Tuesday With Teri

          Okay, so you know those “forwards” folks send you from time to time in your e-mail?  I don’t really like them.  I don’t usually open them, even the ones that start with, “I don’t usually send these, but…”.    I am seldom curious enough to open anything forwarded to me without my request.  When I do, it is almost always some really cute picture/saying and inevitably I am asked by the sender to   “forward this to at least 10 others to assure I keep up the luck/blessing.”   All that is to preface this….I actually opened one up the other day.

          Yep, some of my friends send numerous forwards of funny jokes/photos on a regular basis.  While I know their intent is to share a laugh and provide a bit of joy, I seldom open them for the above mentioned reasons.  Apparently I had a momentary lapse of concern for the repercussions of these e-mails because I found myself scrolling through a lengthy listing of meaningful/funny quotes.  One of the quotes, hidden deep below several well known sayings, has been running in my head ever since.  It was…”Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, “Oh crap, she’s up.”

          HMMmmmm.  I know my mother would object to the use of the word “crap”(even by the devil), but what an interesting challenge.  What could I do in my day to bring honor and glory to God AND mess up satan’s plan to keep the hope of forgiveness for our sins and the message of God’s grace from people. 

While scriptures give us many ways to pull this off, here are some ideas found in 1Thes. 5:14-23:

• Admonish the unruly
• encourage the fainthearted
• help the weak
• Be patient with all men
• See that no one repays another with evil for evil
• seek after that which is good for one another and for all men
•  Rejoice always
• Pray without ceasing 
• In everything give thanks 
• Do not quench the Spirit (be enthusiastic)
• Hold fast to what is good.
• Abstain from every form of evil. 

          Not surprisingly each one of these individual endeavors will require the grace of our God and the power of the Holy Spirit as we attempt to be a reflection of Christ to the world. 

           But just as my reflection in the early morning pre-hairbrush moments of the day brings me cause for concern, so must the devil find cause for concern as we enter each day reflecting the love and grace of our Christ Jesus.