“Plant the good seeds of righteousness and you will harvest a crop of love.” (Hosea 10:12)

I suppose you could say this is the the prophet’s version of the adage “you reap what you sow”.  Except here we are told explicitly what we should plant – seeds of righteousness.  What exactly does this mean?  Basically it means doing the right thing whether you feel like it or not. 

When our youngest daughter, Ashton, was little I used to end every goodnight prayer for her by saying, “…and dear Lord, please help Ashton to choose to do right even when she’s tempted to do wrong.”  That’s a prayer we should all to take to heart for ourselves! 

Choosing to do right.  It’s the seed of righteousness

Even when.

Even if.

Even though.

Sometimes choosing to do right is easier said than done.  It takes a humble, submitted heart to choose to do right when your flesh screams you have every reason not to. 

Perhaps that’s why verse continues,

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord,that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12)

What kind or seeds are you planting with those in your family?  In your workplace?  In your neighborhood?  At the grocery store, coffee shop or soccer field?  Are you planting seeds of righteousness?  Or does your heart need a little plowing to soften some hard places?

Every one of us needs a little soul plowing every now and then.

If there’s a person you haven’t treated right, plow your heart and make amends.  If there’s a sin you’ve committed, plow your heart and repent. If there’s an area of temptation you’ve toyed with, plow your heart and run away.

Sow seeds of righteousness.  Choose to do what’s right whether you feel like it or not.  You’ll harvest a crop of love.

Just something to think about for today….

“It was good.  Mrs. Chenault, my math and science teacher is really fun.  And nice.”

Since Mrs. Chenault is a friend of mine (who is indeed fun and nice) I couldn’t wait to hear the 13 year old version of why this is so.

“Well” she continued, “when we walked into her classroom today the first thing she told us was that when we walk through her door we become her…”

My mind raced.  “You become her what?  Her slaves?  Her work horses?  Her personal projects?  What?  What is it that you become when you walk through her door?”

“We become her blessings.”

With an attitude like that I want to be in Mrs. Chenault’s 8th grade math class!

Which made me wonder: what if in homes all across America women had Mrs. Chenault’s perspective?   What if, when my children walk through the door I think, “here comes my blessings!”  What if, when my husband walks through the door, I think “my blessing just got home”?  How would life be different?  How would the atmosphere be changed? 

What about in your home? 

I’m betting that those around us would say we’re fun.  And nice.

And I’m pretty sure it would be true.

That’s how I felt this morning.  I had the case of the blues and couldn’t really pinpoint why.  Perhaps talking to Taylor via Skype made the reality of his distance set in.  Maybe celebrating my daughter’s 19th birthday last night, then watching her silver Jetta fade out of sight as she drove back to her university had something to do with it.  Maybe it was the weird dream or too much birthday cake.   

Whatever the reason, I had a case of the blues.

Then I opened my Bible, the pages fell open to Psalm 103 and my eyes landed upon these words:

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” (Ps 103:2 NLT)

Now there’s a cure for a case of the blues if there ever was one!  Like the psalmist I began to recount the good things He has done for me.  Little things.  Big things.  Life altering things.  Things that wouldn’t matter to anyone else but me.

Recounting what God has done for me reminded me of one the traits I love most about my daughter, Kylie.  She is a truly, truly grateful person.  Watching her open her birthday presents last night once again reminded me of how often she says “thank you” – even for the smallest thing.  That girl gets seriously excited about gifts, no matter how big or how little.    Reading Psalm 103 this morning made me wonder if perhaps this is the attitude the psalmist wanted to inspire. 

Let’s face it.  It’s hard to stay in a funk when you receive a gift.  But it’s easy to remain blue when you allow all of God’s gifts to go unopened or unappreciated.

So this morning I took some time to appreciate my own gifts from God.  I recounted all the good things He has done for me.  After considering his merciful gifts the blues were gone.  In fact, I felt a little like celebrating.

And it isn’t even my birthday.

You fill in the blank.

