“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3 (King James Version)
When I first arrived at my sister’s house to help care for my mother, Mama was not doing well. She required nearly round-the-clock care, was hallucinating, incontinent and pretty helpless.
Eight months later, we are rejoicing in Mama’s rebuilt strength and capacity. She is able to attend church services now and go to the hairdresser to have her hair done. She can walk around with the aid of her walker and we have outfitted the bathtub with a tub transfer bench so that she can shower instead of being limited to sponge baths. Wearing incontinence control underwear frees her from the tyranny of needing to remain close to a toilet. Mama is not self-sufficient, but she is much less dependent on us for moment-to-moment activities.
In those first few weeks, I was worn out from lack of sleep and being unable to relax totally for fear I wouldn’t hear Mama if she needed me. I worried about making a mistake in her care through exhaustion. What if I didn’t measure her medicine correctly or gave it more often than I should? What if I stumbled while trying to help her ambulate and she fell?
God’s still small voice reminded me of many things in those days. He reinforced to me that He was the source of my strength. His love for Mama exceeded mine. He called to my mind the systems of care I had learned so many years ago, first as a candy striper and later as a home health aide. And we made it through those terrible days.
Now we have settled into a routine. The danger is the potential lack of attention to detail which often accompanies routine. How do I overcome this? Each morning, I rise and commit my day’s activities to God’s glory – the best antidote I know for the mind-numbing effects of the monotony of repetition.
How do you cope with the day-after-day routine of life? Do you seek escape through artificial means such as alcohol or drugs? Do you hide in another world, like video games? Or do you take each step in the company of the God who created you and loves you so much He sent His Son for you. He’ll gladly walk with you and make everything you do special because it glorifies Him.
Father, thank you for the opportunity of service to You through serving our fellow man in any honest capacity. Give us strength and wisdom as we work. Take the efforts of our hands and use them to turn people toward You and Your glory.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Hold Fast to the Truth (Number 34 in a series)
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4 (KJV)
To be unemployed is a real eye-opener. My checkbook is under new scrutiny and everything I spend is weighed strictly against what I can expect to come in. My time is at the same time valueless (in terms of earnings) and precious (because I can spend time with my mother and sister and her family). Job hunting is now my occupation.
The world has a huge tendency to judge our value in life by what we “do” for a living. In that value system, I am a failure, a waste, a loser. And oh, does the Deceiver latch on to that refrain. Fortunately, I have the God of Truth to tell me differently.
Satan says “You are useless.” God says “I have a plan for you.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“You should worry about your finances – they aren’t getting any better,” points out Satan.
“Don’t be afraid,” God says. “I’ve loved you since before you were born.” (Isaiah 44; Psalm 139)
When Satan says that no one wants me, God reminds me that He loves me so much that He gave His Son for me (John 3:16).
As the group Casting Crowns points out in their wonderful song “The Voice of Truth,” I can choose which voice to heed. Each of us has that choice as we face the world and its voices of fear, accusation and disdain.
Who will you listen to? Who will you believe? Will you let the world tear you down? Or will you, as Casting Crowns sings, choose “to listen and believe the Voice of Truth?”
Father, thank You for being the voice of truth in a world of lies and accusations. Help me to always tune my ear to Your words and my heart to Your love.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
To be unemployed is a real eye-opener. My checkbook is under new scrutiny and everything I spend is weighed strictly against what I can expect to come in. My time is at the same time valueless (in terms of earnings) and precious (because I can spend time with my mother and sister and her family). Job hunting is now my occupation.
The world has a huge tendency to judge our value in life by what we “do” for a living. In that value system, I am a failure, a waste, a loser. And oh, does the Deceiver latch on to that refrain. Fortunately, I have the God of Truth to tell me differently.
Satan says “You are useless.” God says “I have a plan for you.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“You should worry about your finances – they aren’t getting any better,” points out Satan.
“Don’t be afraid,” God says. “I’ve loved you since before you were born.” (Isaiah 44; Psalm 139)
When Satan says that no one wants me, God reminds me that He loves me so much that He gave His Son for me (John 3:16).
As the group Casting Crowns points out in their wonderful song “The Voice of Truth,” I can choose which voice to heed. Each of us has that choice as we face the world and its voices of fear, accusation and disdain.
Who will you listen to? Who will you believe? Will you let the world tear you down? Or will you, as Casting Crowns sings, choose “to listen and believe the Voice of Truth?”
