The following story was sent to me via e-mail. It was so encouraging to me, I wanted to share it with you.
I don't know who Brenda is,but it is apparent she wanted it her story shared. Thank you Brenda!
The Ant and the Contact Lens: a true story
Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens .
"Great", she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of fe et from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry." She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.
Please help me."
Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff, they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it! The story doesn't end there.
Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will."
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called! Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and every day Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him....I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
I pray this brings you new strength for your day!
Feb 28, 2008
Feb 27, 2008
The Fern and the Bamboo: A Story of Hope
Do you ever have those days when you know you are in need of a special something? You are not sure what it is, but when "it" comes your way, you know it is exactly what you needed?
Well, this is what happened to me yesterday. A friend sent me the following story by e-mail. I wanted to pass it on to you, just in case you needed it too.
The Fern and the Bamboo – Author Unknown
One day I decided to quit.
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I also took care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Nothing came from the bamboo seed, yet, I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".
He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. However, I did not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Nevertheless, I would not quit.
He said. "Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.
Just 6 months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent those five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me.
"Did you know, My child, that all this time, you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?""I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo has a different purpose than the fern, yet they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come," God said to me. "You will rise high!"
"How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned. "Yes."
He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can." I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness. Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life.
Keep going. Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human. Failures keep you humble. Success keeps you glowing. But, only God keeps you going!
God is so big He can cover the whole world with his love, and so small, He can curl up inside your heart.
Have a great day, the Son is shinning!
I hope you have been as blessed as I was. Have a wonderful day – God Bless you a whole big bunch!
Well, this is what happened to me yesterday. A friend sent me the following story by e-mail. I wanted to pass it on to you, just in case you needed it too.
The Fern and the Bamboo – Author Unknown
One day I decided to quit.
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I also took care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Nothing came from the bamboo seed, yet, I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".
He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. However, I did not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Nevertheless, I would not quit.
He said. "Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.
Just 6 months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent those five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me.
"Did you know, My child, that all this time, you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?""I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo has a different purpose than the fern, yet they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come," God said to me. "You will rise high!"
"How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned. "Yes."
He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can." I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness. Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life.
Keep going. Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human. Failures keep you humble. Success keeps you glowing. But, only God keeps you going!
God is so big He can cover the whole world with his love, and so small, He can curl up inside your heart.
Have a great day, the Son is shinning!
I hope you have been as blessed as I was. Have a wonderful day – God Bless you a whole big bunch!
Feb 21, 2008
Practical Advice for a Married Woman
But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine... the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed" Titus 2:1,3-5
For some women this Scripture sounds ridiculous - I remember when I first came to know the Lord, someone told me that I should obey my husband no matter what. Well, my response did not put me in the category described above. But as I saw God's design and His plan, I came to realize that God gave women - in this case, married women, a very special privilege and responsibility.
We have an incredible amount of power as we can make or break our marriage with mere words.
The last sentence in this verse says, "That the word of God may not be blasphemed."
This means that our words carry a tremendous amount of weight. We should not be spending our time gossiping and tearing other women down. We should be spending our time looking for opportunities to encourage one another, especially younger women. If we claim to be Christians, our hearts should be in tune with the Lord's. We should walk humbly before him, lifting up our husbands for the tough responsibilities they have and we should be an example to the younger women who are watching us.
I hear a lot of women ridicule their husbands and it is heartbreaking. How we talk about our husbands will make or break our homes. The more we share the "lessor" qualities of our husbands, the more we will be discontent,and pretty soon, we can talk ourselves into just about anything; our "Prince Charming" has suddenly become "A good for nothing ______."
I speak from experience, do not be deceived by the devil. Do not give him a foothold into your marriage. He is the great deceiver - very cunning and subtle, sometimes you don't even realize you are a pawn in his nasty little game. It brings him great pleasure when he succeeds in destroying a marriage.
This verse is so practical - every part of God's word to us is. Whether Christian or not, adopting new attitudes and sharing the greater qualities of our husbands will resolve a lot of petty problems in our relationships and will help to stop serious issues from developing.
