Filthy and Nasty

My first experience at staying in a roach motel was shortly after I'd gotten married. A roach motel is one in an undesirable area of town, low priced, and in a state of disrepair. At this motel I slept with my socks on, I took a shower with my socks on, and I slept in the chair. Needless to say, it was a long night.

Recently my youngest son and I helped my daughter move. We'd driven into the night to get to the city she was moving. We were going to stay in a hotel she had stayed before. We arrived late, and the hotel was already booked. Making a phone call my daughter found a hotel just down the street with only one vacancy. We quickly made our way to the hotel, and got the room. It was past midnight. We were exhausted. The dimly lit parking lot caused a little concern when we had to leave an uncovered trailer full of furniture in it. The dimly lit parking lot should have been a warning to what we would find when we opened the door. While this hotel was not in an undesirable area of town, nor did I consider it low priced, it fit the 'roach motel' description by it's state of disrepair alone. There was sign at the front desk stating the property was a smoke free environment. Evidently some of the previous occupants didn't see the sign, for the smell of smoke was heavy in the room. Entering further into the room I couldn't help but do a deeper inspection. I have a habit of keeping my reading glasses on top of my head. I can't tell you how many times I pulled them down to inspect our room. I had to make sure the filth I was seeing was actually as bad as it looked. Everywhere I turned there seemed to be filth. Nastiness seemed to fill every corner top to bottom, and wall to wall. The nasty room was almost bad enough to make me go back outside and sleep in the truck. Did we really want to stay here? Could we get any rest, and be ready to work the next day? What about my grandson, would he be traumatized?

Filthy and torn curtain.

Nasty carpet stains.

Nasty carpet stains.

Filthy lamp shade.

Dented lamp shade.

Nasty and torn window shade.

Filthy kleenex holder.

Wrong size mattress.

Broken soap.

We did stay there. We did get much needed rest (2:30 am -6 am). My grandson was not traumatized. The next morning we unpacked the two trailers full of household furniture, and personal items. When we finished, my son and I headed home. On the journey back home, the filth in the hotel kept coming to mind. I realized my heart can be a lot like that 'roach motel'. The filthiness and nastiness occupying my heart, in the form of sin, makes me question why God would be willing to occupy it. If God did wear glasses, which he doesn't by the way, I'm sure he would have to keep on, and keep on, and keep on, pulling them down to see if my heart was really as bad as it looked. Upon further inspection, his conclusion would be 'yes it is'. As He looks,  filth and nastiness probably seems to fill every corner of my heart from top to bottom, and side to side. A temper, a sharp tongue, bitterness, negativity, and procrastination are some of the filthy traits that show up uninvited in my heart on occasion. The nastiness would probably make any occupant want to leave, vacate, and find a different heart to occupy. Could he find a place to rest in us, and prepare us to do His work? Will He be traumatized by my filth and nastiness?

He will never leave or vacate:
Deuteronomy 31:8  - The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Ephesians 1:13b-14 - When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory.

He can find a place to rest in us, and prepare us to do His work:
Romans 10:9-10 - If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 
Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Hebrews 13:20 - Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 - To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

He's not traumatized by my filth and nastiness (for we all have our own flavor of sin):
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Are you from Africa?

Twice a year my husband travels to Africa. In 2010 he began a mission named 'Water for Christ'.  The mission provides fresh water to churches, orphanages, and schools in Ghana, West Africa. It's goal is to provide clean drinking water for the body, and present the gospel of Christ as living water for the soul. Wells are drilled at sites determined by the Baptist Missionary Association of Africa. Plans are being made to expand Water for Christ to other countries, as funding and opportunities are available. Our grandson has been exposed to many photos, videos, and memorabilia from Ghana. He lives in a predominantly white town, county, and state. Black people are seen frequently at town and school, but the majority of the population is white. 

Recently we were in Dallas, TX for a youth conference, called SOAR, promoting Water for Christ. We had a free day, and decided to do some site seeing. We read about the Perot Museum of Nature and Science on-line, and decided to visit. It was going to be a warm day. We arrived just before lunch, and decided to eat at the museum cafe before going in. Finishing our chicken strips, french fries, and macaroni and cheese, we headed inside to the museum.

We'd been in the museum for probably an hour when we saw an exhibit our grandson wanted to try. There was a large screen containing an outdoor scene, a marked place on the carpet for a participant to stand, and an eagle on the screen. The participant while standing on the marked place on the carpet could flap their arms, tilt their arms, lift their chin, and other such actions. As a person moved, the eagle on the screen would mimic the movements while soaring thru the trees and up into the sky. There was a line of about 15 children waiting to take their turn. Our grandson and I took our place in line to wait.