Father, thank You for being the voice of truth in a world of lies and accusations. Help me to always tune my ear to Your words and my heart to Your love.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Is It Relative? (Number 33 in a series)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 (KJV)
Some things are relative. Take speed, for example: 55 mph on an Interstate highway can seem relatively tame, compared to the other traffic on the road. That same 55 mph can feel insanely fast on a twisting, turning mountain back road.
Spice is another “relative” term. Your perception of ‘mildly seasoned’ may be over my comfort threshold. Neither of us is right or wrong in the flavor we like – it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
Other things are absolute. There are no ‘sometimes,’ ‘maybe’ or personal preference aspects up for discussion. Human beings absolutely must have an appropriate amount of oxygen in the air they breathe, or they die. They must take in enough nourishment or they waste away and eventually starve to death. They must take in enough fluid or they will dehydrate and die. There are certain non-negotiable elements to life. You may be able to hold your breath for a certain length of time or survive for a little while on no food or water, but death will come.
Jesus is another of those non-negotiable elements. He said it Himself: nobody comes to God without going through Him. All sorts of discussions have been raised about ‘sincere’ people and ‘good’ people and other paths. Jesus didn’t say “nobody except really sincere people comes to God but by Me.” He didn’t say anything about alternate paths or honestly held (even if wrong) beliefs.
Maintaining life isn’t relative. Neither is eternal life. Some things are simple, straightforward and absolute.
Which road are you on? Is it the one leading to eternal life with Him? Or is it some other road? Are you looking at eternity in relative terms or are you absolutely sure of where you’re going?
Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to come and tell us in clear terms how we could come to You. Thank you for Your absolute promise of eternity with You, if we will follow the right road.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Some things are relative. Take speed, for example: 55 mph on an Interstate highway can seem relatively tame, compared to the other traffic on the road. That same 55 mph can feel insanely fast on a twisting, turning mountain back road.
Spice is another “relative” term. Your perception of ‘mildly seasoned’ may be over my comfort threshold. Neither of us is right or wrong in the flavor we like – it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
Other things are absolute. There are no ‘sometimes,’ ‘maybe’ or personal preference aspects up for discussion. Human beings absolutely must have an appropriate amount of oxygen in the air they breathe, or they die. They must take in enough nourishment or they waste away and eventually starve to death. They must take in enough fluid or they will dehydrate and die. There are certain non-negotiable elements to life. You may be able to hold your breath for a certain length of time or survive for a little while on no food or water, but death will come.
Jesus is another of those non-negotiable elements. He said it Himself: nobody comes to God without going through Him. All sorts of discussions have been raised about ‘sincere’ people and ‘good’ people and other paths. Jesus didn’t say “nobody except really sincere people comes to God but by Me.” He didn’t say anything about alternate paths or honestly held (even if wrong) beliefs.
Maintaining life isn’t relative. Neither is eternal life. Some things are simple, straightforward and absolute.
Which road are you on? Is it the one leading to eternal life with Him? Or is it some other road? Are you looking at eternity in relative terms or are you absolutely sure of where you’re going?
Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave Jesus to come and tell us in clear terms how we could come to You. Thank you for Your absolute promise of eternity with You, if we will follow the right road.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Trap of Envy (Number 32 in a series)
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Exodus 20:17 (KJV)
My sister has three horses: two Missouri Fox Trotters, a mare and a gelding, and a gelding Mini. The full-sized gelding is the alpha horse of the herd. At feeding time, he exercises his authority over the others by running them away from the first feed bin to be filled.
There are three feed bins, spread apart. Once he has his feed, you would think he’d be happy. But no, he is so envious of what the others have that he will abandon his bin to run them from theirs. There is no difference in what they’re getting, yet he wants what they have so much that he doesn’t enjoy his own.
Not only does he not take time to enjoy his own, but he also loses it. While he is busy stealing their food, they amble over to his and eat that instead. He doesn’t gain anything by coveting their meals.
Isn’t that what envy does in humans? Envy makes us worry so much about what someone else has that we don’t appreciate what we do have. We can easily get caught up in wanting instead of thanking God for He has already given us.
“For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” Job 5:2 (KJV)
Have you fallen into the trap of ‘the silly one’ and let envy slay your joy? Take a moment to appreciate all the blessings you’ve received. Contented gratitude is the antidote to envy.
Father, thank you for all that You have given me. Help me to be grateful for what I have, not envious of what I don’t have. And please grant me an abundance of contentment, wherever I find myself.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
My sister has three horses: two Missouri Fox Trotters, a mare and a gelding, and a gelding Mini. The full-sized gelding is the alpha horse of the herd. At feeding time, he exercises his authority over the others by running them away from the first feed bin to be filled.
