Anointing His Feet

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. (John 12:1-11, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

I have read this story many times in my life, and although I don’t remember exactly the first time I heard it (I was probably fairly young), I do remember having an immediate opinion of the two sisters.  My very first reaction was to feel badly for Martha, working so hard in the kitchen to serve all of those people by herself!  I remember thinking how frustrated she must have been that her sister was just sitting with Jesus, washing his feet with her hair, while she tried to make sure all the food was prepared and served.

Of course, once you understand what is truly going on in this story you realize that Mary is performing an incredible act of worship for Jesus’ sake.  She let down her hair—which was scandalous for a woman to do—she took a jar of perfume that was easily worth a year’s wages and used her scandalous hair to wash his feet with it.  The men in the room were speechless, except for Judas (who no one yet knew was a betrayer).

Everyone at the party was stunned by Mary's actions. Martha, no doubt, must have felt that Mary had gone over the top this time. The other disciples and attendees looked on, most likely, with embarrassment at Mary's display. But Judas couldn't stand for it—he just had to say something.

But I love what Jesus does for Mary. He stands up for Mary: "Leave her alone!" He understood Mary's heart, and he declared her work to be beautiful. He goes on to say that her loving display of affection had a special prophetic sense about it. Just as we read yesterday about Caiaphas's prophetic declaration, so Mary's actions are prophetically testifying to the fact that Jesus is going to be buried—and buried so hastily that there might not be time for a proper anointing.

I would like to think that if I were in that situation that I would have been like Mary—unashamed… uninhibited… freely worshipping.  But once I get honest with myself, I probably would have been more like Martha.  I mean, JESUS is at THEIR house.  AGAIN! The most important person who could ever show up is there.  He raised their brother from the dead.  Martha wants to make sure her hospitality to Jesus and his disciples is impeccable.  She doesn’t want them to wish for anything.  She wants to feed them and make them feel comfortable.  She is the responsible big sister.  The one who makes everything happen.  While Mary is the free spirit, not concerned at all with the fact that food may not be served. 

Jesus has never shown up at my house, at least not in bodily form.  I have never had to worry about feeding him dinner.  But I have held many a party in my day.  I love being surrounded by many good friends and family members.  And if you know me, you know I am not gifted in a detailed beautiful food presentation, I am not gifted in noticing when someone needs a new drink or needs their plate refilled, but I do like to make sure everyone feels at home.  I want to make sure everything is easy to find—cups, food, coffee, etc.  I want people to feel comfortable finding their own way around my house, serving themselves.  I want them to know that I am so glad they have come, and therefore I try to spend time with each person who has come.  I want them to know they hold an important place in my life.  And I do not like to still be setting up food as people arrive at my house, because it cuts into social time, and I feel as though I can’t give them the attention I’d like to!  So maybe I have a good mix of both Mary and Martha in me after all.  I would like to think that if Jesus showed up tonight, I’d be ready with my most expensive perfume and my scandalous hair to wash his feet with it. 

POINT OF PONDER:

Where do you see yourself in this story? 

Are you like Mary?  Shamelessly worshipping Jesus with everything she’s got?  Not worried at all about what anyone else in the house is thinking—risking the wrath of her sister who is doing all the hard work, the anger the men who perhaps don't quite understand why a woman lets down her hair in public, and the sneer of the money man who doesn't understand her motives?

Are you more like Judas? Appearing to be cautious, prudent and reliable?  Worried about how Mary might have better used the money spent on that perfume to care for the poor and needy or even to provide for the needs of Jesus and his band of followers. 

Or are you more like Martha?  Working hard to make sure everything is perfect.  Not able to stop yourself long enough to visit with those who are there because you’re too worried that the kitchen might blow up without you in it?  And if you are more like Martha, how do you feel about both Mary and Judas?

WHO AM I?

My name is Kate Sansom and as you know we just got back from a wonderful time in Maine with my family.  It is always too short.  I have always wished that Maine and Texas were a driveable distance from each other, close enough for a weekend trip.  Every day since we’ve been home our son Benjamin (who spent an entire month there!) has said “Mom, what are we doing tomorrow?” and regardless of my answer to that question he always says “I want to go back to Maine tomorrow” or “I know! We can go back to Maine tomorrow!”.  All I can think is “Welcome to my world, kid”.  I wish it were that easy.  I think he’s starting to realize we’re not going back “tomorrow” so now he’s starting to add that “Grammie and Grampie” should come and visit next week instead.  I love this kid!!!

This picture is from our trip.  From left to right we've got my cousin Aidan, Abby (who you can tell is super happy), my Mom, Benjamin (who couldn't be any cuter) and my Dad (just chillin') all sitting on the porch of our cottage on Matinicus Island.  It was a good day for sure, and I miss it.  :) 

To Ache for Something

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Samuel 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.”

Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” (1 Samuel 1:10-15, 17, 20, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
To ache for something. We’ve all experienced an aching heart, at one time or another.  The ache to be loved, to love someone, to have a family, to have children of your own, to experience health or friendship or life free of pain. We have all experienced the yearning, that craving, the longing to have a deep desire filled in our lives.  

