Full Throttle

(Before I start my post, I want to say that this picture is my husband, Jimmy, trying to get as much mowing done as possible before the storm hits! My Dad is in the background, trimming the grass around the new trees. It was taken the same summer as the story in my post.)

Two summers ago I was visiting my parents and grandparents at their farm in Saskatchewan. It was a busy summer, and the farm yard was in need of some work, so I decided to surprise them by mowing their huge yard. I waited until my parents went to run errands and my grandparents had their afternoon nap, then I got out the old ride-on mower. After considerable difficulty I managed to get it started. I mowed for a few hours, very frustrated with the fact that the old mower hardly had enough guts to make it up the slightest hill. Not only that, it wasn’t mowing well at all. It left patches of long grass all along the paths that I was mowing, and I kept backtracking to try to get what I missed. It was a frustrating experience. My Grandpa eventually came out of their house, not looking very pleased. I shut off the mower and tried to explain my wonderful, good deed that I was doing for them. As I was telling him, his eyes wandered over the shoddy mowing job I had done so far. I informed him that they should probably consider getting a new mower and described the great extent to which I had gone during the past few hours in order to mow such a small area. Being a man of few words, he just turned on the mower, moved a lever up that said, “Throttle,” and said, “That should help.” The sputtering, half-dead lawn mower roared into life. When I pushed the gas pedal, it took off so fast that I almost flipped over backwards! I had been mowing all that time at half throttle!

In terms of my Christian walk, I have operated for much of my life at half throttle. For too many years, I puttered along, feeling like I was expending every ounce of energy I had but not getting very far, even backtracking and going in circles now and then. Often, I would stall out completely and it would take awhile to get moving again. There are some things, as Christians, that can stall us from moving forward. Some of these can include:

• Unconfessed sin


• Living in the flesh, rather than in the Spirit


• Wounds from the past that need healing


• Unforgiveness


• Not spending adequate time daily with God

There are probably more things that could put a person at half throttle, and if you feel that you are sputtering a bit and need a boost, then go to the One who will tell you the truth. In the same way that my Grandpa fixed the problem because he understood how the mower operates, so God knows us each individually and He knows what we need to move forward and thrive as believers. Believe me, it is much better to be moving ahead full throttle! I am so thankful that the Lord, through the truth of His Word, has flipped my throttle switch. Until that moment, I truly didn’t know what I was missing! If you feel like you are walking with a heavy load, if you feel like something just isn’t quite right, if you feel like you are expending tons of energy and not getting very far… Then you probably need the Ultimate Mechanic, your Creator, to turn up your throttle.

You Might Be Manna

At the beginning of October, someone blessed us with enough money to cover our rent for November. We saved it all month, not spending a penny of it. The day before rent was due, however, the bank took out their monthly fees, which left us a little short. What were we going to do? The first of the month came… and went. On Sunday, November 2, we were on our way out the door to go to church and saw our caretaker. Jimmy and I whispered to each other, “Should we tell him we don’t have rent?” “No, let’s go to church and pray for our miracle.” So that’s what we did.

As if the pastor knew our situation (but he didn’t!) he preached on finances, and everybody prayed blessings into their financial situation. Boy, did we pray!! After church a man walked up to me, slipped $20 into my hand and said, “God wants me to give you this. Maybe you can take your kids to McDonalds or something.” I burst into tears and said, “You are the miracle we prayed for this morning. This $20 is paying our rent this month! Please, can we skip McDonalds and pay our rent with it?” This man had no idea of our needs.

What if someone had not blessed us with rent money? What if this man had not given the $20?

When God tells you to do something, no matter how small it may seem…. DO IT.

On Tuesday, I opened our apartment-sized deep freeze where we keep our frozen meat, only to find that the freezer had quit working. Our entire winter’s supply of meat that my parents had given us (80-100 pounds of it) was bad and had to be thrown out. After sitting down and bawling for a good long time, I cleaned up the big mess. Oh God, what are we going to do?

A few hours later, I got a phone call. “Hello, this is Aunt Ruth. We have just gotten back to Winnipeg from your parents’ house in Saskatchewan. They sent some things for us to deliver to you. Can you come get it? There is a box of FROZEN MEAT so you should come as soon as possible so it doesn’t thaw.” Yes. This really happened this week!! It is enough meat to get us through at least a month, maybe even two. It’s our manna – God always keeps His promises and He will never leave us hungry!

What if my parents had not given us the box of meat? What if my uncle and aunt were not willing to deliver it?

When God tells you to do something, no matter how small it may seem… DO IT.

A couple of years ago, in Jimmy’s first year of nursing, we fed our kids the last bowl of oatmeal in the house. We were out of food. Lunch time was nearing, and we had no idea what we would eat. What are we going to do?

