skimming the surface

I was sitting by the pool this week, watching the leaves begin to fall and thinking that I needed to get up and skim the top of the pool. Leaves were floating along the surface and a few were being caught in the skimmer basket. But for the most part, if we don’t skim it, they will eventually collect and rot at the bottom of the pool. And then the chore is even harder. What could be avoided in 10 minutes of skimming, now has become a big job because we have to vacuum, which takes at least an hour.
And yet, even though I was thinking this through…that we should skim so we don’t have stuff collect down deep….I just sat there. I couldn’t make myself get up. I just enjoyed the cool breeze, watching the leaves fall and the heat of the sun tanning my skin. Basically, I was LAZY. I knew the right thing to do, but was too lazy to do it, and so now we have a pile of stuff at the bottom of the pool that has to be taken care of.
I laugh at my laziness and how it creates more work. In the pool, I guess it isn’t quite so big a issue, but the real deal is that we do the same thing in our lives. We sit in our lazy boys and see all that needs to be done and instead of engaging and doing it, we kick back until the job gets so big that it is overwhelming. This is also true of our spiritual journeys. We know the right things to do. If we would simply get up and do the everyday small tasks, then we would avoid the mess that gets down deep.
For instance, if we would discipline ourselves to be in the Word, pray without ceasing, take time away and evaluate, we could skim the surface daily. By doing the daily work of skimming the surface, we can then keep the issues from getting deep into our lives and making it more difficult to clean up. By skimming the surface daily, we avoid a mess down deep.
Now, don’t mistake this for merely skimming. Skimming doesn’t mean we gloss over or don’t do the deep seeded work that is needed. It doesn’t mean we won’t have to work on what lies beneath in the deep. It just means that perhaps it won’t be quite such a mess, won’t take so long and won’t be rotten because daily work has taken place. Skimming is hard work too. You have to choose to get up and do the daily work. You can’t wait to do the work. It requires discipline. It also means that you have to pay attention to what is on the surface and evaluate everyday. It means not letting anything just float along. It means being intentional to pay attention to what is going on and to deal immediately so it doesn’t get down deep and be a bigger issue.
So, how are we doing? Done any skimming lately? Or are you just sitting in your chair watching the stuff on the surface that needs to be dealt with but choosing to do nothing? Do you see that big pile down deep that needs to be dealt with, it is only going to get bigger if you don’t skim? Perhaps you need to run the vacuum and then choose to skim daily so that the work isn’t so overwhelming along the way.
Or perhaps you can keep doing things the way you have been…how’s that working for you? But sooner or later, you do have to get out of the chair. What you have to deal with is determined by the choices you make.
ALL FOR YOU

stand guard

Saturday, I was sitting at my desk working on some stuff at the computer when my husband called from the backyard, saying that he needed some help for a few minutes. I quickly left my office and made my way to the backyard, where he was waiting on me. I had assumed he needed some help with the blower, holding the cord so that he wouldn’t drop it in the pool. (that is a whole other devotional thought!) I stepped out the sliding glass door and he said, “I need you to help me for a minute. Will you watch THAT while I go get something to take care of it.”
Immediately, I squeeled like a girl and jumped onto the lounge chair and began to inform him that what he was pointing to was a snake. To which he agreed and said that he knew that already, but asked me to make sure it didn’t move. Yeah right! I was standing in a chair and I would watch it, but I was not going to keep it from moving. In fact, if it did, I would be climbing on the gazebo to get away.
The snake was basking in the sun and enjoying the heat. Partially hidden behind the pool chemicals, I really had no idea how big the snake was. Jim went to get some tools to take care of the snake, while I stood there screaming for him to hurry up. He returned with a hoe and some other thing I don’t know the name of. I was wondering where the shovel was. Waiting on Jim to chop the snakes head off and be done with it, you can’t imagine my surprise when he reached to pick up with the thing I don’t know the name of and then you can’t imagine my irritation when it slithered off that thing and under my pool deck. Not really the plan.
Now, Jim wants me to help him lift the deck so he can look for it. I am thinking, no way! Not getting out of the chair. He lifted one end of the deck and yelled for me to move something under it to hold it up. Frustrated, I leapt from the chair, moved the toy box and quickly jumped back on my perch. Then, Jim looked at me and said, “do you see it.” I am thinking…not looking for it.
We still don’t know where that snake is, which creeps me out a good bit. But it has also made me very aware of how we treat the enemy of our souls like this snake. We stand on a chair and watch, afraid and not wanting to admit that he is lurking. Or perhaps we get bold enough to try to deal, but instead of just killing the enemy dead in it’s tracks, we try moving him around, when we should have just crushed his head. And then we lose track of where he is and don’t have any idea where he will pop up next. All which could be avoided with a big shovel across the back of the head.
The great news is that Jesus did that on the cross. He crushed the head of that nasty serpent. Jesus overcame all that we fear and all that lurks in hidden places to attack. We need not fear what has already been taken care of. Yet, I find myself, still standing on the chair at times.
Maybe it is time to remember that the enemy has lost and we are overcomers in Christ Jesus. Maybe we need to remember that we are victorious and we don’t need to stand in chairs afraid, but rejoice in a Messiah that took care of the serpent. Maybe we need to remember that Jesus didn’t just move satan out of the way, but destroyed all power of sin, death and the grave.
So, while the snake at my house has yet to be found, the enemy of my soul is breathing his last, because HE HAS OVERCOME.
ALL FOR YOU

Socks

Don't you just hate washing socks? What is it about the washing machine, the dryer or perhaps the dirty clothes basket that seems to eat socks? In my laundry room, I have a bucket full of socks that have no match. Somewhere along the way, the other half was lost. What was meant to be two is now one. What was intended to be a matched set now is alone. What was supposed to work together doesn't work at all and is on a shelf because half is missing.

Much like socks, God designed us to work in pairs. Our first thought when I say that is probably marriage. Isn't marriage awesome? Okay....well, some of you didn't get so thrilled about that thought...lol. However, marriage is awesome. It is ordained by God for a purpose. What is that purpose? To be fruitful and multiply. For the man to be the picture of Christ laying down all that He is so that His bride is all she is meant to be in Christ. Much like my washer eating my socks, the world wants to separate our marriages. Divorce is rampant and when two that have become one are separated it causes all sorts of problems-like socks that don't match and only being one instead of two.

God also ordained that there be a matched set in discipleship. In fact, His Word is very clear to say that when He sent followers out, He sent ALL of them in pairs. He intends for everyone to have an "AND". Someone that goes with them. Like, Paul and Barnabas. David and Jonathon. Ruth and Naomi. Men with men and women with women. Not something weird.....but they are matched sets-ordained by God. Go ahead...check it out for yourself. It is God's plan in the Word. What is their purpose? To hold one another accountable and to go out and spread the Word. To grow one another in Christ because the journey was not made to be alone. To encounter Christ daily together and then to share those encounters so others would want them. Why didn't He send them alone? Because God knows that one sock is much good...you have to have a pair for it to be of use. But much like our marriages, the world and even the church tries to promote journeys apart instead of together. Independence instead of dependence is what is advocated. And by staying apart from your match, you are just like a sock without it's other half....not as much good. God's plan is for you to have a matching sock in marriage, but also in discipleship.

I was standing at my washer, thinking I sure wish I knew where all the matches to these socks were when the Lord reminded me....Two are better than one. I never created you to be alone. In fact, it is not good for man to be alone. You need your match. In marriage and in discipleship. I created both and I ordained both with a purpose and a match. To walk any other way...is like trying to wear only one sock. So where is your other sock?
ALL FOR YOU