Relationships, the Apron Strings of God, Part 2

by patsy norwood ~ © 2008 -2016 ~ All Rights Reserved

Yesterday we talked about relationships and about how our relationship with God affects our relationships with our fellow Christians.  Today, we’re going to continue this line of thinking and talk about how our relationship with God affects our husbands.

Ladies, do you realize that how we live before our husbands has an effect on them. It can literally cause them to turn from God or to Him. Here’s a thought. Do you realize that our husbands are constantly watching us? I don’t mean they sit around and literally follow our every move with their eyes, but they do observe us in our responses and actions to everyday life. Who are they seeing in us, God or the fallen one?

I’d like to introduce you to some ladies. I have to tell you before I do though that they are not very good examples of how a Christian wife should act. In fact, they are, shall we say, quite the opposite.

First, we have Mrs. Me Me Molly ...
Just like many of us, Me Me let her light shine and others know she was a follower of Christ. That is until she got so busy with her work and her children’s activities that her light began to dim. Praying took up too much of her time and so did reading her Bible. She even got so busy that you didn’t see her in Bible class or worship services anymore, because, well, a person has to rest some time. Then a very sad thing happened, a sinful creature called jealousy crept into her heart and built a home. The creature grew and grew until it had consumed her heart and Jesus began to slowly fade away. Me Me became obsessed with her appearance. She wanted to wear the best makeup and the latest styles of clothes. When any of her friends got new clothes she had to have a new outfit too even if the family budget couldn’t afford it. Now, Me Me wasn’t only concerned with her looks and what she wore but she was also concerned with what she drove and where she lived as well. Yes, you guessed it, she wanted a new car every two years whether they could afford it or not and her house had to be in the most affluent section of town plus be filled with furnishings that made her the envy of all her friends. As her name implies, it was all about ‘her’ with Mrs. Me Me Molly.

Then, we have Mrs. Betty Busybody ...
As her name implies Betty Busy Body was busy. If anybody wanted to know anything they knew exactly where to go. Betty Busy Body knew everything about everybody and was more than willing to share her knowledge. Gossiping was her specialty, oh, but that’s not what she called it. In her opinion she was just being friendly, and after all everyone would find out sooner or later any way. I Peter 4:15 would have been a good verse for Mrs. Betty Busybody to read and obey. It says “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil doer, or as a busybody in other peoples’ matters.”

Next, is Mrs. Lazy Lucy …
Mrs. Lazy Lucy never quite gets around to doing the things she knows she should, there really is no reason other than she just doesn’t want to. Her home is always a mess because she really needs to sleep in every morning with her not being a morning person and all and as for the afternoons well… she just couldn’t miss the next episodes of her soap operas. Her poor husband and children just kind of fend for themselves when it comes to meals and clean clothes. Lazy Lucy just never seems to get around to those ‘domestic’ chores. What about church, well it just takes too much effort. It’s easier to just stay at home … but she’s convinced she’ll be more in the mood to go … next week.

Last, we have Mrs. I Can Do It Myself or better known as Mrs. I am Woman! ...
The old song “I am Woman by Linda Ronstad sums up Mrs. I Can Do It Myself’s attitude well. She is a women’s libber through and through. She doesn’t need anyone to do anything for her, most especially her husband. She can “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan” as the song goes. She is a one-woman show? Mrs. I Can Do It Myself has forgotten something though. She’s forgotten about God’s plan for man and woman. She’s forgotten that each has a God assigned role and that each brings their own gifts to the marriage. The following dialogue between a husband and his wife came from an old movie, listen carefully to what is being said, it’s kind of corny, but the message is true. … “O Robert, how can you love me when you are so strong and I am so weak? Robert reply’s and this is what I want you to listen closely to, “Elizabeth, my strength needs your weakness, just as much as your weakness needs my strength.” Ladies, its okay to admit to needing our husbands, that’s the way God made us. God made men and women or in this context husbands and wives to complement each other.

