No offense intended

Last Sunday in our Young Marrieds' class, a really good teacher shared some great truths.  I could take about 5 different blog posts to tell you about his lesson (and maybe I will.....) but one thing that he tossed out as an aside really stuck with me.  He said that he and his wife pray "to be un-offendable".  He went on to explain that they want to be folks that don't get their feelings hurt easily, don't assume the worst in terms of motive, intent or message but instead believe the best about people and situations.


Sounds like an application of I Corinthians 13: 5 to me where Paul explains that LOVE  is  not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. 


Can you imagine what our homes would be like if husbands and wives and brothers and sisters weren't "offendable"?  Our churches?  Our communities?  Our country?  Our world???? What would happen if, instead of letting our feelings get hurt and then reacting out of retaliation or at least self-protection, we just let go of the offense.  No keeping score of the last wound received or delivered.  No assumptions that someone else intended to hurt us with that remark or exclusion or slight. No desire to inflict pain in an effort to alleviate our own.


Wow.  That would make a whole lot of difference in our marriages.  In our friendships and our parenting.  In our neighborhoods and our schools and our churches.


That's become my prayer, too.  To be unoffendable.  I hope you'll join me.


And we'll see the fruit  - because Love Never Fails.  (I Corinthians 13:8)

Those church people............

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.   Psalm 16:3




Sometimes I hear people complain about or criticize folks in church.  Labeling them (us) as hypocrites.  As shallow and unthinking.  Or cold and judgmental.  As too worldly...as too legalistic.  Uncaring...or unwise.  Too boring...not serious enough.  Yep, all those things and more are often levied against God's people. 


And they're probably all true.  At least of me, anyway, at some point or another.


But my take on the church - well, I love it!  I find the "saints in the land" to be "the excellent ones" for sure.  "All my delight" is upon those who go by the name "Christian". 


I agree they - uh, we - aren't perfect and perhaps we deserve the criticism we get. We've each one dropped the ball at times and, in all honesty, inflicted hurt upon and/or endured hurt from the people that are supposed to love us the best. But I wouldn't trade my fellow believers for all the other people in the world.  God's folks are the best.  I don't know how anybody survives without the Body of Christ.  The saints have welcomed me when my family has moved to a new town.  Fed us when we had babies. Laughed with us over funny stories.    Supported us when we had crises. Prayed for us when we faced decisions. Defended us when we were attacked.  Rejoiced with us when God brought blessings and cried with us when times were tough. Showed up out of the blue to help us with projects that we feared we couldn't do alone.  I've seen the saints pay bills for folks they didn't even know, buy cars for a needy family anonymously, and house kids going through rough times. 


I don't know what your experience is with the people of God, but I'm here to tell you, mine proves they are the best people in all the world.


And I just want to go on record as saying  I love you all!!

It's my pleasure

I love good customer service. I love it when I ask a Publix employee where to find flaxseed and I am then escorted to aisle 9. I enjoy being cheerfully greeted when I pop through the doors at Quik Trip  I applaud ARMC for sending me a survey to check the quality of my last visit. I relish saying "thank you" at Chick-fil-A just so I can hear "it's my pleasure".  And I appreciate Race Trac's clean restrooms and Sodapalooza free refills. I love good customer service.

We all enjoy good service. And companies, for the most part, are good at delivering it. So good in fact that most of us have come to expect it. Maybe even demand  it

So imagine my surprise when my doctor told me he had "fired" some patients. I thought back to several disappointments I'd had with his office and felt relieved that I hadn't complained about the grumpy receptionist or the delinquent immunization paperwork or the phone call for a minor emergency that never got returned. He went on to explain that his office was overloaded, his staff was overworked and he had some patients who were so demanding they they could not be satisfied. Through tired eyes and with slumped shoulders he said "They can't accept that some of our decisions don't go their way. They got mad that we couldn't do things to suit them all the time.  So I fired them. Not my employees. Those arrogant, impossible-to-please patients." I was now way past relief and into full- blown gratitude that I had not expressed my opinion all these years as to how they could better serve their customers . Whew.  I figured it was safe to assume, since I was sitting in his office, that I was not one of the patients he let go. I asked him how it felt. Great, he replied. Great.

