The Hand Held Organizer

Christmas is a wonderful time to practice honor in giving! After all, is that not what Jesus did, when He came to our earth?

My children are great at this! They keep their ears open for the four to six months prior to Christmas for gifts for mom and dad. It is one way they express gratitude to God for what He did for them in the family experience. But their desire really is to honor God for the far-reaching effects of the most wonderful gift of all - our salvation! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

One particular year I thought I would like to try to do scheduling and note-taking on a small hand-held organizer. So, I put it on my Christmas "wish list".

They bought it for me. It took me longer than expected to catch on to some of the features, so summer time found me slipping out under a shade tree, with the organizer, to learn more about how to use it. (I really should have been far more diligent with this in the first place!)

I had a cup of hot tea in the other hand, with some honey for taste.

I sat the tea on the grass, and proceeded to work.

After a little while, I grew thirsty, so, keeping my eyes on the screen of the organizer, I put my hand down towards the grass, feeling for my cup of tea. I found it fine, and brought it to my lips, my taste buds anticipating the rich flavor.

As I swallowed it, however, it burned my mouth! It felt as if I had swallowed water that had just come from the stove! With all of the gusto I had, I jerked the cup away from my lips, and spit it out. Tea flew everywhere, drenching my organizer in the process. I was hopeful that I hadn't burned my mouth too severely, and wondered what I was going to do about the wet organizer!

But, the hot, biting sensation was still there!

Soon I realized that a little bug had found its way into the tea, and wasn't very happy about being thrust into my mouth! (Incidentally, the organizer wasn't the same after that, no matter how I treated it.!)

"You little thief, how dare you," I remonstrated. I wasn't impressed, to say the least! Why would a loving God allow one of His little creatures to spoil a perfectly good afternoon; an opportunity to learn more about my gift; and a perfectly good cup of tea!

But, some months later I was reading a scripture that had a familiar ring to it. Wondering why it spoke so clearly to my journey in the Christian life at the time, I remembered the above incident, and experienced an "aha", or "moment of truth"!

So that's what was happening! Just like God had allowed Satan to bring a "thorn in the flesh" to the Apostle Paul, thus helping to keep others from thinking he was too special, and a "messenger of Satan" to deal with his pride over revelations, He was allowing something similar to happen to me. (2 Corinthians 12:7).

We think we are in control of life - but we are not! We are stewards! I had forgotten to account for the fact that Jesus wasn't sacrificing His life so that we would feel acceptance in having our own way, but to demonstrate God's far superior, and more joyful way of life.

The apostle Paul's salvation from Christ was a wonderful thing - but there was a danger of seeing too much of himself in it. It was a personal gift to the apostle that represented God Himself! Too much knowledge about the gift could destroy the simplicity and wonder of the gift itself.

An old saying puts it well, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!" Previous generations could approximate the age of a horse, by looking at its teeth. To inspect the gift too carefully would destroy the purpose of the giver. If the horse is healthy, maybe he just needed to see a dentist!

Eternal matters do need to take first place in my life! I do need to treasure all that I have been given, even my Christmas gifts. But, I should always remember to focus on the spirit of giving behind it all, the Holy Spirit, or risk destroying the very purpose for which it was given.

I had been caught in the wrong spirit! I was in danger of that when everything had to be "just so", as I learned about the organizer, rather than the function it was meant to provide. That was not what my children intended. Even the bug seemed to recognize my spirit, and thought he would "cash in" for a freebie too. He didn't relish the idea of being a part of someone else's experience, however!

There is a balance that God has placed in nature. Knowledge without understanding, (Proverbs 2:3-5), however, is inconsiderate and cruel. If I really enjoyed eating little bugs that much, I should at least have had sense enough to put them out of their misery first! But, God's gift is free! His salvation carries every benefit that can be conceived.

If I concentrate on Him, I might just be able to drink my tea without bugs, as I learn about my organizer . . . that is, unless God wants me to learn more about the nature of bugs. He creates all things for us to enjoy.

CAN I BUY A STAMP PLEASE

“Can I buy a stamp, please?” “Sure!”, I replied.

As I reached for the stamps, I mused, “Retired? No way!” Expectations at my previous job had escalated while resources were down. I had changed jobs, hoping to balance the scale. Expectations were up. Morale was low.

On Sunday the pastor challenged, “Times like these qualify as trials. Learn to count them as joy! A great opportunity awaits to show love for the Lord – a witness to His saving grace!” All of this was true, even if I was a “senior citizen”!

I mused on, “I don’t think like a senior citizen! I don’t feel like one! I’ll do without senior privileges!” Even when given a senior discount at a restaurant, I wanted to say, “That’s nice, but I’m not old enough!

With a desk all my own, and responsibilities similar to High School days, I was actually enjoying life again.

Suddenly I was jolted into the present: “Am I getting ‘Old-timer’s’ disease?” The roll of stamps I had purchased with my own money – was gone! Accusation whispered, “You’re going too far with this love thing! A few stamps are OK – but a whole roll? My heart fought the truths of unselfish living. Was it all a lie?

Frantically I emptied the drawer. The stamps were not there! My neck stiffened in response to my injured pride. A recent robbery of laptop computers and peripherals underlined my dominant thought – stolen! I dreaded explaining this all to my wife!

But deep within, something was crying for a hearing: “This isn’t about you, it’s about Christ in you!” (Colossians 1:27)

I reported the incident to my supervisor, who e-mailed the employees, telling them I would not be selling stamps any more.

The problem seemed to be cared for. Some were sympathetic. But, I missed serving my co-employees. I sensed a gnawing emptiness, and then . . .

There they were – the stamps! The roll was on the floor, under my desk! “The thief dropped them there”, I thought. Soon I realized it had fallen out of the back of the drawer!

My supervisor had restored temporary comfort and safety, but this also cut off further opportunities to be of service! I was embarrassed that I had blamed others for my problem! Proverbs 18:9 was clear, slackness and destruction were related to each other!

My spiritual integrity had been challenged. A focus on temporary loss blinded me to the agelessness of Christian character. (Proverbs 17:4). If I was to continue being a servant/witness for Christ, I had a choice. I had to apologize for blaming someone else for my problem.

Age, position and earthly comforts are relative. Character expressed in conscientious love is timeless. When credibility is gone, words say little. Acknowledgement of failure can bring it back.

Soon employees were coming for stamps again. Others started keeping their own supply. The Word of Christ lived out in His people is more important than anything else that may surround. (Hebrews 1:1,2)