Someone rang our door bell and when I let her in, she gave us $200 worth of Sobeys’ gift certificates. Wow! Lunch was provided. Oh, but wait… a problem. Our gas tank was empty and we had no way to get to Sobeys. I checked our mailbox. There was a $20 bill in it. Our gas money was provided!

What if the lady did not bring us the Sobeys gift certificates? What if someone had not sent $20 for us to put gas into the van?

When God tells you to do something, no matter how small it may seem… DO IT.

A few years ago, a woman in my ladies Bible Study group told a story of when she first started going to church. She had very little money and had just learned about tithing. She saw two pennies on the floor, picked them up and in a laughing manner asked a nearby pastor, “So what’s the tithe on two cents?” He said, “Well, why don’t you just throw them both in the plate and see what God can do?” So she did. That day, someone had put an anonymous $200 gift in the offering plate for her. She received ten thousand times more back than what she gave!

What if that person hadn’t obeyed God’s voice and kept their money instead?

When God tells you to do something, no matter how small it may seem… DO IT!

The Snowblower

A snowblower is an amazing machine. As you push it, it gobbles up all of the snow in its path and spews it out to the side. You never have to worry about that snow again. Why? Because now it is in your neighbour’s driveway!

I have heard rumours of snowblower wars. It happens when the neighbour gets home after a clear, sunny day and sees twice as much snow in his yard as when he left for work in the morning. So, he gets his snowblower out and gets to work pumping it all back into the yard next door. The battle has begun. From there, it escalates. Not only is the driveway snow being spat back and forth. No. In order to maximize vengeance, shoveling snow from the front lawn into the path of the snowblower works wonders. And it is worth the effort.

Sometimes when we speak, we “dump” on each other. We yell at our spouses. We get grumpy with our neighbours. We complain to our boss. We snap at our kids. This results in those around us becoming out of sorts as well and we start getting back what we’ve been handing out… sometimes more than we gave!

Next time you feel like you need to “release” don’t blow it into the neighbour’s yard. There is a better way of handling it. God is always listening and available to hear your cries. He knows your frustrations, your hang-ups and your needs even better than you do. He will never retaliate or yell back. He will, however, gently correct and guide you. He will lead you to the truth. He will comfort you. Tell Him everything, then open your Bible and let the Lord speak to you.

God’s “snow removal service” is much more effective than just shoving around all that excess stuff that keeps blowing around. Let Him “clean off your driveway”. He does a great job! He is even willing to clean your neighbour’s yard so you don’t end up with a yard full of their snow again. Once you take care of your own driveway, pray for those around you too!

Our Eyes Met

I turned the T.V. on to catch the news headlines before I stepped out to run some errands. Flipping channels, I saw the big, brown eyes of a gaunt, but smiling little boy on a World Vision commercial.

It was as if our eyes met.

Tears filled my eyes, as always, and I quickly changed channels. Annoyance with child sponsorship programs rose up within me – “I wish they wouldn’t use these beautiful little kids to make me feel guilty. I already sponsor a child. What more do they want from me?” Instead of checking the news, I just shut off the T.V. and quickly left the house.

First stop – downtown. As I walked down Portage Avenue a man, smelling of alcohol, stumbled toward me and asked for change.

Our eyes met.

I patted my pockets and to my relief they were empty… Well, except for the $20 bill. “Buy him lunch." The quiet, inner whisper of the Lord’s voice was loud and clear. “Buy the man some lunch." I replied to both the Lord and the man’s outstretched hand with one emphatic word: “NO! - I mean, no, sorry sir, I have no change. But, uh, God bless you.” I quickly walked away, avoiding the man’s eyes in an attempt to also avoid the conviction that was rising within my heart.

I walked to the mall and opened the doors. Ahhhhh! Warm air hit my face and my cold nose began to thaw. As I walked to the office where my appointment was, I noticed a rock in my shoe and sat down on a mall bench. As I sat back up after fixing my shoe I saw an unmistakably pregnant teenage girl sitting across from me.

Our eyes met.

As my gaze locked with hers, her eyes begged me for mercy and compassion. She looked down at the cross necklace that I wore, and a tear spilled down one cheek. I felt a sudden and powerful urge to tell her that even in these circumstances, Jesus still loves her. But I didn’t tell her that. I just asked, “Are you ok?” She nodded her head as if to say “yes,” while more tears flowed down her face. “That’s good. Well, I hope you have a better day,” I said, and uncomfortably stood up and walked away, hurrying to my appointment.

After my meeting, I went home and baked some bread. As I was kneading the dough, a thought came to me – maybe the pastor and his family would like some homemade bread. I ignored that thought and let my mind wander, pondering the events of the day and the people I had run into. But for some reason I didn’t want to think about them. I responded aloud to my thoughts. “Be quiet!”