It’s all about relationships!

patsy

She Hath Done What She Could

A Working Pantry

Relationships, the Apron Strings of God, part 1

by patsy norwood ~ © 2008 - 2016 ~ All Rights Reserved

Apron Strings … the ties that hold an apron on

Relationships … the ties that hold people together

Today we live in a ‘hurry up’ world. We want everything instant from coffee to relationships. We want immediate results with minimal effort. In case you haven’t noticed, life doesn’t work that way and neither do relationships. Meaningful relationships require effort; effort that includes loving each other, supporting each other and spending time with each other. Herein lies the key to building good relationships.

Have you ever thought about the fact that God uses relationships to further His kingdom, or more specifically, that God uses you and me through these relationships to bring others to Him? That’s a sobering thought isn’t it? In this series of articles we’re going to take a look at some of the people in our lives that are affected by OUR relationship with God. No man is an island unto himself, we affect others through the relationships we have with them and here’s another sobering thought, our relationship with God will manifest it’s self in our relationships to others.

What does our relationship with others say about our relationship with God?

Ladies did you know that God wants us to develop and maintain good relationships within the family of God. The Scriptures in Ephesians 4:3 tell us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” This simply means for us to do our part in getting along with others. A Christian does not exist in isolation. He is an integral part of a greater whole. Getting along with our brothers and sisters in Christ is crucial if we are going to please God. We said earlier that meaningful relationships require effort. This is especially true when it comes to fellow Christians.

When searching for a Biblical example for this point I came across Dorcas. We all know the story of how she was always doing good and helping the poor and that when she became sick and died the disciples sent for Peter urging him to come at once. When Peter got there, he was taken upstairs to the room where Dorcas lay. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made for them. Ladies, what was it about Dorcas that aroused such admiration? What was it about her that caused the disciples to send for Peter with the urgent message to come quickly? Could it have been the relationships she had with others? I think so. Now let’s take the life of Dorcas and bring it into our day and time, what would a modern day Dorcas look like? Let’s think about this.

Would she welcome a new-comer in the congregation and make a point of getting to know her?

Would she send notes of appreciation and encouragement to those who needed them?

Would she work hard to create a “family atmosphere” in her church?

Would she talk to and mentor young women as needed?

Would she gently remind a young mother that there are different seasons of life and that her priority is her family and home in this season of her life?

Would women request that she pray for them and feel confident that she would?

Would she strive to make everyone feel loved and accepted when they were around her?

Dorcas made a difference in the lives of those around her through her relationships with them and we can do the same. 

It’s all about relationships!

patsy  norwood

she hath done what she could

a working pantry

My Heart Is So Full!

(Here’s a little trip down memory lane of a foreign mission trip my family and I took, I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you.)

by Patsy Norwood © 2001 - 2016 All Rights Reserved

(written in 2001)

This is the entry I made in my prayer journal two days before our trip.

“You’ll never get me on a plane over an ocean”. These are the words I said to my husband some twenty years ago. I was and still am terrified of the idea of flying and of deep water. It is now twenty years later and in two days time I will board a plane and fly over an ocean to go to Panama. I have never been on a plane. I am about to face one of my greatest fears. The phrase “For this I have Jesus” keeps going through my mind followed by “For this I need Jesus!"

Why am I getting on a plane and flying over an ocean if I am afraid? No one is forcing me, I am going of my own free will. I am going for Jesus, because he said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). My job on this trip is to teach the children. For this I have Jesus!  For this I need Jesus!

Fast forward to 12 days later.

As I sit here and search for words to describe our trip I find that mere words are inadequate. They do not begin to convey what is in my heart, the emotions that I have experienced, the love that I feel for our team members and for the people of Cerro Vaca (Cow Hill). I hope in some small way you can get a glimpse of what I was blessed to experience by reading this article.

