Romans 12:6-8 paraphrase

My husband will tease me for using the message paraphrase as i get annoyed when it's treated as a translation... but i don't care. This interpretation of Romans 12:6-8 struck home with me today. I think it's beautiful in it's practicality and simple language. I printed it off for my fridge door. Here it is:

6-8If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."
20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Dreaming of Feasts

I had a strange dream Wednesday night: I was having everyone over for Sunday dinner after church (roast beef). Everyone got there at the same time. I immediately went to the kitchen when i got home and went to get my bearings in the kitchen. Some ladies followed me in to help. They asked what they could do but as i was puttering in the kitchen i realized that i hadn't taken anything out of the freezer the night before... hadn't prepared a salad... no buns... I was ashamed. I looked in the freezer and it was stocked with plenty...i considered pulling out a salmon but even that was going to take too long. I looked out to the dining room and saw that as soon as everyone had come, they had sat down at the table, forks and knives up, starving, ready to eat. I decided that i would have to cancel and tell everyone to go home. I went to the dining room. As the words started to come out of my mouth i looked around. Everyone was so happy and glad to be there. There was a leftover ham on the table that my mom had brought to add to my meal, buns someone had brought, and tiny plants dripping with perfect tropical tomatoes which were brought by some missionary friends who had come to the dinner. I plucked one off and it was filled with juice like a tiny balloon filled with water. I could see through it and it was red with small slit stripes of yellow on in. The tomato burst in my mouth and was delicious, everyone started eating and there was more and more food. My shame and fear evaporated and i slowly sat down to just enjoy with everyone else the huge feast that I had not prepared. I woke up in a panic and embarrassed about not cooking but as the dream all came back to me, tears choked me. The dream spoke to me on so many levels, in every role i fill. The only job i really had anything to do with was the invitation.

The Little Waitress

I had my 6 week post partum checkup today. Afterwards, we stopped by Curt's truck stop to have lunch with him. We sat down at a table with too many chairs crammed around it to accommodate all of us and Alvina came to take our order. While we waited for our order, Sadie (3)watched Alvina continue with her job and was pretty interested. She approached her at the cash register, held her hand and asked "Can I help?". Alvina laughed and handed her the bill to give to the men at a table next to them. Sadie beamed as she handed it to them and they laughed. She was hooked. From that moment on, Sadie held Alvina's hand all around the restaurant setting napkins, forks and mugs on the tables, and delivering leftovers. Obviously the restaurant wasn't that busy this morning. :) Sadie grinned HUGE with each act. Looking back at us with complete GLEE!! Finally they delivered our table with our forks and napkins and Alvina told her she would have to sit down and eat now. Every time Alvina came by, Sadie would ask "Can I HELP you??" As i was thinking over the cuteness of it all on the way home, the lyrics to "Servant King" came to mind. We came to the table knowing that we would be served, that we would sit and be brought what we ordered. Sadie didn't care for such cultural norms and restaurant etiquette...she wanted to help serve. It lightened the atmosphere of the whole place to break the rules a little bit for this little one who wanted to help. What a beautiful lesson for a 3 year old. She didn't learn to sit and be nicely served in a restaurant today but who cares? She learned that even when the world says "You DESERVE to be served right now, this is the way it is done PROPERLY.", that Serving others is more fun, kinder, friendlier and changes the world around you. Serving is so much more important than being served no matter how much others tell us we deserve to be "pampered" every now and then. Service is beautiful, just like the little white haired waitress at the Husky today.

The Servant King
By Graham Kendrick
© 1983 Kingsway's Thankyou Music.

From heaven you came, helpless babe,
Entered our world, your glory veiled;
Not to be served but to serve,
And give Your life That we might live.

This is our God, the servant king,
He calls us now to follow Him,
to bring our lives
As a daily offering of worship to
the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,
My heavy load He chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn,
'Yet not My will But Yours,' He said.

Come see His hands And His feet,
The scars that speak of sacrifice;
Hands that flung stars Into space
To cruel nails Surrendered.

So let us learn How to serve,
And in our lives Enthrone Him;
Each other's needs to prefer,
For it is Christ We're serving.