After I finished baking my bread, I sat down at the table and spread butter on my fresh, hot slice. Again, I thought of the pastor and his family. “Oh – Be quiet!!” I hollered to myself. Why would the pastor need bread? And even if his family does need food, there are a lot more people with a lot more time and money to provide for them. So please, would my thoughts… BE… QUIET?!?!

I put on some nice, mellow worship music and sat down. As I took a bite out of my fresh, warm, and oh-so-delicious bread, four people suddenly stood before me: the pastor, the pregnant girl, the man asking for change and the World Vision child.

Our eyes met.

I sat there, with my bread in my mouth, so stunned that I was unable to chew it. The four people joined hands with each other, and suddenly became one Person – the Lord Jesus.

Our eyes met.

Yes. This was all a dream. And I woke up with a tear-soaked pillow, begging the Lord for a second chance. In fact, I think I will go bake some bread right now…


Matthew 25:34-40
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Free Press Letter to the Editor

I wrote a letter to the Winnipeg Free Press, and they printed it. If you want, you can check it out here:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/story/4248711p-4891938c.html

I would like to expand on it, but I don't have a spare moment to do so right now! Maybe later?

Politics and Personal Hypocrisy

Please note: This was inspired by a post I read at http://terrysoapbox.blogspot.com/


I am tired of having to defend my Christianity because of the Republican Party. Republicans are not synonymous with Christians. I do not like people assuming when I say I am a believer that I am “one of those Republican hypocrites”. (Please note: I am not defending the Democratic Party either!)

How was Sarah Palin demonstrating godly love as "the pitbull", the one sent out to sarcastically and personally attack the Democrats? How was she displaying integrity when she was in the middle of "troopergate"? How was she an example of a godly wife and mother by running for VP - probably a very hectic schedule - when she has some kids who really need a mother right now?

I saw an interview with Sarah Palin after she got home to Alaska after this whole thing was over. To me, she looked relieved to be back in the familiar. I think this whole campaign may have been a wake-up call for her. I do not doubt her faith. Everyone makes mistakes... and hers were very much in the spotlight. Imagine if our weaknesses were on CNN every night! Jesus Himself said that "the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (Luke 16:8). I think that she tumbled into a situation that was far beyond what she was capable of controlling: Hopefully this was a lesson learned. We should be neither applauding her nor booing her… We should be praying for her.

I could go on about the Republican Party and their so-called "Christian values". One example is embryonic stem cell research. The Republicans talk like Christians in order to get their votes. But if you look at Bush, he okayed embryonic stem cell research just months after coming to power 8 years ago... after adamantly insisting he was against it during his campaign. He didn't care: He was voted in thanks to "The Base" (ie., gullible Christians) and then could keep doing what he pleased as long as "The Base" continued choosing to turn a blind eye. After all, President Bush must be a Christian... He says so and he is a Republican.

During this recent presidential campaign, we listened to many speeches by both candidates. One thing I noticed was that, even when I wasn't in the same room, I could tell who was speaking because of the noise of the crowd. Jimmy would turn on the T.V. and when I heard a negative, rumbling "boooo..... boooo...." I knew it was McCain supporters. He repeatedly had to tell them to stop booing. It was the McCain supporters who spewed personal attacks toward the Democrats, not the other way around. Is this a demonstration of Jesus' love? Aren't we to love our enemies, and bless others? (And are the Democrats even "the enemy"?)

The Bible warns us in Matthew 10:16 to be "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves". We need to see that the world's system of governing is not God's system. We need to pray earnestly for our leadership... and be very hesitant to endorse any particular political party.

To bring this down to a personal level (for what is the point of just looking at others, without looking inward), I have been asking myself what I am doing that is hypocritical? What do I say, and then not do? When have I been overly negative and critical of others while not meeting my own standards of godly character? Oh.... So many times. I know that there will probably be people who read this who can clearly point out my hypocrisy, harsh judgments, and lack of brotherly love. To those people I ask your forgiveness. So, Lord, please forgive me, and help me represent You to those around me.

The List

Today is a new day.

It is not yesterday.

Yesterday's worries, activities and scurrying are over. Even if I didn't get everything on yesterday's list done, the day didn't wait for me.

Deadlines come... and they pass.

But today is a new day.

A NEW LIST.

Some of yesterday's things to do are on my list today. But it is still today's list. I can't look back to yesterday, or I will be overwhelmed. I don't have to be perfect. His mercies are new every morning. I just need to allow His new mercies to flood my life, continually washing through my soul and mind. I need to forgive myself because He has forgiven me, and I need to allow myself to see that His mercies are for me.

Praise God, today is a new day!