"Streams of Living Water"

My kids are like fish. They just can’t get enough of the water. Uninhibited, they race past the water’s edge and splash fearlessly in with total disregard to water quality or temperature. I am a bit more cautious. For me, it takes a bit of coaxing.

A few summers back, my husband treated the family to a visit to Calaveras County, California: home to giant sequoias, old gold rush towns, and host of many fond childhood memories. Sean’s family had been vacationing in the small town of Arnold for as long as he could remember. He gleefully shared his stories of carefree days at the lake nestled just around the bend from their cabin. His enthusiasm was quickly deflated when he was told the lake was now for “members only.” Some quick research yielded the directions to White Pines Lake. We packed up the car with children and supplies for a day away from home and headed out for adventure.

After a few wrong turns, we arrived to find the lake and the parking lot deserted. As we made our way past the remnants of last night’s bonfire and a pile of “empties,” I wondered “are you sure this is the lake they recommended for families with children? ” Could this be the right spot?

There was still a chill in the air as the warmth of the sun hadn’t reached past the tops of the tall pines. Yet, the kids were unfazed and took their turn getting slathered in sun screen. They were ready to get wet. I secretly wondered if this was the lake from “Friday the 13th” and if we were Jason’s next unwitting victims.

I kept to the shore, busying myself with our towels and toys, securing our location as a few more families arrived. “Mommy, come play with me,” my son, Charlie, pleaded. It was time to step in. I wanted to be part of the fun.

Charlie led me to the water’s edge. He brought me there and I was willing to be led. The sting of the cold water at my ankles quickly faded as we splashed in the shallow water. He brought me through the reeds at the shoreline to where the water reached my knees. It was harder to move around, and our progress through the water was slower. He brought me out to a deeper part of the lake. The shocking cold of water at my waist nearly sent me back to the shore, yet I persevered. As the lake bottom dropped away, I stretched beyond where I could walk on my tiptoes, I was no longer connected to the earth. It was time to swim.

At that point far removed from the shore, the sun finally arched above the tree line. As the rays of sunlight kissed the flecks of gold-dust embedded on the bottom of the lake, the magnificent sparkle illuminated the entire area. The transformation was heavenly. The golden hue brightened everything it touched. Ordinary objects pulsed with color so intense they seemed afire or alight from within. The water came to life! The water brought everything to life!

Would you welcome that sort of awakening and transformation in your own life? Would you eagerly exchange the ennui of every day for a lifetime of light and life? You’ll have to get wet. You’ll have to dive deep into the waters of His word. Ezekiel learned that “where the river flows everything will live.” (Ezekiel 47:9). The Lord offers an abundance of blessings in the deep waters. The unstoppable waters are teeming with life and purpose for us. Boldly explore your faith and allow the spirit to quench your thirst, enrich your heart and transform your life.

“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs. . . . So that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (Isaiah 41:17-18, 20).

CommonUnity - Purpose

What am I doing here? Lured back by the bait of my dream job, I endured rush hour traffic to travel downtown and now I sit and I wait and I wonder. Is this what I am supposed to be doing?

The GPS in the car had guided me safely from my home to the interview. The turn by turn directions were spoken in a voice clear and sure. I placed my trust in the “personal travel assistant” to get me to my goal. If I strayed off the course, the voice would redirect me with a firm but gentle “recalculating.”

Having arrived at my destination, I prayed before getting out of my car. Not a prayer for a job offer, instead I asked for clear vision. “May our time together be productive so we can make wise decisions. Make it obvious, God. Is this where you want me to be?”

Do you question how you should invest your time? Do you wonder if God has a plan for you? Perhaps you know that He has a vision for your life, yet you struggle with following his directions.

I am blessed to have the luxury of deciding if I am supposed to return to work. Others may struggle with the call to coach basketball or to teach Sunday school or to join a study group. Like an endless Sunday buffet, our lives are filled with choices. Some people pack so much into a day it overflows into the next. Is your plate full?