Let’s start with the numbers. Eleven people made the decision to become Christians and were baptized. One was restored. There were 155 Bible studies conducted not including the worship services we had every night. Several men from our team went out faithfully every day in search of homes to visit and for people who were willing to do a Bible study. A lot of effort went into this area of our work and it paid off. The doctor saw 1,385 patients, 5,685 prescriptions were written, filled and given out. The dentist saw 66 patients with 120 extractions. Benevolence had 606 people to come through their station. They gave out tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, toys for the children, and every piece of clothing that we brought. Several of our team even gave some of their own clothes and shoes for these people. We had a crew who did nothing but scrub heads for lice all day long. They scrubbed 370 heads. Hats off to you! As far as I’m concerned you had one of the worst jobs.

The cooks did a fabulous job of feeding us. Imagine cooking for 60+ people with no electricity or running water. On top of these conditions all of the water they used had to be purified. They did it and the food was quite good!

Then there were those people who brought us cold soft drinks at just the right moments. With temperatures nearing and often times exceeding 100 degrees each day these guys quickly became our “favorite” people to see and received much thanks from us. I can’t forget the construction team. They worked in the heat faithfully each day in order to make a church building reality for these people. They had one of the hottest jobs. Thanks to their efforts we were able to have our devotion in the building on the morning we left. Thanks guys!

Our maintenance crew kept things running smoothly. Have you ever tried to “keep things running smoothly” for 60+ people who just happen to be in a very out of the way place? These guys did it! They even cleaned the outhouses for us and rigged up a makeshift shower. A round of applause is definitely in order for them.

We even had a crew who demonstrated how to brush your teeth, when to wash your hands, and just good personal hygiene. I did hear that they received several odd looks though.

The people who worked in the “pharmacy” had to have dreamed of little pills and of children spitting out their worm medicine. I never saw so much medication in one small room. The look on the children’s faces after they swallowed their worm medicine was comical … until they spit it back out. I wonder how many times our workers were sprayed with “rejected” worm medicine?

Last of all, but certainly not the least, were our nurses. Anyone who saw the doctor, dentist, had their heads scrubbed, went through our benevolence line, or any way received any other help, had to first see our nurses. I never saw so many people getting their blood pressure taken and their heads checked for lice. Nurses, you did a great job!

Next, I want to tell you about the people who stood in line all day in order to be seen by our medical team, and about the ones who spent the night in order to be seen. These people all walked. They all came, husbands, wives, children, and grandparents and stood in long lines waiting for their turn. One lady came on Tuesday. She realized that because of the long lines she would not be seen that day. She left home at 4 a.m. the next morning walking in order to arrive at 7 a.m. She stood in line and waited all day. It was late in the afternoon when she finally saw the dentist. She very politely asked if there was any way they could pull two teeth. Our dentist graciously accommodated her. This is just an example of how desperate these people are. Think about the hottest day you have ever endured and add to that the fact that there is very little shade and you are on the top of a very high mountain. These were the conditions that the people endured, yet they did not complain. There is no doctor in Cerro Vaca. The nearest one is 1 ½ to 2 hours down the mountain. A doctor visit cost $2.00, very few have it. They have no transportation except an occasional horse and no money. They live in grass huts, open tin houses, and open stick houses all with dirt floors. They cook over open fires outside their homes. They have no electricity or running water. School tuition is another area of need. Each student has to pay $2.00 a year in tuition to go to school. This amount is very difficult for the parents to pay. One night a young boy asked my husband for $2.00. When we asked him what he wanted it for he told us it was needed to pay his school tuition. After confirming his story, arrangements were made with the proper people for his tuition to be paid. I don’t think that I shall ever look at $2.00 the same again.

