Tic,Tac,Toe, "church", and the West Texas Fair?

I had to get a database ready to send a mail out. My precious KG was there at the house with me and wanted a "job" to do... so, because she has become such a wonderful reader, I thought I'd just release 2 birds from one cage (better that the alternative with a stone wouldn't you say?). Anyway, she would read the addresses, phone numbers and names (some culturally non-negotiable to the young English reader!), and I'd type them. This saved me time, and gave her real "big people" significance. As she was reading through the list, there came a LONG hesitation in her rhythm...

I wanted to look at the page, but she, wanting to do it herself, kept it hidden from my peeking to help. So I waited.

She then took the plunge... "tic, tac, toe... 325-554......"

hummm.... not the normal things I was writing in the database, but she was satisfied that she'd interpreted the handwritten page correctly and was moving on to the next name.

Not to question her enthusiastic attempt at the language of letters and numbers, I just breathed a prayer... "what did she see there LORD?"

and got and answer....

"#".......doesn't it look like "tic, tac, toe"...

and wouldn't it clearly be part of a database sort of entry?

of course... from her side of the language learning curve, this familiar to us adults symbol was the familiar to her childhood game.

So I began to think about what this told me about my understanding of people!

I didn't want to embarrass or make my granddaughter feel incompetent or less than what she saw herself to be for me;

in KG eyes, she was my "partner" , my "helper", more than I could be without her.

and yes,

indeed she was!

so much so that I REALLY wanted to understand what she was giving me from her almost 8 year old perspective.... and

I GOT IT... I saw with her eyes,

I felt with her heart,

I understood from her place on the road.

Do I do that for others who come into my life?

Do I do that for ones that may have a different life style or a different color, or a different set of any circumstance than I?

Am I willing to ask for understanding, or do I take "offense" at the difference and expect them to be the ones to KNOW my mind, heart and view?

KG has a pure view of the world right now... I have a feeling that this will be something which the enemy we all share will attempt to skew to his malevolent and selfish world view...

BUT

there are many standing on the wall for this one and so many others...

HANDS OFF say I to that evil one! in the name of the ONE WHO says I can ask, and HE hears!

As we walked into the West Texas Fair and Rodeo last night, I thought of the many people that somehow "show up" at this place.

It's like... WHERE WERE THESE PEOPLE ALL THIS TIME???

I guarantee... at this time and place every year...

I truly get the opportunity to imagine life from a whole different arena than the one that is set before me each day.

There is the kid in all black with his hair spiked a foot high, tattoos all over his arms, and earrings without number on his ears and most other exposed parts.

There is the lady in hot pink spandex head to toe with NOTHING left to the imagination and those within view range turning their heads hoping for "imagination adjustments".

There are the ones hawking their wares with the same ole song we hear every year... "hey, come on, everyone is a winner"... "don't be a coward... look that these other guys, they're not afraid to try." and then the young skinny middle schooler with the slicked down hair shooting basket after basket to "WIN" the big prize that he could have bought with half the money he'd spent being coaxed into the trap of the game.

They are all there, every year

But... Do I see them?

Do I EVER try to see from behind the eyes and into the hearts of those whom I am so quick to judge?

"I can't believe their parents would let them out of the house looking like that!"

"I can't believe they'd spend that kind of money for that moth eaten old bear!"

"I can't believe that mother would come out in public wearing that getup!"

"I can't believe......"

maybe my better line would actually be

"I CAN'T UNDERSTAND!!!"

... and truthfully, I am not willing to "jump the offense to receive the blessing"~
There is a little church in our area, Kingdom Life Fellowship (KLF to those who have been there a long time)... and there are those in this place who are being challenged to "have the mind of Christ".... to live as "children of the Kingdom" and not children of the impoverished world. (Sam Soleyn said recently much the same... "what would our paradigm be if we truly understood what it meant to be 'sons of God'?" Jesus is the "door" to a "house" that we can enter!

2 Samuel 6:12-23... I heard the story of King David dancing in a new way.

David took off the raiment of the King of Israel and DANCED before the KING OF KINGS.. in the streets for all to see. His wife Michal (who loved him 'more that life') was offended at his lack of kingly decorum, and as he bounded the stairs to share his glorious news with the love of his life, he was met with criticism and disdain. Instantly the scenario changed, and the scriptures say... that from that day, Michal was barren. The strong young man of God who spoke from the front of that middle school auditorium made a dramatic point...

"when we become offended religiously, we become barren"

Matthew 11:4 Jesus disciples were all on board when He did all the stuff that looked "right", but then when He spoke the "deep" stuff... they left, offended... they missed out!

"blessed is the man who is not offended by ME"

I apologize for the length of this post, but there was much on my heart today, and I needed to get these words out on "paper". Thanks for staying with me if you did and not just looking at the pictures. I trust that you will hear my heart, and not just my often incompetent words.. and that, my friend, is what the Spirit that is ONE is all about!

oh yes... that church of which I spoke, recently did something unprecedented (at least to me)... they were growing and were getting together funds for building a building. Instead... a couple of Sundays ago they took all the money they'd been collecting and literally POURED it into the people of need who were sitting in the pews that day... debts paid, jobs received, loans rectified, BONDAGE BROKEN... no building will be built, at least that our physical eyes see, but I just think, if I could see into the spiritual more clearly, I'd see Heavenly "mortar" being set. The paper said around $750,000.... Abilene Reporter News... check it out for yourself if you don't believe me.... but for me.... the number means nothing!!!!

TIC, TAC, TOE.....

It is an understanding beyond what I can see or hear with these physical senses of mine.

I pray for eyes to see and ears to hear.. and I thank my LORD WHO allows any measure I can handle! Be blessed today my friends~