Sane, Simple, Sacred: Poison Ivy and Humility

Poison Ivy and Humility

Sometimes I think Oswald Chambers lives with me! How DID he know? How does it work out that the meditation for the day is just what I need?

"The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today.

Grace is the overflowing favor of God,

and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed...

One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God

is that you can be totally humiliated before others

without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace."

I guess I'm ALMOST there. I am a candidate for the Skin Rash Hall of Fame. Actually, I look worse than many who sent in their pictures to this site! At the end of working in the yard Friday morning, I recognized some poison ivy and stopped pulling weeds immediately. Apparently, not soon enough. My eyes are slits; my cheeks are like 1/2 apples. I am red, itchy, ugly and uncomfortable. I'm reluctant to "prove that I'm drawing on the grace of God by being totally humiliated before others" by going to church this morning.

Today's devotional reading ended with these words:

Never hold anything in reserve.

Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have,

and always be poor.

Never be diplomatic and careful

with the treasure God gives you--

"and yet possessing all things"--

this is poverty triumphant (2 Corinthians 6:10).

P.S. It's probably no coincidence that the Sunday School lesson I studied for today

is on the subject of "humility"...

On the GOOD side, we had a great day yesterday
at Riverfest--a local festival. Blue skies, perfect temperature,
and great company!

7 comments:

downsizersJune 26, 2011 at 7:38 AM
Isn't it wonderful when God talks to us through our lives? Things come before us to read that have a special meaning or something happens that fits right in to the lesson we are in the middle of. I just got over a case of poison oak. I know how you feel. I saw it as I pulled weeds and did it anyway. I washed my arms up to my elbows - didn't work. My son (Army) gets poison badly. He rubs it raw and pours bleach on it. If you can stand it, it works but not on your face of course. It is such a torment that sometimes we'll try anything. Hope you are better soon.
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SandyJune 26, 2011 at 2:49 PM
So sorry to hear you're suffering with
poison ivy. My husband always has a bad
reaction too. He actually tried the rubbing
it raw and then pouring bleach on it and it
worked for him. Praying it heals quickly.
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Kathleen June 26, 2011 at 6:52 PM
Yikes! No fun.

I'm a huge fan of Oswald Chambers. I've long had the devotional "My Utmost for His Highest", but when I eventually got around to reading his biography I was an even greater fan. Talk about a man without pretense! I also admire his "just plain" style.

Great post!
Kathleen
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JudyJune 26, 2011 at 7:15 PM
I too love Oswald Chambers! My dad died on August 21, and the reading was just so 'him' that one of my sons read it at the funeral.

Sorry about that poison ivy. I've never had it, but have a pretty good imagination! So, I'll scratch for you. I'm kind like that.
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RebeccaJune 26, 2011 at 9:50 PM
Thanks, Judy! That helped a lot.
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MoJune 27, 2011 at 7:26 AM
So sorry for your poison ivy reaction. My mom gets it something horrible, too. At least you came by it honestly....WORK. Hope you get better real soon.
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elaine @ peace for the journeyJune 28, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Not fun! I am so very sorry for your obvious discomfort. May the healing hand of our Lord rest upon your body this day; your mind and heart as well.

Rest in him.

peace~elaine
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"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

Poison Ivy and Humility

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