Job reminds us that “if they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.” (Job 36:11). Take time to pray about your direction in life. God shows us “the way.”

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Teach me to do our will, for you are my God; may your Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143: 8,10).

CommonUnity - Common Possessions

It’s about 11am as I hear the noisy sputter as the mail truck chugs down our street. As I walk down the driveway I fantasize about a letter from Ed McMahon’s prize patrol, or a windfall check from a long lost relative, or (my wildest dream) a lucrative job offer from a stable company that offers health benefits.

Today is a typical Tuesday and Eugene the mailman has brought the usual mix: a phone bill, a few catalogues, an unemployment check, some pizza coupons, and several requests for charitable donations. The bill gets tossed onto the stack in the office. The catalogues are quickly recycled; I don’t even look at them anymore. The check and the coupons are a welcome sight. Our home now has a dedicated spot of honor for both of these items. They won’t sit there long.

One letter is disguised as “real mail.” It looks hand written and has a stamp instead of a postal meter mark. I open it hesitantly not recognizing the return address. Three girls my daughter’s age smile back at me from the card. Inside the note pleads, “there’s no reason they - or anyone else in our community - should go hungry... especially at Thanksgiving. Can we please count on your support once again?” It’s doubtful that I can repeat my gift from last year per their request, yet I can’t throw this one out. I set it aside for later.

I don’t have to guess what’s in the next envelope. World Vision, for all the good they do, will never be accused of subtlety. We may face hardships in our household, but they don’t compare to those of the child on the mailing. “Walk in my shoes,” the envelope demands. It’s hard to ignore their suggestion to step out of our own circumstances for a moment and consider those less fortunate. “Right now children are facing sickness, hardship, and death - and they don’t have medicine, decent clothing, or shoes to protect them.”

After reading about these children and the hardships they face, I see more clearly the blessings in my life. I can better appreciate the gifts I have been given. I realize that after six months of unemployment, we don’t have as much as we once did, yet we still have something to share.

Finances are tight for many of us. With 70% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, fears about the economy or job losses are very real. Reports in the news and the gyrations in the stock market have people nervous about their savings for college or retirement. Life is good, yet I remember more carefree times.

Did you notice the drop in fuel prices this week? When did $3.43 for a gallon of gas start to feel like a great deal? The reality is that I can reflect on a time when things were easier. Comparing prices and bargain hunting were once hobbies, not the necessities they are now.

It’s tempting to look “up” the socioeconomic ladder and feel envious of what others have. I could grumble about hard times and lament the bad hand we’ve been dealt. It would be easy to use the current financial crisis as an excuse to stop giving to those in need. I could simply toss those charitable requests and cut back on my past pledges for support.

Instead I choose to look with compassion at those less fortunate than us. We might not have much, but we still have something to give. Last year’s boots and coat can keep another child warm this winter. The books and DVDs that are gathering dust in my cabinet can be boxed up as Treats for Troops. Our church publishes a “Giving List” of the items most needed by local agencies. Pray that God will open your eyes and your hearts that you would see the opportunities to share.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Each year at Christmas our family run business would collect small gifts for children at a local orphanage. A large box would sit in our lobby, waiting to be filled with donations. As the drop off date neared, my father would grow impatient with the slow trickle of presents. Gathering two or three office employees, he would head out on a shopping expedition and fill a cart with toys and gifts and paper and bows. Our office overflowed with joy on those afternoons as we merrily wrapped presents we would never see opened. The joy returned far outweighed the cost of those small gifts.

As you go about your week, look for ways to share your time and your talents and your resources with others. Why wait until Christmas to share cards with loved ones? Do you have a neighbor who would enjoy a friendly visitor? Is there a relative who could use a helping hand with their grocery shopping? Perhaps you could hold the hand of a friend awaiting news at the doctor’s office?

Our lives and our communities grow richer as we give to and share with others.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.” (Psalm 37:3).

http://www.hcl.org/generosity/giving-list/the-giving-list.html