Love or Just a Crush?

 

I remember in the second grade that I hated girls.  Of course, every second-grade boy hates girls.  But I remember the twins; Paula and Velda.  And I remember thinking, “When I quit hating girls, Paula is the first girl that I am going to quit hating.”  I remember the first girl that I had a crush on.  I remember the first girl that I kissed (other than my mother or grandmother).  And I remember the first girl that I told, “I love you.”  It was Kathy Papastavro (she has been Kathy Whitely for almost fifty years).  I liked several girls, but I only loved one girl.  Hey, do you only have a crush on Jesus, or do you really love Jesus?  Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  Do you like Jesus or do you love Jesus?  Is Jesus important to you or is Jesus your very life itself?  Do you really, really love Jesus?  Then show it.  Live your life every day like you really love Jesus Christ.

Ironed Shirts

 

I was one of four boys.  My sister was born when I was sixteen, so us boys had to do a lot of housework growing up.  My mother taught me how to sew up tea towels.  She showed me how to wash dishes and wash clothes, and how to iron shirts.  She showed how to get the creases straight and the collars flat.  Mom had a Dr. Pepper bottle with a sprinkler stopper on it.  She filled it with water, sprinkled the shirts, rolled them up and a few minutes later when the water was evenly dispersed, she would unroll them and iron them.  I remember the hiss of the steam as the shirts were smoothed out.  Billowy clouds of steam would float up as the damp clothes were ironed flat and crispy with sharp creases.  It took heat and pressure to make the shirts look nice.  But the shirts never complained.  The heat and pressure was necessary to make the shirts presentable and useful for Sunday morning church.  Hey, it’s our responsibility as Christians to keep ourselves pure so that our dear Lord can use us.  Paul said in II Timothy 2:21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”  Are you ready to be used of the Lord?  Are you clean? Are you pressed and smoothed out?  It takes pressure and heat to be prepared.  Don’t fight God’s molding you.  Let God work in your life to make you useful to Him.

Dandelions

 

When I was a kid, we played a game with dandelions.  If you could blow off all of the fuzzy seeds from the dandelion stem in one breath, your wish would be granted.  So, I just realized that I must have propagated millions of dandelions over the years!  Hey, how many times do I say an unkind word and propagate evil?  How often do I say something that should have remained unsaid, and sow discord?  Paul said to be careful about what you say.  He said in Col 4:6, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”  Be careful what you say.  Don’t inadvertently sow weeds.