And most importantly, our marriage will not grow cold and we will be using our power in a positive way and maybe - just maybe, we will be a light for a struggling marriage.
(c) Teresa Ortiz
For some women this Scripture sounds ridiculous - I remember when I first came to know the Lord, someone told me that I should obey my husband no matter what. Well, my response did not put me in the category described above. But as I saw God's design and His plan, I came to realize that God gave women - in this case, married women, a very special privilege and responsibility.
We have an incredible amount of power as we can make or break our marriage with mere words.
The last sentence in this verse says, "That the word of God may not be blasphemed."
This means that our words carry a tremendous amount of weight. We should not be spending our time gossiping and tearing other women down. We should be spending our time looking for opportunities to encourage one another, especially younger women. If we claim to be Christians, our hearts should be in tune with the Lord's. We should walk humbly before him, lifting up our husbands for the tough responsibilities they have and we should be an example to the younger women who are watching us.
I hear a lot of women ridicule their husbands and it is heartbreaking. How we talk about our husbands will make or break our homes. The more we share the "lessor" qualities of our husbands, the more we will be discontent,and pretty soon, we can talk ourselves into just about anything; our "Prince Charming" has suddenly become "A good for nothing ______."
I speak from experience, do not be deceived by the devil. Do not give him a foothold into your marriage. He is the great deceiver - very cunning and subtle, sometimes you don't even realize you are a pawn in his nasty little game. It brings him great pleasure when he succeeds in destroying a marriage.
This verse is so practical - every part of God's word to us is. Whether Christian or not, adopting new attitudes and sharing the greater qualities of our husbands will resolve a lot of petty problems in our relationships and will help to stop serious issues from developing.
And most importantly, our marriage will not grow cold and we will be using our power in a positive way and maybe - just maybe, we will be a light for a struggling marriage.
(c) Teresa Ortiz
Feb 15, 2008
A Love Letter from God to His Far Away Child
My beloved child,
I am writing this letter because my knocks on the door of your heart have gone unanswered.
I miss our time together and I long to hold you in my arms once again. I know you have your reasons for leaving me behind, but as I tried to tell you so many times, I was not the cause of the things that happened to you. You live in a fallen world, and many have chosen the way of sin which leads to a life that will have its struggles. However, I am here for you and if you had stuck by me, things would not have gotten out of control.
Nevertheless, I understand and I am l here, waiting with open arms. In fact, I would run to you if I saw you coming back.
I still love you and no matter how far you've gone, I am willing and able to bring you back. It only takes a simple call. No matter how quiet your whisper, I can hear you - actually, you do not even need to speak, I can read your thoughts.
I am jealous for you - you have turned to false gods; customs, people and things that promise healing but in reality are causing you more harm, eternal harm. I can see it; I know the beginning from the end. Please come back, I will not condemn you or say, "I told you so".
I love you with an everlasting love. My heart rejoices when I think of you. I have such great plans for you, I bid you come - seek me with your whole heart, I promise to meet with you and reveal the great plans I have for you. My heart breaks because you are missing out on the best. What more do I need to do to prove my love? I died so that you may have an abundant life. Don't merely "survive", come home.
I have so much more to share with you, but I will close for now. Please, do not throw this letter away, I am still standing outside - will you open the door? I just want a few minutes of your time. Then then you can decide if you want me to stay or leave you alone, I will respect your choice.
Your forever love,
Jesus
The Lord put this on my heart a few days ago; I have not been able to shake the thought. I believe the Lord is calling you back-you hear him and you may have even shed a tear. Please, do not tune Him out. I dedicate this song to God; I share it with you, it is my life's anthem.
Almighty God, the Great I Am,
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful,
Awesome Lord – victorious Warrior, commanding
King of Kings, Mighty conqueror, and the only time,
The only time I ever saw Him run,
Was when He ran to me, took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest-
Said, "My son's come home again"
He lifted my face, wiped those tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice, He said,
Son, do you know I still love you?