I had one of the best jobs there. I was given the privilege of teaching the children. We had an average of 200 - 300 children each day. At the scheduled times we would take our teaching materials and head for the designated spot. The children would immediately flock to us. They came running from every direction. It is a scene that I will never forget. We sang songs (in Spanish), did skits, and handed out coloring pages and crayons. We blew bubbles for them and the joy and excitement on their faces as they tried to catch the bubbles was something you would have to see to believe. I shall always remember the intenseness in which they listened to the stories from the Bible, and their laughter as they watched our skits. (Have you ever seen teenagers wallowing around on the ground playing the part of pigs and the fatted calf for the story of the prodigal son, how about sheep for the story of the lost sheep?) Our teenagers and young adults really gave their all in these skits and I am so proud of them. I shall never forget the children’s young voices as they sang Alabaré which translated means “I will praise Him”. Their smiles and hugs are implanted in my mind forever. There are no words to describe the mark these children left on my heart.

As I mentioned above, we sang the children’s songs in Spanish. This was no small feat since the only word I knew in Spanish was “agua”. We are thankful to those who took the time to get us the words to the songs in Spanish before we left. It was a big help to us once we were there. Imagine trying to carry on a conversation with someone who doesn’t understand what you are saying and you don’t understand what they are saying. Many times we were reduced to laughter as we tried to figure out what each was trying to say. We thank God for our translators who always came to our rescue.

What can I say about our team except that they were absolutely great! You really get to know someone when you are hot, sweaty, dirty, and yes, even smelly. All pretenses are gone and the real person is shown. We developed a comradeship that cannot be put in to words. When my husband had to be taken to the emergency room our team members rallied around us. When my feet were swollen to twice their normal size and it hurt to walk, I was politely told to get off of them and was provided a place to do just that. I have fond memories of standing in a circle each morning at the close of our devotional time, holding hands and singing Bind Us Together Lord, and God’s Family. It put tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. Then there was the late night when several of the team members were standing around gazing at the clear sky feeling so close to the stars that it was a temptation not to try and reach out and touch them that one of the team members broke out singing How Great Thou Art. It was such a moving moment and one by one all who were standing around soon joined in for what was one of the most beautiful times of singing unto the Lord that has ever been. Any time there was a need of any sort there was always a team member that could figure out a way to meet that need. We shared hand sanitizers, wet wipes, sun blocks and anything else we had that was needed by someone else. We had true “team spirit” and I am so thankful to have been a part of it.

Our trip had its humorous moments also. Our fearless leader went through camp each morning at 6 a.m. singing a wake up song for us. He is lucky he didn’t have a few things thrown at him. I did hear of an attempt though by some of our younger team members to serenade him with his own song late one night. There was the lady who refused to leave because she wanted to watch us. In fact, she wasn’t the only one who watched us. Everywhere you turned there were little eyes peering at you, through doors, windows, and around corners. A group of young ladies from our team took a trip “down the mountain” on foot in order to go and watch someone be baptized. Their trip gave new meaning to the word “rugged”. The trip down the mountain to the pavement on the last day was quite an experience. There were nine of us in the back of a four wheel drive truck. The bed of the truck was one of those short ones, approximately 4′ by 5′. We were packed in like sardines, yet we laughed all the way down the mountain.

A scene that will forever stay in my mind is one of the children running down the mountain behind the truck we were in as we were leaving. We watched them as they became smaller and smaller the further we got from them. There were also people at different places along the side of the road on our way down the mountain. All were there to wave us on our way.

I do not want to end this article without giving thanks to all who made this trip possible. My life has forever been changed because of it. What I feared would be a terrifying experience turned out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I pray that the seeds we planted will continue to grow and that God has been glorified in all that we did.

patsy
she hath done what she could

" ... and Peter" ... Mark 16:7

by Patsy Norwood ~ © 2004 - 2016

We have all read many times the story of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. We have read how He was deserted; how in His last hours here on earth even Peter, one of His beloved disciples, denied knowing Him. Oh, the emotional anguish that our Saviour must have suffered on the night of His betrayal! 

But what about Peter, the impetuous disciple that denied Him not once, not twice, but three times? Jesus warned him that he would do this in Mark 14: 27-31 and Peter vehemently denied that he would do such a thing. How do you think Peter felt after he realized he had done the very thing he said he would not do? Mark 14:72 says he wept. Peter surely felt remorse and sorrow for what he had done otherwise he would not have wept. Peter was also probably feeling pretty hopeless realizing that he had really messed up. Oh, for the opportunity to undo what he had done!

