3/21/2025
It's Friday evening, and my Shabbat began with Shabbat in Your Home, the weekly worship and sharing time I spend, along with a host of others, with Paul Wilbur and his family on Friday evenings as a jump-start to our Sabbath rest. It's a special time of communion and fellowship, and anyone can drop in at 6 pm ET every Friday on YouTube, so consider yourself invited. This week we had a special guest from the Zimbabwe reporting on drilling water wells for the Lemba Tribe, a Messianic Jewish tribe. Imagine having to look for water daily for all the purposes water is used. They also have animals to water, and it doesn't rain much at this time of year. Over the last two years 20 new wells have been dug, and the entire community where each well is dug benefits. The wells are dug near schools, so the children can spend the time in school, rather than having to walk miles to locate a source of water. Even then, the water is not fit to drink. This is one of the life-saving ministries this family and their supporters helps.
The Torah portion this week is in Exodus 35:1 - 38:20, and Moses is going over the commands that God has given which includes keeping the Sabbath day holy. I googled how many times in the Bible God said this command, and the result was 172 times in the Old Testament, so I think we need to sit up and listen. As a Christian, I still attend services in person on Sunday, plus I have been keeping the Sabbath on Saturday for quite a while. As I've mentioned before, I was raised during the time when Blue Laws were in existence, where businesses were closed on Sunday. So I learned to honor the day. My family also used to attend church services, and my mama made it a point to be there every time the doors were open.
Saturdays have always been times when I enjoyed staying home and just watching movies, visiting friends and family, or relaxing, especially when I worked so hard at my job. I used to tell my boss that I did not work on the weekend, if they wanted a special project completed. They seemed to understand, so they found someone else, or they allowed me to adjust my weekly schedule. My work ethics were always set high, so my work was always completed. At least that is one thing I can feel good about, and I owe that to my Christian upbringing. The scripture says to do everything as unto the Lord. I remember there were many times that I cried out to the Lord about how I evaluated the need of a Medicaid client requesting services. I wanted to make sure that everything was done decently and unto the Lord. Do your job as unto the Lord, and He will honor your work. Additionally, Proverbs 16:7 says: "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him."
Yesterday I shared that my daughter had provided valuable insight that helped with some feelings I have been experiencing. My devotional also helped, once I went back and re-read it and let it soak in. It was entitled "The Blessing of Opportunity," and it spoke of trusting God, even in the valley, and embracing a spirit of gratitude in all things and in all ways. I always try to look for the good things rather than the bad, keep a positive attitude rather than a sulkly one, as I have much more to be grateful to God for than most. He's had His faithful hand on my life since I was born, and I am certain that He had His hand on me way before that. My mama reminded that my birth was very hard on her, and she almost lost her life. I had the cord wrapped around my neck, so I imagine that didn't help her very much. Days were different in the cave man era, I keep telling myself. But I was blessed even then, although I was a sickly kid with immune system problems. Still here I am today, alive and kickin,' and I have God to thank and praise for my life. I just hope that I'll be able to share with others along the way. Life can be an amazing journey with our Lord the King. Many times I've wondered if my life really matters, and if I am making my parents proud. But my main desire is to bring glory and honor to my Father. This is what really matters, and this is why I live.
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