5 INDISPENSABLE GUIDELINE FOR NEW PARENTS

This is not for everyone. If you are already a parent, this is not for you. Instead of reading this I suggest you read one of my other more abstract Pastor’s Desk articles. If you are not a parent and have no intention of ever being a parent, this is not for you. Instead of reading this I suggest you read one of my more weighty articles on FindingTruthMatters.org. If you are not yet a parent and one day hope to become a parent, this is for you. Find a quiet place, take the next six minutes thirteen seconds and use the reading of this article as an investment into your future parenting strategies. I did not invent these guidelines. Like many parents who have also discovered the value of these guidelines, once discovered, they seem obvious. These successful parents probably grew up with own parents who inculcated these guidelines almost intuitively. However, my suspicion is that this is becoming increasingly rarer. As with all true guidelines they are adaptable, flexible, and are not a guarantee of parental success — but if ignored they become the point in the mathematical problem solving where you can see you made an error in your working out. In other words, while these guidelines may not guarantee success, if ignored their neglect almost certainly leads to frustration and disappointment. Here are five indispensable guidelines for every prospective new parent.

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

 

THE JOY AND PRIVILEGE OF PARENTING

Becoming a parent is a privilege not a right. Having and raising children is one of the primary goals for a couple when they get married. From the outset it is important to understand that children do not need parents – they need their father and mother. Any single parent will tell you that it is tough being a single parent. Every single parent has twice the responsibility and only have half the resources when compared to the ideal situation afforded by loving a husband and wife who together raise their child/ren. The partnership of a father and a mother in raising their children is an investment of their time often demanding a great sacrifice personal and even career ambitions. Reflecting on this one mother recently told me, “Sure being a mother is hard work but it is far more rewarding than being the winner of some tennis Grand Slam tournament!” Many young people set off on the journey of married life together expecting that they can start a family at the time of their choosing only to discover that this is not always the case — and even sadly, for some, may never be the case. So, if the Good LORD blesses you with a child in your own marriage journey, you are indeed blessed and privileged, even on those inevitable days when your child is ratty and snooty!  And it’s on those days that it’s going to be difficult for you to appreciate what I am now about to state: without the partnership of committed principle-guided fathers and mothers raising their children, our society does not have hope of seeing God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
Proverbs 17:6

Indispensable guideline #1 for new parents, Be consistent – children need routine!

Consistent routines are essential for a child to feel secure. Children are set up to flourish when they up brought up in a secure environment. These routines provide predictability and boundaries. Routines such as bedtime preparation (putting toys away, bathing, pyjamas, and bedtime chats/stories/prayers), mealtime preparation (cleaning up whatever they were playing with, helping to set the table, clearing away dishes from the table, putting all the condiments back in the pantry, washing and drying the dishes), getting in the car preparations (make sure your bed is made, things removed from the bedroom floor and put back where they belong, towels returned to the bathroom and hang-up to dry, socks on shoes on, and depending on the occasion – bags packed).  Of course, mum and dad should model daily routines as they establish consistent bed times, meal times, get-up times, for their child.

Parents need to be appropriate and consistent with discipline and consequences. As your child gets older the appropriateness of the discipline will change – but your consistency should not and discipline should never be done in anger! 

¶ A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.
Proverbs 13:24 THE MESSAGE

Indispensable guideline #2 for new parents, Have a Dinner Table – Dinner time is not just about food!

A family dinner table is the sacred meeting venue for a daily family rendezvous. It is the place for daily updates, pastoring by parents, training (where children learn the social skills of staying at the table until everyone else has finished their meal), learning to show thankfulness and appreciation even for unfamiliar food (a social skill necessary whenever dining at someone’s house overseas for example [note 1Cor. 10:27), and it is a place where a father can shepherd his child’s heart by asking questions requiring appropriate thought. The family dining table is the place where each one seated at it is accepted. It is at this sacred dining table where children witness their parents welcoming and accepting occasional guests (even the friends of their children). Jesus Christ often used a dining table as a place where He accepted people, and parents should seek to emulate this to their children.