As many of you know, I had an ache in my heart for a child. Although I think I hid it well from most people, it was indeed a great ache.  My entire life I wanted nothing more than to be a wife and a mother.  I was one of those girls in high school who had no aspirations for anything occupationally.  When everyone else wanted to be a teacher, a doctor, a biologist¸ a performer, I wanted to be a wife and a mother.  When everyone else seemed to know exactly what they wanted to study when they went to college, I was trying to figure out what sorts of things I might enjoy doing until the time in which my desires would come to fruition.  Little did I know it would be almost thirteen years from my high school graduation before I’d finally be blessed with a husband, and almost two years after that with children! 

Throughout those thirteen years, I did a lot of praying.  Praying that God would be preparing my husband for the time when we would both be ready to meet each other (and boy did He ever!!).  And then, after marriage, praying for children.  Tres and I prayed often for children, to seemingly no avail.  Just ask Tres how many nights I cried myself to sleep when the news was negative (and I am not a crier!). And then, after a great fail of an attempt at in vitro fertilization, with no option of trying again, we had to refocus our attention and our thinking.  My heart was drawn to the idea of foster/adopt.  I think it was partially out of desperation of wanting to see my heart’s desire fulfilled.  How I longed to have a child in our home!  One to love on and take care of. 

Not long after we were certified to be foster parents, we had the opportunity/possibility of adopting a child who was being fostered by a family in our church. The family who was fostering him wasn’t planning to adopt him, so it seemed like a perfect fit. He wouldn’t have to change communities, he could still be around his friends and foster family, and he was the sweetest little guy.  But unfortunately it didn’t work out.  The state chose to place him with another family for adoption. The day we received the phone call informing us that we weren’t the chosen family for him was almost worse than the failed attempts at pregnancy and IVF.  I felt so hopeless, believing that God was in control, but wishing it wasn't such a painful ordeal to walk this path.

This experience was so painful (again!) that I was ready to turn the page, to move on to the next thing. A close friend actually offered to help raise the funds for us to do a private adoption, so I was ready to choose this option, to head down this path.

But then I heard God speak words of comfort to me. "Just wait." That was it.  Two little words that helped me to know that I wasn’t forgotten. "Just wait."  How long was I going to have to wait?  I had no idea, but God had spoken, and I was listening.

I believe it was only a matter of a week or two after that, that we received the phone call to take in Benjamin and Abigail.  Upon their arrival, I vowed to move forward carefully, making every effort to protect my heart. I was so hopeful that they might be ours forever, but I was terrified of having my heart broken again. But, before long, I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with them!  (How can you not?)

I think you all know how our story ends. Just one month ago we were blessed to adopt Benjamin and Abigail into our “forever family.”  Looking back, it’s all so obvious what God’s plan was, but it was so hard to see in the moment.  (Isn’t that how it usually is?)

In this time between Easter and Pentecost, we are focusing our devotionals on prayer.  Just as Hannah prayed so fervently and passionately, so should we all.  Tres and I prayed for months and months, even years, with one thing in mind—asking (and even begging) God to give us child of our own.  Our prayers were very focused and specific, and so many of our hopes were pinned on this one thing.  And God answered our prayers!  Certainly not in the way we expected.  It was a pain-filled road, and things certainly turned out so differently than we ever imagined. But, you know what?  It’s absolutely perfect.  God has blessed us with two children that could have been born to us.  They are an absolutely perfect fit for our family. And not only that, but so many people have told us that the kids even look just like us!  And, just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to God, only two days after the kids' adoption was final, we dedicated Benjamin and Abigail to God in church in front our of family and friends.  What a joyous day that was!  God gave us these two precious gifts, and we give them right back to Him.  Because without Him, they wouldn’t even be ours! 

So during this time before Pentecost, where are your prayers going to be focused?  Where is your ache? Make time to cry out to God, expressing the desires of your heart. Although it may not seem like it in the midst of heartache and pain, let us never forget that our God is a good and generous Father who delights to give his beloved children the longings of our heart.


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom, and I absolutely LOVE being a mother.  It is everything I ever hoped for and so much more.  Sure, not every day is perfect. But every day is so filled with love and joy and fun, and I cannot imagine my life any other way.  But I think aside from my own joy in being a mother, my favorite thing is watching my sweet husband be a father.  He’s so phenomenal at it.  He was born for this, too.

Standing in the Presence of the Lord

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Kings 19 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Time alone with God?  I am so lacking in this area of my life. 

Everyone is busy right?  Everyone has a lot on their plate.  I am no exception to this problem!  Every day we get up at 4:15am.  It takes two hours (approximately) to get Tres up and ready for the day.  By then the kids are awake and somehow I squeeze in time to take a shower and get myself ready for the day, feed everyone breakfast, get everyone dressed and get out the door.  Depending on the day that’s anywhere between 8:30 and 9:30. Three days a week, when Tres goes to work at the church, Benjamin goes to school. Two days a week I spend time with Tracy Wassel.   Usually I just have to go pick her up and bring her back to my house for a few hours, but sometimes we go into town to get her nails done or do some shopping. One day a week I work in the office of Mary Kay National Sales Director, Pat Danforth.  I run my own Mary Kay business, trying to make appointments to see customers, do facials and makeovers, build my ever-growing team of Business Associates and keep up with them, all these things get added where ever I can fit it all in!  I sing on the worship team once or twice a month, which requires a Thursday night rehearsal.  Plus, doctors appointments, grocery shopping, keeping up with things at home, cooking dinner, doing laundry (thankfully my sweet husband is helping with the vacuuming now!!!).  Around 5:00pm we’re eating dinner, and if we’ve done everything correctly, the kids are in bed at 7:00.  Soon after, we are usually heading to bed between 7:30 and 8:00, and 45 minutes after we start to get ready, we’re both in bed.  Then we do the whole thing over again the next day.  There are many days that I literally don’t sit all day except for time in the car (which consequently doesn’t count).