I'm sure all of us at one time or another has shared Peter's feelings of sorrow, remorse, and hopelessness over something that we've done. Oh, for the opportunity to undo damage our actions caused! If only ... but wait, there is good news! Mark 16:7 says "But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee: there you will see Him, as He said to you". 

" .... and Peter", wait a minute, Peter was the one who denied Him ... 3 times ... at a time when Jesus needed someone to stand by Him. Do you mean that He wanted to include Peter, that He still counted him as one of His own ... after what he had done? 

According to Mark 16:7 that is exactly what He meant. Jesus specifically said "... go tell His disciples – and Peter –." Do you think it was because He knew that Peter was truly sorry for what he had done? Do you think that Jesus wanted Peter to know that he was forgiven? Do you think He feels the same way when we acknowledge our sins, are repentant, and ask forgiveness?

" ... and Peter" assures us that He does!

I wrote this writing back in 2004 and have used it as a reminder to myself several times since.  If you are caring a heavy load of regret over something you've done and wondering whether or not God will forgive you, don't listen to Satan who wants us to believe that we are unforgivable, instead go to God's Word and claim His sweet promises.  God forgave Peter and He'll forgive us too! ~ patsy

she hath done what she could

Now That I'm a Grandmommie!

by Patsy Norwood

My children are having children!  How can that be?  It seems only yesterday they were all underfoot and I was busier than a bee!  I can look back now and smile at some of those times when I didn’t know what I was doing or whether I was coming or going.  I made a lot of mistakes and prayed for guidance daily. 

But, now I am a grandmommie and oh, how I love that role!  I once again have the opportunity to help guide sweet little souls to our heavenly Father.

My most powerful tool in teaching my grandchildren is my example.  I want them to see me studying God’s word and when they ask questions about what I’m doing I want to pull them onto my lap and let them explore my Bible while I answer their tender questions.  I want them to fall in love with God and His word. 

I want to slow down and take time for my grandchildren, take walks with them and exclaim over God’s creation. I want them to learn of God as we go about our daily routines.

I want them to hear me praying for others and especially for them.  I want them to know that they can talk to God about anything and anyone.

I want my grandchildren to know and realize that God and grandmommie are best friends and that they can be best friends with God too.

My grandchildren are still very young but even at their young ages they need to learn about consequences.  Consequences are much less severe and painful when they are young than they will be if they have to learn the concept when they are teenagers or even adults. As their grandmommie, it is my responsibility to guide with a loving hand when they are in my care and, when necessary, to hand out as gentle as possible consequences to them. But, it is also my responsibility and equally important to follow through with those consequences once they are given.  Learning about consequences now will help them to understand and be more willing to follow our Lord’s teachings when the choice is theirs.

I want my grandchildren to go to heaven and as much as is in my power to help them do that, I want to do it. I want to see them walk into their Sunday school classes and I want them to sit beside me at worship services.  I want to sing the old hymns with them as well as the newer songs of praise and adoration.  I want to help them learn the 12 sons of Jacob and the 10 commandments. I want them to know that God’s word has a solution for everything and as they grow up, how to read, study and discern His word.

II Timothy 1:5 (NASB) says that Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, had sincere faith.  “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”  I want my grandchildren to have that biblical heritage too … that their grandmommie had ‘sincere faith.’ 

When they think of grandmommie I want them to think of God and when they think of God, I want them to think of grandmommie. In order for that to happen, I must make time for my grandchildren, they must know in their hearts that they are important to me.  I must live my life in such a way that shows them that God is number one in my life and that He can and wants to be number one in their lives as well.

The role of helping raise spiritually healthy grandchildren is one I am taking very seriously.  One day I want to see my grandchildren in heaven and that's the motivation that drives me.

she hath done what she could ...