Mark 8-9


Just before I got started on my devotions this morning I received a phone call from my wife. She wanted to see how my morning was progressing and also share something that she overheard my son saying as he was playing with his toys this morning. Let me preface what he said with what happened yesterday.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was actually sixty degrees outside and sunny. (This is a miracle because of all the snow that we have received this last month in Northeast Ohio.) My wife and I decided that it was time to take our first walk of the spring. With my daughter in a stroller and my dog on a leash this meant that I needed to go into the garage and pull out my son's tricycle. From the back door all the way to the garage door my son kept on telling me that I needed to get his tricycle out for the walk. I simply and calmly told him that daddy was getting into the garage to do just that. In the midst of digging in the garage our dog ran off down the street and my son started yelling at the dog. Due to the "complete disaster" that is my garage I was growing in frustration at the stuck tricycle and my family yelling at our dog as she frolicked down the street. So, I yelled to my family (always a great thing to due during times of frustration) to stop yelling because I would get the dog. Once I tore the tricycle free from the lawnmowers, bikes, and asundry other items (Spring Job #1 CLEAN GARAGE OUT) I staggered out of the garage to hear my son yelling at the long gone dog. Unfortuately in my haste and frustration I told him to, "shut up." This was one of those (many) times in my life that I wanted to reach out and snatch back those words. Of course my wife heard and scolded me (which I totally deserved).

This bring me back to the phone call. My wife overheard my son having his toys tell each other to "shut up". This means that I will be going home this afternoon and apologizing to my son about what I said to him. I will also be explaining why we do not say things like that. All of this on the eve of leading a parenting class in my small groups.


This brings me to the book of Mark. I was reading in chapter 9 about the transfiguration of Christ. I learned that to tranfigure means to change on the outside that which comes from the inside (Weirsbe). Jesus' appearance became radient white. His outside reflected his glorious inner purity. What I stuggle with is what am I putting on the inside of me. I talk to my students about those thing that they read and watch and how it effects them. I need to heed this idea carefully myself. Romans 12:1-2 and II Corinthians 3:18 talk about God transforming us from the inside out and our lives reflecting God. I also began reflecting on James3:1-12 about the power of the tongue. So, is my life reflecting the fruit of the Spirit or other unsavory things. My inappropriate words with my son are serving as a wakeup call to me. May if continue to fill my life with those things that are pleasing to God. May my life more closely reflect HIM.

Comments

H. said…
I love it when pastors can be candid and real...thanks for sharing just one of many life lessons...
April 2, 2008 at 5:03 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filth Crave

Image
I Peter 1:21 - 2:3 We are called to sincere real love. It is expected that since we have trusted in Christ's work and we are committed to following Him then that should be what compels us forward in our life. We must crave pure spiritual milk. We must be nourished by God. The problem is that we tend in action to crave filthy water. We settle for a cool refreshing liquid that is filled with particles, bacteria, and virus'. That filthy water is our acting loving, kind, and gracious in our hearts and yet being filled with deceit, bitterness, and anger. Throughout our day thousands of thoughts sweep though our minds. It is our choice to cling to certain thought processes and foster them. It is also our choice what we fill our lives with (or even who we fill our lives with). Filthy water results in diarrhea everywhere. We cannot fill our lives with filth and expect health. Likewise we cannot surround our selves with bad influences (people in our lives, those things we w...
Read more

Too Comfortable

Image
Talley's normal position!!! Exodus 1 I love our dog.  Her name is Talley.  She is a beautiful beagle/German shepherd mix.  Her fur is soft and she is very well tempered.  After twelve years of having her in our life I have noticed that she has the gift of napping.   In fact I am pretty confident that 20 hour a day are filled with naps and sleep.  Our children will play with her ears and paws and she won't even budge.  Don't get me wrong she loves walks and to play but that usually brings even longer naps.  Yeah, I totally envy her.  She is a very comfortable and comforting dog. I have been reading through Exodus.  Over the last several years I have spent a lot of time in the New Testament.  So, now I turn to early Israelite history to see myself and my God.  I recently taught through Abraham to Joseph (I am also reading that with my son).   So, now I turn to Moses. When I ready that first chapter I ...
Read more
Image
I Peter 2:4-12 It started in the garden. That is when humanity began passing the buck. Instead of accepting responsibility for what he had done in eating the apple Adam pointed at God and Eve. The other problem is that he hid. Today this is seen in weak marriages, poor performance in jobs, and us allowing everyone else the responsibility of raising our children. We blame our spouse, we blame our boss, and we allow teachers, television, video games, and pop culture to raise our children. It is no wonder that marriages are failing and children walk away from God the first chance they have. I still love Keith Green's song, Asleep in the Light. I think that describes the modern church. We no longer see ourselves as Peter describes us as strangers and foreigners. No do we live as God's living stones in his holy temple or as priests. We live as though there will be a U-Haul behind our hearse. We live as though the gospel is secondary. American Christianity is failing. ...
Read more