Jelly Beans & Vessels

My grandson, Jackson, loves jellybeans. He will tell you “I like beans!” He will do what his mama says if she persuades him with jellybeans. He is such a delightful, fun-filled package of energy! I love to watch him play and run around, but when you are outside or in a store you need to have some control over that extremely fast, little energetic boy and jellybeans provide an incentive to get him in line! What I’ve noticed though is he will eat the first few, but after a bit he will eat the flavored sugary outside and spit out the gummy mess that’s left inside. He does that with fruit snacks too; he will get the flavor out of them and then spit out the gooey mess! I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid. I didn’t like jelly beans or anything that was gooey and gummy like them. It was a texture thing!!

I’m sure you are wondering where I am going with this. Am I just telling you about my wonderful grandchildren? Because I have 6 of the most delightful amazing grandchildren ever – 3 of each - 3 girls and now 3 boys! While that is wonderful and fun, that’s not really what I was thinking on. I was reminded how sometimes we, or myself, as Christians just like the sugar coating of the Gospel. You know we take the verses we like that give us that flavored sugary feel good taste good feeling but then we want to spit out the gooey mess or the hard to swallow instructions.  I am reminded of Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” We are the vessels which God uses; I know I am weak and sometimes my outer shell or clay is flawed and warped (okay 99.9% of the time). This is like an inside out jelly bean, the flavor is inside. The treasure within is worth chewing through the gooey mess.

 I love the thought that I am a vessel; that God would choose to use something as flawed and broken as I am. I spend a lot of time wondering how God can use someone like me who struggles with all my physical disabilities. I sure can’t go on a mission trip or to a mission field, BUT I can write. Maybe that’s the reason God keeps putting these thoughts in my head and on my heart?  While I am contemplating the fact that I am a vessel another favorite passage from 2 Timothy comes to mind:

²⁰ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Wow! Double wow! I want to be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful and prepared for God’s use! This passage pushes away the doubts and fears and feelings of my own worthlessness. God has a plan for me and I am still a useful vessel. He can repair the flaws or put a patch on them. Whatever he chooses, I choose to serve Him to the best of my ability.

And I‘m sure I can find an empty vessel to fill with jelly beans for Jackson & Nana!

Is Blogland like Neverland?

There are moments in time when I think that there are no obstacles that I cannot overcome, just like Neverland. Then I find myself faced with an issue or dilemma that I cannot work through or I cannot see past that problem. Back pain is like that problem, on good days I think of all the wonderful fun things I would like to do with my grand kids ~ for instance take them to the zoo and see everything through their eyes~imagine what it would be like to be a child again and see the elephants or giraffes or monkeys!! Oh my! Those things are still wondrous to me and to think of how the kids see them. It's just overjoyful (not sure if that's a word)!
BUT then I remember I can't walk for any distance~ I can't really even stand up for any length of time. Is this a pity party? Yeah probably. In Neverland Peter Pan can fly & Tinkerbell can too. They don't have problems getting around. Neverland is not perfect though. Neverland has it own huge problem~Captain Hook. And didn't you feel a little bit sorry for the Lost Boys? Yeah they had each other and all that fun stuff, but they were Lost and without parents to guide and direct and love them.
There are no happy wonderlands without problems; the key to living life and dealing with those obstacles in our wonderland or neverland is prayer and contentment. Contentment can be difficult to achieve. Paul teaches on contentment in the book of Philippians chapter 4 in the New Testament.
^"11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
This passage is the answer to my pity party. Sometimes its very difficult to accept this as an answer because I would rather wallow in my self pity. I get a bad case of the "why me Lord?"s. Through much whining and pleading and praying for God to change my circumstances I finally remember to look for God's leadership and His invitation for me to draw close to the goal; again Paul's words in Philippians 3:
^"13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I ask for God's strength to guide and direct my journey and lead me in the paths that He has planned for me.
Sorry to share my flaws & weaknesses with all of you in Blogland.