A Quiet Witness

This morning my husband and I refinanced our house...I know, those of you who know me know that we are planning to sell our home and buy something smaller. So why did we refinance our house now? We were very blessed to be able to get a lower...much much lower...interest rate AND pay off debt by this refinance. This economy has not helped us in our real estate situation but we all know that God knows what is best for us. He is the ONLY one who knows our future!

After we closed on our loan, we felt kind of downhearted by losing some of the equity that we had in our house by paying off medical bills, etc...but we really felt that this was the smart thing to do. Anyway, we hadn't had breakfast yet so Roger asked me if I wanted to grab a bite!
As we sat in the restaurant, we noticed a lovely African American young woman bow her head and pray...not just a quick bowing of her head, but a "I'M NOT ASHAMED OF MY FAITH!!!" prayer.

It was uplifting to me.

Sometimes, does it seem that you and your family are all alone in your struggles in this world? I know that I do at times!! I am not attached to a homeschooling network as of yet and not very many homeschool at my church right now. (I don't mean that if you don't homeschool you aren't a real Christian!!!! Of course not! I just mean that I feel isolated sometimes...often!! )So every time I see someone with a Christian Tshirt on or a bowed head at meal time, I am so encouraged!

That little lady really made me think about what our even SILENT witness can be for our Savior! (And an encouragement to other believers!)
I think that is why I love to wear dresses...it seems like there is often an instant sisterhood/brotherhood to fellow Christians when you make it obvious that you are a Christian. It also humbles me to realize that I had BETTER BE SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE AND NOT BEING A HYPOCRITE TO OTHER PEOPLE!

For instance, am I being grumpy as I stand in the incredibly long line at the grocery store? How do I respond to a rude person behind/in front of me? How am I talking to my children? What kind of look do I have on my face?

To be honest, I have been close to families of females that I am certain claim to be Christians (due to their dress...) and felt as if I really didn't want to be terribly close to that cross, grumpy, crotchety Mother!

I guess I'm just saying that as much as that sweetly bowed head of the young lady impressed me and uplifted me, I have equally been deflated when I try to smile at a fellow Christian and get a scowl back at me.
If I feel like that, and I have been a Christian for .....ummmm......a long long time, since I was 8....believe me, lots of years......what kind of response do we get from non Christians when we carry around all of life's burdens on our shoulders and on our faces? When we claim that our children are a blessing from God yet we treat them less than honorably, what does that say to others about what we REALLY think and believe?

This post was really for me....I have been an amazing grouch lately. I've been holding onto all my worries and burdens and snatching them back when my Heavenly Father offers to take them from me. I've been really short tempered to those I love the most.

Something else that God has been telling me lately is about having a meek and quiet spirit. I have always had a somewhat difficult time trying to figure out exactly what that means. When someone in the "world" says that someone is meek, it isn't usually considered a compliment. I certainly have wanted to be a strong and capable woman, so I didn't really think this was something that I could strive to be! After all, much of my life I spent as a single parent...and that job wasn't a job for a weak lady!! RIGHT???

I've done a little bit of studying this week about what that "meekness" entails. Moses was said to have been a meek man! Wow...this man was really strong and powerful! What a leader! But he had STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL!! There is no reason that we as women can not be considered strong, capable women...but not allowing ourselves to be pushy, angry, self serving women...but instead we are supposed to be full of HIS Spirit and to have self control.
To be honest, I have problems with my self control when angry. It's not like I plan to HURT anyone but I have problems with my TONGUE and temper, especially... But a lot of hurt can be done with a woman's tongue.

I'm glad that God put my crazy, fairly bubbly, outgoing personality in ME! He doesn't intend to change THAT...He created me with that characteristic. What a relief!!
I think I had grown up and matured thinking that God isn't happy with MY personality-that He wanted me to be a weak and timid person. I remember in the Christian school I attended one of the pastors' wives said that we should intentionally raise our voices up a note or two when we speak so that we could sound more feminine. Hmmm....didn't work too well for me. I felt that I was playing a role, pretending and trying to fit into a "Christian woman" mold.

I had it all wrong. Being meek and quiet does have everything to do with letting God rule in our hearts, souls and minds and to be CALM and teachable. It DOES mean having my strength (even my very strong Irish temper) under control. It means to have my crazy bubbliness under control and USABLE! Dynamite can be a wonderful tool when handled correctly and under control. It can be devastatingly powerful when used for evil or not under control. I can still be bubbly and still ALLOW God to work in my heart. But I have to ALLOW God to work in me to teach me how to control the not so nice parts of me.

ALLOW. That is the key. Wow...I have to work on that....

Have a lovely day....
Beth