Belongings


 

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8

For the past several years I have worked in a school where the principal made all of the decisions, somewhat arbitraily. At the end of each school year teachers and staff are shuffled around without much thought to how that might impact those individuals. Bad as it was for the teachers, it worse for those of us in paraprofessional positions. Often we would not know where we would be placed until the day we returned for the new school year. Several of us have commented over the years that it makes us feel like furniture. We can be picked up and moved without comment, question or thought. It's not a nice feeling. It would seem that each of us should have some say in where we work.

          That principal is retiring this year and as it occured to me that her replacement might not treat us like her belongings, I realized that that is exactly how I want God to treat me and He won't.

          My biggest problems occur when I think I know what is best. When I use my  pesky free will, that is when things tend to spin in an ugly direction. Why?  I don't know what's best for me but my Abba does and yet, He is the one who gives me choices.

          Back to the principal, she placed us wherever with no thought to whether we were suited to the position or not. She did not know what was best for us. She knew what worked for her; what made sense to her. She knew what was easiest for her. She didn't consult with us at all. Just last year she placed me in a position which was absolutely a wrong fit. I was there for most of the school year, until a shift in student numbers offered me a ticket out. It was eight long, hard, uncomfotable months. That placement was not good for me but Abba worked it for my good.

          The perspectives and blessings that came from that time are for another message. The point here is that I resented her lack of concern for my thoughts and opinions but I beg Abba to disregard what I'm saying or praying and let His will be done.

          I love, love, love, when God picks me and plunks me down somewhere, anywhere. When I can see His hand in my circumstances I'm thrilled. I pray for opportunites to submit, to obey and He graciously gives them. I want Abba to control me, my life and every aspect of it because I know that He is for me. Not to say that my principal was against me, but I certainly was of little consequence to her. My value with her was negligible but my value with my Abba is something I can't begin to understand.

          I resented the principal treating me like a belonging but I pray every day, "Abba I belong to you" and I dearly want Him to treat me like His belonging.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Really god, where are you?

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning to noon.”Baal answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said, “Surely he is a god! Perhaps his is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 1 Kings 18:26b-27 Those who know me would be quick to tell you that I am a bit sarcastic. It’s a quality that I have passed on to my children and even some of my grandchildren. Some days I feel a little guilty. Is that really a quality that God wants to see in me? Certainly that cannot be my go to attitude but there are times that it comes in quite nicely. This morning, reading a totally unrelated verse, I was reminded of this account in the first book of Kings. (It begins at verse 16 and continues to the end of the chapter. I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t and it if you have reread it. It’s great!) In this p
Read more

My Offering

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also love you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2 Standing in my kitchen, I was praying that what I was putting together for a friend would convey what I want her to know, that I so deeply appreciate her. As my mind spun around what can I add? What would she really like? Is this enough? I had to laugh. That is so often my prayer, “Lord, I don’t have anything to give. I don’t give enough. What can I possibly do?” and on, and on and…. Well, you get it, I’m sure. May I just say, GOD IS GOOD! (Yes, I know the caps mean I’m shouting. Yes, I am shouting!) While I was preparing my “gift” I was thinking about how often I feel that I don’t do enough, for friends, for family, for my hubby and certainly for God. I had music playing, another pretty typical occurrence. The Third Day song, “Offering” started to play and I started singing along.
Read more

Selective Sight

You shall not bow down to them; for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me but showing love to the a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:5-6 A precious little one that I know has a glass eye. We’ll call him Jack. Beyond the lack of his eye, Jack has a lot of other challenges. His brain hasn’t caught up with his chronology and it most likely never will. My expectation is that Jack will always need someone close by to help him through life. He’s a needy kid who is also a little bit on the naughty side. It was his uniquely naughty nature that taught me a spiritual lesson. You see, little Jack can pop out that glass eye and he does. The other day while I was with him another child in the room was yelling, “Eye, eye, eye.” Not having experienced Jack’s particular talent I heard it is “I, I, I”. Just as I was about to ask her to please b
Read more