Sunday Ramblings

I feel so stuffed all the time. Not that I'm complaining- honestly I love every little ache and discomfort because it confirms to me that there really is something in there! But even when I'm hungry I feel full! Today even more so, I think. I take a few bites and I feel like I just finished my third helping. :) My belly is sticking out because my organs are upset about it I think. hahaha. And this morning I was soooo nauseous... but we took care of it with a dixie cup full of goldfish in Sunday school! Matt and I watch the two year olds during the first service at church and they are so amazing. I split my cup of goldfish with a curly-headed little guy sitting on the counter- he's one of those rascally little ones that really just needs to feel special so he loves to sit up on the counter with me, quiet as can be. There's another little boy who takes apart the climbing structure every week to use one particular piece as a "guitar" and he sings worship songs as he "strums" this huge plastic square. Lord, can I place an order for one of those? A two year old with a heart for worship!
The sermon this morning was on tithing- one of Pastor Brett's least favorite subjects- this is the first whole sermon he's done on it- ever! But it was really great. What a reminder of God's heart to bless His kids. How He wants to train us to be generous, loving, and TRUSTING! I loved Brett's analogy of a dad giving his little kid a bag of 100 hershey kisses and then asking if he could have 10 to eat. The dad doesn't really want the kids' chocolate- he wants his child to grow up to be a giving person, and to learn to trust that the source of the chocolate isn't going to go away! Funny, but it stuck with me at least. The verse is Malachi 3:7-12 (from memory, so it might not be exact!)
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you ask, how are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, declares the Lord Almighty, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it! The pests will not devour your crops, and the vines in their fields will not cast their fruit, declares the Lord Almighty. The whole nation will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, declares the Lord Almighty."
When I first became a Christian in 1996 I was instantly hungry for the Word, and so my youth pastor gave me lists of foundational scripture to memorize and that was one of them. It wasn't until recently that the last part of the verse stood out to me. That He would prevent the devourer from doing us harm. I don't expect random checks to appear in the mail because I tithe or other obvious blessings- but what about all the blessings that we never know we've received? When the car -doesn't- break down and need repair? When the windows -don't- get shattered by the punk kids that walk past our house? When Rusty doesn't get sick and need to go to the vet? When my jeans -don't- wear holes in the knees & need replacing? In so many ways that I am blissfully unaware of, my Father is taking care of me and I'll never know until the other side of this life. That's amazing to me. In so many ways we are like small children, oblivious to the cruel world around us because our Father has it all under control. We think to ourselves that we've got it pretty rough, but we have no idea. Just like kids having a tantrum and screaming "YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!" to the Lord as if he'd never been here.
We serve a great and powerful and LOVING God. And the fact that I can call Him my own is enough to make me tremble. Thank you, Jesus, for your perfect provision & protection throughout our stay here on Earth. Thank you for taking care of your child, no matter how disobedient & unfaithful I am. You never change. Thank you.