An Unexpected Source

Sometimes, GOD lays a task on your heart and you obey without knowing the reasons.

Such was the case two weeks ago while I was talking to a manufacturing rep at work. She stopped by the office to fax her charges to her home office and commented how thirsty she gets while working in the O.R. I offered her a spot in the cupboard to hold a water bottle so she could have a quick drink in between cases. The topic switched to her not feeling well, so I brought up Ginger People's Ginger Chews as a source of comfort when I am tired, traveling, queezy, or just needing something sweet and spicy. The next day, while I was unpacking my kitchen at the new house, I saw a package of crystallized ginger by the same company and gave it to the lady at work the next day.

Just a day or two later, I was carefully gleaning the grocery store for my very limited budget and saw a jar of ginger paste from Ginger People, a product I use with lemon, honey and hot water, or in a mug of steamed milk before bed. I contemplated the purchase, knowing that it would reduce my grocery budget by a quarter of the alotted amount. The jar came home with me and sat over the weekend. The temptation was very strong to enjoy it in my milk - another quarter of the grocery budget. I reckoned and reasoned with myself and came to the conclusion that it would be stealing from my friend; since the purchase was for her, it was never mine to begin with.

Taking it in to work with me, I labeled it with her name and a little note. Once again, it sat on the shelf for a few days until she came to our facility, but she was pleased that I had thought of her.

It has been a meager and hungry week, but five days later, this rep called me at work to see what time I would be getting off. An hour before I left work, she brought in a dozen pumpkin ginger cupcakes as a return gift for me. I only shared half!

How unexpectedly good!

Becoming Great by Becoming Least

Becoming Great

(copied from Lamplighter Moments)

Chrysostom once wrote, "If you want to make your child rich, teach him this: He is truly rich who does not desire great possessions . . . and thinks lightly of this life's passing glories."

This truth that was highlighted for me last week in a way I will never forget. Each month our Lamplighter Guild students have the opportunity to listen in on a conference call with a master teacher. This month, I interview celebrated European actor Peter Moreton. When I asked how a young person can become a great actor like himself, his reply took my breath away.

He said, "First, you need to give up all desires of becoming a great actor. You need to devote yourself to your craft--not to desires to become great. Then, when opportunities present themselves, your primary goal is to lift up the actors around you. Your job as an actor is to accentuate the character of others--they are to increase while you decrease. If I play a servant, for example, and I'm in the presence of a king, my role is to communicate to the audience the character of the king by my humble attitudes and actions. The king will be known through me."

When I heard these words I thought of Philippians 2: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him . . ."

If you're looking for a new role to play--one that will make you eternally rich and presently rewarded--practice the art of serving those around you so that they might increase as you decrease. And, as it is in all good stories, you may be surprised when God unexpectedly changes your role from humble servant to royal knight of the King!

Lamplighter Publishing
P.O. Box 777
Waverly, PA 18471

Ten Feet in the Dark

There are two things I am writing in this early morning darkness. The first, is this e-mail. The second, is a list of necessary items to purchase to combat power outages. The usual fare, like matches, wicks for the lanterns, lantern oil, batteries for the flashlight and smoked tendons to keep Claire contented in one spot. But let me back up and explain!

I have brought Katydid, our friendly wolfhound home with us the past two nights. Yesterday coming home, the highway had turned into a new and used Precariously Parked Car Lot, offering all makes, models, shapes, sizes, condition and poses. Some, even had their previous owners showcasing them, walking round and round kicking the tires, or resting an elbow on the top in disbelief that their perfect vehicle that could zoom so fast past the slow pokes could ever end up in the Precariously Parked Car Lot. Many vehicles had State Troopers or Paramedics trying to draw crowds and many were quite successful!

After making it safely home and peeling my curved fingers from the steering wheel, the two dogs played in the fierce wind storm, the kind of fierce where arctic air meets mountain air meets ocean air all in a narrow valley. The wind tunnel howling effect was a display of beauty, power and awe! I would not be surprised if the strength of this wind is bringing up the smells of the past five generations of moose; by the looks of the dogs twitching noses, I would wager that my guess is pretty close!

Most of the night was spent up, reassuring the dogs that all the howling and thunking and whistling and house twisting was in fact a normal encounter, even if it felt rather like an intrusion! Bless their primitive brains for doing what dogs do best, namely, listen and watch, alert, protect! We watched at the window while several cars spent more than an hour and several millimeters of tire rubber trying to make it up the ice sculpted hill!

We lost power, and with it all sense of visibility, perceived or actual. The house is cold and getting colder by the minute. There are eight dog feet and two human feet trying to vie for safe footing. Fortunately, my cell phone lit up nicely for us to make it around until I could get candles lit. (Only four matches remain, thus the shopping list)

It is a cozy and creative morning, made more enjoyable with a cup of tea from a propane stove, but I do have two big dogs lying ever so close to my feet, squinting up at me through candlelit eyes and asking if they are dreaming, or is this for real. I reassure them once again that this is, in fact, a normal encounter and that we are loving it!