"I DO's"

It was the summer prior to my going into first grade as I recall. My Mother announced to me that I was going to get to go to a wedding at our church. I was too excited for words. You see, I had never been to a wedding. I had seen pictures of brides in the newspaper and knew it was a special even but that's about all I knew about it. I couldn't wait to tell a playmate about this upcoming adventure.

Her reaction was one of pure shock. She couldn't believe my Mother would take me to a wedding. I asked her what would be wrong with it. She informed me something I never knew before. She said, “At the end of the wedding, the brides man will kiss her....right on the lips...in front of everybody.” I was floored. There was no TV in those days and the only movies I went to were cowboy ones on Saturday afternoons. I knew what kissing was, but to see such a thing in public, I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

The bride was beautiful. Mary was the daughter of our town's postmaster so she was popular I guess. It looked to me like the girls with her wore prom dresses and the guys wore Sunday suits. Boy, have weddings changed today. Mary was beautiful though and her new husband did kiss right on the mouth. I put my hands over my face but peeked between a couple of fingers. Their wedding picture was in our town's newspaper and I still have the picture and article from that wedding somewhere in a scrapbook.

We recently saw all the royal to-do from England and it was lovely and lavish. I loved the little kids as much as anything and also the choir singing, “Stand By Me.” With all the buildup and expectations, the whole thing was over with in a short amount of time and everyone went their merry ways. Special guests left in all their finery and observers by the thousands all went home and resumed their normal lives.

Next to our relationship with Jesus, the next most important thing in our lives is that of marriage. God created man and woman in that garden, meant for each other to love, be partners and raise kids. That expectation hasn't really changed, from God's perspective. We go about this wedding thing from different angles. Some have chosen huge wedding extravaganzas to tie the knot. I know of some couples who have chosen to elope, while others because of finance have chosen to go to city hall or even to the pastor's office to tie that very precious knot. Whether at Windsor, Hyatt Regency, a church auditorium, parent's back yard or in privacy with a pastor...no matter the setting or attire, the process is the same and the result is an official marriage signed, sealed and delivered in license form as proof.

Weddings are fun if you're attending, but can be pretty hectic if you have to be in on the planning of one. New members are added to families and life moves on for the happy couple.

There is another wedding down the road I really look forward to. God proposed to me through His Son Jesus who signed our relationship in His blood. I'm not the only one asked to attend this special wedding feast. I'm not THE bride alone but make up THE Bride of Christ. No cathedrals, churches or other venues needed. Besides, none of them in all their beauty can compare to that Heavenly wedding feast locale. We'll all appear in our new Heavenly clothes. It will be a feast and celebration that we in our finite minds can't begin to grasp, not even in our wildest dreams or imaginations.''

The book of Revelation gives a little information about it in chapter 19:6-9:

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,

and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice

of mighty thunderings, saying,

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to

him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his

wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed

in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen

is the righteousness of saints.

Every bride I've known really gets fixed up for her wedding. She may get a special hair style done, make up perfect, teeth sparkling and on and on the preparations go. She wants to look her best in every way for her groom. I wonder if right now, I'm doing all I can to prepare myself for Jesus' coming, either for us all or for me individually, whichever He chooses for me. Will He be pleased with the life I'm living, and repentance of sin a regular with me. Will He see my smile of anticipation of seeing Him, wanting so much for Him to be pleased with my love and service. We believers, Christians, are going to make up the Bride of Christ.

I can almost hear the bells ringing now!!

Thank You Father for sending Your son Jesus to die for me and for preparing great things for my life now and in Heaven. Forgive when I fail You..I'm so sorry. I love You and count it such a privilege being Your child. In Jesus name...Amen

"ME DO"

I will instruct thee and teach thee in

way which thou shalt go:  I will guide

thee with mine eye.
Psalm 32:8

Our son Johnny has always been very articulate. While a little one, 18 months and growing, I never had to figure out any gibberish from Johnny. He spoke clearly and didn't hesitate to ask for anything he wanted. We had two other children, but in their growing in those younger years, there were two words they didn't use that Johnny did...”Me do.” Perhaps it was an indicator of future manhood.

Around the age of two, Johnny had his first jeans with elastic waist and for a younger guy, they could be hard to pull up. I think I helped Johnny with those jeans perhaps two times and after that, my offers of helping him were answered with “Me do.” I'm not being critical of him at all. He wasn't being sassy. He honestly felt he could handle the situation.

At our childrens ages, we didn't know what Velcro on shoes was. Children had to learn to tie their shoes. In most cases, children couldn't go to kindergarten unless they knew ahead of time how to tie their shoes. Our oldest daughter basically taught her two younger siblings how to tie their shoes and both learned quickly. Even with the shoes with times of the tying process not going well, Johnny could be heard saying, “Me do” and he generally did.

It's cute watching and listening to young tots as they learn, struggle with some basics and want so much to feel independent in their skills already. My children were not exceptions. Young children really do want to feel they have arrived so to speak in dealing with difficult skills or challenges.

As children get older and especially as they approach the teen years, they may not not speak as a young child saying, “Me do.” It's more likely they will say, “This is what I'm going to do” and want the adults in their lives to approve. With those growing up years under all our belts, we may not use those two words, at least not in that way in interacting with spouses, bosses, teachers or other authority.

