Choose Well the Object of Your Hope

Day #11

My husband, Monte, texted me last week that an appliance guy was on his way to look at our oven.

It has a warped door frame from when our hardwood floors were refinished and the workers used the door to pull it out from the wall.

Now the door doesn't properly close all the way which affects baking time

and really warms up the kitchen

which causes our thermostat

(which sits just on the other side 

of the same wall as the oven)

to either kick into to high gear cooling off the room

or just shut off completely.

It has bothered Monte more than me

until a few weeks ago when the oven started to SHUT OFF randomly

in the middle of baking.

Now I'm frustrated too.

My girlfriend, Carisa, was over for a chat when Robert came over to look at the oven.

He was a joy!

He told us all about moving to Ohio from Arizona (which he isn't quite over),

all about his time in the Air Force

and how his life completely changed due to the 

saving grace of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Carisa and I were captivated by him.

He told of a time that he was volunteering to serve food in a homeless shelter so he could

"show people Jesus."

Tell them what He had done in his life.

There was another person, Joe,  volunteering at the shelter at the same time.

Robert noticed the line of people was much longer in front of Joe than in front of him.

Joe had a style of dress that proclaimed his status

and objects to hand out to those who needed prayer.

A day came when Robert was the only person volunteering to serve food and

"show people Jesus."

So the line was pretty long in front of him.

A man approached Robert and asked where his fancy clothes were and handouts for prayer.

Robert explained what Jesus had done for him and that He is a "come as you are" kind of savior.

The man wouldn't hear it.

He wanted Joe.

This concerned Robert.

The next time he saw Joe, he approached him about treading carefully in the way he was

"showing people Jesus".

Robert expressed concern that when the homeless looked at Joe there was a block between them and Jesus.

That maybe he needed to "duck out of the way" a bit so Jesus was more visible.

Sitting on his knees on my kitchen floor unscrewing all manner of pieces I never knew existed in my oven door,

I was blown away by Robert.

And convicted.

How many times have I actually blocked someone from seeing Jesus in me

by snarkiness

or judgement

or haughtiness

or denying grace?

This morning I read in Sarah Young's book, "Jesus Today":

My eyes are on those whose hope is in My unfailing Love. To enjoy abundant Life, it is essential for you to have hope. However, many people indulge in false hopes and find themselves increasingly disillusioned as the years go by. So I urge you to choose well the object of your hope. The best choice is:  My unfailing Love.

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love."

Psalm 33:18

Robert knew the best choice was Jesus. 

He experienced the blessed hope of Jesus' unfailing love 

and wanted that for Joe and all the people at the shelter too.

It was determined that there wasn't much he could do about the bent oven door but tighten the hinges.

But he did discover the temperature gauge in the oven wasn't working properly. 

When it couldn't regulate the temperature correctly

it just shut off.

The spiritual lesson wasn't lost on me:

I can't self-regulate.

I need the Holy Spirit!

I've seen me.

I do stupid easily.

And that throws EVERYTHING off.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. 

The Lord be with all of you."

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Robert ordered a new thermostat for our oven. 

I can't wait for him to come back and install it.