Even with that whole schedule, I should be finding at least a few minutes here and there to spend in silence with the Lord.  Not because it’s a requirement to do so, but because I need it.  I need that quiet time. I need to focus my attention upon the One who gives me Life, even if for a few minutes.  Most of my days I talk to God throughout my day, saying little prayers for people as they pop into my head, but I don’t devote any quiet time for me!

There is a part of me that is jealous of Elijah’s time in the cave, alone, with no one else to distract him.  But there is another part of me that honestly is not sure what I would do, all alone, with the Lord.  What am I afraid of?  I have no idea. I’m not afraid of God; but, maybe I'm a little afraid of the silence, since I’m not used to it anymore!  I used to have lots of silence and spent some wonderful solitude with Him.  It’s something I miss, something I long for, something I need to add back into my life. Five or ten minutes doesn’t seem like a lot, but if I could just pause for a few minutes each day to spend alone with God, even if it's only for five or ten minutes—I think He would honor that-don’t you?

So, when was the last time you set aside quiet time with the Lord?  I know reading this chapter challenged me to examine that in my own life and crazy schedule.  Has it done the same for you?


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom, and even with my crazy exhausting schedule I love my life.  God is so good to me.  I have a husband who I adore and who adores me in return, and we have two beautiful children who will be forever ours in just over a month when their adoption is finalized!!  We are very eager for that day to come!

A Seed Planted

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
John 12 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:23-26, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
It’s crazy when you think about the fact that a seed planted in the ground actually dies.  Every living “green” thing that I can think about comes from a planted seed.  Fruits, vegetables, trees, everything!

So I think it’s pretty obvious what this passage is talking about, right?  We have to lose our lives in order to gain eternal life. We’re supposed to throw ourselves in front a bus, literally.  I’m just kidding of course.  But does it mean that figuratively as well?  I honestly think it depends.  And please understand that what follows is purely my own opinion.

The text says “If you love your life, you’ll lose it.  If you hate your life in this world, you’ll keep it for eternal life” (verse 25).  Does this mean if you find joy and happiness in your life you’re supposed to stop being happy?  Does it mean our lives on earth are supposed to be miserable and unfulfilling?  No!  I truly believe that we are supposed to live life to the fullest, to love our lives as they are on earth.  We’re supposed to find joy in what we do, in our loved ones, in everything.  

But wait, am I contradicting what Jesus said? I don't think so. Here’s what I think Jesus meant: when the things of earth get in our way of ministry, or a “heavenly” or “Jesus-like” mindset we have a problem.  When our money, our desires, our love for anything in this world is distracting us from ministering to others, loving the people surrounding our lives, or walking in the way that Jesus did, then we are living our lives too much… and that's a problem, according to Jesus.  

So what does it look like for us to "hate" our lives while we are in this world?  Well, for everyone it is different.  For some of us, it might mean getting rid of our TV or Internet. If those things are distracting us from whole-heartedly following Jesus, then they are a problem! For others, it might have to do with money or possessions (a.k.a. “keeping up with the Joneses”). If our love for money or possessions or the popularity that those things bring to us outweighs our love for Jesus, then that's a problem! For others, it might have to do with fear or a desire for safety or a love of comfort. Jesus sometimes asks us to do big, costly, dangerous, faith-stretching things, and if we can't do those things because of our fear, our lack of faith, or our desire to hold onto a safe and easy life, then that's a problem! For others, it may have to do with a deeply-ingrained selfishness. Jesus asks us to give our lives away in loving service to others, and if we are too focused upon ourselves or our own wants and desires to sacrifice for the good of others, then that's a problem!

Jesus is the ultimate example of dying to oneself.  Aside from living his whole life in poverty, not having an actual “home” (at least during his ministry years), and ministering to the “untouchables,” he embraced the suffering of the cross on our behalf.  The cross was the worst form of death imaginable to those in the first century (and maybe still to this day). It was slow and painful.  It was public. It was humiliating.  

Jesus died to himself in every way, and finally in the most ultimate way imaginable.  He did so to literally become the Tree of Life, just as a seed dies underground and grows into a tree.  He did so, so that we wouldn’t have to.  He died to take on our sins, so our sins wouldn’t bring us death.  This isn’t just Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice but God’s as well.  I love the way N.T. Wright phrases this “[It will be a] triumph of God’s self-giving love, the love that looks death itself in the face and defeats it by meeting it voluntarily, on behalf not just of Israel but of the whole world.”