¶ And as He reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and His disciples,
for there were many who followed Him.
Mark 2:15

Indispensable guideline #3 for new parents, Work As A Team – Do not disagree in front of your children!

Parents must agree about how they are going to parent their children and never never disagree with each other in front of their children about how they are to discipline their child’s misbehaviour. All children have a knack for exploiting divisions between their parents – so don’t give them any unnecessary opportunity to do so! I do not, however, want to be misunderstood though. I am not suggesting that your child/ren should never see his or her parents disagree. In fact, parents should model how to resolve disagreements in front of their child/ren. (Hopefully most married couples will remember from their marriage preparation sessions the difference between fighting and arguing.) This is why it is critical for new parents to not neglect their own relationship with each other. Your weekly date is critically important, and your regular quiet end-of-day couch time when your child/ren is/are in bed is similarly indispensable. The strength of any parent-child relationship is grounded in the strength of your marriage.

¶ I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
First Corinthians 1:10

Indispensable guideline #4 for new parents, Read Books to Your Child – Books enthral, enchant, excite, and educate a child like nothing else can!

Parents should introduce their child/ren to books from the earliest age because books will let them know that they are not the centre of this world. From picture books with just one or two words on each page, and then progressively to books with more words on each page than pictures, then, as your child grows to understand the power of words which convey concepts, books that are just words. Books are a divinely ordained means by which ideas can be communicated as evidenced by the Bible itself and its encouragement to learn from books as seen in the examples of the apostles who often cited and referred to non-Biblical books (note Acts 17:28 and  2Tim. 4:13). Parents should familiarise their children with as many of the world’s great books as they can (refer to Mortimer J. Adler’s list of Great Books). The act of reading a physical book to your child sends a profound message. Books are then seen as a source of information, entertainment, education, and inspiration for your child/ren. Reading good and appropriate books to your child sets him or her up to learn how to learn and concentrate.  

Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance
Proverbs 1:5

Indispensable guideline #5 for new parents, Commit to Your Church – Show your child why God is great!

Children need to learn that they are members of two families – their natural family and their spiritual-community (church) family. Parents should make a commitment to making attending church with their children as one of their highest priorities. When children watch their parents make attending church one of the most important parts of their week, they come to see that God must be great, very great. Even when they are young and it may mean that either parent has to sit with or nurse their child at the expense of their own worship experience, it sends a tremendously powerful and fruitful message to their children. Enrolling them into Kids Church when they are old enough and then having them join the church’s youth group when they commence High School, will pay enormous dividends both socially and spiritually. Being a part of a church community is something every parent should teach their children from birth so that they have the best opportunity to come to know Christ from the earliest age.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:4-5

Parenting is a great blessing. Kim and I have been blessed by the Lord giving us four grown children (with just one left at home). I strongly encourage every prospective parent to plan now on how they can learn to be the best father of mother they can be. The result could potentially be the transformation of our culture.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down,
and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk. 

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SITTING, WALKING, RESTING, RISING

 A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SITTING, WALKING, RESTING, RISING

I was recently reading a highly respected Biblical scholar, Dr. David deSilva, who specialises in what the New Testament teaches about Christian community. He reflected on how he had the privilege of being invited into many churches across the United States and Asia. He then made a comment about what he considered was the saddest and most heard appeal given in the hundreds of churches he had been in. 

“It is always a grievous thing when pastors have to call time and time again for Sunday school teachers and youth group leaders—better an empty choir loft than a lack of investment on the part of mature Christians in the lives and the training of the youth in the ‘instruction and discipline of the Lord.’ Our children’s roots in the faith will be all the deeper, and their equipment to engage adult life as Christians all the more complete, if many adults take a keen interest in them, making opportunities to talk with them about God, about living a life that honors God, about the ways in which one can sink deep roots in God’s love.”
David deSilva, “Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity”, 2000:239

Dr. deSilva goes on to discuss how every church needs every adult to recognise their responsibility to help teach and disciple the children within their church centre. This doesn’t necessarily mean every adult should be out in Kids Church each Sunday, but it does mean that every adult needs to be extra-aware that they are already teaching each of the children in the church by their example. It’s uncomfortably amazing just how much children indirectly learn about Christianity from observing grown-ups at church! Secondly, it should mean that more mature adult believers will volunteer to regularly teach in the Kids Church. Most of our Kids Church team leaders are qualified teachers who spend time training volunteer Kids Church teachers. Please prayerfully consider how you can be a part of our church’s ministry to children.

