The One Thing I Asked

Have you ever tried to do something nice for someone and it blows up in your face? Well a few months ago Rhonda (my wife) was on her way home after visiting her parents for a few days. The house was a mess and I thought I would make her day by cleaning it up before she got home. Usually I would have spent my time finishing my latest renovation (because that is what I appreciate) but I really wanted to give her a great gift so I settled on doing the dishes. After all, nothing says "I love you" like doing the things your spouse appreciates.

Now what you need to know is that Rhonda loves it when I clean up the kitchen (more specifically - when I wash the dishes!) - and probably even more importantly - you need to know that just before she left for home she called and asked me if I could arrange a babysitter for the next evening? I of course said 'sure!'.

Fast forward a few hours - I'm frantically putting the finishing touches on our newly cleaned house when Rhonda walks in the door. At this point I'm thinking "boy is she gonna love this!" and so I go to the door to welcome her home. And then with one simple question disaster struck. Katrina had nothing on this moment. I mean if joy was a balloon - it was not only about to be deflated, it was about to burst into a million pieces never to be found again. What was the dreaded question...

"Did you remember to call the babysitter?"

I tried my best to say 'sorry' and explain that I had forgotten on the account of cleaning the house but it was no use. I was in the dog house. But what about the clean house? What about the fact that I did the dishes. I gave you the kind of gift you truly love and appreciate? Didn't I? Rhonda's only response was this - "But you didn't do the ONE THING I ASKED!!".

So I took my licks and purposed to eventually learn how to love my wife in the way she wanted to be loved.

Well a few weeks passed and I was contimplating the writings of the prophet Isaiah and the statement "Obedience is better than sacrifice" (Isaiah 66). What does obedience look like in worship and why is it better than sacrifice? And then it hit me!

DO THE ONE THING I ASK!

You can bring me your songs
You can give me your tithes and offerings
You can surrender your dreams to me
But if you don't do the one thing I ask your sacrifice is as worthless as pagan ritual.

My wife was reflecting the heart of God! Our marriage putting worship into a proper perspective! It's not about all of the good things I do - it's about listening and living out as a servant!

I was suddenly reminded of what Jesus taught when he said "I only do the things my father asks me to do". Jesus wasn't bringing a sacrifice - an 'acceptable' offering. He didn't ask the question 'What do I want to give God today to show him how much I love him?'. He understood that the way to bless his Father was to listen and then do what his Father asked. Simple obedience leading to perfect worship!

So today I'm on a new quest - To daily ask the question 'What do you want me to do today?' and then learn how to do the one thing He asks.

Free 4 All

For a long time we have felt like we needed to be more generous with our money. Every year we have friends and family members who bless us with money, gifts, food and many other wonderful things and we end up not knowing what to do with it all. To top that off both Rhonda and I have very good earning potential. So how can I begin to share my blessed life with those around me? Enter the garage sale!

To me the whole idea of a garage sale gives me ulsers! You spend hours trying to figure out what your junk is worth to you - only to spend two days sitting in a cold garage being ticked-off by the guy who thinks he should get it for half price that price, and in the end you donate it to the Salvation Army and get nothing for it (except for a big headache and running nose!). And for what reason? To make a few dollars off of things you didn't even what or use! Am I really that hard up for cash? No I'm not! So this year our family has decided to forgo the garage sale and we are hosting our very first Free 4 All.

What's a Free 4 All? It's really quite simple...

We are going to take everything in our house that we don't need, use or like and put it on display in our garage. Then, instead of nickel-and-diming our friends and neighbours to make a few bucks, we are having a garage sale where everything is FREE! No price tags. No barterring. No feeling cheated. Just a whole lot of fun giving away our stuff to any and everybody who can use it. And to make sure everyone can get in on the fun we are limiting the number of items people can take to 4 per person. Our hope is that people will choose only the things that they really want and leave the rest behind for other people to enjoy.

The tentative date for the Free 4 All is April 29, 2006 at 14 Willow Bay, Altona. So come on out and look through our stuff - we'd love to give you something!

Note: If you live in the area and are interesting in hosting your own Free 4 All on the same day, let us know and we'll be sure to send people your way!

Camping

My wife Rhonda and I have been married for 5 years and every spring we contemplate what our summer vaction will look like. Invariably she suggests that we go camping - and every year I try and pursuade her that we would be better off doing something else.

Why don't I like camping? I used to camp a lot as a kid with my family and always had an enjoyable time. In fact I have many fond memories of spending the summer at Blue Lake campground with our friends. Hiking. Swimming. Fishing. What changed? I suppose somewhere along the way I got very comfortable with my home, our big leather couch and the nearness of the odour free bathroom. I suppose you could say I got very 'soft'.

So last week I'm listening to a friend talk about the transfiguration, were Peter suggests they set up 3 tents and camp out in this amazing place! The next thing you know I'm thinking about the Jews and how they would celebrate the 'Festival of Tents' to remind them of the time they spent wondering in the dessert. Then, completely out of the blue, I hear God's quiet inner voice saying to me "I want to you start camping!". I actually laughed out loud. Are you serious? Why? The answer was simple - I need to consciously surrender my comforts and learn to live with less. Not to prove that I can, but so I can live more generously with the wealth that I have. Being content in every situation wether I have much or little.

I got home and told Rhonda about my decision to become a camper again. She laughed at me because no matter how many times she would have asked I would have baulked at the idea - but God askes me once and I'm like 'OK!'.

I'm not sure what big lesson I can learn from this, but I'm quite sure the next time Rhonda wants me to do something she will probably ask God to ask me first.