This morning, just moments after Reagan had left for work- or so it seemed- I was greeted by a discreet soft knock at my bedroom door. Then, Caleb entered with a folding television tray and he set it up beside my side of the bed. Shortly after, he entered with a tray carrying breakfast and a mug of fresh, hot coffee. I was surprised by his actions and asked him why was he doing this.... like most mothers I could imagine that there was a motivation behind his actions that could be self-serving. However, he responded by saying, "I see all you do for us and I know Valentine's Day is close. I just wanted to do it."
I felt so blessed. Blessed because I hope that is an indication of how he will treat his future bride and life mate- I actually spent some additional time praying for her- whoever she is- today. Blessed that he recognized the work of my hands and deemed it notable and worthy of value. While I do not earn a paycheck from week to week for all my efforts in our home, I do recognize it as my job and duty. I also felt blessed because I saw him living out his faith in Christ by that action. Living a relationship with the Father, through the blood of Christ, must be steeped in the service and honoring of others around us. His actions reveal a heart that is being shaped and molded in the fashion of His Father and His Savior- Jesus Christ.
This brought me back to my passage in Romans 8.... God is so incredible that He has already planted the next passage of this scripture in my heart and when Caleb did this for me this morning. No event in our lives is by chance or accident--- all has purpose. Now, to the passage.....
"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun." (Romans 8:26-30 MSG)
Today, I have reflected on the part of this passage when God knew what He was doing from the beginning of time and planned the sacrificial gift of His Son in order to restore the humanity He loved. The gift of the Christ child was conceived in a garden, carried out on a cross and was done so that we all could have wholeness through redemption and restored relationship with the Father. Let that sink in.... He knew all along that we would fail, doubt Him, reject Him and live for ourselves, but He still carried out His plan because His love for us was greater than our failures. Christ is first in line of the humanity that He saved because it was His blood spilled on the ground of Calvary and we should see the reflection of Him in all that God has for us. Our lives cannot help but have the markings and image of Christ stamped deep within our purpose.... He is our living example.
So, as Caleb brought me breakfast this morning I knew he was simply intending to do an act of kindness for me, but I saw the imprint of Christ in his actions. That is how it should be in us- fallible humans who are redeemed and restored to our original purpose. Are we still going to mess up? Of course. Are we still going to choose self over service? At times, yes, we will. But, we should be steadily growing in the knowledge of Him so that we see more of Him and less of us in our daily actions. This focus changes our attitude when we are going about our daily duties because all that we do can be a blessing to the Father if our heart is focused on that purpose of being a blessing - to Him and for Him. This world will notice- humble actions of unselfish service will always draw a response because it is so against our human nature. Today, don't focus on all the tasks that must be done, but on how those tasks can be worship to the Father and opportunities to see the image of Christ etched in your molded soul.
Many blessings today, my friend, and let us finish this passage study tomorrow. See you then!
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