He caught me by surprise, when God ran.
The day I left home, I know I'd broken His heart,
And I wondered if things could ever be the same,
Then one night I remembered His love for me,
And down that dusty road ahead I could see, It was the
Only time, the only time I ever saw Him run….
I saw Him run to me…. And then I ran to Him.
Benny Hester/John Parent 1986 Word Music, Inc/ASCAP
I'm praying for you – Jeremiah 29:11-14
I am writing this letter because my knocks on the door of your heart have gone unanswered.
I miss our time together and I long to hold you in my arms once again. I know you have your reasons for leaving me behind, but as I tried to tell you so many times, I was not the cause of the things that happened to you. You live in a fallen world, and many have chosen the way of sin which leads to a life that will have its struggles. However, I am here for you and if you had stuck by me, things would not have gotten out of control.
Nevertheless, I understand and I am l here, waiting with open arms. In fact, I would run to you if I saw you coming back.
I still love you and no matter how far you've gone, I am willing and able to bring you back. It only takes a simple call. No matter how quiet your whisper, I can hear you - actually, you do not even need to speak, I can read your thoughts.
I am jealous for you - you have turned to false gods; customs, people and things that promise healing but in reality are causing you more harm, eternal harm. I can see it; I know the beginning from the end. Please come back, I will not condemn you or say, "I told you so".
I love you with an everlasting love. My heart rejoices when I think of you. I have such great plans for you, I bid you come - seek me with your whole heart, I promise to meet with you and reveal the great plans I have for you. My heart breaks because you are missing out on the best. What more do I need to do to prove my love? I died so that you may have an abundant life. Don't merely "survive", come home.
I have so much more to share with you, but I will close for now. Please, do not throw this letter away, I am still standing outside - will you open the door? I just want a few minutes of your time. Then then you can decide if you want me to stay or leave you alone, I will respect your choice.
Your forever love,
Jesus
The Lord put this on my heart a few days ago; I have not been able to shake the thought. I believe the Lord is calling you back-you hear him and you may have even shed a tear. Please, do not tune Him out. I dedicate this song to God; I share it with you, it is my life's anthem.
When God ran
Almighty God, the Great I Am,
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful,
Awesome Lord – victorious Warrior, commanding
King of Kings, Mighty conqueror, and the only time,
The only time I ever saw Him run,
Was when He ran to me, took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest-
Said, "My son's come home again"
He lifted my face, wiped those tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice, He said,
Son, do you know I still love you?
He caught me by surprise, when God ran.
The day I left home, I know I'd broken His heart,
And I wondered if things could ever be the same,
Then one night I remembered His love for me,
And down that dusty road ahead I could see, It was the
Only time, the only time I ever saw Him run….
I saw Him run to me…. And then I ran to Him.
Benny Hester/John Parent 1986 Word Music, Inc/ASCAP
I'm praying for you – Jeremiah 29:11-14
Feb 13, 2008
Making the World a Better Place is a Daily Devotion
In our fast paced society, we feel the need to be busy, busy, busy. "Keep up with the Jones'."
(Who are the Jones' anyway?)
Society tells us to look out for number one - no one else will. I admit, I fall into this trap on occasion.
Make more money, buy a bigger house, drive the "right" car. All of this so that we will look and feel important.
The problem is while we are busy trying to be important, the world around us is falling apart. (The world being our families.)
Our children get our left overs because we have given our best to our employers - we set out to please them. We tell our children that the reason we work so hard is because we love them.
Society has told us that loving our children means giving them the best of things. Don't misunderstand, I am not saying all of these things are wrong. Nevertheless, if we are "providing" at the expense of our families, then something has to change.
When we stretch ourselves too thin, we get tired and grumpy and nobody wins.
Our children are our future and we have not been the best example. As a result, we live in a world that is filled with selfishness; get what you can while you can!
What is the solution? I suppose there are many, yet for me, I believe that God's way works best.
