Penny Serenade

"Sing you a song!  Honey he cannot sing you a song, he's working."

An unseen pair of eyes gazed towards me, exspectingly.  I had not seen nor heard her, yet she knew where i was.  

"Hi."  The little voice called out.  

"Hello.  How are you?"

"I'm okay."  She replied as I looked around for the source.

As I made my way to the end of the isle I finally saw her and I was smitten.

How could she have possibly have seen me?    

Little Ms. Myla was about 2 feet tall and her eyes and smile took up most of her body because they were alive with joy.

Myla looked from her mother to me, thinking we both would cave and I would be allowed to sing her a song.

Mother gently put her arm on her shoulders and walked towards the register to check out. 

"Maybe next time he can sing you a song?" 

Mayla's mom was apologetic as she said "She asks everybody to sing her a song."

Both Myla and I smiled at that thought.  Myla would get her song and I would get to see her again.

I should have asked what her favorite song is.  

Looking at Myla I could not help but think of my own children when they were her size.  (O how I miss them.)  My heart began to ache and tears were filled my eyes.  Quickly, I finished the transaction but Ms. Myla wanted to talk with me some more.  We talked about the nice weather and the Christmas season.  (To have the innocence of a child.)

Myla just smiled and smiled.  Her mother peered down at her with such love in her eyes.  It was good that they lingered for a few seconds more as Myla and I got to know each other a little.  Judgding from the patience of her mother, Myla probably greets everyone she meets and takes time to get to know them.  

Jesus makes a couple of references about children in the scriptures.  

The first one is  "suffer not the children to come to Him..."

The second, "unless we come to Him as little children..."

Looking at Myla i quickly realize how precious I am in the eyes of God and how my joy should be in Him.  And I should sing Him a song.

Three=The Great Divide

Time is not something we have a lot of, although most people seem to think we do.  

The greatest realization of how little time we have comes with the knowing that Jesus could rapture the church any day now.  It is that sense of urgency i try to get across to the people whom i witness to on a daily basis.  Christ's imminant return. 

When I share Jesus Christ with people, one of the more common responses that i get, if not the most common response, is " Not now.  Give me more time to think about it."  

Inwardly I sigh, outwardly I just say "ok."

A part of me wants to yell at the top of my lungs "Time is not something you have a lot of."

However, in my spirit I stand pat and wait for the Holy Spirit to lead me.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." 

Sometimes i have great difficulty excercising patience and managing time.  Like most of society today i want "it" instantly. Hurry, hurry, hurry.  My zeal for wanting a lost soul find salvation often leads to a battle between my spirit and my flesh.  I think back to Calvary and the two thieves on either side of Jesus.  The first thief took the road more traveled by the people of the day and chose to ridicule Jesus questioning His Lordship by saying "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." 

The second thief knew, by observation and conversation, that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and promised Messiah sent to redeem a lost and sinful people.  

Herein is the great divide amongst humanity today--time.  

Thief #1 while on his cross did not see the need or urgency to get his life right with God because his words relayed the desires of his heart. "Save me from this horrible death and i will believe you."

Thief #2 chose to take advantage of what little time and life he had to find forgiveness for his sins and be redeemed from death and eternal damnation.  "I am guilty of my crimes.  Remember me when You come into Your kingdom."

As we all know the second thief did enter into the kingdom of heaven as a newly received child of the Most High God.  Only then did i come to see that my timeframe is not the same as God's timeframe.

God is not bound by time or space nor is He subject to the will of mankind.  The same cannot be said for mankind.  We are bound by time, because at some point our bodies will fail us and we shall all surely die.  We are bound by space, because we cannot be in two or more places at one time.  At the prescribed time ordained by God we will hear the salvation message and accept or reject it.  At the prescribed time ordained by God people are born and people die.  

The apostle Peter wrote in his 2nd epistle verses 3-4 of chapter 3

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

I too am part of the problem because i procrastinate a lot, thinking i have the time.  Sometimes my own fears come into play.  Yet, how could I pass on the opportunity to be a servant of God?  That may be the last chance they get to hear the message of salvation and say yes to Jesus.  Someone may be on the cusp of saying yes and only need to hear of the great love of God for them.  

Time is not our enemy but when it comes to doing the will of God time is of the essence and not to be wasted.