 

SITTING, WALKING, RESTING, RISING FOR THE SAKE OF CHILDREN 

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:7

You don’t have to be a parent to be an everyday teacher of the children in our church. The kind of teaching, training, and discipleship that the Bible calls for involves talking about the Lord when you sit, when you walk, when you lie down, and when you rise. But if you are a parent, then you have the privilege of teaching and training your own children every time you sit, lie down, and rise up. The children of our church need to know what the bible says, why the bible is true and reliable, why Christianity is true, and how to apply what Jesus taught.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4

We each bear a responsibility to ensure that the next generation of Christ-followers are taught, trained, prepared, and equipped, to walk confidently with Christ and to be able to make Him known. “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:13-14). Doing what we can to help a child to know and love God is something that we can each contribute to—even if we are not a parent. Note this closing New Testament verse from a follower of Christ who never had his own children, but saw himself as a father to many which would have caused him to share the Word of God when he sat, when he walked, when he rested, and when he arose for the day -

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3John 4 , Apostle John

 

Your pastor,

Andrew Corbett

WHICH IS BETTER?

As President Abraham Lincoln said, “You can’t trust everything you read on the internet!” Therefore, I’m not sure whether Bill Gates actually did say it or not, but the claim is made that he once said, “I always choose for a lazy person to do a difficult job. Because he will find an easy way to do it!” This contrasts with the different approach, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it!” The question therefore is: Which is better?The lazy approach or the busy approach?

 ¶  Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.
Prov. 26:16

While Bill Gates may assume that lazy people are incredibly smart people, I think they also deserve another compliment. Lazy people are often energetic people as well. In fact, many lazy people are so energetic, they can look downright busy! 

I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
Ecclesiastes 3:10

It is wrong to assume that all lazy people are inactive people. They can be very energetic. Laziness is thus not necessarily about the amount effort or activity involved. For example, riding a horse requires effort and can be a very effective means of transport. But not if the horse is a rocking horse! This is despite the effort involved to ride a rocking horse possibly being even more intense than riding an actual horse! Some very active and energetic people get quite offended if they are accused of being lazy.

Conversely though, we shouldn’t assume that the person doing nothing is necessarily a lazy person either.

Feel it no shame, at proper times, to be doing nothing.
F. W. Boreham, DRUMS OF DAWN

Laziness has more to do with a lack of effectiveness and appropriateness. Someone may be busy trying to scale a wall using a ladder. They may build a ladder, move it into position, test it, and vigorously go up and down it. But if it is the wrong type of ladder, or the wrong size ladder, or worse still, the wrong wall – they are being lazy, despite their hard work and busyness! Diligence, not busyness, is the opposite of laziness. Diligence strives for effectiveness and appropriateness. This requires self-discipline and persistence. It does what must be done – what has to be done – even when we are tired, afraid, uncomfortable, or uninformed.  Laziness is rarely prepared to make sacrifices in order to be effective. Diligence nearly always, if not always, involves having to make sacrifices.  

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
Proverbs 13:4

I know many good people who all work very hard, but don’t seem to be very effective. They always seem to be running out of time. They are forever misplacing things. Their solution would be to relearn how they do everything. Diligence is therefore not merely a matter of working as long and as hard as they can. Rather, it is finding out the best way to do something then working as hard as possible to do that. 

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5

So which is better: lazy or busy? If someone is considered ‘lazy’ simply because they are not busy, when in fact it is merely because they are efficient and effective (and consequently have time to do nothing), this type of lazy would be better. But if someone was ‘busy’ (and also efficient and effective), it may simply be that they are in a season of demand whereby they are helping many others. In such circumstances, busy is better. 

