Thanks+giving

Early last week in my Bible readings I came to Psalm 50.

Psalm 50:8 begins "I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer."

Then the next verse begins with that scary word:

BUT

But what?

I'll paraphrase the next verse this way:

"But I really don't need them because they are already mine."

God seems to be saying that it's great that the people were offering sacrifices but he didn't really need them.  Which seems a bit confusing, and that's where verse 14 adds some clarification:

Make thankfulness you sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the most high. (Psalm 50:14 NLT)

The Psalmist is trying to tell us that there is a wrong way to give.

If we think that everything we have belongs to us, and that WE are giving to God out of OUR stuff that we earned, be might have a bit of a bad attitude when we give it.  Paul alludes to this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 where he writes that we are to give cheerfully, not grudgingly.  When we give, it is out of recognition that everything we have is God's.  We then return a portion to God out of thanks for what He has given to us.

Offering and Thanksgiving are inextricably linked:

Thanks=Giving

(Maybe I'm getting a couple of holidays mixed up here.)

The Psalmist alludes to another kind of bad giving attitudes in verse 14: "keep the vows you made".

Some people make vows to God.  A vow goes something like this:

"You do this for me, I'll do this for You."

So if God comes through on His end of the deal, we then offer whatever it is we said we would offer.  It's a simple transaction.  But sometimes we might have an attitude problem.  We might be handing over payment with a bit of reluctance--not wanting to part with our hard earned stuff for what we have received, like maybe we resent having to pay so much for something.

"Bad attitude", the Psalmist writes.  What should our attitude be?

Make gratitude your attitude.

Give--and give thanks.

Many years ago I was working for an organization and one of the employees was helping me load my truck with supplies.  When we were done, I thanked him.

He then began to exclaim, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" over and over again.

I told him I was confused, he had helped me load my truck, so why was he thanking me?  He replied, "Because you said, 'thank you.'"

I drove away in tears.  This man had worked many years for this Christian organization, but when it was time to get paid, it was just a transaction.  Payment for services rendered.  No sign of gratitude (at least not in a way that was meaningful to him).

I had to ask myself, "What is my attitude?  Do I have an attitude of gratitude?"

Let our giving be thanks and our thanks be giving.  It's easy to mouth the words, "Happy Thanksgiving."  It takes a bit more effort to show we are truly thankful.

Isaac

One of my life mottoes is:

Take life very seriously

    but

        don't take yourself too seriously
 
God is never ceasing in doing important work in this world.  But we should not be so proud as to think He cannot accomplish His work without us. We are not indispensable. (Pardon the double negative any readers for whom English is not one of your primary languages.)

Unfortunately, for the past while I have had a hard time abiding by that motto.  I went through a period of time where laughter was mostly absent from my life.  It was no longer my norm.

Many years ago lived a woman named Sarah.  Already almost 90 years old she was childless and for her that was no laughing matter.  One day she overheard an angel say she would have a child.  "What a joke", she snickered.  But the "joke" was on her, and she gave birth to a son.  She named him Isaac, which means, "he laughs" (Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7)

I'm grateful that this past week I have had plenty of Isaac moments--I've been able to let down my hair and bellow out laughter on all kinds of occasions.  I've laughed at myself.  I've laughed till I cried while watching a movie.  I've laughed while reminiscing with others.

It helps to have friends and family who can laugh with you.

Life is not a joke.  But it doesn't mean there is not time for a laugh at the appropriate time--a time to let your hair down and have some fun.

Letting Down my Hair
(I had a hard time keeping a straight face for this.)

Ten Hanky Movie

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. (Philemon 1:7 NLT)

Recently someone was wondering about my emotional response to something.  He was a bit confused, so I offered up some explanation.

God has blessed me with the ability to generate copious amounts of body fluids.  One of the chief among them are tears.

Lots of things cause me to cry.

• Laughing.
  
• Sneezing.
  
• Cool winds below about 70F/20C (makes bike riding challenging in Fresno winters)
  
• Yawning. (Hate to burst your bubble, preachers, but those probably aren't tears of conviction and repentance.  Maybe you need to shorten the message; not lengthen it.)

I do also shed tears for emotional reasons, something I seem to have inherited from my mom.  There are two categories of these.

• Tears of empathy for others.  I cry when I sense either hurt OR joy on the part of others.  Forget the "ten-hanky movie"--just bring me the whole box.
  
• Tears related to my own pain OR joy.  I would say that the majority of these by far are tears of joy (I seldom cry at my own pain or sorrow).

I have shed a lot of tears this past week.  As we have processed some of the difficulties we have encountered this past year, I have been overwhelmed by the love, grace and support shown me by the people of God. It's not like I deserve it.  It's because people have been responding out of the tremendous reserve of love they have in Jesus.  And it's overwhelming.

But it gets better.  This great love I have experienced this week is nothing compared to the love shown to us by Jesus.  One night in the garden, Jesus faced a choice.  Would Jesus act within his rights and walk the path of self-preservation?  Or would he choose the path of love--love for those who don't deserve it?  He chose the path of love: the path to the cross.

"God shows his love for us", scripture says,  "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 ESV)

Which path would we choose?  Do act within our rights and choose the path of self-preservation?   Or do we choose the path of love, the path of the cross?  (This seems an especially pertinent question in light of the recent election in America.) It is a very difficult path to choose the path of love--but what a blessing we can be to others.

Jesus said: So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT) 

We are the vehicles God has chosen to show His love to the world.  If we don't do it, who will?

I am so grateful this week for those who have chosen the path of Jesus.  I have been overwhelmed by His love as demonstrated by others.

One day, when I depart from this life, don't be surprised if it rains.  If the love I have received this week from God's people has caused me so much joy, how much more will the joy I experience in the presence of Jesus cause an outpouring of tears

Giving and Receiving

We were coming out of Walmart yesterday, when Ingrid noticed that a minivan that was pulling out of the parking area had a flat tire.  We waved them over to let them know.

When they rolled down the window we saw it was an elderly couple.  We said we would help.

If you're going to have a flat tire and need help, I'm probably a good volunteer.  I have probably changed more flat tires than most people in North America, save those who work in tire shops.  When we lived in Haiti, we probably averaged a flat tire a week--over 7 years.  I used to carry two spare tires except on long trips when I carried three--and on one occasion needed them all.

Changing flat tires isn't particularly hard.  It's more of a challenge figuring out where the jack is and how to access the spare tire--that part takes over half the time.

While I was getting the work done, Ingrid was chatting with the couple.  Turns out that this is a German Mennonite couple from Paraguay, so as fellow Mennonites and Ingrid being a German, we had a common bond.  They have been in Canada 16 years and this is their first flat tire since coming here.  They don't have CAA or anything like that because they pretty much only drive from their condo to the store.  So they were particularly appreciative of the help.

Their names are easy to remember--they have the same first names as a couple who took in my oldest brother's wife during her younger years (and don't ask me how I even remember that after only meeting that couple twice in the 1960's).

I didn't want any kind of remuneration for using my "gifts" to serve others, but they were quite insistent gave far more than deserved.  They wanted to bless us on our journey as well.

Don and Katy, it was a pleasure to meet you.  Hope to see you when our paths cross again--wherever that may be.


Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Psalm 128:1-2 (ESV)