There were several schools and daycares attending the museum. We were in line with one of the groups. They had matching blue shirts on, which surely helped the teachers keep up with their little flock of children. The group was racially mixed, with black and white children. There was a black boy waiting in line behind us. The boy behind us was about the same age as our grandson. He was energetic, and couldn't hardly wait his turn. He and our grandson had a good time visiting, while waiting their turn. At one point our grandson turned to the boy and asked 'Are you from Africa?'. I'm certain the photos, videos, and memorabilia our grandson had frequently seen with Water for Christ prompted his question. I didn't hear what the boy said, but I feel pretty certain he said 'no'.  The two boys continued entertaining themselves with talking and wiggling. My husband has similar experiences in Ghana. As a white man in a predominantly black country, he stands out. Children gather around the members of the Water for Christ team to see him up close. Most of the children in remote villages have never seen a white person. The children want to reach out and touch his skin. It's a novelty and fascination to the villages when white people come. 

Through the eyes of a child we can see our own reflection. In our grandson's eyes it made perfect sense for the black boy to be from Africa, after all he had dark skin as the other children in the photos and videos from Ghana. In his innocents he was inquisitive about where the boy was from. Being only 6 years old, he didn't understand everything there is to know about geography. He didn't fully grasp where Africa was, or why there were so many black people in Africa, or why there weren't many black people living near him. After asking the question, both boys continued being who they were, just two boys waiting to enjoy a few seconds of fun.

What do we see when we meet someone different than us? Do we draw conclusions based on what external features they have? Do we draw conclusions because on what they are wearing, or not wearing? Do we draw conclusions based upon photos and videos we have seen, or conversations we've heard? Do we look around and wonder why they look different than us? Do we enjoy visiting with those who are different while waiting our turn at life? Are we inquisitive and ask questions? Does our inquisitiveness help us understand why the other person might be different than us? Can our inquisitiveness keep our innocence open to understanding those around us? Once we find out about the other person can we continue to entertain ourselves with talking and giggling, while waiting our turn? Can we be ok if we don't understand all there is to know about a person, and show love anyway? Are we ok if sometimes we cannot fully grasp why someone is different, or why so many people are different, or why not many of the different people live around us? After being inquisitive, can we continue being who we are, just two people on different paths waiting to enjoy a few seconds of fun for the day?

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 NIV

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2 NIV

Read more about the mission at:  https://www.facebook.com/waterforchrist/

Grace x 2

Where would 'Grace x 2' come from?

An earlier blog was about an unexpected surprise that showed up in our pasture. My neglect of not checking on a new momma cow caused much embarrassment when it was finally learned she had twins. I felt like I'd let her down, and not done my part to make sure she had been taken care. Feeling blessed beyond what I deserved, I gave the name 'Grace' to the smallest calf. At the time she seemed weak, and her mom didn't seem to be taking care of her. Grace was taken to the barn and became a bottle calf. To update on Grace; After a few days of giving her added nourishment I reintroduced her to her mom. Grace is a fighter,  and chased her mom down to nurse. It seemed to work, and Grace looked like she was getting fed. I hoped the extra days of added milk would give Grace the added boost she needed, and could continue with her mom's milk. 

Preparing for the sell of the farm our son agreed to let us put our cows with his herd. Getting the cows up, it looked like Grace needed more groceries once again. Her stomach was bloated, and again she didn't look as healthy as her brother. I kept Grace separate instead of moving her with the cows. I figured Grace would need bottle fed again. This time I figured it would be permanent arrangement, and Grace would be bottle fed until she could transition to calf feed. Our youngest son recently had a friend who'd been successful in a technique, and he mentioned it to me. We agreed to let him give it a try. He thought it would work for Grace. Our son had a cow who'd given birth just a few days earlier. The cow had an enormous amount of milk, much more than Grace's mom. Our son hobbled his cow, so she could not kick Grace away. The cow, her calf, and Grace were put into a pen together for a few days. Have I mentioned Grace is a fighter? Grace's persistency with the cow soon worked into forming a bond with a new momma for Grace. After a week it appeared Grace's tummy was less bloated. The additional milk seemed to be improving Grace's appearance. It had worked! Grace is currently still nursing from her adopted momma. We will probably leave Grace with her new momma, until she is large enough to be weaned and put on feed. At the time of Grace's discovery, and even now, I felt blessed to have twins. She was completely unexpected and undeserved. That's an update on Grace. God was good to give us Grace.