And translating this stand-off into the spiritual arena we can soon see that spiritual depth comes from resting in the finished work of Christ for our salvation. In this sense, we are saved by works – it’s just that it’s not our own, but Christ’s. Yet diligence and hard-work is also required for spiritual depth. The Apostle Peter told believers that they needed to be diligent to be found in Christ (refer to 1Peter 1:10), and the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that they needed to work diligently to continually be beholding Christ (2Cor. 3:18).

¶ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
Second Peter 3:14

This kind of diligence is the same as other forms of diligence. It strives for effectiveness (Philemon 6) and giving appropriate glory to God. It’s the kind of diligence which makes sacrifices in order to practice the spiritual disciplines which are deepening for a soul and glorifying to God (daily Bible reading, prayer journaling, witnessing, Sunday worship, fasting, giving, and contemplation). This is better.

Pastor Andrew Corbett

WHICH ROOM IS HE IN?

(Hint: try the kitchen then the lounge-room.)

The last few days had been harrowing. Their brother deteriorated slowly and painfully. In his final hours he struggled to breathe and was in obvious agony trying. Their only hope refused to help. His final minutes were unbearable and even more unbearable to watch.

Four days after Lazarus had died and been buried, Jesus finally arrived. Of the two confused and grieving sisters, it was Martha who went out to meet the arriving Jesus. Only months before Jesus had been the dinner guest of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. At this dinner Martha had been rebuked and this rebuke was public and, to add to her potential humiliation, recorded in the sacred annuls of Scripture for the entire world read of.

¶ Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:38-42

Please don't think that I am being dim, but what did that rebuke sound like? You may look at me quizically and read these verses to me again. But all you'd be doing is telling me what words Jesus used not, how they were used. Words are an important component of communication - but they are still only a component. When you've been publicly rebuked what did it sound like to you? There is the highest possiblity that when Jesus appeared to rebuke Martha for being pre-occupied with the necessities of life, it had a deeply therepeutic effect upon her. The major clue that this was the case is her greeting of her Rebuker-Saviour when arrived "late" to attend to her brother Lazarus recorded in John 11.

But I sincerely doubt that Jesus was rebuking Martha for being concerned about food preparation more than Bible teaching. The rebuke seems to be for her more-or-less accusing her sister Mary of wasting time. Mary, we read in the above passage, was transfixed on what Jesus was teaching her, rather than being in the kitchen with Martha. Some overly practical bods have lept to Martha's defence at this point and pointed to other people who were commended for their practical mindedness. But this misses the point. Jesus wasn't rebuking Martha because she was bearing her responsibilities as a hostess - Jesus is not against being responsible or practical - rather, His rebuke was about misplaced priorities and unwarranted judgmentalism.

We now live in an age where it is the easiest it has ever been in human history to be distracted from preserving divinely warranted priorities. For example, I now mostly read my Bible on my iPad. But my iPad is a perpetual source of temptation away from my spiritual disciplines because the same iPad which has the world's most powerful Bible software also has Email, Twitter, Facebook and world news. None of these things are wrong, but if they become a higher priority than spending time in prayerful Bible reading, they become wrong.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Matthew 6:33

Even though we are a tech-friendly church, this is not our priority as a church. The story of Mary and Martha is a timely reminder for us not to be so caught up in the practical matters of life at the price of being in the wrong room of the house when Jesus is our guest. And even as a church, with all our valuable activities and programs, we must know which room Christ is in. There are times when Christ is in the dining room - not dining, but washing feet! There are times when Jesus is in the "kitchen" preparing to feed 5,000. The issue for us is not about getting a 'balance' between spiritual and practical matters, rather we must see all that we do as a spiritual activity - even if it is preparing a meal for Christ 'in the kitchen' -

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
Matthew 25:35 - 40

- or in the 'lounge-room', in the midst of the congregation lifting our hands in songful worship. Everything we do should not only be for Christ, it should be with Christ - where He is. Which room is Christ in, in your life - and are you in that same room like Mary was when Jesus came to her home?

