All Comfy and Ready to Read!

A Lesson Learned: by Robin Thomas

It’s 9:30 pm and I have just gotten all comfy and ready to continue my story about a Middle-aged Supernatural Bounty Hunter when a motorcycle revs in my ear.

My son’s ringtone.

He’s calling me from his room which is 10 feet away.

“Mom, (in a weak, pitiful voice) will you make me something to eat?”

My first reaction: The kitchen is closed. I’m done for the day, I’m ready to read my book. Get it yourself.

So I question him, “Why can’t you get it yourself?”

Now to be fair, he has been sick this week. Was he milking it? Oh most assuredly.

But this is what was running through my head from my devotion that morning:

In the words of Rick Warren, Selfless is “when they’re given what they need, not what they deserve.” AND, “You experience the deepest fulfillment when you give yourself away.” (When you give as Jesus gave). I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Jesus would have rather not done a lot of the things he did, like for instance, dying on the cross.

In Matthew 26:39 Jesus is praying in the garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested and knowing that his death is required.

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

But HE did it anyway.

So after a short banter with my son about laziness vs. actual sickness, I spent 5 min putting something in the microwave for him. It’s kind of a mom thing: making sure the chicks are fed and taken care of, I guess. A real sacrifice on my part. (She said sarcastically) I can imagine Jesus rolling his eyes and doing a little hand clap and saying, now that didn’t hurt much right? (Of course, that’s my imagination working because Jesus probably has a fist in the air with a “woot, woot” thinking, “she finally gets it.”)

I REALIZED THAT JESUS IS WORKING ON ME, NOT MY SON.

So many of the little lessons that are meant for Yours Truly are disguised as service to others.

When Jesus was tested in the wilderness for 40 days by Satan (Matthew 4, Luke 4) he could have called down a legion of angels to help him out but he had a job to do.

A couple of days ago the same son and I had lunch at the Black Bear Diner. The waitress was a cute young blonde girl. My son mentioned that she seemed a little down. He notices things. She took our order and was right on it. Our tab was $34, we gave her a $20 tip. Dylan wanted to put the tip in her hand to make sure SHE got it and he could see her reaction. She just stood there with wide eyes, maybe mentally calculating if it was an error, and then the smile broke through.

“You experience the deepest fulfillment when you give yourself (or it) away.”

Why yes you do.

Fortunately for me, God isn’t finished with me yet. And all He asks can be summed up in Micah 6:8:

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

So maybe the next time I get interrupted when I get all comfy and start to read my book, I will just cut to the chase and say,

"YES LORD"

Epilogue: My son literally, as I’m finishing this piece, texted me:

I didn’t even reply but I made him the sandwich.