I am Not A Baseball Fan

The sun is shining, the house is quiet and I have my day old coffee heated up.  (For those of you who don't know me well enough you should know something. I make a big pot of coffee. As soon as it is done brewing I turn it off immediately. This keeps the coffee from getting bitter, then over the next day or two I drink it each morning.) I know with the coffee buffs in the crowd I have most likely made you gag, but hey if I am going to even get a place in the kitchen on a busy weekday morning I better plan ahead, and forget fiddling with the "timer" on my coffee pot. Yes it has a timer I have yet to figure out.

David my amazing husband has whisked the boys off for their Saturday morning breakfast out. It's their thing they do, just the boys. Big manly breakfast, and mom gets a lazy morning to do whatever.  My "whatever" will start with running over to the Young Life garage sale to check out the goods and throw a few pennies their way.  Then as a family we will all meet up in the yard for some planting, mowing, gardening, weeding, playing and number of other things to get summer moving in the right direction.

This morning I was reading in Galatians and wanted to share a few thoughts. 

Galations 6:3,4

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.

Around the kitchen island this morning I was talking about my parents.  They had an element of status in the community and the places they traveled.  The only thing is I really did not know that at that time in my young life.  We might be traveling with the president of this organization or sitting having dinner with a senator, or having some celebrity in their own way over and I never knew who, where, what or when.  I appreciated that my parents never once said anything like this...."Now Elizabeth we are having so and so over this evening, so be on your best behavior."  "Or, you better say or act a certain way because we are dining with a important business people tonight." Never once.   However I will admit my mom did pick out my clothes for me, and I thought it was just because I was a fashion fault. Which by the way, even today I still am and thank my lovely daughter and her friends every day for the fashion tips.

In the back of my mind, as we chatted this morning  over our coffee I had this verse pop into my head from Galatians.   I thought of the manner in which we often want to be someone and then be known for being that person. Or be known for being in the know of knowing that person who is known.  We self promote in ways that elevate who we are, when in reality behind closed doors we may be a schmuck.  (even a nice one)

A few years back I had a client in Pittsburgh, PA. I had to spend a week with this company learning how their organization worked.  I had made a few good ideas which would work for the company and save them some serious money.  I am just a home girl from Portland who wears Good Will sweats, and socks with holes in them.  That week I was wearing my business suits, carrying my Coach brief case and saving this company money. They were very happy with me.  Later in the week they took me to a Pirates game and introduced me to the manager of the Pirates.  They introduced me like I was "Somebody".  

I love how my commentary reads:
"Anyone who concludes that he is something through the comparison with others deceives himself. Instead of judging others a Christian we should examine his own work to see if he is following Christ's example"

Standing alongside of baseball professionals was fun. I will admit. And being around the team and introduced to the players was cool.  However I ask myself in all I say and do.  In my work today am I following the heart of who Christ would be.  I am touted to be more than I am.  I love to talk, I love to share stories, and I can run away with stories and get very detailed, embellish in the details and have to guard my heart and words.   Even in writing I will often go and ask David to read my blog to assure that I am not making the tree taller than it was.

What do you take pride in? Who do you compare it to?  God made us these smart amazing individuals. I truly believe that the more we give Him honor and glory for what we have the more He wants to bless us.  The more we share our heritage of those amazing things in our lives, the more he gives us to use for HIS glory, not our own.  Our heritage is when we can say thank you Father for pouring into me the ability to sit with this team of baseball players. I have no idea why I am hear. I am not a baseball fan, there are others who would appreciate this more than me, but allow YOUR love and joy to shine through me.

It is okay to want to be something. It's not okay to think you are something, speak about that false "something". You only deceive yourself.   Examine your hearts today and ask yourself how your heart, your intentions in what you say and do align with the heart of Jesus.  Happy Sunny Saturday. Love & Blessings, Elizabeth