THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

October 12, 2022

LIFE IN THE FOLD

Several years ago, we were having a family reunion in Lampe, MO, where I grew up. I had ridden there with my sister, Janie, and her son, Devin. Jon had to work in Rogers, AR that Friday, so had left the house early to drive there, put in a full day of work, then drove on to Lampe to meet me.

That evening, after arriving, the yard of our family home was overgrown, so Jon decided to mow. He had just made one pass around the house and decided to move the car back to get it out of the way. It was only when he got inside the car that he realized a rock had flown through the passenger front window and shattered it. So he had to stop mowing and clean up the mess.

My sister, nephew, and I arrived at the house around 9:00 PM. We had a pre-reunion family singing at the church I had attended growing up. My other three sisters had stayed longer to visit.

We have a homemade fire-pit in the yard, and Devin really wanted a fire. Even though Jon had had a busy day and was tired, he got his shoes on to go out and build a fire for Devin. He mentioned that the grass was really tall around the fire-pit and I told him to forget it. Devin was so disappointed when Jon told him that I said that we shouldn't build a fire because of the tall grass. It was summertime, dark, a chance of snakes and bugs, sparks could fly out and catch the tall grass on fire, and various reasons why this wasn't a good idea.

Devin found a battery powered lantern and asked if he could take that outside and sit. Jon felt bad because Devin really wanted a fire, so he had Devin hold the lantern up and walk in front of the mower so he could see how to mow around the fire-pit area in the dark. Devin thought that was great and a lot of fun!

After Jon got the fire built, we took lawn chairs outside and all sat around the fire and visited and relaxed. My other three sisters joined us when they arrived. Devin had a wagon and would occasionally go to the wood pile and put some small pieces in the wagon and made it his job to keep the fire burning for us, until we all got too sleepy to sit outside.

When we first sat down around the fire, Devin sat on the ground (sweat pouring off his face from the heat!) and was softly humming and enjoying it so much. Even though Jon was tired, he put forth the effort to make a young boy (Devin was 11 at the time) happy; and Jon, as well my sisters and I, found it relaxing, too.

Sometimes the important things in life are mowing in the dark and building a fire for a young boy's enjoyment.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 says, "Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage."

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 says, "So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God."

It's easy, at times, to get so focused on what we think has to be done each day with work and taking care of our home and family, that we fail to stop and do those things that truly make others happy. We forget to sit by the fire and relax. We look at how inconvenient it is to mow around the fire-pit in the dark and build a fire, that we forget the joy that it will bring to a young boy. We think about everything we need to get done and that it's bedtime for a child, and fail to take the time to read them a story or rock them while we sing them a song, when they are asking for it. We make cleaning the kitchen or doing laundry more important than relaxing outside on the back porch with our spouse.

We may even spend our time so focused on making money and paying bills and taking care of our home, that we forget to enjoy the fruits of our labor. There are necessities that we need to save up for, and that becomes such a priority that we fail to stop and "smell the roses". We forget to be happy and enjoy ourselves. We even forget that the fruits of our labor are gifts from God.

Granted, I know that there are times when we need to save and use wisdom in excessive spending, due to needs we have. This summer Jon and I have been (well, mostly Jon!) focused on building a new shed. On top of that, our upstairs air conditioner finally wore out and needs replaced; but we want to finish the shed before replacing it. But Jon and I have still made time to go out on dates and relax together. This past weekend we took a day off and went to Missouri to spend the day with family. We still take the time to look at sunsets and cloud formations and all things nature related.

Rick Warren, who wrote 'The Purpose Driven Life' wrote this: "You may be under a lot of stress right now because of the economy, but God still wants you to enjoy life. He doesn't want you to live without fun. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not want to let God into their lives because they fear God will make them give up anything that is fun. The way you fight fear is with truth and the truth says God 'richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment' (1 Timothy 6:17b NIV). God wants you to enjoy life."

As long as we are on earth, we will always have housework and yard work; but we will not always have our loved ones with us. So we need to take time to enjoy the moments that we do have with them.

Those little ones who want hugs and cuddles and time playing with you (or just have you sit and watch them) will one day grow up and these moments will be lost. We need to take time to make memories and love on those kids.

When your spouse wants to take a walk or spend time with you, make that priority over chores or errands or work. None of us know what life holds in store for us or how many healthy years we will be blessed to have together, so we need to make the most of each day that we have now.

May we all learn to enjoy those little moments that we have with family and friends. Even when it's inconvenient or we would rather put our feet up and relax, may we choose to do those little things that bring joy to someone. Mow in the dark, build a fire in the fire-pit, read a story and sing to a toddler, hold hands and take a walk with your spouse, and enjoy the life that God has given us!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

It does seem as if a lot of people think that if you get saved, you have to give up anything pleasurable. They think we have to live in poverty because we have to give away everything, and anything we might enjoy would be a sin. That simply isn't true.

The Bible never says it's okay to have a family dinner as long as there is no dessert. Or if you do have cheesecake, it can't have cherries on top. It never says that only those living in poverty can enter heaven. It doesn't say you can dance, but only if you don't hold hands. It doesn't say you can go on vacations, but only if it is to preach everywhere you go. It doesn't say you can worship God, but not if you get noisy about it. It doesn't say you can go to a party, but don't talk to anyone.

We can, and should enjoy these things fully. We can apply this enjoyment to our work, our families, our marriages, our time alone, meals, and especially to our worship. If you aren't enjoying them, it could be because deep down, you suspect you shouldn't be enjoying them so much. Let go of false hang-ups, and enjoy all that God has given you.

ON THE MENEWE:

Oatmeal Pie

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a pie crust.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

When my niece's little boy started pre-K, he was having a difficult time adjusting. On his second day of school, his mama picked him up in the afternoon and he told her, "My heart broke in two today." She asked why and he responded, "I wanted you and you weren't there, so my heart broke all the way in two. But you don't need to take me to the doctor for a needle (shot) to fix it!"

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Vows are often made in storms and forgotten in calms. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org