So it is only 5:36 this morning, and I am already just amazed where my mind has gone. It started as soon as I woke up. I won’t be saying why I started thinking this morning, due to HIPPA laws, but I am anticipating a more tight month with money, so I was concerned.
As my brain started to kick into gear and see how we can work things to make it all work out. So as I was wondering how this would work out, my mind went from thinking about it, to worrying about it.
It was crazy how fast I went there. I was barely awake and within seconds worry was standing at my doorstep. It was mind boggling! While I lay there trying to work out how we could switch things up to make sure it would all work out, the worry did not go away. It only became worse! And that is when I heard it. NO! It was not a voice, but I knew WHO it was. Again, God reminded me of how He has cared for me and my family. How it has not always been easy, but how in the end He has provided. I was embarrassed, because I know this! But it is amazing how fast worry can grab you! So I got up and started reading again this morning. Today I was at the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at a wedding. I was struck by the craziness of the story. The wine is gone! A serious faux pas! Mary though had a plan. She tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says, and what he asks them to do is weird! Fill up those jars with water, then take a cupful to the “master of ceremonies,” this guy must have been like the DJ(?) When the servant does, the guy is like “yes!! Rombauer!” Sorry for those of you who don’t drink wine, all I can say that is not two buck chuck.
There it is again, Jesus asking us to do something that makes us go…..huh? And we can either go with it in one of two ways. We can either go with worry or with trust. Worry comes with stress and trust comes with….. well trust comes with a lot of things. Sometimes trust looks like peace, joy, feeling tentative or maybe even laughter.
I laugh every time I think of the crazy things I think God is leading me to do, and what people must think. But like the servant knowing that it was water in the cup, I am always excited to see the result of what I offer. He offered water and found it was wine. I offer words and find encouragement.
So as I’m sitting here, I am shaking my head, not sure of where this day will go. But yes….I’m laughing thinking that it’s going to be a crazy month full of writing, work, doctors, family, love and lots of lights…… Well it is Christmastime you know!
use the gifts you have? I’ve taught Sunday School and was pretty good at storytelling, but any role outside of that has never happened. There have been times over the years where I’ve thought, I could be used for that! Or I’ve being willing to say, use me! For some reason though, I was never picked. Or there wasn’t a place for me to use my gifts. It used to bug me, and I wondered what’s wrong with them?
John though was an outsider, and I like him because of it. Maybe because he was an outsider, he was able to be who God really needed him to be? I like to think so. It helps me to think that any time we may spend on the outside is just a proving ground. A place where God can weed, water and grow us to who He really wants us to be.
Now some put shepherds in a category of outcasts from society, but others say they are just another group among the poor. Either way, they give us a picture of separation from other people and the normal rhythms of life. To have a big flock, you would need a big area of grass to feed them. Have you ever seen sheep go through a field? And when that field is done, you need to move them to another one. The life of a shepherd was not a normal one of home and family.
So I was thinking, December 1st I would be on it! But…. I missed the date. Ugh! Needless to say, it is all good, since today is officially the start of Advent. Who knew? Well obviously not me.
So the day finally came, and my first reaction was sadness, then I pondered and then I laughed. I was sad because I know that at the loss of Billy Graham, his family and friends will be going through a grieving process. The first moments of separation are the worst. I was also sad because it seems that these are the days that we need a Billy Graham.
I think it is going to be an interesting year. There are things that I am looking forward to, but I also feel a little concerned. Why? Well it all comes down to themes. When I read or see things, sometimes themes appear. So far this year, I have seen this thread of beauty through pain, and it has caught my attention.
So today, since I am not feeling well (still feeling the effects of the flu) I am going to try and make these observations short. These are just some things that have stood out to me the past few days, and they seemed appropriate to think about on this day we remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When I started “A Study in Pink” I guess I thought I would be sharing the stories of women, highlighting different occupations, and maybe even inspiring someone out there to reach for a dream. I didn’t think it would challenge me so much, and maybe even change my own thinking about what I do. The more I talk to women though, the more I feel like that is exactly what’s been happening. Maybe even more so when I met the latest entrant in this series, Patricia Diaz of P.A.T.Y’Studio.
Cheryl Mendoza 