Instead of starting our day in a panic - thinking of all that needs to be done, take a moment. Spend some time with the Creator of the universe. After all, if He created the world in seven days, I think He is capable of handling our list of things to do.
It is with this in mind that I would like to share a daily devotional with you. It only takes a few minutes, but if we apply these simple truths, it will make a world of difference.
I want to be one that will slow down and help to make this world a better place. Won't you join me?
Psalm 67: 1-2 "O God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among the nations" NKJV
Sometimes the craziness of life can cause me to cry out "Lord, bless me!" However, in these times of desperation, my cry for blessing is hardly so that my life would reflect the ways of the Lord. It is because I am in need! For the moment, I am not worried about anything or anyone else.
This isn't altogether wrong, but why is it that we wait so long to cry out to the Lord? If we stay close to the Lord daily before things get out of hand, our cry for blessing will be for the purpose of expressing kindness, gentleness, selflessness and patience.
Stop and breathe. Everything will be waiting for us in just a few minutes. We will be doing ourselves and everyone around us a big favor by taking this time to reflect on the goodness of God.
Take time to thank Him for His hand of grace in your life.
Give your " list of things to do" to your heavenly Father. Ask Him, the Father of time, to work out the things of the day for His glory so that your attitude will be a reflection of His ways in your world.
Consider the day that lies ahead of you - then fill in the blanks.
Father, today I need:
Forgive me when I am in a state of selfish desperation.
(Who are the Jones' anyway?)
Society tells us to look out for number one - no one else will. I admit, I fall into this trap on occasion.
Make more money, buy a bigger house, drive the "right" car. All of this so that we will look and feel important.
The problem is while we are busy trying to be important, the world around us is falling apart. (The world being our families.)
Our children get our left overs because we have given our best to our employers - we set out to please them. We tell our children that the reason we work so hard is because we love them.
Society has told us that loving our children means giving them the best of things. Don't misunderstand, I am not saying all of these things are wrong. Nevertheless, if we are "providing" at the expense of our families, then something has to change.
When we stretch ourselves too thin, we get tired and grumpy and nobody wins.
Our children are our future and we have not been the best example. As a result, we live in a world that is filled with selfishness; get what you can while you can!
What is the solution? I suppose there are many, yet for me, I believe that God's way works best.
Instead of starting our day in a panic - thinking of all that needs to be done, take a moment. Spend some time with the Creator of the universe. After all, if He created the world in seven days, I think He is capable of handling our list of things to do.
It is with this in mind that I would like to share a daily devotional with you. It only takes a few minutes, but if we apply these simple truths, it will make a world of difference.
I want to be one that will slow down and help to make this world a better place. Won't you join me?
Psalm 67: 1-2 "O God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among the nations" NKJV
Sometimes the craziness of life can cause me to cry out "Lord, bless me!" However, in these times of desperation, my cry for blessing is hardly so that my life would reflect the ways of the Lord. It is because I am in need! For the moment, I am not worried about anything or anyone else.
This isn't altogether wrong, but why is it that we wait so long to cry out to the Lord? If we stay close to the Lord daily before things get out of hand, our cry for blessing will be for the purpose of expressing kindness, gentleness, selflessness and patience.
Stop and breathe. Everything will be waiting for us in just a few minutes. We will be doing ourselves and everyone around us a big favor by taking this time to reflect on the goodness of God.
Take time to thank Him for His hand of grace in your life.
Give your " list of things to do" to your heavenly Father. Ask Him, the Father of time, to work out the things of the day for His glory so that your attitude will be a reflection of His ways in your world.
Consider the day that lies ahead of you - then fill in the blanks.
Father, today I need:
Forgive me when I am in a state of selfish desperation.
Help me to make time for daily communion with you,
regardless of my hectic schedule.
I know when I share my heart with you,
my days of desperation are fewer and farther in between.
I desire to reflect the goodness of your character.
I desire to be a part of the solution
and reflect the beauty of how you intended this world to be!
In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Feb 10, 2008
20oz Triple White Mocha or Jesus: What is your Sustaining Strength?
