A Little Rusty

My visit with my Mom has come to an end. We had a wonderful time. Let's see, there was the trip to the Morgan Hill Aquatic Park on Monday, a visit to the Gilroy house on Tuesday (to water the grass), chicken and dumplings last night and a visit to see some dear friends - Lowell, Bonnie and Stacey. We took some amazing nature walks near a creek that lines my Mom's property, and I had an ample amount of time to read and ponder. It has been a blessed visit.

But more than the elements we collected on our walks, and the rich memories - I will be heading home with a new perspective and a redeemed mission. The priorities I listed the other day are whispering at me through a scarlet chord that adorns my wrist. Oh how wonderful those visual reminders are.

What I failed to mention the other day, is that the priorities God has put in place for me are far from mastered. In fact, I dare admit that some of those things listed are not regular practices for me. Not yet anyway. In other words, when I said I've got some work to do, I was serious.

Several of the duties listed have become habits in my life (by the grace of God). But the ones that have to do with my interaction with people, well, those are a little rusty. It would be fitting to pray that God would administer the anointing "oil" of the Holy Spirit in these cracked crevices. The Lord knows that I cannot achieve His standard without His intervention.

I smile inside with the thought of working on these things together with the God who issued them. He loves me too much to leave me as I am. My Purpose Driven Life flip calender has been talking lately about how God wants to mold and shape me into the image of His Son. Today's entry said this:

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. All three are indispensable for character development. God's Word provides the truth we need to grow, God's people provide the support (and testing) we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikness.

Amen to that. God has provided me with a pretty serious training ground. How about you? Who can you love a little bit better today? If you find yourself falling down more times than you succeed, you are in good company. Don't give up, just look up. I've been thinking on our memory verse from Impact training.

Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You." ~ Jeremiah 32:17

As I make my way back over the river and through the woods, I am going to try and let God love through me. God's Word says that His power is made perfect in all of those places where I feel rusty and weak.