Monday Morning Musings ... on Tuesday

Sunday was a good day. I got to celebrate another Mother's Day with my awesome wife, my youngest and her two beautiful kids were with us as well. Any day with the grandkids is a very good day. We were missing a lot of people on Sunday. We were even missing our drummer who was there to practice but got a fire call before the service started, such is the risk with volunteer fire personnel. One of our teens sang a special in song, love seeing them serving. Our attendance was not bad considering all who were gone and we had some who were back since visiting on Easter.

I continued the theme "It's Not Over" that began on Easter. That title is especially appropriate for Mother's Day. Mothers are still mom no how old the children become or how long the distance may be between them.

We looked at Ruth 1:1-18 and the message had application for moms but was for all of us in the example of Naomi and Ruth. There are 3 key areas that we see here in the example and that is the heart, the head and the hands. The heart is obvious in verses 9-10 and 14. The heart embraces, there is a holding on and clinging to that is desperate. There is a I won't let go of what we embrace. What are you embracing today? The heart sees the potential in someone or something. This is where "yes you can" lives. The head evaluates, see verses 11-14. An evaluation of the good and the potential harm, the evaluation can be difficult at times because of the overwhelming care that is felt for a person or project. The head chooses the path to take. There must be a combining of the head and heart, otherwise our choices will ride the roller coaster of emotions that crashes regularly. Without the heart involved in the choices we will ignore the concerns of others. In these choices prayer must be a regular choice as we embrace and evaluate. The hands represent the act, the doing, literally the living it out, you can see this clearly in verses 16-18. I don't remember my mom's thoughts, but I remember many of her actions. People will not remember you for your thoughts but for your actions. We need to think as we act but if all we do is think and plan we will have no impact on people. Too often we think it but never do it. Too often we feel it but don't move on it. I am broken lately by our lack of action. Our actions reveal our true thoughts and feelings. Words are powerful, but words without action are nothing more than a novel. They might make a great read but there is no lasting impact or change.

What are you embracing/feeling? What are your plans? What will you do?