I had been on my fourth 55-hour workweek. I had no time for anything. Everything was out of control. I was too tired to read and too tired to pray.
To be perfectly honest, I was a complete grump. (Some might call it something else - they wouldn't be wrong.)
I convinced myself that a 20oz Triple Shot White Mocha and my old Disco CD's were the answer. These were sure to give me the energy I needed. Ha! Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, it made things worse, as I became a wide-awake grump!
When I put God on the back burner (not consciously, of course), my spirit was in a state of famine and I was definitely not reflecting the attitude of Christ to anyone around me.
My children started to ask me why I was so mad all the time. My response (in a cool, cold sort of way) was, "I'm not mad, just tired". Unfortunately, this became the rule instead of the exception.
The Holy Spirit began to convict my heart and I had to face the sad fact that I wasn't exactly making it easy for my family to love me.
Once again, the Lord brought me back to His word: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18-19
Oh Yeah, I almost forgot, His mercy that will sustain me and keep me alive during the busiest times of my life. (I just gotta say it, duh!) As usual, I sought His forgiveness and He restored my joy.
It's no surprise that my husband and children were happy. My children began to make comments like, "Wow mom, it's good to see you not so tired anymore." (Paraphrase for; thank God she's not a grouch!)
Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to share with them the power of putting God first. What a testimony to my children! I was still working the same amount of hours. Nevertheless, the Lord sustained me in my famine, and my soul was very much alive.
While it brings me great joy to say that those 55 hour workweeks are history, I must confess: I still listen to those old CD's on occasion and I dropped down to a 16oz single-shot white mocha.
Is there a difference? Yes, I do not count on them to get me through my day!
Father, thank you for gently bringing me back to the truth. I'm sorry for thinking that coffee could ever be my sustaining strength. Love in Jesus, Teresa
If you find yourself in this place, I encourage you to turn back to Jesus. Be blessed and be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit today!
(C) Teresa Ortiz
To be perfectly honest, I was a complete grump. (Some might call it something else - they wouldn't be wrong.)
I convinced myself that a 20oz Triple Shot White Mocha and my old Disco CD's were the answer. These were sure to give me the energy I needed. Ha! Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, it made things worse, as I became a wide-awake grump!
When I put God on the back burner (not consciously, of course), my spirit was in a state of famine and I was definitely not reflecting the attitude of Christ to anyone around me.
My children started to ask me why I was so mad all the time. My response (in a cool, cold sort of way) was, "I'm not mad, just tired". Unfortunately, this became the rule instead of the exception.
The Holy Spirit began to convict my heart and I had to face the sad fact that I wasn't exactly making it easy for my family to love me.
Once again, the Lord brought me back to His word: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18-19
Oh Yeah, I almost forgot, His mercy that will sustain me and keep me alive during the busiest times of my life. (I just gotta say it, duh!) As usual, I sought His forgiveness and He restored my joy.
It's no surprise that my husband and children were happy. My children began to make comments like, "Wow mom, it's good to see you not so tired anymore." (Paraphrase for; thank God she's not a grouch!)
Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to share with them the power of putting God first. What a testimony to my children! I was still working the same amount of hours. Nevertheless, the Lord sustained me in my famine, and my soul was very much alive.
While it brings me great joy to say that those 55 hour workweeks are history, I must confess: I still listen to those old CD's on occasion and I dropped down to a 16oz single-shot white mocha.
Is there a difference? Yes, I do not count on them to get me through my day!
Father, thank you for gently bringing me back to the truth. I'm sorry for thinking that coffee could ever be my sustaining strength. Love in Jesus, Teresa
If you find yourself in this place, I encourage you to turn back to Jesus. Be blessed and be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit today!
(C) Teresa Ortiz
Feb 8, 2008
It was just another ordinary day - my son, Justin and I were sitting around talking about this and that.... "Mom, what would you say if I told you I wanted an eye piercing?" "Only losers and druggies have piercings!"