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice.  He asks us to sacrifice as well.  For some of us it will literally mean we will lose our lives.  For most of us it is probably more like the things I mentioned at the beginning of my reflection.  For each one of us it looks totally different.  But each one of us is being asked to plant our seed deep in the ground, to let it die, and let God cultivate it to grow.  

So where will you plant yours?


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom and when I was 19 years old I had the privilege of seeing where Jesus’ walked firsthand.  Seeing Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Gethsemane, and so many other biblical places was a life changing experience.  This picture was taken on top of the wall that surrounds “Old Jerusalem.”  What an amazing place.  I highly recommend that if you ever have the chance to go to Israel that you go.  I hope that I get to go again someday.  

Vino Divino

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
John 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:7-10, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Picture yourself being back in Jesus’ day as an attendee of this wedding.  The wine runs out.  Ahh!!! 

In today’s world if someone runs out of wine at a wedding it might be an irritation to some, but everyone will eventually get over it.  In Jesus’ day running out of wine was a social disaster.  It would have been seen as a shame on the family and potentially bad luck to the bride and groom.  This would change the way the family was viewed by everyone around them.  And since this wedding involved the entire village, and several people from neighboring villages too, the impact was huge on the family.  

Mary immediately went to her son, Jesus, to tell him that the wine ran out.  Obviously, she was expecting that he could change that, so the family would not be disgraced.  It’s really hard to know what her motivation behind this would have been.  Did she know the family personally?  It’s likely that she did.  Back in those days everyone knew everyone in their little circles.  Is it possible that she was remembering her own shame when her village looked down upon her (and really shunned her) when her pregnancy became public?  That’s possible too.  I honestly don’t know, I’m just asking the question.  

Jesus’ answer to her was basically, “And that affects you and me how?  It’s not my time yet.”  Obviously Jesus didn’t see it as his problem, until his mother went to the servants and told them, “Do whatever he tells you” (verse 5).  Then Jesus took over.  He had them fill six jugs of water.  These weren’t just any jugs.  They were jugs used for Jewish purification rites.  That is, washing their hands and feet, as required by the Jewish law.  Also for washing their plates and cups, and anything else to “purify” as the need may be.  Using these jugs were meant to be a sign to the world that God was doing a new thing from within the old Jewish system, bringing purification to the world in a whole new way.  When the jugs were filled, he had them draw the water and take it to the master of the banquet to taste.  When he tasted it, he realized it was a very fine wine.  So much better than what they had run out of previously.  

So what does this story teach us?  Well, it teaches us that Jesus can—and does still—have an effect on people’s lives.  Jesus wants us to live the best life possible.  He died for that life.  He died for your life.  He died for my life, for your neighbors, for your coworker, for the man or woman begging for money on the street.  He came to change the world.  He came to make a difference.  He came to save us. He came to purify us.  

How often do we dwell on our own failures or disappointments?  We all have them.  And if you think about it, you might realize that not only do they dominate our thoughts, but actually how often do they keep us from reaching our full potential?  ALL THE TIME!  We think, “Oh, I’m not cut out for that”… “I’m not as good at that as he is”… “I can’t speak like she can”… “When I was 10 that didn’t go so well for me so…”  Before we’ve even tried to do the thing in question, we’ve already convinced ourselves that we can’t do it.  We’ve failed even before we’ve begun.  

One of my favorite sayings is “What you think about, you bring about.”  This is so true!  What if Jesus is asking you to do something important, but because you don’t think you measure up you don’t do it!

What if Moses never decided to follow God’s leading to take His people out of Egypt because of his stutter? 

What if Jesus gave into his fears in the Garden of Gethsemene on the night before he died and never had been taken captive?  

What if modern day people hadn’t followed God’s leading on their life?  People such as Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, Billy Graham, Greg Bland? 

You might be chuckling a bit right now (particularly at me using Greg as an example) but seriously, think about it.  What if Greg Bland had let his stutter keep him from becoming a minister?  What if he had decided not to come to Texas to check out Pedernales Valley Baptist Church?  What would our church look like?  How different would our lives be without the Bland family?

What if I had decided to ignore God’s voice in moving to Texas?  What if I had stayed in Maine and never met Tres?  I don’t even want to think about that…

Some of my examples above are light hearted or may seem silly—but what if—what if YOU are meant to do something great, and you don’t allow the purification of Jesus to come upon you?  Jesus is here.  He has your jug of water, and he’s waiting to turn it into fine wine.  Will you let him?


ONE MORE THING…
I also want to point out one more thing about the story above, did you notice it took place on the third day? I wonder what this little detail is meant to add to the story? Might it be a little foreshadowing of what God plans to do in and through Jesus on the third day?


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom and one of my thoughts upon reading this chapter was honestly “I really would love to taste that wine.”  It’s no secret, I like wine.  Can you imagine just how amazing wine would be from Jesus?  I am talking both literally and figuratively here.  I may not ever get to literally taste his wine, but I sure want to allow him to turn my water into wine—the finest wine possible.  I want my life to mean something for the Kingdom of God.  Our lives are so short in the grand scheme of things—I don’t want mine to be pointless.   

