I Stand Corrected and Humbled!

My friend commented on my “Mountain Top” blog yesterday: “I grew up around and raised our children in the mountains of Washington and Oregon. Winter, Spring or Summer, we would enjoy the beauty and majesty of God’s creations. It was not necessarily the scaling the mountain, as we did much of that, or skiing down, it was the incredible untouched beauty that God surrounded our lives. It never hesitated to overwhelm us and remind us of our blessings.” I recall her words AFTER my annual mammogram appointment.

I’m heading to my appointment and I’m NOT looking for the beauty and blessings around me. I am overindulged in the drama – the squeeze, twist, and press that awaits me. I’m not recognizing “the incredible untouched beauty that surrounds my life” as my friend put it so well. Besides that, I am remembering the nearly one hour wait three months ago because this clinic had a new system. I could wait no longer so I rescheduled. That negativity is also in my mind. Are you kidding me? This is Ms. Positivity and Optimism talking and I’m in a pathetic mindset!

I walk into the clinic and, blow me away, a kind woman welcomes me immediately to her desk. She updates my info online and within five minutes she is taking me back to the dressing room to put on the lovely, open-in-the-front gown. This photo is of the lockers for our carry-on paraphernalia. I don't choose the Mother Teresa or Helen Keller one, as you might think. I choose the Dolly Parton locker (how perfect for the mountain top, and in my case, this molehill, experience).

Right away, I notice a gal reading a People magazine, waiting for her name to be called. Two women, one in a gown and another in her street clothes, are in non-stop conversation. That chatting is annoying me because I can’t concentrate as I'm trying to read my daily Bible plan on my phone. (Oh me!) A technician calls the magazine-reading gal’s name, and subsequently, the gal with her buddy. She looks back at her friend and says: “Come, go with me” and the technician says “She can’t go with you to the mammography room.” Now, I’m sitting in a state of shame that I, the “Peace Zone” girl, have allowed myself to be lowered to the level of a cynical, selfish and ungrateful, Bible-toting Christian. I am mortified. I get past my angst, my little worries and concerns and get into who I am and Whose I am. It's not about me. It's about being an ambassador for Him.

I speak to the “buddy” sitting across from me: “I’m so glad that you are here for your friend.” She tells me that her friend and her doctor “found something of concern and today is going to be at least a two-hour appointment”. Not a "routine" appointment and immediately, I do what I do best when I am outside of me and become Him in “voice, hands and feet” mode. I speak in my more fluent language of compassion and God’s love and explain that in scripture we hear why “two are better than one”. Before long, her friend opens the door and signals her back and I see the “buddy system” in full “go” mode. I recalled editing a book last month by a now cancer-free young woman, and this scenario was the start of her two-year cancer journey. I say a little quiet prayer for the journey of this gal – that she will partner up with God as her travel companion as this young author did.

My name is called by a lovely technician. My nervous chatter starts: “Sooo, is it new technology and just a little picture taken today?” The tech, smiling and knowing what my skittish remark meant, responds: “A little more than a picture but less painful than since you had your last mammogram a year ago! There is a curve added….see!” She points to the mammogram x-ray machine. Within 5 minutes, the whole procedure is over and I hear birds singing and thunderous applause ensued. She was right! It was so much better than before. A sigh of great relief! I could breathe! Before I leave, I turn and see this quote printed on the wall behind me. “Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the BIG things!”

Indeed, it is the little things we must appreciate – in sunshine and rain – in calm and in storm. The little things of opting for gratitude instead of worry and concern. The little things God uses to give us another illustrated sermon that opens our eyes to others and when we can seize the opportunity to make a difference in their day. Each person I met this morning woke me up to God’s goodness and mercy that is there to follow us in every way. Yes, I need a do-over on the start of my day. Every day I realize that God is still working on me! How loving and patient He must be!

By the way, that new system that they were working on that “inconvenienced” me three months prior…..already sent me the results of my mammogram:
“Dear Donna, Thank you for your recent visit to our center on 4/3/2019. We are happy to report that the results of your screening mammogram are as follows: No evidence of breast cancer or other significant abnormality.”

Thank you, God, for your loving kindness. Thank you, for loving me enough to correct me and to help me be Your correctable servant. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

The Fruit of the Spirit is......

Day 279 of Photo Inspirations -- The Fruit of the Spirit is.....
What a joy it is to be leading an 8-Week Bible Study for a group of women that come from various faith backgrounds.  As I prayed and prepared for this study, I was prompted to a study of the Fruit of the Spirit.  I had been around some folks who made me wonder about their "fruit" as they tended to be, by nature, a little cranky and cynical.  It's never a GREAT day.  It's typically a too cold, too hot, too rainy, too humid, too dry....DAY!   Their outlook on just about everything is often quite dismal.  And, that made me start checking out the fruit in my own life.  I know we shouldn't judge others.....lest we be judged.  But, I figured it's quite alright to inspect the fruit in my own life and be my own FRUIT INSPECTOR.

That's the message I kept getting. We ALL certainly know about fruit:
* The Food Pyramid states that 2 to 4 servings of FRUIT a day is essential to a healthy balanced diet.
* Body shapes are often described as FRUITS (i.e., pear, banana, apple)
* There is the “FRUIT of the Loom’s” FRUIT Guys – LOL!
* There’s those folks who are slightly spaced out that we’ve heard called “FRUIT Cakes”
* FRUITY is the word that describes the tastes or flavors of wines, colognes and room sprays

But, when I said that God is calling us to be FRUIT inspectors, that applies to Matthew 7:20 – “Therefore, by their FRUITS, you will know them.”   WOW – that’s how we’re recognized as devoted followers of Christ…OR NOT -- by our FRUITS.   So as FRUIT inspectors….first, we need to pass the test on the FRUITS we, ourselves, are bearing.

It really is the season for "Fruit Bearing”.  Galatians 5:22-23 ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’

As we grow in and experience the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then those beautiful attributes and characteristics of the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit will thrive and flourish in our lives.  After all, as believers, we know Holy Spirit is in us so we already have the good soil, fertilizer, nutrients and everything else we need to be good FRUIT bearers.

With the approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, it's perfect time to settle down from our potentially hectic schedules and responsibilities to draw us into that place of intimacy with God and inspect the good fruit or bad fruit we may be bearing.  Perhaps, by the time all the seasonal celebrations begin, we will be better equipped with the Fruit of the Spirit to make it the best, most blessed celebrations EVER!