Just a spoon full of Sugar...

Just a spoon full of Sugar... Helps the medicine go down… (not my typical 80’s genre, I know)

When Donelle was talking last week, I (apparently) scribbled down a note that has taken me all week to notice and interpret. The two lines in were:

• Spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down
• When life gets sour (make lemonade by adding sugar)

I remember Donelle saying something about sometimes life gets sour, and we don’t understand things. For some reason, I just started thinking about making lemonade. How do you make lemonade? You add sugar to your lemon juice. Then that turned in to the Spoon Full of Sugar song running through my head – is that really a song, who knows…?

So what does any of that have to do with any of this… Well, God is our sugar (I guess everyone needs a pet name)… Life can be sour when God’s not present, but when you add God (allow him in), you get lemonade, or when there’s something tough to swallow (like medicine) – decisions or issues – make sure you’ve got a spoon full of God (He goes a long way) and take on that decision knowing that He has a plan for each of us – far be it for us to understand it – and it can make it easier and give you peace (helps that medicine go down – much better than a 16 calorie teaspoon of cane sugar).

I’m not sure why that seems to tie to today’s scripture verses, but the apply at the bottom says “Take time over the next few days to reflect anew on who you are in Christ, asking God what that means for how you should live.” We (I) need to stop trying to drink lemon juice and take nasty medicine straight up -- it doesn’t prove anything to anybody, the smart man accepts God’s help and involvement, and becomes a better example in the process. Share God’s love and how he can help us all, every day, for it is by Him and through Him all things are possible… Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down (and helps it all make better sense)…

My prayer for us all this week is, in the words of one of the (again, not so great) 80’s theologians, Def Leopard: “Pour Some Sugar on Me!”

Rob

Pray for gas!?

So, funny thing happened on the way to the doctors office today... As we passed the gas station, I asked Jennifer to remind me I needed gas on the way home (my gas light had probably only been on for 3 or 4 days, but I remembered putting a couple gallons in -- I just didn't remember when). You guessed it, no sooner had I said it than the van turned off -- ran out of gas! Seriously!! That hasn't happened in YEARS.

So, we can see LWC from the van and Jennifer is determined we're going to walk (I really think she was excited about the opportunity to actually walk further than 10 feet at the time). I was pondering an easy solution -- and, as usual, it wasn't going to embarrass me or require us to impose on anyone. I had a great idea -- we just needed a landscaper to drive by. They'll have a gas can in the back of their truck and we'll be set. I said a little prayer that please, oh please let a landscaper come by so we could quickly get back to our plans. After waiting for what must have been a full minute with no sign of "help", I got out of the car. Immediately, a landscaping truck showed up -- no, really! The driver didn't speak much (any) English, but I managed to get the point across that we needed some gas. I stuck my head in the van and told Jennifer how great it was that I prayed for a landscaping truck!

Well, his gas can was empty. He had gas and oil mixed, but no plain gas. I thanked him and stood confused for a moment or two. Luckily, I laughed as Jennifer said -- "should have prayed for gas!"

So what's the point? My very first blog (that I've posted here instead of e-mailing). The point is, what am I praying for? Sometime we (especially me) think we're so smart we're willing to tell God how he can answer our prayers. Don't pray for our solution, but that His will be done, in His time, and His way -- not ours. So, pray for gas -- and a softened heart so our ears may hear or our eyes may see if and how God wants to answer that prayer.

Our God is truly Awesome!

(By the way, Stephanie's dad brought us some gas and got us back on the road. But not until I got to see a couple church friends pass by and offer help.) Thanks!