Making Ourselves Available

I've heard it said, that if you want something done, you should ask the busiest person.  That's because the busiest person doesn't usually say "No", but also because the busiest person can usually handle being busy and is always glad to help.  On the other hand, many who frequently say, "No", could say, "Yes", sometimes - so that the majority of the work doesn't fall on just a few.

Here's a cute story and some good thoughts about "Making Ourselves Available". It's from Alan White's "Thought for the Day" posts and is used with permission.

MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE

     A man was going up to bed, when his wife told him he'd left the light on in the garden shed - she could see it from the bedroom window.  But he said that he hadn't been in the shed that day.  He looked, and there were men in the shed, stealing things.  He rang the police, but they told him that no one was in his area, so no one was available to catch the thieves.

     He said OK, hung up, counted to 30 and rang the police again. "Hello. I just rang you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed?  Well, you don't have to worry about them now, I've just shot them all."

     Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, an Armed Response unit, the works.  Of course, they caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policeman said to this man: "I thought you said you'd shot them!"

     He replied, "I thought you said there was no one available!"

     The same thing happens frequently in my life.  Someone asks me to do something and I respond, "I don't have the time."  Often, what I mean by that is, "I don't regard this as important enough."  The truth is, we find (or make) the time to do whatever we regard to be important.

     Someone has said you can tell a person's priorities by looking at his checkbook.  There is a great deal of validity to that.  We are willing to spend money on the things we think are important.  But perhaps a greater indicator of our priorities would be our planning books -- a record of how our time is spent.

     For all of us, choices must be made.  We don't have time to do everything, so we must choose those things which are of greatest importance to us.  Just be careful that your choices are those things which are also most important to God.  The greatest men and women in the Bible were not those with the greatest resources or talents, but they were men and women who made themselves available to be used by God whenever He called.  May God never hear us say, "Sorry, but I'm not available!"

     "Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Ephesians 5:15-17, NIV)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

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LOL - Living Our Legacy - Part 5

Another gift to open in our LOL - Living Our Legacy series is the gift of TIME. Time is important to us as we live our legacy. But what do we do with out time? How do we use our time? Is time with our immediate family important? Is time with our church family important?

Look at and read this little poem.  I used this poem in a 4-H demonstration 30 years ago, but have never forgotten it.

“I have just a minute, with 60 seconds in it,

forced upon me, can't refuse it,

didn't seek it, didn't choose it.

But it's up to me to use it. I must suffer if I loose it.

Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.”

Author Unknown

How we choose to use our time matters. It matters to us. It matters to God. And, it shapes our legacy.

We often hear – and maybe say ourselves, “There's just not enough time.” Well, first of all, we should realize that it's not “our” time anyway. It's God's time. He's given us the gift of another year, another day, another minute.

Secondly, we often make choices of how to use our time, that actually take that time away from what we should be done. We can literally fill every minute of every day with something. In fact – we can double and triple fill each minute, if we allow it. We need to remember that many of the “things” we count as obligations, are really just things we choose to do. Not things we “have” to do. We must use our time wisely.

When we allow our houses to be filled with things that keep us from time with God, we are filling our houses with things that will keep us from passing on the legacy of a Christian home built on a firm foundation. As Christian home builders, we must guard against time-robbers that will keep us from doing the things God wants us to do. Remember that it's a choice to take time away from God, from your family, and from your church family.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

James 4:13-17

What is your favorite day of the week? For many people, it’s Someday. But Someday is a hazardous word if you and I want to leave a positive legacy. Consider these thoughts below.  Maybe you can think of even more.

Someday, I’m going to be the parent I always wanted to be. (Remember that children grow up quickly. Your Someday will be gone before you know it!)
Someday I’m going to slow down and begin enjoying relationships with my family and my friends.
Someday I'm going to visit the sick, help the needy.
Someday, I’m going to take God serious.
Someday, I’m going to get involved in the church.
Someday, I’m going to go study the Bible more or become a Christian.
Someday, I’m going to serve others and volunteer my time to help others.
Someday, I’m going to share the Good News about Jesus.
Someday.

Live a positive legacy of your time.

