Trash in, trash out

My mother always said to us growing up, "trash in, trash out."  I never paid much attention to those words as a child, but I never forgot then either.

Somewhere around my early twenties the things my mother said when I was growing up would creep back into my mind.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Training a child in the world today may seem harder, but what about the children of Israel. The Bible is full of rebellion... Followers turning away from God.  Do our children today have more pressures on them because of the media, the cultural norms, the internet?

David himself was rebellious. Jonah ran from his task....even Moses questioned God's request.

Sin has been present ever since Adam and Eve. And sin will remain present even today.

But... Even though these great men of God failed, they also became great. Just as we can become great in our time. The call is still being preached.... Go out and tell the good news...

"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15

It is my charge to tell the good news of Jesus. Share with others his saving grace and mercy... And teach his Holy Word.....

But, I need to begin at home.

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 16:5-7

Can I TESTIFY?

1 Corinthians 13

 "¹ Suppose I speak in the languages of human beings and of angels. If I don't have love, I am only a loud gong or a noisy cymbal. ² Suppose I have the gift of prophecy. Suppose I can understand all the secret things of God and know everything about him. And suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don't have love, I am nothing at all. ³ Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I give my body to be burned. If I don't have love, I get nothing at all. "

 

When I first fell in love, it was not real. Don't get me wrong.! I loved my husband, but I had no concept of what love really was. I had an idea of love.... well, I had the world's version. You know, the white knight in shinning armor, the super-star athlete, the "top gun" pilot.... the world's warped version of Prince Charming. But here was the best part....... I got to play the princess.  But how long do you think that fairy tale lasted?

 

........not long....

 

 "⁴ Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others."

 

I have learned a thing or two about patience. But, apparently God had a better lesson He wanted me to learn...

 

Kindness, I have pages and pages of my own thoughts and experiences on kindness........... but the only thing I know for certain is this...... it comes only through the love of God.

 

It doesn't want what belongs to others.... not someone's wealth, lifestyle, kids, career, or their husband or wife.

 

 "It does not brag. It is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs.

 ⁶ Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. ⁷ It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But prophecy will pass away. Speaking in languages that had not been known before will end. And knowledge will pass away.

 ⁹ What we know now is not complete. What we prophesy now is not perfect. ¹⁰ But when what is perfect comes, the things that are not perfect will pass away.

"

 

During the course of our marriage, there have been times I have been boastful, proud and rude.... well, less than perfect. Did it mean I didn't love my husband? Did it mean I was a hateful wife? No, it meant I didn't have the kind of love that was needed . Love that only comes through Christ Jesus.

 

Why didn't I have this love from the get go???

 

 ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I had the understanding of a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Even though I thought I knew love, God was going to let me experience real love...... even when it didn't feel like LOVE at all.

 

 

¹² Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.

 

And so the lesson began. It has been the hardest, the most heart wrenching experience I have ever endured, and I WOULD NOT TAKE BACK A DAY OF IT!.....because I am just skimming the surface of real love .... of who is love........of my Saviour, my everything....... my Jesus.

 

The last verse was cross-stiched for us as a wedding gift..... what a beautiful testimony we have to share of love. 

 

 ¹³ The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.

 

Michael and Robyn Buxton

Joined together in Christ

On this 2nd day of August, 1986