Come Ye Thankful People (Thankful Thursday)

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin;

God, our Maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied.

Come to God’s own temple, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field,

Fruit unto His praise to yield;

Wheat and tares together sown,

Unto joy or sorrows grown;

First the blade, and then the ear,

Then the full corn shall appear.

Lord of harvest, grant that we

wholesome graini and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,

And shall take His harvest home;

From His field shall in that day,

All offenses purge away;

Give His angels charge at last

In the fire the tares to cast,

But the fruitful ears to store

In His garner ever-more.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,

To Thy final harvest hime;

Gather Thou Thy people in,

Free from sorrow, free from sin;

There forever purified,

In Thy presence to abide.

Come, with all Thine angels, come

Raise the glorious harvest home.

Henry Alford, 1844

The Little Things (Work-to-do-Wednesday)

            A few months ago, I posted an article about the power one person has. We are often guilty of feeling that we cannot really have an influence over others and what we do doesn’t matter, but that is wrong. It’s a collection of little events and things that make up the big ones. You may feel that preparing food for a family grieving over the loss of a loved one is not a big deal, but it is to that family; as is going to the funeral home to pay respect and show love toward them. You may think sending a card to one of the ladies who now resides in a nursing home but once attended services with you, is not really anything to get excited over; but if that is the only card she received that day or even that month, it is a big deal to her. Calling to let a brother or sister know you missed them at services last week is a big deal to them. Letting Bible class teachers know how much you appreciate all they do is a big deal. The list can go on and on.

            As ladies, we influence probably more than we realize. We are daughters, sisters, wives, moms, grandmothers, coworkers, neighbors, customers, and friends. People are watching when we go to the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the post office, the hospital, school, and church. Are we rude and impatient or kind and considerate?

            I am reminded of a story where a police officer pulled a driver over after witnessing her blow the horn and yell obscenities at a fellow driver for not putting on a turn signal. The officer had this woman driver taken to jail. When the time came to release her, he apologized stating, “I’m sorry ma’am but when I saw the way you acted with the driver in front of you and I saw the W.W.J.D. bumper sticker on the back of your car, naturally I assumed the car was stolen.”

            We are Christians. We are to be ALWAYS striving to act Christ-like. We need to let others see Christ in us by simply showing them kindness. There is a series of commercials aired by Liberty Mutual featuring strangers doing good deeds for one another and the chain reaction it creates. If you aren’t familiar with them, I encourage you to look it up on www.youtube.com. It reemphasizes my point, the little things matter. You will never know how many lives you touch by your actions. All you know if that you will influence others for good or for bad. Which would do you choose?

           

 “Kindness isn’t a marketing tool, or even necessarily an evangelistic tool, but it’s a command in and of itself.  It isn’t a means to an end; it is the end.”

Matt Wallin

Spiritual Skeletons

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          As keepers of the home, we have a job that never stops. Don’t misunderstand, there is hardly a greater blessing, but while following the steps of the Proverbs 31 woman, tending the needs of our family, we must not allow ourselves to become spiritual skeletons. This past Sunday morning the closing statement was made, “The day is quickly coming when we will each meet God face to face.” While it is our job to care for our home and family, we must take time for spiritual meals, because we will give an answer for our actions or lack thereof.

            During this time of year, the world puts an extra emphasis on giving to those less fortunate. Just the other day while picking up a few groceries, the cashier asked if I would like to donate my change to the toy drive. As Christians we are to be busy giving all year long. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help the stranger (Matthew 25:34-36). We are told Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and that we are to do the same (Mark 16:15). However, this quote makes an excellent point,

            “Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.”

            Like many new moms, I’ve been guilty of skipping physical meals. If we neglect our spiritual diets, how can we be prepared to carry out God’s commands? We must know the Word in order to share it. We can only know the Word, through study of our own.

Our Mission: To know Him and to make Him known.