tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255061167072169918.post3812146528289953834..comments2024-02-23T08:33:09.845-08:00Comments on MichaelQuicke.org: Preaching Abraham (6)MichaelQuickehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11268769366142928882noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255061167072169918.post-81390291727569331992008-09-16T03:36:00.000-07:002008-09-16T03:36:00.000-07:00WORSHIP SERVICESWhere do I worship?I always get a ...WORSHIP SERVICES<BR/><BR/>Where do I worship?<BR/><BR/>I always get a chuckle when you highlight the extra dose of "righteousness" that one finds in meeting an obligation early in the morning. If getting up early and often is the key, I should expect a manifold increase in my holiness level. <BR/><BR/>As promised in an earlier posting, I am attempting to reflect upon how the Sunday message applies to our lives. What have been the take home messages? <BR/><BR/>Let's see.. Abraham followed God's call to move in an unknown new direction, got waylaid in pursuit of creature comforts (for me that would be a full night's sleep), thought he should take over God's promise with Hagar, selected financial sacrifice with Lot, and ultimate sacrifice with his own son. Each time the willingness to sacrifice was ultimately the source of greatest blessing, and the "easy way around" lead only to conflict.<BR/><BR/>My mind goes to our situation with baby Darrell (whom you now have met a couple times). It certainly would be easier to not have a little baby around while I try to homeschool and prepare for another newborn in January. It goes against my nature (in truth, I am easily overwhelmed by chaos and sleep deprivation). <BR/><BR/>I never was the girl who wanted a full quiver of children - and always planned to space them at least 3 1/2 years apart. We waited a year for God to send us the child He showed us through foster care, so we lost patience and tried for another birth child. Now, ironically, we may very well end up with the one HE promised to us and the other one on the way. (No fear, we will not banish either of them or "Call him Ishmael").<BR/><BR/>NOW THERE IS CONFLICT. The horrible alternative to being buried in diapers, of couse, is that after months- or years- of late nights, hectic days, and early mornings... we might be forced to sacrifice one of our little boys to an uncertain future. I know I need to trust that God will take care of him, but this test of faith emerges as the key challenge.<BR/><BR/>So, as I type with one hand and hold a pacifier with the other, I am actually weeping. The weeping is not my choice, but I can chose to weep in dispair or I can praise Him.<BR/><BR/>We can chose to think of him as OUR baby, or someone else's baby. Of course, he IS someone else's baby. He is OUR FATHER'S baby. <BR/><BR/>Here at my bedside with God's baby I WORSHIP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com