I later reflected on times I've been a dissatisfied customer. To be sure, some of those were just plain bad experiences. An important - and promised - deadline missed. Shoddy installation of an expensive product.  Broken locks on a hotel room door.  Erroneous information by an technician on a price quote. Repeated misdiagnoses that eventually necessitated scarring surgery. Happy customer I was not.  Understandable.


But other times...is it possible that my expectations were unreasonable?  Or at least self-centered? Was I so accustomed to getting what I wanted that my desire for good service had morphed into a demand instead? Have we as customers become arrogant and irrational?  Do we think that companies should bow before our throne of exaction?


And, if they refuse - whether the reason is justifiable or not - how do we react?  Do we throw an adult version of a temper tantrum?  Do we harass the poor employee who has to deliver the unwanted news?  Do we rant about our experience to all our friends....and all over social media?  Do we complain to the home office and insist on reparations?


I wish we didn't. 


But sometimes we do.


Whether it's a doctor's office or a fast food restaurant or some other provider of goods and services, are we as the American customer just a little over the top in what we think should be delivered?


And have you ever noticed that those folks who are the most onerous hardly ever say "thanks" when you are finally able to deliver what they demand ?


Kinda makes you wanna fire 'em, ya know what I mean?

Minus three Orphans

The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.  James 1:27


This very week, as only Providence Himself could plan it, three of my friends are boarding planes with their respective hubbies and biological children to cross the ocean and each rescue an orphan.  To bring him or her back with them and adopt them into their family and raise them to adulthood.  What a picture of God's love, what a testimony of His grace.


There's about a bazillion widows and orphans in this world.  Lonely, afraid, maybe even desperate... needing love and help and security. That you and I can give.  Maybe we're not all "called" to bring them all to our house.  Maybe it seems like too gargantuan a task.  Maybe it is....all by ourselves.  But if we all just follow His command, to care for them in some way, maybe we can get the job done.


Even if we can't get to all of them, this week there will be three fewer orphans in the world.  Shelley, Michelle, and Jess, I'm praying for you and yours.  And, readers, I'm asking you to pray for them, too.


And if you want more info on how you can give or pray...or maybe even rescue one yourself, contact me and I'll get you started.  Thanks.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan

Two years ago today, my world changed.  The whole world changed, actually.  Because my grandson arrived.


Jonathan Miller Alligood, Jr.


In just two years, he has given us a lifetime of laughs and cheer, a universe full of hugs and kisses, and enough hope and promise to fill the whole world.  That's what babies do to us all. That's why we applaud their arrival, marvel at their uniqueness, and lay down our lives to make theirs better. They give us a glimpse of God's greatness, His love, and our hope in Him.


Dear Jonathan, I know you've inherited a world where peace is not ubiquitous, a country where selfish agendas set the pace, and an extended family that is far from perfect.  But I pray that you will be able to change all that, even if only a little bit.  I pray that you will be so aware that the foundation of love you've been set on is sure and strong that you'll have what it takes to bring about transformation in the lives around you.  If I could, my precious little fella, I would fix it all for you. I'd make everything perfect for you to enjoy.


  I'd love to give you


a world where differences in cultures and nationalities are celebrated, not persecuted
a world that listens to others' viewpoints respectfully, even  if without agreement
a world that rewards hard work instead of clever ways to beat the system
a world that is generous and compassionate to those who deserve it....as well as to those who don't
a world where people think before they speak or post or email...and then act wisely on those thoughts
a world where initiative is applauded instead of regulated
a world where Moms and Dads are more interested in making things better for their kids than grasping for that elusive gold ring
a world where the helpless are helped and the capable act with competence
a world where there is trust....because it's been earned
a world where broken relationships get fixed instead of discarded
a world where the "rights" of some people don't trample on those of others
a world where people are happy and have fun together
a world where all the chocolate and gummy bears we want won't make us sick
a world where Truth is constant and Love reigns supreme


Dear little Jonathan, until HE returns and makes all things new, we will only have fragments of that kind of world.  One day there will be no more cancer, no more divorce, no more hurtful words, no prejudicial opinions, no more hate, no more orphans, no  more death, no more selfishness or laziness or greed.


I can't change the whole world, dear Jonathan.  And, as much as I'd like to believe you can, the truth is, you can't either.


But until HE comes to change it all forever, I'll do everything in my power to make YOUR world as perfect as perfect can be.  As only a grandmother can.


Happy Birthday, Jonathan. I'm so glad you were born.  Suzie loves you.  Forever.

 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children
Revelation 21:1-7