There are three feed bins, spread apart. Once he has his feed, you would think he’d be happy. But no, he is so envious of what the others have that he will abandon his bin to run them from theirs. There is no difference in what they’re getting, yet he wants what they have so much that he doesn’t enjoy his own.
Not only does he not take time to enjoy his own, but he also loses it. While he is busy stealing their food, they amble over to his and eat that instead. He doesn’t gain anything by coveting their meals.
Isn’t that what envy does in humans? Envy makes us worry so much about what someone else has that we don’t appreciate what we do have. We can easily get caught up in wanting instead of thanking God for He has already given us.
“For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” Job 5:2 (KJV)
Have you fallen into the trap of ‘the silly one’ and let envy slay your joy? Take a moment to appreciate all the blessings you’ve received. Contented gratitude is the antidote to envy.
Father, thank you for all that You have given me. Help me to be grateful for what I have, not envious of what I don’t have. And please grant me an abundance of contentment, wherever I find myself.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
He is Faithful (number 31 in a series)
“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.” Psalm 89:1-2 (KJV)
Living in the foothills is an unbelievable experience. I learn new things every day. One of the biggest surprises I had was discovering the Sierra Nevada mountains are not looming over everything. In fact, I seldom see them.
The foothills are high enough around us to block the view of the mountains most of the time. But every so often, you round a curve or top a hill and find amazing beauty spread before you as the snow-frosted mountains come into view. The mountains are there, whether you see them or not. They may be out of your line of sight, but they are still rising majestically in their place.
The mountains remind me of the faithfulness of God. Even when I don’t see His hand or hear His voice, He is still there. He has promised to be with me and never to forsake me. Mountains may shift and crumble, eroded or shaved by man’s designs. God will not be moved. He is constant, dependable, faithful.
What are the signs in your life of God’s faithfulness? Have you praised Him for them lately?
Father, we thank you for Your promise to always be with us and we praise You for Your everlasting faithfulness. Keep us ever mindful of Your presence, even when unseen.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Living in the foothills is an unbelievable experience. I learn new things every day. One of the biggest surprises I had was discovering the Sierra Nevada mountains are not looming over everything. In fact, I seldom see them.
The foothills are high enough around us to block the view of the mountains most of the time. But every so often, you round a curve or top a hill and find amazing beauty spread before you as the snow-frosted mountains come into view. The mountains are there, whether you see them or not. They may be out of your line of sight, but they are still rising majestically in their place.
The mountains remind me of the faithfulness of God. Even when I don’t see His hand or hear His voice, He is still there. He has promised to be with me and never to forsake me. Mountains may shift and crumble, eroded or shaved by man’s designs. God will not be moved. He is constant, dependable, faithful.
What are the signs in your life of God’s faithfulness? Have you praised Him for them lately?
Father, we thank you for Your promise to always be with us and we praise You for Your everlasting faithfulness. Keep us ever mindful of Your presence, even when unseen.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Monday, May 4, 2009
Signs and Landmarks (Number 30 in a series)
“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.” Ezekiel 20:12, KJV
Signs and markers are an important part of getting from one place to another. Ask the people who have gone into an area following a natural disaster and tried to find their way around. When the signs and landmarks are gone, it’s hard to tell where you are or where you’re going.
Here in northern California, I’ve learned landmarks tend to have interesting names and historic connections. Some are manmade markers of human accomplishments but others are natural.
One of the best known locally is the Lollipop Tree, a tree growing with a rounded canopy, high on a hill. It is visible to the people rafting and kayaking on the south fork of the American River or riding or hiking in the public areas along the river. The tree helps people know where they are along their trip. It is a sign of their progress.
In the same way, our observance of a day of rest helps us to find out where we are along our life journey. The Sabbath is a time of reflection on our progress. It is a sign, a marker of our relationship with God. By setting aside that precious time for worship of our Lord, we acknowledge His kingship and partake of His renewing sanctification.
Too many times we let other activities interfere with our time of worship. I know from personal experience that I suffer when I let something keep me from my Sabbath time with God. A momentary pleasure costs too much in the long run.
Are you finding your weeks too full, your schedule too hectic? You won’t improve things by skipping your Sabbath. You’ll only find yourself off the path, in need of new directions.
Father, thank You for the gift of the Sabbath. Thank You for loving us so much that You gave us signposts and markers to keep us on track toward You. Give us strength, please, to follow Your path and not to be diverted by fleeting earthly interests.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Signs and markers are an important part of getting from one place to another. Ask the people who have gone into an area following a natural disaster and tried to find their way around. When the signs and landmarks are gone, it’s hard to tell where you are or where you’re going.
