WHAT ABOUT THE CHANGE.
One day Jem came walking in as I exercised and he heard this song, one of our favorites.
You need to put that on your blog...
.
The Change by Steven Curtis Chapman
I've been exercising to a channel on youtube called Improved Health. This nice lady has a wonderful variety of exercise-walk type of exercise for various needs. I exercise to my own music (above from the Speechless cd) on my cd player to usually this exercise routine. I play one song after another on the 'Speechless' cd where that song is from, instead of the station's music unless it's something I like. I sometimes add a ten minute walking routine of hers too. These exercise routines come in handy on a rainy day and all of the Speechless music cd music flows beautifully with the routines and my spirit soars and I am encouraged.
The Lyrics to the above song are excellent:
"The Change"
Well I got myself a T-shirt that says what I believe
I got letters on my bracelet to serve as my ID
I got the necklace and the key chain
And almost everything a good Christian needs, yeah
I got the little Bible magnets on my refrigerator door
And a welcome mat to bless you before you walk across my floor
I got a Jesus bumper sticker
And the outline of a fish stuck on my car
And even though this stuff's all well and good, yeah
I cannot help but ask myself--
What about the change
What about the difference
What about the grace
What about forgiveness
What about a life that's showing
I'm undergoing the change, yeah
I'm undergoing the change
Well I've got this way of thinking that comes so naturally
Where I believe the whole world is revolving around me
And I got this way of living that I have to die to every single day
'Cause if God's Spirit lives inside of me, yeah
I'm gonna live life differently
I'm gonna have the change
I'm gonna have the difference
I'm gonna have the grace
I'm gonna have forgiveness
I'm gonna live a life that's showing
I'm undergoing the change
What about the change
What about the difference
What about the grace
What about forgiveness
I want to live a life that's showing
I'm undergoing the change
I think these words are very good food for thought. What are we allowing in our homes? Can Jesus watch television with us? I hope so. How are we treating people from behind our keyboards? I hope with the love of Jesus, not like mean school girls piling on, that kind of thing breaks hearts and makes people cry into their pillow...just like gossip would do. It should be fundamental.
How about the checker at the store? Do we make her think...Oh what very kind people, now they must be true Christians! Or...Oh my gosh, what hypocrites!
One year, one of our daughters worked at the county library. A lady who was a professing Christian, who we knew, was the rudest person our daughter had ever spoken with over the phone. The woman did not know she was speaking to our daughter over the phone. The woman was known as a church-goer. (I purposely say, church-goer, not Christian. Not everyone who attends church or is in ministry has the true fruits of being a Christian, not everyone standing in our garage has the fruits of being a true automobile.)
How about our children or our elderly parents or just well meaning middle-aged parents, or a friend? Are we giving grace, love and appreciation to them or picking them apart? Are we seeing our children's hearts no matter what the age? Are we seeing our parents hearts no matter what the age? Friends hearts? Are we seeing what they do right? Always, always...Look. At. The. Heart. Look at the heart!
How about fellow bloggers or commenters who we don't think we need to impress? You know what they say...True character is how you treat others who you think can't do anything for you. (See the first paragraph on piling on.)
The waitress or waiter at the restaurant? I'm sure we've all seen the "churchie" that is harassing the waitress unmercifully after church on a Sunday. That goes for anywhere, not just how we treat waitresses...We can see the true character of a person on how they treat 'the least of these'.
Just some food for thought....
What about the Change?
Have a sweet rest of the week, until the next time...
Blessings! (As a famous prolife advocate used to say to us in correspondence!)
'Cause if God's Spirit lives inside of me, yeah
I'm gonna live life differently...
~Amelia at My Forest Cathedral