The Mark of True Servanthood

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Corinthians 12 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. (2 Corinthians 12:14b-15a, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
It seems to be a no brainer that a parent would be supporting their children in every way possible and not the other way around, doesn’t it?  Most people reading this are probably parents, or can at least imagine the heart of a parent.  A parent gives and gives and gives to their child; emotionally, financially, practically—the ways are endless.  Parents go to the ends ends of the earth to pay for every day needs, and many save for their child’s college education, which we all know is no small feat these days.  God created parents to naturally want to take care of and set their children up to succeed, and not to expect their children to do anything in return.  

This is just like our Heavenly Father.  He gave everything he had for us—not the least of which was His only Son—and didn’t ask for anything in return other than our devotion and to follow His lead.  So as ministers of Christ we should be ministering to others with the same mindset.  A true servant of Christ gives themselves without restraint and doesn’t expect anything in return.  Have you ever found yourself feeling upset or “entitled” to receiving something in return for your efforts?  We’ve all done it or felt that way before, or maybe you feel that way right now.  If so, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your reasons for giving time and effort to that particular ministry.

I read something recently that I thought was such a good example.

A mother went down to breakfast one morning to find a bill from her son lying beside her plate. He had written it out for her: 

Mowing the lawn: $2.00

Drying the dishes: $1.00

Raking leaves: $3.00

Cleaning garage: $4.00

 

Total owed: $10.00

His mother did not say anything but went about her work. When the boy came home from school for lunch that day, he found a bill lying beside his plate. It said: 

Ironing clothes: nothing

Mending socks: nothing

Cooking meals: nothing

Bandaging cuts: nothing

Baking cookies: nothing

 

Love, Mother

Being new parents, Tres and I have found ourselves talking about what we will do about allowances when the time comes.  Although our children are too young to understand the value of money yet, we want to set an expectation early on about servanthood.  We don’t expect to be giving our children allowances for everyday household chores.  Household chores are a part of being a family.  In a family you serve each other.  I’m sure as the years go on we will get arguments about this, and perhaps even a written out bill like the one above.  But we want to instill in our children the value of being a servant to others without expecting anything in return.  This will also extend outside of our household, serving those around us where ever those needs may be.  Soup kitchens, work projects (like Saturday Serve), and anything else that may come our way will hopefully be a regular part of who we are as a family.  We see this as possibly the most important thing we can teach our children.

 

This attitude of servanthood is what we should all have in our work for Christ, and in everything we do (because everything we do is for Christ in the end, right?)  It is not about what you get in return, it is about what you can give and whose life you can change.  Of course, it would be nice if we could get something in return—but it usually doesn’t work that way and we shouldn’t expect it to.  Christ didn’t expect us to reciprocate His act of love for us, so we shouldn’t expect anything different in the places we serve.  Christ is the ultimate example to us.  Let’s mirror His example and serve with all of our hearts, minds and bodies.

 

 

PRAYER:

Jesus, thank You for coming for us. With no thought of Yourself, You embraced the suffering and heartache of the world. You freely took it upon Yourself in order to bring healing and restoration. You walked in utter obedience to Your Father and joyfully embraced the suffering of the cross. Thank you for pouring out Your life to provide for our redemption. We rejoice in the joy of Your fellowship. And we exalt You as our Suffering Servant. Strengthen us and inspire us to give ourselves away in service to others and Your kingdom.

 

 

WHO AM I?

I'm Kate Sansom and some of the best experiences I've had serving Christ and others were my years spent with an organization called Teen Missions International.  Starting at the age of 16, I served with them 6 different summers.  It truly changed my life.  I entered Boot Camp (explained below) for the first time as a lazy teenager (my dad referred to me as "Velcro Butt") and truly learned the value of serving others. I returned 5 more times, first as a team member and then as a leader.  When you sign up for Teen Missions you don't exactly know what you're getting yourself into until you do it.  You start off at Boot Camp, which is in the jungle in Florida (and it's summer).  You sleep in a tent, bathe and wash your clothes in a bucket, never set foot inside air conditioning (unless you're lucky) spend 2 weeks taking construction classes, evangelism classes, running a daily Obstacle Course, and bonding with your team.  Mostly, that sounds horrible doesn't it?  It is at first, but you learn to love it!  This all leads up to heading off to the country you've signed up for (I went to Haiti, Panama, and Israel).  Then you spend 5-6 weeks in your country, doing the work which is laid out for you by the local missionary.  It could be nearly anything, based on your training at Boot Camp. Following this, you head to a Debrief for a few days, to prepare you to come back home. Honestly, it is hard to return home. The whole experience changed my life. (My mother says I came home a changed teenager.  I've always hoped to go back to Teen Missions and lead another team but life has been in the way.  I still hold out hope that someday it will work out.

