Monday, July 14, 2014

The Text Message

 
I ran up on this picture on FaceBook... scanned it and moved on.
Through out the day it returned to my thoughts so I searched it out this morning and downloaded so I could ruminate...

 
 
On the third trip to the health care facility to check on my Aunt Juanita, while sitting in traffic, I ran a search on the internet using my my iphone..."random Bible verse"....I put that in Google and got several suggestions and just hit one...
 
This one:
 
Bibledice.com
 
The verses shown were:
 
Mark 5:35-43
 
35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
 
 
I hit the "speak" on the page and Siri read it to me...I had her read it over and over as I drove to Aunt Juanita. I had questions...Like, "Why" (that's a typical question for me lately)...Why did Jesus tell them not to reveal what happened? Why did he come in and tell everyone she was sleeping when he truly brought her back and advise the family to keep it under wraps. And why, why can't we have that healing for so many here today and now. I thought of Sophia, a sweet little angel who has been battling Batten's Disease and her angel keepers. And I talked to God about it...I haven't gotten the answers I want but He knows my heart.
 
It was thoughts / conversation I wouldn't have today had I not looked into the Bible.  
 
Then after I cleaned my bathroom tonight, feeling accomplished but so far behind in what needs to be done that the accomplishment was not as great as I wanted to believe. It's difficult, I won't put on like it's easy caring for someone in a health care facility. It had been a month or so that I had been able to clean my bathroom due to Aunt Juanita falling and breaking her hip. She fell the day after the 1year anniversary of her sister's death and had surgery the following morning. So it's been Central Baptist, then Cardinal Hill and now the rehab at a Health Care Facility. I'm there two to three times a day. It's so taxing working 2nd shift full time...to spend time with her and make sure she has what she needs. Do her laundry, wash her wigs and take them to the salon, purchase items she needs, experiment with things to occupy her time, take her to the gardens, courtyards, and other areas outside, take her to her house these past two Sundays to visit her cat, go feed her cat everyday, and the birds, make sure the house is in order, get her mail in...pick up food or replace the food that is not edible or appetizing to her at times...and the list goes on along with the list of my life obligations. Taxing? Maybe, a little...maybe a lot! Maybe I get resentful sometimes.
 
AND so ....after I cleaned the bathroom tonight I got ready to sit down with my iphone and check in on a few things...and remembered the above picture. So I picked up my Bible and went out to the front porch. The sky was opening up and it was so inspiring. I opened my Bible to the New Testament. I looked to the right of the page for "a message."
 
There it was.
 
Underlined.
 
vs 40 ...."Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
 
I went back to the beginning of the message...verse 31 of Matthew 25 and read to the end of the conversation being verse 46. and if I didn't get anything else from this "Bible Text" I got the important message...that what I am doing for Aunt Juanita, it's the same as if I am doing it for Jesus.
 
And those lonely people that I want to hug that sit and wait for their family members to stop by and love on them...when I smile at them and pat their shoulder when I walk past them...I'm patting the shoulder of Jesus...and how can a person get down about that?
 
This entry is not to try and make myself feel better or brag about what I am doing ... It helps document my life happening...but it's mainly to challenge you...to answer the "text" that's calling out to you. Cause I got two texts today that altered my thinking...maybe you are looking for a word, too. Facebook and Instagram are fun to check into...but I need meaning...purpose...maybe you do, too.