The words came out of my mouth so fast, I didn't even know I said them until I was done with my sentence - my heart was pumping and I was immediately in a bad mood. "I'm just kidding, don't freak out on me". "Don't joke about a thing like that."
There was an odd silence in the room; I don't know what his problem was, but he went into his room and closed the door rather loudly. " What was that all about", I thought to myself. Oh Well, I guess I'll turn on some music and start cleaning. To my shame, I never thought my actions through.
(O' Lord, why do you even put up with me?)
Three weeks later, my husband and are having breakfast, I know something is on his mind as there was that same odd silence I had experienced with my son. (Here it comes, though I never expected the "it" to be this!) "I know how you feel about piercings.... 'he isn't going to say it'... but
I talked with Justin and he really wants to have one." "You hurt his feelings when you told him only losers and druggies have piercings". "Well, it's true!" "Calm down, Teresa, what is the big deal - Justin is doing great in school, he has a job, he doesn't get into trouble, he is paying for his own dirt-bike... should I go on?"
I couldn't hold back the tears, "First he doesn't want to go to church anymore, and now this?" Then the real issue comes to surface; what will other people think!
My husband knew I was being irrational, so being the wise man that he is, he told me that he would leave me alone until I could be reasonable.
It's been said over and over that God works in mysterious ways, it is so true! During this time I was preparing for the women's conference I was to be speaking at in just 6 weeks. I had been praying about what stories I would be sharing. The topic was "Recovering from Doubt and Restoring Joy One Step at a Time". "You are so funny, Lord, isn't just like you to give me a new story".
As I cleaned the house, I whined to my Lord, trying to get Him to understand my point of view and to change my husband's rediculous way of thinking. "Teresa, my child, you know I love you and you know I love Justin, you have been preaching and teaching unconditional love and acceptance - Is this what you are doing"? "Yes, but this is different, this is my child."
All at once, the conviction and shame came flooding to my heart. ( Forgive me, Father for having this attitude. I know that no one is a loser in your eyes - you didn't give up on me.) I knew I was wrong. I knew I had to deal with this - going back to the very first conversation with my son.
"Justin, can we talk"? I told him I was sorry for being selfish and inconsiderate. I told him that I loved him and that I was being completely irrational. He forgave me, but not before he told me that I needed to practice what I preached. I deserved it.
With the appointment set, I had three weeks to align my heart with the decision I made in my head. I prayed and prayed that God would change my heart.
The hour had come. "Mom, are you okay, you don't have to come if you don't want to." "No way, I am coming and I am not upset at all. God has changed my heart." He didn't say another word, but at that moment, I became a mind reader: Okay, mom, but if you say anything....
I have to say, once I saw it, it actually looked cool; it wasn't this big bulky spike I expected to see. We went out to dinner and had a wonderful time. My "inside matched my outside", as I used to tell the preschool Sunday school class.
The days that followed were even more special. My son and I had become much closer as I showed him what unconditional love was all about. "You know mom, it's kinda ironic that you help me everday to clean and change my piercing everytime I have to go to work".
My son laughed when he heard me pray, "Lord, please don't let this get infected and help me get the little bally thingy in place, I can't see the hole". "Thanks, mom, I love you."
"Hey mom, so am I a loser and a druggie? " No son, you're not a loser or a druggie."
(C) Teresa Ortiz
The words came out of my mouth so fast, I didn't even know I said them until I was done with my sentence - my heart was pumping and I was immediately in a bad mood. "I'm just kidding, don't freak out on me". "Don't joke about a thing like that."
There was an odd silence in the room; I don't know what his problem was, but he went into his room and closed the door rather loudly. " What was that all about", I thought to myself. Oh Well, I guess I'll turn on some music and start cleaning. To my shame, I never thought my actions through.
(O' Lord, why do you even put up with me?)