Self-Sacrificial Marriage

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Ephesians 5 (click the link)


REFLECTIONS:
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the words “Ephesians 5!” followed by “Submit Woman!!!” come out of Tres’ mouth, I’d be a very rich woman.  Those two phrases are a dead giveaway to the fact that he’s losing an argument (and just so he doesn’t get in trouble with anyone reading this, he always says those words with a great big smile on his face, because those words mean he knows he’s been whipped). When I saw that my husband assigned me Ephesians 5, I laughed out loud.  I told him just before I started to write this that he is a very brave man.  Either he’s very confident in what I’m going to say or completely crazy, right?  Perhaps both…

When it comes to marriage I think it is safe to say that this is one of the most quoted scriptures.  Well, at least one particular verse is.  In verse 22 Paul states that wives must “submit to your husband as to the Lord.”  This one verse has been used over and over and over to remind women (and men too) that the husband is the “boss.” Indicating that her husband’s opinion weighs more heavily than hers. That if a dispute arises then she must fall back on his authority and decisions.  After all, he’s the head of house right?  In verses 23-24 Paul goes on to say that the husband is the head of his wife as “Christ is head of the church” and just as the “church submits to Christ, so a wife should submit to her husband in everything.”

If you take these 3 verses alone it can very easily be made to sound like a wife has no say in anything.  That she is essentially a slave to her husband and his wishes.  Heavy stuff. 

But then we read on.  Paul goes on to address the husbands.  He uses the next 6 verses to explain that this all means that men must love their wives as Christ loved the church.  (And what did Christ do for the church?  He DIED!  And he didn’t just die, he SUFFERED and then DIED!  He put EVERYONE else’s lives, emotions, bodies and spiritual well being before his own). Paul says that a husband should give up his life for his wife in order to make her clean and pure.  To present her without any wrinkle or blemish.  He should make her holy without any faults.  To love her as he loves his own body, to take care of her as he would his own body.  

So wait, what Paul is actually saying is that the husband isn’t the boss after all…  But neither is the wife.  Both are putting the other first.  In a perfect world a man is flawlessly protecting and caring for his wife and a wife is submitting to the authority of her husband, which simply means trusting his ability to make decisions for the family.  Does this mean she doesn’t get a say or get to make decisions too? Of course not, but it means that since she knows he’s putting her emotions and well being first in his decision making then she doesn’t have to second guess what he says.  He has her in mind first.

Ok, so that’s in a perfect world.  In the real world many women don’t feel protected and cherished.  Many men don’t feel respected.  And this creates a great big mess in marriages, and brings some folks back to point out verses 22-24 once again.  “Well if she’d just do what I say…”  Which leads to “If he would just make good decisions,” etc, etc. 

In a world where women are more masculine than ever and men are more feminine than ever it’s no wonder there’s so much confusion over what Paul is saying here, even 2000 years after he wrote it.

Men and women have two very different but equally important roles in marriage.  The man is to be the leader.  But he has to be the leader as Christ was the leader. I think the big word here is SACRIFICE.  He can’t be a bully or be arrogant.  As soon as he becomes either everything falls apart.  The woman is to respect and trust her husband.  But again, if he’s being a bully or arrogant she isn’t going to do either. 

So what might it look like for a man to sacrificially give of himself?  Well, let me use my husband as an example. First, a little glimpse into our life at home:

Since Tres has a spinal injury and is limited in his physical ability it means that I do most everything around the house that requires a physical action. Cooking, cleaning (well, this one is negotiable), laundry, being Tres’ primary caregiver (which consists of all of his personal care, food prep and many other little tasks). And now that we have two little foster kids ages 3 and 5 months just about everything they need is all dependent on me.  Our day begins around 4:30am and ends around 9pm every single day of the week. We don’t sleep in on Saturdays.  

Needless to say, I am a busy woman.  Since the arrival of the children there have been many (many, many) days where I don’t sit down all day except maybe to eat (maybe).  Even before the kids came it seemed to me that my down time was very limited, and now it’s non-existent.  My personal email inbox is currently at almost 600 unread messages.  My Mary Kay email inbox is currently almost at 200 unread messages. I just don’t have much time to do anything outside of taking care of everyone!

So how does Tres sacrificially live for me?  (By the way, he hates it when I tell him all the wonderful things I think about him so I love that I’m getting to do this here!)

He pushes the laundry baskets to their destinations (and while doing so, he always makes sure to say that he’s showing his love for me like Jesus loves the church—ha!).  He takes care of all of our finances, paying the bills, being the breadwinner in our family.  He takes me out to dinner and tells me to order whatever I want off the menu, regardless of the price.  He buys me gift certificates to the spa so I can go and get my coveted massage 2 or 3 times a year.  He sends me flowers.  He constantly is telling me he loves me and why he loves me.  He makes sure that I get to go home to Maine once or twice a year to see my family.  He hired a cleaning lady so it would take some of the burden off of me. He is unfailingly supportive of my dreams and desires, shares in them with me, and encourages me to pursue whatever I want.  He reads to me every night as I clean up the kitchen.  He takes the 3-year-old on “ride-rides” around the neighborhood in his lap so I can have 30 minutes of silence in the house.  Many days he takes the 3-year-old to school and picks him up, so it’s one less thing I have to worry about doing (and it allows the baby to sleep when she’s supposed to, which benefits me as well!).  He pushes the trash can down to the end of the driveway for me and then pushes it back up after it’s been emptied. His love for Jesus is so obvious to me in everything he does, whether or not he knows it, and THAT is such a comfort and place of security for me.  I NEVER question his love and commitment to me.

I know I am the most blessed woman in the world (I’m sure some of you will argue with me on that because you think you are).  But I know I am.  And my husband truly exhibits what Paul is talking about, which makes it very easy for me to do the same.  

