Water

Every 20 seconds a child somewhere dies from a water-related illness. 3.575 MILLION people die each YEAR from a water related disease. If you have the ability to take a shower in your home, run a dishwasher, or wash your hands under a running faucet then you are part of only 10% of people on the planet who can.

Water. Something we take for granted here in the United States. Oddly enough this blog is not about the kind of water that your thinking about now.

I am house sitting a blessed family and have been privileged enough to use their pool all week. I have been using this time of relaxation to worship and read and visit with friends and sometimes just think. Today I was silently reflecting on what's to come of my life through this new transitional season. I am moving to a new city in an unknown location, I am contemplating many big changes for my life including church and small group and way of living in general. Where this is an exciting time, it is not without it's stress and it is not without some sadness.

So this week has been a huge blessing to me in some quiet time of seeking from the Lord what might be next on our agenda. While reflecting today it hit me, man it is stinking HOT out here! I got up from my chair and heat soaked towel and scampered over to immerse myself in the cool and shaded waters of the pool. Immediately I was relieved. I was refreshed. And I felt renewed. As quickly as all of that happened, I could feel the Lord tugging on my Spirit reminding me that this was only temporary. As soon as I get out, step on the hot pavement, throw myself back on the hot towel draped across an even hotter lawn chair I would instantly be hot again. And at some point, would have to repeat the cycle over again.

When I thought about this never-ending scenario (never ending as long as I kept hopping out of then back into the pool) it occurred to me that if I would just stay in the pool, I would never need refreshing. I would stay cool and replenished forever!  Then I thought of the Lord, and how he promises us that we shall never be thirsty again when we drink of the water that He has to give. And in that moment, even the idea of setting up shop in a pool during a 100 degree drought was not enough. Eventually the water would sit in the sun so long that it would get too warm to swim in. And we all know that once in the pool for a while it loses its' affect of refreshing us because we get used to what it has to offer.

What if everyday with the Lord was like that first dive into a cool pool after an hour of laying out in the hot sun? Do you remember what that feels like? I do, because it just happened to me 15 minutes ago. But until now it's been so long since I have been swimming or even around a lake or pool that it's probably accurate to say that I wouldn't have remembered what it was like. It's.....GLORIOUS!

I want to feel that way in the Lord's presence every single day. So why don't we? What gets in the way, or what distractions are hindering you from feeling refreshed from the Lord's life spring every single moment you are in His presence? For a lot of us it is that we never truly experience His presence because we are no longer seeking His face. Some of us it is that lukewarm distraction of being half of the world, half for the Lord sort of deal--I don't think we will ever be able to fully feel the affects of being submerged in the Holy Waters living that sort of lifestyle. A lot of times even we are simply too busy to even care or to realize we need refreshing.

Today while laying out and enjoying the sunshine I did not want to dip in the pool. I didn't want to be wet and cold when I got back in the house and I felt like I was about to end my laying out session anyway, so I struggled with dipping in one last time or not. I held off, for so long that it made the dip even better. Because I was extra hot and extra sweaty and needed some extra refreshment. Once in, I never wanted to get out. I remembered how AMAZING it was to not feel the way I felt while outside of the pool, and how wonderful it was to feel the way I felt while IN the pool.

Are you letting Jesus refresh your soul? He offers us the type of water that the world will never run out of. The type of water that we will never die of related disease from. He offers us the type of dip in the pool that doesn't just last a few minutes, but a refreshing and replenishing of our souls that can last forever. Now the only question left is.....will you jump in? :)

In Him,
Meg

Redneck Worship

Intrigued? I thought so.

**Before I start let me be clear that I am not attempting to judge people who live a particular lifestyle (in this case, "rednecks"). 

Jeff Foxworthy once said you might be a redneck if.....