Three weeks later, my husband and are having breakfast, I know something is on his mind as there was that same odd silence I had experienced with my son. (Here it comes, though I never expected the "it" to be this!) "I know how you feel about piercings.... 'he isn't going to say it'... but
I talked with Justin and he really wants to have one." "You hurt his feelings when you told him only losers and druggies have piercings". "Well, it's true!" "Calm down, Teresa, what is the big deal - Justin is doing great in school, he has a job, he doesn't get into trouble, he is paying for his own dirt-bike... should I go on?"
I couldn't hold back the tears, "First he doesn't want to go to church anymore, and now this?" Then the real issue comes to surface; what will other people think!
My husband knew I was being irrational, so being the wise man that he is, he told me that he would leave me alone until I could be reasonable.
It's been said over and over that God works in mysterious ways, it is so true! During this time I was preparing for the women's conference I was to be speaking at in just 6 weeks. I had been praying about what stories I would be sharing. The topic was "Recovering from Doubt and Restoring Joy One Step at a Time". "You are so funny, Lord, isn't just like you to give me a new story".
As I cleaned the house, I whined to my Lord, trying to get Him to understand my point of view and to change my husband's rediculous way of thinking. "Teresa, my child, you know I love you and you know I love Justin, you have been preaching and teaching unconditional love and acceptance - Is this what you are doing"? "Yes, but this is different, this is my child."
All at once, the conviction and shame came flooding to my heart. ( Forgive me, Father for having this attitude. I know that no one is a loser in your eyes - you didn't give up on me.) I knew I was wrong. I knew I had to deal with this - going back to the very first conversation with my son.
"Justin, can we talk"? I told him I was sorry for being selfish and inconsiderate. I told him that I loved him and that I was being completely irrational. He forgave me, but not before he told me that I needed to practice what I preached. I deserved it.
With the appointment set, I had three weeks to align my heart with the decision I made in my head. I prayed and prayed that God would change my heart.
The hour had come. "Mom, are you okay, you don't have to come if you don't want to." "No way, I am coming and I am not upset at all. God has changed my heart." He didn't say another word, but at that moment, I became a mind reader: Okay, mom, but if you say anything....
I have to say, once I saw it, it actually looked cool; it wasn't this big bulky spike I expected to see. We went out to dinner and had a wonderful time. My "inside matched my outside", as I used to tell the preschool Sunday school class.
The days that followed were even more special. My son and I had become much closer as I showed him what unconditional love was all about. "You know mom, it's kinda ironic that you help me everday to clean and change my piercing everytime I have to go to work".
My son laughed when he heard me pray, "Lord, please don't let this get infected and help me get the little bally thingy in place, I can't see the hole". "Thanks, mom, I love you."
"Hey mom, so am I a loser and a druggie? " No son, you're not a loser or a druggie."
(C) Teresa Ortiz
Feb 7, 2008
My Son's 250 KTM: The Rest of the Story
It was raining and 28 degrees outside when we left home for the motocross raceway.
"Man, this is going to be a messy race." My husband says, as we pull into the parking lot.
"Mom, do me a favor; go buy some cooking spray."
"Cooking spray?"
"It's to keep the mud from sticking to my bike"
"Oh, O.K."...
Everything is set up; the racers are primed and ready! The adrenaline is pumping through my son's veins; I can almost see it as he struggles to remain calm.
"Riders take your mark!"
It is dead silent as the racers line up, the tension is so thick, and you can cut it with a knife.
"Riders get set!"
I'm standing there shivering from the cold, unconsciously scratching my arms, thinking, let them go already!
It is time. The flag goes down! As they take off, the roar of all the engines pulse through my body.
It amazes me how 25 riders start in a single line and then in a matter of seconds, they each have to fight to squeeze into a track that is five feet wide. (It must be a guy thing.)
Forty seconds into the race and three riders are stuck in the first mud pit; "J" just misses the back tire of the rider who went down right in front of him. (My heart begins to beat a little faster and the temperature seems to go from 28 to 80 in a matter of seconds.)
"Go J," we yell, as he zooms by us, wait; is that J? Apparently, all of the boys decided to give themselves and their bikes a mud bath. They were indistinguishable some bikes even had branches sticking out of the motors.