In a world where so many marriages are struggling, ending or aren’t even beginning (i.e. people living together without getting married) I have often heard it said that there’s no such thing as a perfect marriage.  That what Paul is talking about just isn’t possible.  No one lives like that anymore.  Well, I beg to differ.  We do.  We live it out every day.  Is it perfect?  No.  Of course not, we’re human and nothing is perfect.  But in our opinion it’s pretty darn close.  And I truly do believe that we live out what Paul is talking about.  So that means it’s possible.  It takes work, it takes commitment, but it is SO worth it to live the way God intends us to!


POINT OF ACTION:
My challenge to every married couple reading this is to truly evaluate yourselves in light of Ephesians 5.  Could your spouse sit down and write out all the ways you show Ephesians 5 to them?  Maybe you should ask them, and if you’re afraid to ask them then maybe you should re-evaluate the way you’re living your life with them.  Would you dare assign your spouse to write publicly about your marriage to whoever stumbles across it?  This is an activity to do with a mirror.  It’s not about your spouse.  It’s about you.  

And if you’re single and hoping to marry, my challenge to you is DON’T SETTLE for anything less than God’s best!  And don’t expect it to come easy either, because it won’t.  But it’s absolutely worth the work, the waiting and the sacrifice to get there.  I was 30 before I married, and I was starting to wonder when and if it would ever happen.  Especially since I’d met many men who I could not imagine marrying, and until Tres didn’t meet one single one that I could.  Be proactive!  I wrote a list of qualities that were important to me.  Seriously, yes I did.  And they weren’t things like “blonde hair and blue eyes.”  Get serious about it.  Think about the character qualities that are important to you—the “non-negotiables.”  I had a list of about 10.  Yep, 10!  I was dead serious about what I wanted and felt I deserved (yes deserved) and wasn’t settling for anything less.  I prayed that list, a lot.  For years.  Maybe 4 or 5 years.   And look what I got—Tres is everything on that list and more that I didn’t even think of at the time.  God is faithful!  So don’t give up and don’t settle.  For goodness sake DON’T SETTLE!

There.  Rant over.


PRAYER:
Jesus, thank you so much for being the perfect example of self-sacrificial love. As a married couple, strengthen us to follow your example. In a spirit of reverence for Christ, help us to genuinely delight to serve one another. Strengthen us to love one another extravagantly. We know that you desire for us to go all out in our love for one another. Help us to give everything of ourselves so that our marriage might be a light to the world and might showcase your glory and grace.


WHO AM I?
I am Kate Sansom and I can honestly say that Tres and I have never had a fight.  We’ve had a few instances of irritation or disagreement, but it has been extremely rare.  We feel incredibly blessed to have been gifted with one another, and that’s truly how we view each other: gifts from God, because something this harmonious couldn’t come from anywhere else.  We pray that our marriage truly will be an encouragement to anyone and everyone around us and hope that as the years go by we can touch many people, which is and will only be possible because of Jesus Christ.

The Best Laid Plans

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
James 4 (click the link)


KEY PASSAGE:
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
First off, I have to say that I love the book of James.  I always have.  James is so matter-of-fact.  He doesn’t seem to have much patience for being wishy-washy or straddling the fence when it comes to issues of the faith.  I love that about him.  He just says it like it is.  

On that note, it was very hard for me to just pin down one part of this chapter that I wanted to write about; honestly I think I could have written something about the whole thing.  But don’t worry… I just picked a small portion.

One of the things that struck me about verses 13-16 when I was studying about this chapter was that James is apparently speaking mainly to businessmen and women (because there were businesswomen too, though few).  Back then people planned for their futures.  They planned to save away money for their retirements, and to travel and everything we do today.

In a world of 401k’s, money markets, investments, insurance policies and retirement options just to name a few, these few verses should (I think) be important to us.

It is my opinion, and apparently the opinion of the commentaries that I read, that James is not saying we shouldn’t plan for our futures financially.  He is saying that we shouldn’t make definitive plans about our future, a “highway plan” it could be called (my way or the highway).  Instead of saying, “I am going to retire in the Bahamas.” We should say something like, “If the Lord wills/allows, I am going to retire in the Bahamas.”  According to James, that little phrase “If the Lord wills” makes all the difference.  I think it shows an openness of heart to where the Lord may lead.  Because we don’t really know, right?

In August I will be celebrating my 10th anniversary with Mary Kay Cosmetics.  It is hard to believe I’ve been a part of this amazing company for 10 years.  I love everything about this company.  Their priorities seem to be in the right order: God (first), Family (second), Career (third).  And they mean it.  They stand by it.  They expect everyone who is a part of the company to order their life that way—from the person on the assembly line putting lipsticks in boxes, to the Independent Beauty Consultant like me, to the Corporate head honcho.  There is no other company like them that I have heard of.

One of the top recruiting topics for women who are considering joining our company is the option for retirement as an Independent Sales Force member.  When you sign on as a Beauty Consultant you have the opportunity (if you choose) to become a Sales Director.  It takes several months of hard work, mentoring others and sharing the product with customers.  Once you’re a Sales Director you have the opportunity (again, if you choose) to become a National Sales Director.  It takes years (usually) of hard work, mentoring others and sharing the product with customers.  But once you’re a National Sales Director, you’re really making the big bucks (and I mean big bucks!).  And that is when the retirement program kicks in.  