Here in northern California, I’ve learned landmarks tend to have interesting names and historic connections. Some are manmade markers of human accomplishments but others are natural.
One of the best known locally is the Lollipop Tree, a tree growing with a rounded canopy, high on a hill. It is visible to the people rafting and kayaking on the south fork of the American River or riding or hiking in the public areas along the river. The tree helps people know where they are along their trip. It is a sign of their progress.
In the same way, our observance of a day of rest helps us to find out where we are along our life journey. The Sabbath is a time of reflection on our progress. It is a sign, a marker of our relationship with God. By setting aside that precious time for worship of our Lord, we acknowledge His kingship and partake of His renewing sanctification.
Too many times we let other activities interfere with our time of worship. I know from personal experience that I suffer when I let something keep me from my Sabbath time with God. A momentary pleasure costs too much in the long run.
Are you finding your weeks too full, your schedule too hectic? You won’t improve things by skipping your Sabbath. You’ll only find yourself off the path, in need of new directions.
Father, thank You for the gift of the Sabbath. Thank You for loving us so much that You gave us signposts and markers to keep us on track toward You. Give us strength, please, to follow Your path and not to be diverted by fleeting earthly interests.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Waiting for the Season (Number 29 in a series)
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)
Spring in the foothills is a glorious season. The “sticks” in the vineyards along the roads are garlanded in young leaves of rich green. The orchards have bloomed and immature fruit is beginning the process of filling out into apples and pears and other succulent delights.
The garden we’ve started in the backyard is filling in with leaves of green beans and spreading tomato plants. The lettuce is nearly mature and the peas are climbing their trellises is a riotous glory. Squash bushes are beginning to sprawl across their hills. The carrots are trying my patience – I know they are slow to sprout but I look forward to their emerald feathers gracing the garden bed.
I am accustomed to working full-time, to traveling from site to site to provide training. When I wasn’t training people, I was testing programs or helping to develop new classes and class materials. Always busy, always moving. Now my pace is much slower – I’m waiting. Waiting for Mama’s next medical appointment; waiting for a job; waiting for the carrots to appear.
This is a season of slowing down, of planting for the future harvest. Much as I want to hurry things along, I know God’s time is perfect. Some days I easily can praise Him for the opportunity to spend time with my mother and my sister’s family, and to experience the beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Other days it takes as act of will to praise Him as I grow impatient with the waiting. I want to see His purpose and I want to see it now! It's hard remember to wait and pray for God's good time.
Will I be a string bean, shooting up quickly? Or a carrot, slower to appear but sweeter to the taste? Both are valuable for our nourishment. What would you have me be, Lord?
Father, we thank You for the rich variety of Your creation and the knowledge that everything (including us!) has a purpose there. Help me to see Your purpose and to grow accordingly. And please be patient with me when I want to hurry.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
Spring in the foothills is a glorious season. The “sticks” in the vineyards along the roads are garlanded in young leaves of rich green. The orchards have bloomed and immature fruit is beginning the process of filling out into apples and pears and other succulent delights.
The garden we’ve started in the backyard is filling in with leaves of green beans and spreading tomato plants. The lettuce is nearly mature and the peas are climbing their trellises is a riotous glory. Squash bushes are beginning to sprawl across their hills. The carrots are trying my patience – I know they are slow to sprout but I look forward to their emerald feathers gracing the garden bed.
I am accustomed to working full-time, to traveling from site to site to provide training. When I wasn’t training people, I was testing programs or helping to develop new classes and class materials. Always busy, always moving. Now my pace is much slower – I’m waiting. Waiting for Mama’s next medical appointment; waiting for a job; waiting for the carrots to appear.
This is a season of slowing down, of planting for the future harvest. Much as I want to hurry things along, I know God’s time is perfect. Some days I easily can praise Him for the opportunity to spend time with my mother and my sister’s family, and to experience the beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Other days it takes as act of will to praise Him as I grow impatient with the waiting. I want to see His purpose and I want to see it now! It's hard remember to wait and pray for God's good time.
Will I be a string bean, shooting up quickly? Or a carrot, slower to appear but sweeter to the taste? Both are valuable for our nourishment. What would you have me be, Lord?
Father, we thank You for the rich variety of Your creation and the knowledge that everything (including us!) has a purpose there. Help me to see Your purpose and to grow accordingly. And please be patient with me when I want to hurry.
© 2009 Mary Beth Magee
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