What is going on in those wooded areas? So much for the cooking spray-oh well, it's not a complete waste, I can use it at home. I suppose it was a good idea...
An hour later, many of the racers had to drop out because their bikes were over-heating, and some just plain quit. We decided to run to the far end of the track to see if we could catch a glimpse of him coming out of the woods-which we did...
"Oh, no", my heart sank as I saw him stuck at least two-feet in the mud. I could see by his hunched posture that he was tired and angry. I watched helplessly as he tried to no-avail to lift his bike high enough to get under it and climb back on. He did this for at least ten minutes. I was impressed that he wasn't giving up.
However, it was clear that he was running out of energy. Suddenly, as if he were an angel, another rider came to his rescue and together, lifted his bike out of the mud. In an instant, I saw him stand straight up and jump on his bike! He gave a wave of thanks, spit mud in the air with his tire and he was off!
An hour and a half and 21-miles later, he pulls into the pit. He had finished his race! Between the cold, the rain and a track turned quick-sand, this endurance race lived up to its name. Once again, we are proud that our son chose to fight and not to give up. He climbed off his bike, sat (more like fell) on the ground with a smile that made us laugh.
The only thing you could make out on his mud-laden body was his pearly white teeth!
Of the many lessons one might glean from this story, one remains most valuable to me; as I scratched my arm while preparing dinner, it occurred to me that it might have been the rash after all.
"Man, this is going to be a messy race." My husband says, as we pull into the parking lot.
"Mom, do me a favor; go buy some cooking spray."
"Cooking spray?"
"It's to keep the mud from sticking to my bike"
"Oh, O.K."...
Everything is set up; the racers are primed and ready! The adrenaline is pumping through my son's veins; I can almost see it as he struggles to remain calm.
"Riders take your mark!"
It is dead silent as the racers line up, the tension is so thick, and you can cut it with a knife.
"Riders get set!"
I'm standing there shivering from the cold, unconsciously scratching my arms, thinking, let them go already!
It is time. The flag goes down! As they take off, the roar of all the engines pulse through my body.
It amazes me how 25 riders start in a single line and then in a matter of seconds, they each have to fight to squeeze into a track that is five feet wide. (It must be a guy thing.)
Forty seconds into the race and three riders are stuck in the first mud pit; "J" just misses the back tire of the rider who went down right in front of him. (My heart begins to beat a little faster and the temperature seems to go from 28 to 80 in a matter of seconds.)
"Go J," we yell, as he zooms by us, wait; is that J? Apparently, all of the boys decided to give themselves and their bikes a mud bath. They were indistinguishable some bikes even had branches sticking out of the motors.
What is going on in those wooded areas? So much for the cooking spray-oh well, it's not a complete waste, I can use it at home. I suppose it was a good idea...
An hour later, many of the racers had to drop out because their bikes were over-heating, and some just plain quit. We decided to run to the far end of the track to see if we could catch a glimpse of him coming out of the woods-which we did...
"Oh, no", my heart sank as I saw him stuck at least two-feet in the mud. I could see by his hunched posture that he was tired and angry. I watched helplessly as he tried to no-avail to lift his bike high enough to get under it and climb back on. He did this for at least ten minutes. I was impressed that he wasn't giving up.
However, it was clear that he was running out of energy. Suddenly, as if he were an angel, another rider came to his rescue and together, lifted his bike out of the mud. In an instant, I saw him stand straight up and jump on his bike! He gave a wave of thanks, spit mud in the air with his tire and he was off!
An hour and a half and 21-miles later, he pulls into the pit. He had finished his race! Between the cold, the rain and a track turned quick-sand, this endurance race lived up to its name. Once again, we are proud that our son chose to fight and not to give up. He climbed off his bike, sat (more like fell) on the ground with a smile that made us laugh.
The only thing you could make out on his mud-laden body was his pearly white teeth!
Of the many lessons one might glean from this story, one remains most valuable to me; as I scratched my arm while preparing dinner, it occurred to me that it might have been the rash after all.
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