Now for Grace x 2. We moved the cows from a pasture behind our house to a pasture in front of our house. We moved them a few weeks in advance of actually moving them away from the farm. Moving the cows closer to our working pens made it easier on the cows and calves once the decision was made to move them. Shortly after they were moved, I noticed one cow still in the pasture behind our house. I hadn't counted the cows when I moved them. When I saw her, I figured she had a calf hid out, and had stayed behind with it. Being the terrible farmer I am, I didn't give it much thought. I figured she would eventually come thru the gate with her calf, and go to the other cows. Our cows knew the routine of moving between pastures, and how to get there. All gates were left open for her. I wasn't concerned about her leaving or wondering off. My only concern was our Pyrenees. If they decided to bark at her for being out of the pasture, it might aggravate her. They would do no harm, but with a new baby she didn't need bothered. I felt she knew the way, so she was left to fend for herself in getting back with the herd.  

It had been a few days since I saw the cow standing alone in the pasture. I was leaving our house heading to the title company to sign papers to sell our house. Pulling away from the house looking down the driveway, I saw a cow. She was standing next to the pasture where the other cows were. I figured the cow had finally made it out of the pasture. As I got closer, my eyes did a double take. There was 2 calves standing beside the cow. WHAT? TWO? Could it be? I told myself, 'no I don't see how it can be'. I took a few pics with my cell phone. It was a drizzly day, and I was dressed for a closing. There was no time to ponder and study over the cow and 2 calves. I quickly opened the gate, got behind the cow and calves, and put them in the pasture. Earlier I heard another momma in the pasture bawling. She was acting as if she were looking for a calf. I thought perhaps the extra calf belonged to her. I questioned if we could indeed have another set of twins. I teared up at the thought of being blessed with a second sets of twins, and on this day which we were selling our house. The first set of twins was an emotional rush of gratitude, but two sets of twins? It's hard to explain what I was feeling. I was giggly, teary, happy, humbled, and more. I didn't have time to investigate at the time because I was going to be late to the closing. I could hardly believe it, and questioned if it could actually be real. Part of me wanted to justify it, and say perhaps one of the calves belonged to  the other bawling momma in the pasture, and had gotten out. Another part of me wanted to shout for joy at the prospect of having a second set of twins. You see, we only have 11 cows. What's the probability of having 2 sets of twins, in the same year, in a small herd of only 11 cows? 

I went on to the closing not sure what to think. At the closing I told the buyer I 'thought' we had another set of twins. In my mind I tried to rationalize the other calf as belonging to one of the other mommas. That made more sense than actually having a second set of twins. If the land we were selling produced twins, the buyer was getting a heck of a deal! 

For a few days I questioned the second set of twins. I drove thru the pasture a couple times trying to locate the 'mysterious twins', but didn't have any luck. I could locate one calf that looked like it fit the description and belonged to that momma, but I never could locate a second calf. It was June, and the grass was tall because it had not been cut for hay yet. I was afraid to drive around too much, and run over a calf that had been hidden by it's mom. My schedule was hectic and any available time to look for a mysterious twin was small, so I had to let it be. I figured it would show up eventually, or not. 

As time got closer to moving the cattle I continued to watch for the 'mysterious twins'. Several days in a row, as I counted calves, the number of calves in the pasture confirmed my suspicions. There definitely was a extra calf in the pasture. I could pair up every single calf with it's mother, all except one. There had to be another set of twins. When we got the cattle up to move them, my confidence was solidified. The momma of the twins had a large white udder. Both calves had a white spot on their belly confirming they were twins belonging to this momma. The momma had plenty of milk, and was taking care of both calves.  

The calves were so beautiful. What a joy! What a blessing! How good can God be? For me, this was all I needed. This was a second dose of Grace. It was 'Grace x 2'. We didn't name one of these calves 'Grace', but I was reminded of God's grace in our lives. The calves served as a sign. God is full of unexpected surprises for us. God can bless us more than we can imagine. 

I think I always want to be a terrible farmer. See what happens when you don't check on your cows? LOL! God takes care of us when we don't take care of ourselves. The only reason I can think of why God would do this, is because He can. I don't recommend being so neglectful of your cows. Maybe God needed to show me He's there. He cares. He blesses. He provides. His ways are better than my ways.