I have been thinking about our folly in how we regard our loving Heavenly Father who makes himself available to us, His children to be of help, guidance and direction. Most often, we feel we can handle the things of life with little or no help from anyone else, let alone from God. I'm thinking of the times, in my own life, when I failed to go to my Father first for His help and provision, but came to my own rescue so to speak. 

In our adulthood, we wish our concerns were as simple as tying our shoes or pulling up jeans, but in a child's world, those are big things. Parents stand ready to help just as my Heavenly Father stands ready to do the same in my life. I wonder how many times, not in specific words, have I responded to my Heavenly Father's outstretched hand with, “Me do.”

It sounds childish that we would speak to our Father in such a way, but I must evaluate in my own life my level of spiritual maturity. We're supposed to grow up spiritually just as we do physically. Johnny doesn't need my help with tying shoes nor my girls with their life skills. 

All three children are now adults and know well how to take care of themselves.

It can be sad in looking with reality where we are in spiritual age. “Me do” Christians are sadly very immature. They feel they don't need anyone's counsel, help or even strengthening from God. Folks like this usually look good, and may appear spiritually to be mature. They are often folks who struggle to live the Christian life with little if any help or strength from the source of their salvation. It's frustrating for them just like a small boy struggling to tie his shoes, but too proud to ask for help.

I know I've gone through times in my spiritual life when I've been a “me do” Christian. Those were not good days for me...”me do” days of any kind are unfulfiling and frustrating. I was so thankful for God's loving hand that stayed available to me. I still at my age, require His nurturing, encouraging and love. I've had to learn that most things I attempt spiritually cannot be with a “me do” attitude. I'm learning the most beneficial spiritual attitude I can have that is the best for me is “We do” because there's just not much I can accomplish without my Heavenly Father.

And Father, I'm so grateful for Your watchful eye over my life. There are times I move away with my own attitude and it never works. I'm so grateful for You in my life, for Jesus' dying for me and for Your Holy Spirit who guides and teaches me in an ongoing way. You are so precious in my life. In Jesus name....Amen

GOING BEFORE

Thou wilt show me the path of
life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy
right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

I've been thinking and reading about folks “going before” others...leading the way, pulling the weeds out of the way, stepping in the stream ahead of the group, etc. I have been thinking of folks in my life who have gone before me, physically making a difference or spiritually leading me in right paths. We've all had them in our lives, but God has used every one of those persons in my life to get me where He wanted me to go. I can think of Sunday school teachers, school teachers, pastors, neighbors, little old ladies in my church (of which I now IS one) when growing up, college advisers...and more that I can't remember.

The first to “go before” me was long before my birth and that was Jesus who went to the cross. I deserved to be on that cross, but He went before me, clearing the way through my sin and into the light of His salvation. There have been more godly folks in my growing up years who led and showed me the proper ways to go in my spiritual walk, and I'm so grateful for each one.

The Israelites knew what it was for God to go before them in the wilderness. God's presence stayed with them in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They were always to stay put unless God began to move, whether during the day or night. He never sent the people on their merry way...He always went before them. He was prepared to take care of them, even to fight for them it it was necessary.

The Lord your God which goeth before you,
he shall fight for you, according to all that He
did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen
how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a
man doth bear his son, in all the way that
ye went, until ye came to this place.
Deuteronomy 1:30,31

What makes us think God will do all of that for the Israelites and not for us? He may not lead us by a cloud pillar or pillar of fire. We have the privilege of having the Holy Spirit dwelling in those of us who are believers. That's better than any kind of cloud or pillar. We can speak with Him at any time, anywhere. He listens and leads....He goes before us, preparing His way for us to go.

We often find ourselves in our own, private wilderness places. There seems to be no direction available but HE is aware of it all. I love the chorus we used to sing:

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
Strength for today, is mine all the way,
And all that I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.

Only one time in our marriage did I see a house ahead of time that Brian chose for us to live in. He always planned ahead even flying to distant places to seek out our future home. I would usually see pictures after his venture. He knew where malls, grocery stores, churches, etc. were located. He always went before us to insure we would have the right place to live. Those were wilderness times for me, but all I had to do was follow.

After His resurrection, Jesus told the women in the garden to tell His disciples that He would go before them to Galilee and would meet the disciples there. Even in that time, Jesus went before His disciples to meet with and encourage them.

We are so blessed having a Heavenly Father who loves us to much as to want to take care of our ever need. He makes every provision for our well being even if we don't see it happening. God had done everything to prove Himself to the Israelites, but they still didn't seem to believe Him or His provision. You see, we won't believe in God's provision if we have no relationship with Him. In that state, we will live in a sea of unbelief and that's a real tragedy on our part.

God knows the path I am to take . Moses wonderfully reminded the people in the wilderness of God's promises:

And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee
he will be with thee, he will not fail thee,
neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:8

It was a promise for His people then and He is still faithful in our lives today to do the very same things. As long as I follow His leading, I am safe and secure no matter the circumstances I'm called upon to face.

Dear Father, I want to follow You wherever You want me to go. Help me to not go ahead of You, but to rely totally on Your direction in my life. I love and trust you completely. In Jesus' precious name...Amen