We ask this question on a daily basis, don’t we?  What should I do about this child?  This man?  This job? This problem? This health issue?  What should I do about dinner? The scale? These wrinkles? This messy house? The list could go on and on….

How do you decide what to do when you don’t know what to do?  I’ve been pondering this question lately.  Yesterday I read James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God”.  I suppose the Bible couldn’t get any clearer than that.  Ask God.  Not your girlfriend.  Not your husband.  Not your mother. Not even your pastor.  Ask God.  Why?  Because, as the verse goes on to say “he gives generously to all without finding fault, and it (wisdom) will be given to him”.

God doesn’t roll his celestial eyes when we come to him for guidance.  No, he gives his wisdom generously.  Especially in the midst of trying circumstances.  Which, of course, is when we need it the most.  The previous verses, James 1:2-3 speaks about how to handle life’s certain trials – with joy, knowing that trials are a test of our faith which develops our persevence and produces maturity.

But trials are tough.  Trials confuse even the most decisive among us.  It’s hard to know the right course of action when the weight of difficulty or heartache looms heavy on our souls.  But it’s in the midst of trying circumstances that God invites us to ask Him for wisdom.

Are you wondering what to do about a situation in your life?  Confused about how you should handle a trying circumstance?  Before you go rushing headlong into your default “this is the way I deal with issues” mode of operation, pause.  Heed James 1:5 and ask God what to do.

What did I learn by taking this challenge?  Well for starters, I have a loooooong way to go in living like Jesus.  It’s not that anything went particularly horrible in the last 24 hours.  There were no major meltdowns (that happened on Sunday before the Jesus challenge!)  No blatant sin issues.  No teenage drama.  The gap between living like Jesus and living like me displayed itself in more subtle ways.  An attitude.  A thought.  An action I should have taken but put off until later. 

Taking the Jesus challenge made me painfully aware that much of my life is ruled by my way of handling things rather than Jesus’ way. It seems the bigger the issue, the more easily I surrender to Christ.  It’s not the big stuff that trips me up.  After trying to think, speak and live like Jesus for 24 hours I have come to realize it’s the little stuff that prevents me from fully following in Christ’s footsteps.  Things like how I spend my time.  Or negative thoughts about an irritating stranger.  Or frustrations over virus infected computers.  Or running late.  Or traffic jams. 

You know.  The stuff of life.

Which is just a smidge convicting.

I had to laugh when I read an email from one of my dear friends a few moments ago:

“Loved your latest blog!  I’ve intentionally started my last two days off with the Jesus Challenge.  The first morning it lasted until the kids got up…today for about 30 minutes.  I just know tomorrow I’ll be successful because they start school!   Ha ha!” 

She makes me feel normal.  But in our hearts neither my dear friend or I want to be merely normal women.  We want to be Christ-like women.  And so do you.`

At the end of my 24 hour Jesus Challenge I happened to glance at a card another friend gave me a few weeks ago.  The card contained several scriptures – none of which I had time to read when she handed me the card, I’m embarrassed to admit.  But yesterday I paused long enough to look at her carefully chosen Bible verses.  Here’s what I read:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

2 Corinthians 3:18

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.

 Romans 8:29a

These verses contain the key to living like Jesus.  And the motivation.  So tomorrow I’ll get up and take the challenge once again.  Because a life lived like Jesus isn’t something you try one day for curiosity sake.  No, following Christ is a life long Jesus Challenge.

P.S   For a real life look at someone who’s seeing life through the eyes of Jesus this week, hop over to my friend Shannon Primicerio’s blog at beingagirlbooks.com/blog.

Here’s some of their insights….

Wednesday morning began with a prayer answered to be inconvenienced, interrupted, rearranged and an opportunity to be made aware of God’s presence.  At 5:15 when I was supposed to be getting ready for my 5:30 a.m. bootcamp (which is much needed and I was much looking forward to attending) my child awoke with a dirty diaper and the inconsolable desire for mom’s comfort.

