The Washing is All Worth It!
As I look around the room, I see a whole pile of clean washing that just needs folding and putting away and a pile of dirty washing that still needs to go into the washing machine.
The “leftovers” of three days of grandchildren sleeping over at Grammie’s House.
The fun, the games, the noise, the food cooked and eaten that occurred over those three days has filled me up with a joy that only children can bring. Secrets were shared late at night. Girls whispering in their beds. The boys trying to disrupt them with throwing balls and hiding under pillows. All done in great fun.
Oh, the mess of building forts with chairs and cushions and blankets. The colouring in and drawing while watching “Little Rascals” for the third time and saying their favorite lines off by heart. Such an enjoyable movie.
I could go on and on.
This is what makes for good memories.
The stories that will be told among our family members into the future of these days. These will unite our family even more and bring much joy, encouragement and laughter.
Jesus’ followers wrote down their memories of Jesus, the stories that occurred in their lives in The New Testament. At first, they were just shared by word of mouth (like ours are) but then written down to keep those memories, those lessons learnt that can be passed onto others. These memories full of fun, laughter, guidance, direction and love.
These memories help us in contemplating the unspeakable beauty of Our Loving God.
These memories help us in celebrating God, the Giver of Life.
These memories help to remind ourselves of who God is, What He has done, How He has loved each and every one of us!
This reading of the stories about Jesus, the parables, the healings, the miracles, the love shared and ultimately His life given brings us great joy, guidance, direction and love into our hearts.
We belong to God’s Family.
The wonderful thing is it lasts more than just three days… it can last a lifetime, our lifetime here while on Earth and forever into the future in Heaven.
These everyday stories of old become our stories today. Humankind is the same in years gone past. We act the same. We have the same flaws. We behave the same in certain circumstances. The truth of what Jesus has done for us is endless, boundaryless, the same yesterday, today and into the future.
Maybe we are driving electric cars and talking on mobiles, not available in Jesus’ day but the essence of how humans act, think and feel is basically the same.
What has been is what will be,
Ecclesiastes 1:9 NRSV
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.
There is nothing new under the Sun.
Do you stop sometimes in the rush of your everyday lives and think about what Jesus has done? Do you think about what He has done in the past for us but also now? Think about the hope given to us. The love poured out.
Go back over your favorite stories and words memorised off by heart. Rejoice in the fond memories of God but also celebrate His presence still in our lives.
Have we thanked Him for it all?
That was the best thing – All the hugs and kisses and thanks given by the grandchildren as they left with their parents and the whingeing and whining of “do we have to go?”
Do we thank the Lord with hugs and kisses and whinge and whine about leaving Him when the time comes to go back to our normal routine? (The blessing is we take Him with us.)
I must say “A great time had by all”, including myself.
The washing is all worth it!
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Love
Rosemary
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How often do you rejoice in what God has done for you? Do you live differently knowing this joy?
How often do you thank God for the blessings in your life?
How do you think you could be more grateful?