Let's face it, there's just some days that we feel like that piece of bubble gum stuck underneath the seat in G-d's movie theatre. We've been chewed up, sapped of our flavor, smashed to the underside of a seat and forgotten. The someone comes by, scrapes us off and tosses us in the garbage.
Used up, washed out, discarded and tossed. Do you ever feel that way about your life and your offerings to Adonai? Do you feel that your contributions to the Kingdom sure don't seem to amount to much, and seriously wonder if the crown you get for your works on that final day will come from a Cracker Jack box?
Well, I don't know about you, but I've certainly been in that boat—and still am. Health issues have kept me from getting out and about the way that I really want to. Life intrudes on a daily basis, causing changes to schedules, tasks planned, and dreams that go unrealized. Attitudes can make you wonder what spirit you really have inside you. Pain that you may have caused other people (or that others have caused you) can leave you feeling unable to connect to the Father at all.
A day finally comes where you sit back and look at your life up to this point and wonder what in the world you've accomplished.
G-d is so good, isn't he? Even when you don't vocalize those thoughts to Him in prayer, He still looks at your doubts and insecurities and gives you the answers you need. We need to be open to Him, His Word, and what He's saying to us. First, He tells us what to do with those sins and attitudes...if we’ve wronged someone or just have an ill attitude, then we’re to seek forgiveness of the wronged party (if there is one) and then bring all our confessions and repentance to Him.
Then when we go to the Bible, we gain insight into what G-d thinks of whatever offerings of time, money, or service we've made.
I think all believers want to do that BIG thing for HaShem—whether it's leading a Bible study, witnessing to a myriad of folks, or maybe even going away on a mission trip. The thing is, some of us are called to bring in the gold and silver and some of us are called to spin the goat hair.
I can hear you now...what did she say? Spin the goat hair? Has she lost it? Not at all! Let me take you to Exodus 35 where Moses is assembling the people together, telling them what G-d has asked of them, and encouraging them to give or bring whatever is needed for the construction of the Tabernacle (the Tent of Meeting) and all the articles contained within it. These are the verses that stood out to me:
"And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit made him willing, and brought Adonai's offering for the work on the tent of meeting, for the service in it and for the holy garments....Likewise the women whose heart stirred them to use their skill spun the goat's hair....Thus every man and woman of the people of Israel whose heart impelled him to contribute to any of the work Adonai had ordered through Moshe brought it to Adonai as a voluntary offering." (Complete Jewish Bible Exodus 35: 21,26,29)
Do you see the emphasis in the above verses? It's not what we do for G-d, it's the spirit that we do it in. Each and every offering is important. Each thread of a tapestry, no matter how small, contributes to the result at the end. One thread of bright red, green, or even brown, not used or allowed to ravel, takes away from the beauty of the piece.
Likewise, each act of service that you give to G-d, whether it's writing a blog that enriches someone, or making a phone call to a friend in need, or just smiling at that overworked clerk in Walmart...each act of kindness and love enriches the tapestry that G-d is weaving.
And sometimes parents can feel especially vulnerable to the slings of the enemy when they begin to doubt their contributions to the Kingdom. It seems like our days are an endless morass of school, work, lunch, washing clothes, cleaning house...you name it! But...maybe your job is to raise up the children that will be the movers and shakers for G-d. Maybe you're responsible for laying a foundation that G-d will use to further His glory throughout the world.
I don't think there is such a thing as used up bubble gum in the Kingdom of Adonai. Nothing is thrown away, nothing is wasted, and nothing is useless. You are precious and have purpose. He loves you with everything in His being...and we know that because He came and died to set us free.
What greater love is there than that?
Hanne