--You think the last words to the Star Spangled Banner are "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

--You've been married three times and still have the same in-laws

--Your house still has the WIDE LOAD sign on the back

--You carry a fishin' pole into Sea World

--You think subdivision is part of a complicated math problem

--You think God looks a lot like Hank Williams Jr, and you think Heaven looks like Daytona Beach, Florida

--You father executes the 'pull my finger' trick during Christmas dinner

--Your house doesn't have curtains....but your truck does

--You've been on t.v. 5 times now, describing the sound of a tornado

--You refer to the time you won a free case of motor oil as the time your ship came in.

You might be a redneck.

There are shows beyond shows (most on CMT) that make millions on revealing this interesting way of living. Take for example the shows 'My Big Redneck Wedding' (where the wedding dress is in camo, the entertainment is beer chugging, and the after party is muddin') and 'My Big Redneck Vacation' (not much unlike the wedding show except nobody is getting married). (Just to name a couple).The reason I give these examples is because I don't want you to think I am judging--I think these people are more than content living this way, and have a great time doing so! I only give the examples so we are on the same page for the rest of the blog.

I went to Caruthersville, Missouri yesterday to the Lady Luck casino to see Tracy Lawrence perform. If you know me at all you stopped at Caruthersville and said "Weird", then again at Lady Luck casino and thought "Hmm..." and lastly at Tracy Lawrence and said "Who the heck are you and what have you done with my friend?". Truth is, the trip was random. But I love me some Tracy Lawrence--been a big fan of his for a long time. There is a sweet spot in old country music that makes my heart smile because it reminds me of some wonderful times in my childhood (and let's be honest, those were few and far between). Little did I know that the concert was not indoors in the casino, but instead, outside at 6pm in 99 degree heat. 

The music was tight. The singer was wonderful. The crowd was.....energetic, to say the least. It was a large large crowd in a small small town. The people at the show loved them some beer, they loved them some hootin' and hollerin' at Tracy like they were best friends. They loved them some dancing when let's face it, it might have been just a tad inappropriate. They wore shorts and hunting boots, overalls while holding the spinning fan that squirts water in front of their face, or they sported a large no-toothed grin. Sometimes this crowd is too much for a non-country gal like myself, but last night, I completely enjoyed them. 

It's funny how the Lord is ALWAYS faithful in revealing where He is in ALL things, or at least continuously teaching me something in every situation I am in--even in a casino in who-knows-where, Missouri. There was a point during the evening that Tracy threw one of his towels off stage and a little old lady with no teeth snatched it up from all of the other fans attempting to get it. She then preceded to take the towel down every aisle-dancing with the people she passed. Then every few minutes, holding it up to her fans at the back of the arena to assure them they're all in this together. It was a HOOT! Then it hit me----REDNECK WORSHIP!!!

Rednecks are devoted fans. Nascar, wrestling, hunting, music--you name it, when they love it you will KNOW about it. There is ZERO shame in the clothing they sport to let you know they are a fan of something or support a particular lifestyle. There is NO shame in the way they behave in public at specific events either. And they are the most WELCOMING crowd you might ever meet--if you're a redneck, you're FAMILY! And family sticks together.

Isn't this how Christians should be? Shouldn't we have ZERO shame about talking about the Lord 24/7 and what He's doing in our lives? Shouldn't we have NO shame in quoting scripture, and praying over our friends, and listening to kLove in the radio with friends who are not believers (or our own children who might rather listen to secular music)? Shouldn't we go WILD in praise for the LORD when in worship events? When is the last time you saw a group of women scrap fight in a crowd to attempt to be the one to grab a piece of goodness or blessing the Lord was throwing off of the stage? Instead we just 'expect' to be blessed and we make no attempt to worship and praise or even rush the stage of the Lord at all. Have you ever seen someone who has been blessed so immensely by the LORD then go to every single person in the crowd, dancing with them and showing off what God has done in their life?

I could not stop smiling at the concert, at the thought of "Wow, rednecks have got it right (in a way)" Now if only we (Christians) could have that energy when it came to worship and our dedication to our God as rednecks do other things--WOW, what an affect we would have in the kingdom huh??

Rednecks are free. They praise who/what want and they do it how they please. I choose to praise the Lord. But I choose now to do so.....like a redneck!!

In Him,

Meg