Thankfully, Angie’s challenge was the first thing on my mind and dark and early that morning I pondered how Jesus would respond in this situation.  No, He wouldn’t be attending bootcamp :) but he would lovingly and patiently comfort a little one.  After all, when the disciples were shooshing away the little children that came to him He stopped them and welcomed them into His presence.  All of those pictures depicting Jesus with little children on His lap and at His feet came to mind.

WOW!  These are real like stories of real life women like you and me.  Their stories inspired me to take the challenge.  So tomorrow morning I’m making the choice to spend an entire day doing my life the way Jesus would do it.  I’ll admit, I’m a bit intimidated.  But I’m also excited to see how my day wil unfold.  Either way, I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

This morning our family drove Taylor to the airport, said our good-byes and watched our son walk though the airport doors to spend a year in El Salvador.

One

Whole

Year.

Last night he slept soundly in the bed that’s been his since childhood.  Tonight he sleeps far away from the comforts and familiarity of home.  But he is just where he is supposed to be.  And strangely, I’m OK.  Because I know the safest place to be is not in the warm surroundings I’ve tried to create for my family.  No, the safest place to be is snack dab in the middle of God’s will.

Earlier this week we took the kids to Lake Arrowhead – a favorite spot we’ve been visiting at least twice a year since Taylor was born.  This time we borrowed two wave runners to bring along.  Since we have a family of five,  I rode with Taylor.  With his mom on board he drove cautiously – not because of his preference, mind you. But because he knows that’s the way I like things.   Safe.  Secure.  Only just enough bumps to make things interesting.

After a few laps around the lake I motioned for him to take me back to shore.  I loosened my grip around my broad shouldered boy and hopped off. Why?  Because I wanted him to navigate the waters the way he wanted, not the way I wanted.  I wanted him to fly over the breaks.  To soar over the water.  To go where he wanted to go as fast as he wanted to go.  And you just can’t do that with your mom holding you tightly.

Today it dawned on me that our experience on the the lake – Taylor’s and mine – is not unlike our experience as parent and child.  If you want your child to soar, you have to let go. 

Fear based parenting is no way to raise a child.  No, wait.  Fear based parenting is no way to raise an adult. So whether it’s kindergarten or camp, dating or driving, eventually we must loosen our grip and let our child venture beyond our reach.

And so today I let go.

Because with all my heart I want that boy to soar.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
       children a reward from him.

  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
       are sons born in one’s youth. Psalm 127:2-4

In the early years of our marriage JP and I worked for Campus Crusade for Christ, a mission organization that focuses largely on working with college students.  As missionaries our salary came through donations of individuals to Campus Crusade on our behalf.  The idea of “raising support” tweaked me a bit.  I’m a self-sufficient, work-hard-for-what-you-get kind of person.  And to be honest I just didn’t get the whole missionary thing back then.  So I let JP worry about our financial support and I focused on discipling women.

Until the day we opened our paycheck and received $0 dollars.

I panicked.  I worried. But mostly, I was mad.

We worked long hours – 50-60 hours each.  It wasn’t like we were dinking around.  We had moved all our little belongings to a place without a campus ministry and started with nothing.  After only 6 months I had 80 girls in various Bible studies.  After all this service surely God could throw the dog a bone.

Two weeks later we got our next paycheck.  The sum read $0 dollars once again.

Printed above the amount were these words:

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

Did those words comfort me?  They did not.

They made me mad.

I jerked the phone off the hook, thrust it into JP’s face and demanded, “Call Bill Bright (the president of Campus Crusade) right now and ask him just how he thinks we’re going to buy food!!”

If this is what God put on my plate I was determined to send it back.

Only you can’t fight God.  Try as you might, some circumstances just can’t be changed overnight. 

Infertility.

Job layoffs.

Sickness.

Unplanned pregnancies.

This stuff is hard to swallow.  These circumstances don’t come as a result of our choosing.  Nor do they come because of our disobedience. 

They just are.

Since those early days I’ve come to see the hand of God in circumstances not of my choosing.  Though through the process I’ve experienced roller coaster emotions – up and down, up and down. 