Mary Kay (the woman) believed that a woman could do anything she put her mind to, and believed in paying women richly for the work that they did.  She believed that a woman should be able to make as much money as she wanted to, to be able to live the lifestyle she wanted and make choices in life that having money allows one to make.  

As a National Sales Director, you are required to retire on your 65th birthday.  And what does the company do upon your retirement?  They take the highest 3 years (income-wise) of your last 5 years as a National Sales Director and average your monthly income for that time.  And then they pay you 60% of that monthly income average… every month for the next 15 years.  And if, God forbid, you should die before that 15 years is up, your family still receives that money until your 80th birthday.  And let me tell you, most National Sales Directors are retiring on a monthly income which is close to what many of us make in a year.  It’s amazing.  

But I cannot tell you the number of times that I have been at Mary Kay Seminar in Dallas, listening to many of these incredibly accomplished women speak on stage, how many of them talk about their faith in Jesus first.  How many of them use the words “Lord willing.”  It’s mostly in reference to their careers, family lives, etc.  There are many extremely successful women who completely believe that God is in control, and that life can change in a moment and so you can’t have a definitive plan for everything.  

That being said, I do strongly believe that this doesn’t mean all of us shouldn’t be saving for retirement, planning ahead for the future.  Plan away!  We can’t just sit on our duff and say “God is going to do something with/for me.”  No, we have to do the work we believe He wants us to do and plan ahead. But we do so with the readiness to follow God at a moment’s notice.  When God says go, we go.  When God says life is going to change, we accept that and embrace it.  Why?  Because He’s God and He is ultimately in control of our lives, our futures, our families.  His plan is best.  His plan is the one to follow.  So make your plans, but be open to change.

James is challenging us not to make plans without consulting God. James' challenge hits me right between the eyes, because I'm so guilty of doing this.  I am a planner.  I like to have contingency plans for everything.  I like to have things laid out so I’m not too surprised by situations.  It’s so easy for me to do that and to forget that God should be at the center of it all.  

When you think about it, how stupid are we when we don’t include God?  I mean, He’s God. Doesn't He have our best interests in mind? Won't He help us to make the wisest plans?  When I look back on so many decisions and realize that I didn’t include God it just makes me shake my head at my own stupidity.

So my challenge to myself and everyone reading this is to include God in all of your decision-making.  Let us all become mindful of God in every single thing that we do.  And also to remember that God WANTS to be involved in every single thing we do!  He wants to be involved in the details of our lives.  He wants a RELATIONSHIP with us!  We all have our own “God box” that we put Him into—these are my religious activities with which I relate to God and these are my everyday life activities that I do myself. Let’s break God out of that box! Let’s blow those walls to smithereens.  God doesn’t fit into a box!

In closing, read Romans 12:1-2 from The Message.  I can’t put it any clearer than this: 

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Amen.

POINT OF ACTION:

Ask God to show you some current areas of your life where you haven’t included Him in the decision making.  Maybe write them out so it’s easier to see (if you need the visual help anyway).  Maybe think about some decisions you know are coming up in your life, write them down separately.  Post that list somewhere where you’ll see it regularly (your fridge, mirror, etc). Let that list be a daily reminder to you to include God in the details of your life.

PRAYER:

Lord, we so desperately want you in our lives.  We want you in the details.  We want you in the decision making.  We confess that we have not included you as we should.  We confess that we have not made the time for a healthy relationship with you as we should, and as a result end up making our own plans.  Please forgive us.  Please help us to be mindful of You in our decisions.  We are so thankful that you are a personal God, a God who cares about our lives.  You care about our plans and the details of our days.  Please give us reminders when we need them to include you.  Please help us to keep you in the forefront of our minds.  We love you so much and we don’t want to exclude you from our lives.  We want you right in the middle of it all.

WHO AM I?

Hi, my name is Kate Sansom and never in a million years did I ever think I’d be selling Mary Kay Cosmetics.  11 years ago if you’d asked me on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being that I’d rather eat mud, and 10 being that I wanted to sign my agreement that very moment) I was at about a negative 2.  No joke.  I couldn’t imagine anything I wanted to do less than go into other people’s homes, have to stand in front of them and talk to them about makeup and sell them stuff…  But then I watched a Mary Kay lady actually do a “party” and realized that she wasn’t doing anything that I couldn’t do.  She was having so much fun!  I wanted to have fun.  She looked gorgeous, and her shoes were awesome.  I wanted to look gorgeous and have awesome shoes.  Plus I loved to be around her, and I loved the product.  So I decided to join Mary Kay on August 30, 2002.  Second to my salvation in Jesus and marrying Tres, it was the best decision I ever made.  It’s been the best (and only) personal growth course I’ve been paid to take.  Plus the Consultant I watched at that class, Lisa (pictured), is now one of my closest friends among countless others I’ve met because of Mary Kay. I love what I do.  And someday I plan to drive the prized Pink Cadillac.  I’ll give free rides to anyone who wants one!