Last Wednesday, December 7th, was Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I started that day off by posting on Facebook about my very own Pearl Harbor moments. My childhood church is Harris Creek Baptist Church, Jacksonville, NC. I am pleased to say that my youngest brother, Drew, is now the pastor of that church. It scares me to think of what he is sharing up in that pulpit about his siblings and I'm not even there to defend myself. But thinking back to those younger sibling days, I commented on FB that the kids I grew up with at HCBC are like extended siblings to me. I have lots of memories of indiviuals, of the different phases of our lives, and of the different holidays celebrated with them. And Pearl Harbor Day is no exception. One of our Sunday School teachers for the teenage class was Mr. Adrian Gurganus. He was a great SS teacher and leader. He is also a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack and shared his experience with us every year around December 7th. His daughter, Peggy, posted a Jacksonville Daily News (NC) article on FB honoring Mr. Adrian at a ceremony celebrating him and others who have served in the military. I was wowed at his age--89 years young. Thank you, again, Mr. Adrian, for the service you rendered and for leading such fine students to continue on with our own walks of life. Keevin and I discussed how our parents were small children at the time of the attacks, being 70 years ago. And I observe the remembrance day because of Mr. Adrian. But other younger folks don't hold the same feelings for this part of our history as I do. Not many Mr. Adrian's are still alive. Most of them have gone on to their next life phase, heaven I hope. The further we travel away from December 7th, 1941 the dimmer of the memory. Those good serving folks are less notable and important and visible.
And now that we have arrived to the Christmas season, gifting is on our minds. Every weekend Keevin and I point out the Christmas trees tied up on top of vehicles traveling out of the town of Boone and back to their homes. Some of the vehicles have 2 and 3 trees tied on top. Maybe they have a large home and put up several and maybe more than one family traveled to our lovely town to experience the choose-&-cut tree method. But still those trees are going to good homes, to be put up and lovingly decorated and admired and enjoyed. Once that's done the next phase is to get busy wrapping presents and carefully designing the underneath of the beautiful tree. Some of those presents will be for people other than family members and friends. There will be gifts for coworkers, neighbors, Secret Santa pal, pastor, SS teacher, school teacher, mailman, etc. Perhaps, though, with this being a lean, hard-to-find-job year not as many of these folks will receive gifts as in years past. Somehow I think these important people know that they are still significant in the lives of the would-be giver.
But what about the person who wishes they could be significant enough to receive a gift? This person feels invisible and feels like no one sees him/her. A couple years ago Heidie Harris and I shared the Women's ministry duties at Lascassas Baptist Church (TN). She is awesome at newsletter design and she knows how to do all that is done on the computer to accomplish this. She can bake and decorate a beautiful,or whatever you want on it, cake for any occasion. One personal link we shared was to help the ladies who did not participate in the up-front activities (such as choir, teaching, praise team, etc) to feel included with all the ladies of LBC. That inspired me to go around every Sunday morning and shake hands and greet every person that I could. I developed relationships by that very act. Some folks would ask my where abouts if they missed me the week before. People got used to being acknowleged and spoken to. These are folks that I had to go to. I found them in their usual pews. I think they appreciated the effort I put into finding them. But if I hadn't--did they feel invisible? Overlooked?
Do you feel invisible? Overlooked? Are you afraid that you are not significant enough to receive a Christmas present? 21 Day Journal Note # 22 can help you turn this way of life into a visible, noticed and signifcant life--but the main reason for you to be noticed is to attract your contacts to Jesus.
21 Day Journal Note # 22
Invisible
Ephesians 4:21-24 (MSG) That's no life for you. You learned Christ! We do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything--and I do mean everything--connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.
Lord, I feel invisible. I feel no passion. I have not interest in anything. No energy. No creativity. I am floating along in life with no purpose or direction. I feel lost in the crowd. I follow the crowd and do what they are doing because my thinking has no direction for my life. Because of Your word I realize that I am on a dead-end path. One that is not Your path. I choose this day to be lead and directed by You. Help me Lord to love You with my whole being and energy. Help me to share in Your character, Your loves, Your ways. I refuse to live lifeless anymore. My goal is to be renewed, refreshed and to add color and flavor to my life so that you will be visible in me. Thank you my Father!!
end of journal note. Change the bad habit of lifelessness by handwriting this journal note once a day x 21 days. Christ's blood will start pumping through your body and wake it up to a new life.
Friend, if you are a quiet Christmas mouse I encourage you to start this journal note right away. You'll feel some effects of it by day 4 but continue on to day 21 for that new life you crave. However, this doesn't mean that you will get those presents this year that would make you feel important. Your importance comes from God and God gave you Jesus and Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit--That's alot of giving that you have already received. You just need to accept it wholeheartedly. But maybe by next year you will receive those extra gifts and maybe have a wall full of Christmas cards. The idea is for you to courageously climb out of your pew and wander to the other side of the scantuary and say "hello" to someone. Tie a string around you finger to remind you to say "good morning" to your coworker as you walk past him/her by. Draw a smiley face on a yellow post-it note and stick it on your desk to smile as you talk to anyone on the phone. People can feel smiles as they are talking to you on the phone. I know all this change will be hard but it's the right thing to do!! Remember a verse from last week Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)? It says: "The fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." The quietness referred to in this verse means a lack of anxiousness and chaos in your spirit. That's the kind of quietness you really want. Not the outward quietness that comes from fear of rejection and other fears. That kind of quietness is a cowering and shrinking away from humans (and maybe even God). Friend, I hope you choose this kind of life.
Take good care of yourself, my friend, because you are very significant!!! I see you and so does God!!
Sisterly love to all, Wynndy