Ps. Andrew

WAIT

WAITING

I don't like waiting. Largely because I am convinced that my time is precious and I don't like to waste it. It's one of the reasons I nearly always travel with a book or two wherever I go so that in those unexpected moments of delay I can redeem the time. Yesterday I had to do a lot of waiting around. I was tagging along with Kim as she had some meetings with key people. At one point, after standing in a corridor for 20 minutes, I said, "I don't need to be here." To which she replied, "But you are here because you love me." She checkmated me. It seems there is a connection between waiting and love.

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8:25

I suspect that I am not the only one who doesn't particularly like waiting. But Kim's statement was very insightful. Waiting is a sign of love. During World War 2, many sweethearts were separated as young men went off to the battlefront while their girlfriends (or fiancés) waited for them at home. We have had several couples in our church who went through World War 2 and had to wait up to six years to be reunited! True love waits.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!"
Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord, the Psalmist exhorts. Waiting requires trust. Authentic trust requires love. In reverse: if you love God you'll trust God and if you trust God you'll wait on Him. How do youwait on God? When you come to that time of your day when you still yourself and read God's Word, take a moment to pray a prayer of invitation. This prayer of invitation asks God to speak to you and to show you what you need to know. "Father, thank You for Your Word. I now ask You to speak to me. Help me to hear your voice and give me the courage to heed Your voice. I yield my life to You. Amen."

Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 25:5

To wait on the Lord requires something of the worshiper. It requires a change of priorities. It calls the follower of the Crucified Supreme Lord to seek God and His kingship first.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

Life can be busy. Spiritual waiting all too often just has to wait. But God is calling His people to wait on Him. Be still. Reflect on His Word. Pray yielding prayers. Invite Him to speak to you, lead you, guide you, and use you. It will be worth the wait.

Ps. Andrew

If The Foundations Are Destroyed

"If the foundations are destroyed," the Royal Psalmist wrote, "what can the righteous do?" Foundations are rather integral not just for buildings, but for people, families, churches and societies. But it sounds like the Kingly minstrel regarded the "righteous" as integral to a society's foundations. 

King David wrote this in Psalm 11:3. But in keeping with the principle of context, we get a clue about what he was intending when we read the preceding two verses. In verse 1, David refers to God as his refuge and he describes the urge he battles with to be like a bird that flies away to the top of a mountain. I'm sure that David is not alone in wanting God to be their "refuge" or "hiding place" in times of intense pressure. The idea of being able to "fly away" is probably a very tempting option for those who are struggling to cope with strained relationships and the pressures of life. This is how David was feeling. The next verse gives the reader a clue as to why he was feeling this way.

In verse 2, David describes his present state. The wicked shoot arrows at the upright in the dark. It's hard to see arrows coming at you when they are fired in the dark! David was feeling like he was under attack by people he identified as "enemies". Spiritually, our Enemy also fires at us "in the dark". Sometimes the attacks of the Enemy are so intense that we too wish we could just fly away like a bird. But if the upright, those who know God as "LORD", should flee from the heat of the battle, then verse 3 results: the foundations are destroyed.

WHAT SHOULD OUR FOUNDATIONS BE

People need foundations. Families need foundations. Churches need foundations. Society needs foundations. What kind of foundations would King David consider as godly? Surely the foundations that David has in mind begins with -
1. The Truth About God
2. The Truth From God (His Word)
3. The Truth holding us to account

The Enemy attacks the upright with very little regard to any rules of fair-play. The Enemy seeks to wear down the godly (note Daniel 7:25). His constant attack against the foundations which underpin successful people, families, churches, and societies, require those who love the truth to take a stand for the truth.

In his book, MUD, SWEAT, AND TEARS, Bear Grylls describes the process he went through to enter the British SAS (elite forces). One hundred and eighty men applied. Four men, including BG, made it through the program. After Bear completed the SAS training, he tells of the moment that changed his life when a mysterious high ranking SAS veteran entered the room and spoke briefly with the four new SAS soldiers. The one statement that gripped BG was: You mean are extraordinary! And there is only one thing that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary, and that's the little word extra! You will find yourself getting to the point when everything in you wants to quit - but you won't! You have within you the capacity to do extra - more than what is expected!"

