Ansible-One

There are tons of references in the Bible to people “who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear” (Jer 5:21).  I think it is important to be aware of the hand of God at work on our lives.  I believe it takes two things to see it in motion however.  Seeing takes both the faithfulness that God calls us to have in Him and the Son, and it takes a bit of seasoning.  Not necessarily maturity or experience exactly, but a mixture of the two which makes a person seasoned in life.  My family had an experience recently that I fully believe was masterminded by God and conducted by the Holy Spirit.

As we move into the fall, there are many things in which that my family re-engages.  For most people, school is starting, sports, etc., but as homeschoolers, we haven’t really stopped school at all.  This past summer, though our home has been comfortable, we are constantly reminded of the challenges of living in an apartment.  Late night yelling outside our door, irresponsible pet owners, inconsiderate neighbors that are happy to run you over while we are walking the dog, parking spaces…don’t get me started on parking spaces.  These are challenges that exist everywhere but they are amplified considerably when you live 4 feet away from next person.
A family member pointed out a house for rent in a neighborhood in a good location.  Wifey and I decided to take a look to see if it might suit our purpose and budget.  The house was…ok.  The owners were questionable, but it got the ball rolling.  We decided to check out other houses around the city by spending $5 in gas a couple hours.

In one of the last neighborhoods we drove through, we saw an older house in great condition from the front (never underestimate curb appeal!), but it appeared to have some kind of notice sign on the front door.  These days, papers taped to doors are usually eviction or foreclosure notices, but we figured we would check it out anyway.

A couple of facts to put into play before I go on: 1) we discovered that our apartment lease was up at the end of September, a month sooner than expected. 2) we know our budget requirements and our limitations on raising cash quickly for moving 3) many other things have to fall in place perfectly too.  Deposits, credit, services, move in date, etc. all had to fit a certain mold before we would be able to select a new place.  Otherwise, we would simply renew the lease and deal with the chaos that is building at the apartment complex.

So we call the house owner and ask about the papers on the door.  They were electrical permits and not foreclosure notices.  Interesting, the person is very keen on taking care of the place.  Rent, a little high but within the budget.  So we expressed interest in seeing the house.
We meet the next day and do walk through.  We start talking and beginning the dance of negotiation.  We are hoping to get a bit of a discount off her original price.  The owner comes down $75.  Nice.  This is when it happens.  Before we had a chance to begin listing our other requirements, she informs us that yard care is included in the rent, the deposit can be paid in two payments, and there would even be an additional discount during summer months for water costs.  At that moment, I vividly remember praising God inside.  We really liked the place.

I had to stop myself at this point.  How in the world could each of the things that worried us the most be instantly cared for?  So, we played our hand next.  We could move in until the end of September so we would not break our apartment lease.  No problem.  We would like at least the weekend before the end of the month to move in so we can recruit help instead of paying movers.  No problem.  Our previous old credit history would have to be overlooked in favor of our current rent history and income.  No problem.  Ok wow.  Not only did God need the praise for the incredible find, but it was becoming apparent that He wanted us to find this house.

Finally, one last intangible requirement was that we had to have a certain level of trust for the person.  After talking about pasts for about 5 minutes we realize, the owner was a teacher in the district we grew up in.  A little deeper and it turns out she knew of people my wife’s family.  Ok cool, so she has been around our town for a while.  I mentioned my mom works in the district.  That did it.  She instantly recognized the name.  Not only that, but they are friends and see each other often.

We pursued the house, and were approved.  Each requirement met perfectly, and then she added some more on top.  How could this not be orchestrated by God?  Luck or chance…no way!  Only when God is involved are things perfect in everyway.  We will be faithful stewards of what we have been entrusted to.  We will care for the property and make it our home.  Keep your eyes open to see and your eyes open to hear.  God is constantly at work in this world.

Recently I taught the youth group at church since the director was unable to be there.  She gave me the material to look through for Sunday and I began to prepare for the class.

Needless to say, I was nervous.  I have taught little ones before, but had yet to teach the upper age groups.  Despite the number of reasons one might dream up for me teaching that day, it all really just comes down to me helping my sister by filling in.

The lesson was on The Shema.  Here is a very little bit of Jewish tradition and biblical history for you.  The Hebrews escaped from Egypt and then wondered in the wilderness for 40 years.  As the time approached for them to claim Canaan as God had promised, Moses needed to reiterate the law.  The book of Deuteronomy details these laws.

Shema in Hebrew is “hear” or “listen.”  Moses repeated addresses the people Shema Yisrael.  Hear O Isreal.  The Shema is the greatest commandment of these laws.  Jewish tradition will uses these verses as a pray in the mornings and at night.  As Christians, it’s a base line principal that we all should be living our lives by.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

You should have heard something like this by now.  Golden rule, Greatest Commandment, etc.  We use them in songs and in prayer.  But how committed are we? That was the real point of the lesson.  The commitment.  God promised to give the land of Canaan to his children.  They were are verge of entering that land and taking all it had to offer for themselves.  All God asked them to do, all he asks us to do, is love.  Let’s read on for just a bit.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NIV)
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Moses plainly gives ways for the Israelites to be committed.  We do some of these things today.  Have you ever seen a T-Shirt or desk calendar with these words on it?  Of course.  One of the most important would be passing your commitment to your children.

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (NIV)
When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Finally.  Moses gets to the point.  Here he reminds them that yes, God made a promise, and He is keeping it.  So also, we should never forget what He has done for us.  His Son, a sacrifice for our sins, because He loves us.  To sanctify our hearts so we can be with our creator forever.

God is so awesome. Seriously think about it for a second. God, created…everything. Pretty simple. This week has been a rough road for my family. I’m low on sleep. Wife gets sick so I take the kid to dance class. She is still sick the next day. So kiddo and I run an errand. Car breaks down and it’s…expensive. The next day, kiddo gets sick.

Normally, this would have been a rough week for me. But the Spirit moved me and worked in my life throughout this period. While waiting at dance, I decided to take in my Bible to read. I finished reading Daniel. Talk about a guy that was burdened. God revealed images of the end times to that man. Can you imagine trying to get through a week after seeing what will happen to the world in the future?

Yesterday, I was able to sit in on the Bible study at church. This is one of the first ones I have been to in ages. Normally, I am trying to down dinner before choir practice or leaving work late. Hopefully I can continue to study with that group.

I fear that Christians are failing to spend time in the scriptures. 100 years ago the number of distractions was far fewer. So pulling out the KJV was just part of the evening. Read your Bibles. Read stories to your kids. It will make a difference in your life and help you to recognize when God gives you a little push now and then.