Sunday, December 5, 2010

Quest for the can opener

It all began with a question:

"You wouldn't happen to know where my white can opener is, would you Laura?"

And no. No, I had no idea what had happened to Shannon's can opener.

"Could you have taken it to school?"

I had no idea. My classroom is a disaster area. Much like my car. Much like my bedroom. Much like my closet.

And such began the quest for the white can opener.

First, we looked in the kitchen (an obvious spot for a can opener). Then, I looked through the tub of random objects that used to live in my car but now sits by my parking spot in the garage. Still empty-handed, I dug around in my office and classroom. On the plus side, I did find my digital camera that had been missing for a month!

This morning, Shannon and I went snowshoeing at Mt. Rainier National Park. I couldn't find my hat. Or my gloves. Or my other pair of gloves. Or ANY of the dozen pairs of hiking socks I own. Or my left gaiter.

Can you say... INTERVENTION?!

There's a verse in Proverbs that I shared with a friend this week: Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready, after that, build your house. Proverbs 24:27. (NIV) My outdoor work is actually indoor work sometimes. My disorganized mess is my proverbial field.

So, it was decided that after the adventure I needed to organize my life. Finish grades. Do my laundry. Put away the once-cleaned clothes overtaking my room. Look for the can opener. That sort of thing.

I unearthed four Sterlite tubs left over from moving into the house. They are now labeled: Clothes that are inappropriate for this season, Adventure clothes that should stay inside, and Skit-closet-clothes-and-props.

In the process of cleaning my room, I discovered the following treasures:

  • My missing beanie
  • One pair of missing gloves
  • A lot of hiking socks
  • My left gaiter
  • Thirty-three dollars
  • A 48-page pad of 12" x 12" scrapbook paper
  • Posters for my classroom
  • Many trial-sized toiletries for our school toiletry drive
  • Two sets of curtains
  • Christmas wrapping paper
  • An extra charger for my cell phone
Staying in for a night (you know, to get the fields ready) I also was blessed with another treasure. One of the students from our youth group was texting me on the way home from her soccer playoffs. We talked about God's strength and the temptations to give in when no one else seems to care about God's plans. We got to read through some of the beautiful promises of Romans chapter 8.

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know how we should pray, nor what we should pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." Romans 8:26 NLT


If anyone cares, I also found the white can opener.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys