Which Way?

     When I was growing up many of the roads in Chattanooga were one way.  The main roadways in and out of downtown Chattanooga could be traveled in only one direction.  A few years ago the mayor changed all that.  All those major arteries in and out of town are now two-way streets. 
     It seems strange to travel those roads in the directions that I was programmed were the "wrong way."  Last weekend I rode down one of those streets.  As my husband drove I was careful to notice my surroundings.  For over fifty years I saw those houses, churches, schools, businesses, and people from one point of view.  That night I learned to see them in a different way.  There are things you just don't notice until you turn around and go the other direction.
     The same is true in so much of life. We habitually do the same things over and over and over again.  At certain restaurants I always order the same thing.  Clothing is usually in shades of blue, pink, or black.  If I head for the beach, Tybee is the place.  Ice cream?  Ninety-nine percent of the time it's chocolate of some sort.  Always the same.  Sure, there's a little variety.  I have a green top I don't wear much.  Occassionally I order a waffle cone.  Not much variety, and not often.
     So, in church I have started sitting in a different place every week.  It's become a joke, really.  My husband comes into the sanctuary and looks around to see where I have landed for the day.  People in the room have starting pointing him in the right direction.  Funny.  Thinking about it now, though, I realize that we have begun sitting on the same side, on the same few pews, for about a month now.  I'll have to do something radical this week and move to the other side...maybe on the back row!
     As I think about my walk with Christ, I am understanding that my routines and habits have limited not only what He can do through me but also the things I have been missing.  Sadly, I have been looking at life from one direction.  I've missed out on the many of the little surprises God has placed in my path because I have been so focused on traveling to Point B that I haven't even noticed some of the beautiful blessings that I have hurried past. 
     What stood out to me most as I saw rode down that street from the opposite direction was the beautiful art projects someone has been painted on the sides of buildings.  Houses looked different because I could see the beautiful flower gardens that were tucked away in a hidden corner.  There is a church at one intersection that I have missed because it sits back off the road behind a house when I am coming from the other way. 
     In all this rambling, what I am trying to say is this:  I think we need to focus more on where we are today in our life journey than on the busyness of getting the job done.  In other words, we need to stop and smell the roses.  Stop and enjoy the people you are rushing by.  Stand still for a few minutes, turn around in a circle, take in ALL of the things surrounding you.
     God's promises to bless us abundantly.  Personally, I don't want to be in such a hurry that I miss out on the beauty of what He has planned for me today.  What about you?  Will you slow down, look around, and take notice of the things you have been missing?      

What's in Your Treasure Box

     What's in your treasure box?  Maybe you have things like I do.  A thank you note that my daughter wrote to one of her teachers in fifth grade.  Pictures of friends from elementary school whose names were long ago forgotten.  Tickets from some movie seen thirty years ago with my future husband.  A plastic ring that I once thought was a fabulous jewel.  There are some pins I received for regular Sunday School attendance.  Inside my box there is nothing that anyone would want to steal for its monetary value.  Inside my box are things that bring back precious memories as I gently look them over.
     I was sitting here listening to CeCe Winans sing Alabaster Box.  It made me think about the things I treasure.  Would these things I have tucked safely away be things I would be willing to pour out at the feet of Jesus?  Are they things that would be worthy of such an offering?  Probably not.
     Precious oil.  Valuable and costly.  Worth a year's wages.  Stored in a fragile and delicate vial made of alabaster.  The very best.  That's what Mary poured out, washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. 
     Listening to the words of the song, I am struck at how I have settled for second-best.  I have a heavenly father who adores me.  He gave his very best for me.  I don't fully grasp or accept that sacrifice.  Yes, I have placed my faith and trust in the blood that Jesus shed for me.  I understand and believe.  I don't live like I do.  Instead, my treasure box is filled with worthless momentos.  What would my life be like if I dumped those things and allowed the Lord to fill my box?
     I think there would be things like the view I have right now.  My daughter and her sweet friend Sara are parting for the summer.  After two days of giggles, secrets, and fun, Sara is heading to camp.  At the end of summer she will return to Berry, but Caitlin will head to Virginia for graduate school.  What do I see right now?  The two of them beside Sara's car, facing each other, holding hands, praying.  Not a quick Protect Us As We Travel prayer.  Deep prayer for each other to be who God created them to be and live it out in the different places they will be.
     There would be things like the song my girls and my dear friend sang yesterday at church.  Shout To the Lord was the song.  English, Spanish, and French were the languages.  After they had sung it in each language, the three sang together, each in their native language.  My Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is none like you.  I couldn't stand it!  I leaned over to my husband and said, "We've got to stand up!"  So, up we went.  I stood amazed in the presence of Jesus that he has allowed me to be a part of touching the lives of people around the world, right here at home.
     Another treasure would be seeing the Lord answer my heart's desire.  He has opened doors for me to speak to women and share his Word.  Through the dream of my friend, Jenn, I have the honor of standing alongside her and speaking to women for the cause of Christ.  Soon we will travel to Haiti and once again speak to the pastors' wives and women of the church there.  Last year we spoke to them and found out later that we were equipping them to step out into their own country, to the poorer parts of the land, on their own mission trip. 
     Most treasured in my new box would be the pictures of those Haitian women dressed all in white, riding a cramped bus, walking the paths of the provinces... and the smiles on their faces. 
     In my old box there might be worries about time I wasted, but tonight there is the precious time I spent on the porch after dinner with three college girls talking and laughing and just being together. 
     Evening has come and I am loving sitting on my back porch listening to the birds as they sing their final songs for the night.  I am finishing up my nightly chat with my mom.  The girls are watching a movie, my husband is at a meeting at church, and the day is done. 
     Thank you, Lord.  The blessings you give are abundant and pure.  May they be the treasures that I hold dearest to my heart.