Spiritually, followers of Christ now have the capacity to do the extraordinary! Even though the heat of battle attempts to wears us down, God enables us to take a stand and to contribute to the maintaining of the foundations that secure the welfare of people, families, churches and society. We need more Christians to understand that they should be on "a war footing". In the Australian movie, TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, we are introduced to group of ordinary Aussie teenagers who see life as a licence to have fun but are then thrust into a sudden war where their families have either been killed or imprisoned. The transformation of Homer from an irresponsible clown into a mature responsible soldier is breath-taking. But how many people realise that we are already in a war, a spiritual war which seeks to undermine our foundations.

David goes on to describe the foundations he is referring to. In verse 4, he tells us something about God, the LORD - He is enthroned in Heaven. God rules. He is Sovereign. God is in control. His eyes test all people. This is God, the truth of His Word, and accountability to the truth - the foundations that the Enemy continually seeks to destroy and what the righteous must continually defend.

Andrew.

SPIRITUAL MICRO-MAINTENANCE

- The Art of Minute-Sparing

The other day I created a spare minute and went for a little stroll through my front garden. I admired the Spring daffodils. But I noticed the spent rose buds. "I should prune those", I said to myself, "when I get a spare minute." Then I recalled my inordinate good fortune - I had just created a spare minute! Realising this extraordinary coincidence, I went to my garage (where I have my gardening things in the corner) and grabbed my pruners. Returning to my rose bushes I attended to their dishevelment. As I was reshaping my rose bushes, I saw some unwanted oxalis (Latin for "pesky weed that annoys Andrew"). I was forced to create yet another spare minute to deal with this intruder. Something then occured to me.

James 5:11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

We live in a busy world. Some people love to let others know how busy they are. I don't. I find it almost shameful that I'm so busy at times. Busyness is not a statement of how important I am, as it seems to be for some. Busyness, to me, is a reminder that I need to make some adjustments to how I do life.

Life is not made richer by my busyness. Life is made richer when it is wonderful. It's too easy to see mundane and routine chores, such as pruning rose bushes, as an unwelcomed intrusion into a busy schedule. But there is wonder in a flower that comes from the mundane act of pruning. My life is made a little richer when create a spare minute and wonder about such (so called) simple things.

"Wondrous truths, and manifold as
wondrous,
God hath written in those stars above ;
But not less in the bright flowerets
under us
Stands the revelation of his love.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Flowers"

This shy intruder into our busyness, wonder, rarely demands our attention. It gently calls to us by inviting us into some activity of micro-maintenance. I didn't have the time to pull all of my pesky oxalis out (I had only created a spare minute). But I did manage to weed a few out. I was micro-mantaining.

As my responsibilities have mounted along life's journey, I have developed the art of micro-maintaining in more areas than just weeding my garden. Spiritually I have come to value those micro-maintenance prayer times, where like Nehemiah (Neh. 2:4) you maintain your sweet fellowship with God in "moments" of prayer - not just seasons. I treasure the micro-maintenance of reading a verse of Scripture and savouring it like the Psalmists so often did (Psalm 119:15).

Second Corinthians 11:28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

There's a great illustration of micro-maintenance in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. Little by little. Day by day. Here some, there some. And progress is made. Micro-maintenance involves creating as well as maintaining. It can 'create' a spare minute. It can give permission to step out of the HMS Busyness and repair awhile. Micro-maintenance is a slight steering wheel correction that helps us to keep our real priorities in order.

1Cor. 9:24 ¶ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

If you're daunted by how much there is on your To-Do List, and feel that the only way you can possibly get through it is to neglect those things that should be important - such as prayer, worship, Bible-reading - try some micro-maintenance. You may discover that as you pull weed some oxalis from your life that there is rose bud right in front of you opening up its wonderful blossom. Sometimes all it takes is the creation of a wonder-filled spare minute.

Psa. 34:8 ¶ Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

Ps. Andrew