The Chronicles of Biscuit - "I Want to Spend Time With Dad"

(The Chronicles of Biscuit - stories about our youngest child, Tyler - whose nickname is "Biscuit")

Last week my husband told me about a conversation he and Biscuit had earlier in the day.  Biscuit said, "Dad, some day I want Mom, Lauren, Zachary, and Jacob to all go somewhere and it just be you and me at home."  My husband asked Biscuit what they would do.  He said they would play, and eat some popcorn, and watch a movie.  We talked about how the older three children probably do get more one on one time with my husband than Biscuit does, so we would try to fulfill his request some time soon. 

We also thought it was neat that Biscuit would rather stay home than go anywhere.  That's how he is.  When we were at Disney World a few summers ago, the first three days all Biscuit wanted to do is go home....from Disney World!  We couldn't believe it!  By the end of the trip he was enjoying it and was even sad to leave when vacation was over.  Mostly, though, Biscuit is a home-body - and that's okay with us.

Later on in the week, I was able to talk to Biscuit about his request for "time with Dad".  I said, "Biscuit, I heard that you want me, Lauren, Zachary, and Jacob to go somewhere and just stay home with Dad?"  He said, "Mom, I still love you, but I just want to be with Dad for a little while."  Laughing inside, I told him I thought it was a great idea and that we would try to find a time we could do that soon....which is hard with all of the older kid's activities.  But, we should be able to find a night before too long.

"I just want to spend time with Dad."  Do you ever say that?  Not time with your earthly father (which is great, too), but time with your Heavenly Father?  Do you long for and plan for alone, quiet times where you can spend time talking to Him, reading His Word, and meditating on those scriptures?  We should all want that time and make time to get that time with Him. It should be something we desire to do - not something we count as a chore.

Time with "Dad" is important to a child and his/her developement.  Time with our spiritual "Dad" is even more important.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1b

Read His Word

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PART 3 - HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
In our spiritual gardens, the way we GROW WITH GOD and the way we learn about how to ABIDE WITH JESUS is to READ HIS WORD. In Luke 8, which is the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us that the seed is God’s Word. When a seed is first planted, even though we can’t see it, it begins to grow - it begins to change. The little seed grows and grows and suddenly, one day, a little plants sprouts up from the ground. But, the seed will never grow if it isn’t planted or cared for, will it?

God’s Word, the Bible, is just like the seed Jesus describes at the end of that parable in Luke 8:15 “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." To produce a good crop, the seed must be in good soil. We as Christians must be that good crop for God’s Word to grow in our hearts. If it’s not growing in our hearts - if we’re not concerned with our spiritual gardens, we have a problem, don’t we?

The Bible is God’s way of communicating with us. We all communicate with someone probably every day of our lives - most people do. We all enjoy getting phone calls or notes, letters, or even an email or text message from someone special to us. Or maybe an encouragement card or get well card from a friend helps us during a difficult time in life. We like to hear from friends and family - to stay in touch with them so we can hear how their lives are going, and we also enjoy telling others about what is going on in our lives. Words are important to us. God’s Word should be important to us, as well.

There are many books, magazines and newspapers we can fill our lives with nowadays. We can even go through life without opening God’s Word ourselves. We may hear it when we come together for worship, but we can go home to never open it on our own. God’s Word should be something we claim for ourselves. Take it to heart. Make it your letter personally - given to you from God.

It is important for you and I to know what we believe about God, His Son Jesus, and know what is written in His Word by reading it yourself. We shouldn’t just take what is said in a Bible class or even a sermon for granted. Of course we expect the lessons to be truth, but it is important to study ourselves to know how we ought to live and to know everything God wants us to know.

Many times we think we don’t have the time to study and read God’s Word like we should. Have you ever analyzed your time? What do you do in your free time? Watch TV? Surf the internet? Read a book? Enjoy a hobby? What could you give up to spend time in God’s Word? Make a chart of what you do in your day. List out how you spend your time. Just writing it down makes you aware of how you spend your time.

We don’t have to read for a certain amount of time to learn and study from His Word. True studying of the scriptures is not about how much time you spent, but what you get out of the study. The Bible is the best SELF-HELP book that has ever been written! Read God’s Word. Let God’s Word grow in you.

Do you make time for God in your day everyday? What are some unique ways you find to make time for God?