Trusting. 

Not trusting.

Anger. 

Acceptance.

Questions.

Answers.

Surrender. 

Peace.

The verse I clung to during those confusing, difficult days is still one I often cling to: “Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature aand complete, lacking in nothing.”  James 1: 2-4

What God put on my plate back then was a test of my faith.  I didn’t pass with flying colors.  But eventually I did pass. 

What God put on my plate was necessary. Though I couldn’t see it then, our lack of funds help make me mature.  Complete.  Not lacking in character.

God knew that one day – 25 years later – we would have enough money to not only buy food but to celebrate our life together in a place called Italy.  He knew that only a girl who has to worry about having anything at all on her plate would truly appreciate having something extraordinary on her plate.  So - for a time - he left my plate empty.

What has God put on your plate today?  Count what’s on your plate joy, knowing that he has a purpose for what’s there.

Personally I’m a “I’ll have the salad, dressing on the side, no cheese, hold the olives and…..oh yeah, can I add chicken?” kind of gal.  Not exactly low maintenance, if you get my drift.  Surprisingly though, my favorite dinner during our recent anniversary trip to Italy was at a tiny mom and pop place where we ate what they served – no questions asked.

We found this gem in our Rick Steve’s Italy book.  Touted as a restaurant without a menu, the place sounded like an adventure.  After visiting the local markets each morning the owners decide what they’ll serve each night.  So JP and I placed our palates in the hands of the creators and had absolutely no idea what we’d get.

What we got was nothing I would have ever ordered on my own.  Plates full of Italian olives, cheeses and prosciutto.  Salads with stuff I’ve never seen.  Two kinds of rich, creamy pasta.  Veal and fresh veggies. 

And I LOVED it.

Walking with God is like our experience at the Italian restaurant.  Only the Creator really knows what should be put on our plate.  But too often, rather than accepting what I’m served and liking it, I try to micro-manage what gets put on my plate in the first place.  Sometimes even my prayers sound embarrassingly similar to the way I order my food. 

“I’ll have the no trials, perfect children, conflict free marriage  life…and oh yeah, can I get financial blessings on the side, please?” 

See what I mean?

Our authentic Italian dinner made me wonder if maybe – just maybe – I might prefer an authentic God ordained life to my pitiful attempts at controlling my destiny.  In other words, perhaps I should place my life in the hands of the Creator, accept what he puts on my plate and enjoy it.  Sure, it may be a dish I would have never ordered on my own.  But really only God knows what I need. 

How much freer life would be if I lived with the attitude I had in Italy:  I’ll take whatever gets put on my plate, no questions asked.

Since our trip this thought has been rambling around in my brain.  And honestly, it’s made a difference in quality of my attitude and my life.  Which shouldn’t surprise me since I’m the child of a God who knows what to put on my plate.

I’m on an airplane right now headed to Charlotte, North Carolina but an hour ago I was running – and I do mean running – through the Houston airport hoping against hope that I would make my connecting flight.  My initial flight departed late soI knew making the connection would be touch and go.  But when I realized my seat was four rows from the back of a jam packed airplane my heart sank.  It took forever to deplane, I had to take a train to the connecting terminal, I was directed to the wrong gate and I had only 20 minutes between flights.  As my heart (and feet) raced I kept thinking, do I really mean it when I say God is in control?  

The truth that God is in control is an easy platitude to share with someone else when all is well in my little corner of the woods.  But when my little corner gets shaken up a bit – even in small things like potentially missing a flight – can I still be gracious, faith filled and serene?

It is true that God is in control.  The questions posed by my circumstances today was “is it also true that I live in light of this truth?”  As I glance out my window, soaring high above the earth, I see the evidence of just how great our God is.  His glory and majesty are written all over the clouds I now hover above.  He is the maker of heaven and earth.   Yes indeed.  God is in control.

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

 ² My help comes from the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
       he who watches over you will not slumber;

 ⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
       will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
       the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

 ⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
       nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
       he will watch over your life;

 ⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
       both now and forevermore. Psalm 121