jewish Rabbi "said that when a man decided he wanted to marry a woman, his father would pour a cup of wine and pass it down to his son" Next the son would look at the woman, hold the cup out, and say:"this cup is a new covenant in my blood, which I offer to you." 

When I read this, it was a mind blowing moment for me. Jesus didn't just offer us his body as the perfect sacrifice, he also offered us a marriage covenant. He offered to take on the role of protector for all of us. Then he died on the cross for our sins. Jesus is an example of a good husband. He made his covenant with us and then he took action to show us that he meant that covenant. 

As Jesus is the ultimate example of whom we should try to emulate, I have a question for all of us: are we taking action as well? We have a calling while we are on this earth. If we don't know Jesus as our personal savior, then our calling is to accept him as that. Then we grow in him. If we do know him as our personal savior, then our mission is to grow in him and tell others about what he's done for them. These are our action steps as the bride of Christ. The church is his bride and he showed that through the symbol of the cup and his blood. A bride doesn't just sit around waiting for the groom to arrive. She takes action steps and prepares for his coming. That's what we are called to do as well.

So, do you know Jesus as your personal savior? Are you spreading the good news of the gospel? How can you grow closer to him?

Stand Out

    For those of you who know me you know I enjoy Disney movies. One movie many people forget about is A Goofy Movie. In the movie Max Goof is in school and feels like he is invisible and ridiculed. He wants to stand out so a girl at school will notice him. To do this, he took over the last school assembly and lip sang to a song by a famous artist in that world.

   The song he sang was called "Stand Out." Most of the song is about how a boy wants to be noticed by a girl. But there are some lyrics that apply to our Christian walk. They are: "To stand out above the crowd, Even if I gotta shout out loud." As Christians, we are not to blend in. We are born again to stand out.

   Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." We are not to be like the world. We are not to blend in. As Christians we are to stand out and be transformed in God. We are to reflect his glory and light each day, so others are led to Christ.

   So, are you standing out as we are called to do? How do you reflect God's glory each day?