Cleaning Out My Warehouse

For my first Marine Corps assignment as a Supply Officer,  I was my section's SLJO or "Crappy Little Jobs Officer."  



One of my jobs was to clean out a warehouse that was full of office furniture, barracks furniture, and other junk.  Picture a huge, neglected self-storage space.

Sergeant John Wise was my assistant, and he and I had to "figure out" what to do with each item.

For instance, we had 30 old mattresses.  First, Sgt Wise made an appointment with Base Disposal; then he scheduled a truck and a driver to transport the mattresses to Disposal. 

And I remember...an hour after he left with those mattresses, Sgt Wise called to say that he and the mattresses were on their way back.  What?!!

We learned that, before we could go to Disposal, we had to go to Base Repair.  Base Repair would inspect the mattresses and tag them as unserviceable.  More appointments, more vehicles.

And so it went for several months, until the day came when Sgt Wise and I stood in that empty, spacious warehouse.

As I congratulated us on being done, Sgt Wise pointed and said, "What about the office?"

I'd never noticed.  Right inside the warehouse, just a few feet from where I stood, was a decent-sized, modular office.   

"You mean there's more junk in there?"

"Yes, ma'am."

It never ends.
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And my heart is just like that warehouse; it's full of junk, of sin, thorns, issues that are burdens, stuff that I want to get rid of.  

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.  Mark 7:21-23

And because sin clings to me, it's difficult to get make it go away, to dispose of it.  I can't even do it.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:9

But my God is the Great Supply Officer.  Through His Word and sacraments, He cleans out my warehouse, the rooms of my heart, issue-by-issue, sin-by-sin.  

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities...as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  Psalm 103:10, 12

It's not easy or fun, having your heart cleaned out.  And sometimes the same sin, the same dirt, comes back and needs to be removed again and again.

And, like that seemingly "invisible" office, there will always be rooms in my heart, that I don't even notice, until He points them out, and starts to deal with them.  

Not only does my Lord continually clean my heart, He gives me a new heart, one filled with His Spirit.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26

And, until the day of death, I'll always be battling my heart.  But because of His Love, because of Jesus, His love is steadfast, and I can trust in Him to never leave me nor forsake me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.  Psalm 138:8

Homeschooling Thoughts

Twenty years ago, I started homeschooling my oldest son, who was 10 at the time.  Last week, my youngest son had his final homeschool evaluation.  I paid his evaluator, and she signed his diploma.


Done - end of an era! 

Everyone always asks, "Which curriculum did you use?  What about high school classes?  How did you apply for college?"  I could give lots of practical advice about homeschooling.

I could also share some family stories...like the seven weeks we lived in a hotel room...or when I made a pot of soup during a biology dissection.  Use your imagination!

But, no stories, no curriculum.  Instead, I'm choosing to share these three thoughts.

First, teaching isn't difficult.  A person with a high school diploma, who's married, and has had a child...that person has enough experience to teach.  

And homeschooling has come a long way in 20 years.  I ordered my first curriculum from a catalog, through the mail.  Now courses and materials are available through the internet, YouTube, social media, homeschooling groups, co-ops, online courses. 

If a parent is unable to teach a certain subject, options abound to cover that subject.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.   Colossians 3:17

Second, teaching a child and raising a child...it doesn't take a day, a week, a month, or a year.  It takes years.  Results take years.

And a child's progress shouldn't be "compared" to siblings or to other homeschooling children.  Just give it up.

My first two sons devoured books at an early age.  Al...not so much!  It took years and years to get him to read anything.  His reading appetite kicked-in during his sophomore year, when he chose to read Les Miserables, a book about grace and redemption. 

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:34

And third, the coolest aspect of homeschooling is the shared experience and knowledge we gained as a family.  We read the same books, learned math and science in the same manner, watched the same teaching videos.  We cooked, cleaned, and spent time together.

Along with that shared experience, we have the same Lord, we have the same faith.  We know we're sinners, and that we sin, even against each other.  And, we know that Jesus died for that sin, and rose again.  Being Christian, believing in Jesus, is a part of who we are as a family.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.  Psalm 127:3

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Eyeglasses, Time, and Dust

I've had the same eye doctor for many years.  He does a great job, and he's so predictable.  After every check-up, and before telling me how my eyes are doing, he always says, "And time marches on."

 
Of course, what he's saying isn't positive.  He's saying that I'm getting older, and my eyesight isn't getting any better; it's getting worse. 

This came to mind recently when I was praying through Psalm 103.

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.  Psalm 103:15-16

Time marches on... 

Since the day of my birth, time has been marching on, marching on to the grave, to "no more."

...What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  James 4:14 

It's the curse of Adam...

...for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.  Genesis 3:19

And the cry of Paul...and of me...

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Romans 7:24 

I often pray Psalm 103 from memory, but I sometimes mistakenly leave out these verses that David also prayed...

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.  For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.  Psalm 103:13-14

He knows my frame; He knows how fragile I am; He knows that I'm dust.

Even as I'm aging, as my body is failing, He knows I'm fragile...and He shows me His compassion.   

But not only my physical body, my spiritual body is also corrupted, dying because of my sin nature.   

And again, David reminds me where to look; it's my Lord...

...who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.  Psalm 103:3-4  

At the cross and with the empty tomb, Jesus defeated sin and death.  He showed me His greatest compassion, mercy, and love in forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.

"Time marches on" doesn't sound so bad - might even be a little comforting, as "Time marches on to eternity"...because my Lord knows, He loves, He cares, and...

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Time marches on...Amen...Come Lord Jesus...

To Become Like Children

Our morning devotion last week was on Matthew 18.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 18:1-4 

As we discussed the passage, I was surprised to hear three very different responses to "What does it mean to become like children?"

Two of the answers were:

1. Children faithfully trust in their parents to provide and care for them.  To become like a child in faith would be to trust in God's care, without anxiety or doubt.

2. Children are often undisciplined, get into trouble, and need direction. The Christian is weak, gets into trouble, and looks to God for guidance and authority. 

Hey - that works.  Now I know how to become like a child.  Done!

Yeah, right... 

The truth is, I like to be in control and do things my way.  I put a lot of faith in myself, in my ability to care for and provide for myself.  

Didn't God give me skills, intelligence, and talents?  I don't need His guidance, authority, and certainly not His discipline.

And when something "goes wrong" in my plans, I get anxious and worry.  At those moments, moments when I should have faith, I don't have childlike trust in my God.

However, the third response to our discussion brings this all together:

3. Children are needy; they require someone to meet their every need. 

As human beings, whether children or adults, we're all in need.  And we need "Someone Greater" to supply all our needs. 

I've learned that, despite my work and success in life, I'm helpless.  I have to trust and rely on my God to provide my daily needs - from the air I breathe, to the clothes I wear, to the food I eat, and every other need in between - He provides it all.  

And, if that's not humble enough...I need the cross, I need His forgiveness.

I have no ability to keep even one of the Ten Commandments.  

...as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  Psalm 130:3

And I do trust in Him for my salvation - I have no other choice.  I know that, in an instant, circumstances in life can leave me undone, and my reaction would be to sin.

My only hope, my only source of comfort, mercy, and forgiveness is to be a needy child, in need of my Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5