Tuesday With Teri

          The heavy pan falls from my grasp like a wiggling fish.  It clanks and clatters past the dish filled racks of the dishwasher before landing with a ringing thump on the kitchen floor.  From the living room I can hear a familiar refrain…”Teri, What are you doing?!”  Yep, that’s my husband.  For some reason his first response to many of my mishaps is, “What are you doing?”.  A graceless recovery from almost falling, the thud of  my head hitting a low hanging object, or emitting a toe-stubbing-induced yelp would not be followed by my husband asking “oh honey, are you okay?”, but rather….”What are you doing?”.   I used to joke that someday I’d be in harms way, waiting for rescue from my predicament and my knight-in-shinning armor of a husband would ask, “what are you doing?” before attempting to help me.  To be fair, I do tend to get myself into situations of my own doing that maybe should be called into question.  After almost 25 years of marriage, I am sure I have contributed mightily to my husband’s habitual, “What are you doing?” responses.

         This week I have found myself wondering if I should be asking that same question.  Is God asking it of me as well?    I probably don’t ask myself “what am I doing?” because I think I know the answer…I’m doing good things.  I’m serving God.  I’m trying to be kind and helpful.  I serve others.  Surely God is pleased with me…I am doing what He has given me gifts to do.   Well…with my husband’s favorite phrase echoing in my head…I am learning that maybe I do need to ask myself this question.  What am I doing and is it what God has called me to do?   Recently a friend shared Numbers 32:17-23 with me.   Two of the tribes of Israel decided to settle East of the Jordon River.  They were settled and ready to set up house…start enjoying their new home.  Instead of staying in their comfortable new land, they promised to join the others as they ventured West of the Jordon to lay claim to the rest of land God had for them.   They vowed to not return to their homes until every one of the sons of Israel had possessed their inheritance.(32:18).   Hmmmmm. Willing to leave a “comfort zone” until everyone had claimed their “inheritance”….They were willing to take up arms and gear up for battle to take hold of all God had promised.   Again the question…”what am I doing?”, and to each of us…”What are you doing?”   God has an inheritance for all of us!  Ephesians 1:3-14″…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sin, according to the riches of His grace…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession…”  What am I doing to help others claim this promised inheritance of redemption?