I just spent an incredible weekend at North Bay Adventure Camp, a beautiful facility in Northeast, Maryland! It wasn't a weekend away with the family or even a romantic getaway with my husband, although he was there. No, this was the weekend of Mountain Christian Church's middle and high school fall retreat. Two hundred and eighty middle and high schoolers, having fun and worshiping the Lord!
So why were two old people like us at this retreat? We were asked to come and help serve meals to the students and the leaders who were participating in the retreat. The prospect of a weekend away was appealing and it sounded like it could be fun. Besides this was an opportunity to show these young people what service to others was all about. But as the weekend drew closer, my resolve began to melt. Not only were there torrential rains, but physically I was feeling horrible. I have fibormyalgia and if you don't know what that is, take the worst muscle pain you've ever had; times it by ten and spread it throughout your body. I did not think I could serve, let alone, serve with a grateful heart. But I had made a commitment and didn't want to renege on that commitment, so begrudgingly I went. The ride to the camp was difficult due to the heavy rains and roads with standing water were treacherous. The skies were dark and ominous but as we drove I prayed that God would protect us and I asked that He provide me relief from my pain. Ahead of us in the darkest of skies was the faintest glimpse of a rainbow! I couldn't believe what I was seeing and snapped a picture with my phone. A rainbow, a symbol of God's promise and I began to feel a sense of peace about the weekend ahead.
When we arrived, dinner service had already taken place and after meeting the rest of the volunteers, we started to clean up the mounds of dirty dishes (not paper plates) and silverware. The men in the group manned what affectionately became known as "the pit", the dish washing and sterilizing station, while the women worked clearing tables and washing them down. After just half a service I was exhausted and wondered how in the world I would manage through four more meals and clean up over the next two days.
But God had a plan, bigger then my pain. Every time the dining hall filled with the laughter and excitement of all those kids, I found a renewed strength. My heart filled with joy as I listened as a teenage boy stood in front of 279 of his peers and offered prayer. Their genuine appreciation and gratitude was overwhelming and I was humbled to be serving these young people.
As I fell into bed on Saturday night, to exhausted to even sleep, I thought about the King of Kings and how He had come to this earth not to be served but to serve. Not because He wanted gratitude or reward, but because He loved. To be a servant with an attitude of love is the greatest expression of the love that is Jesus Christ. To serve without expectation of reward or accolades is to serve like Jesus. To serve others is to serve Jesus.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Work willingly at whatever you do as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving in Christ."
This is not to say that we should not take joy in or be proud of our work or service, but that we should be humble, expecting nothing more than our own satisfaction and to glorify God.
"My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor." Ecclesiastes 2:10
What I learned this weekend is that whether you are serving meals to 280 teens and pre-teens, sharpening pencils for your boss, or scrubbing toilets, if you perform that service to the glory of God with a loving heart, your reward from the Father is greater than any pat on the back you can receive and any pain or obstacle you face, is erased when your spirit is willing to serve in His name.
Thank you Mountain kids, for serving me by allowing me to serve you!
Until next time, in humble service...
God bless,
Cat
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Cat's Chat: God's Got This
Cat's Chat: God's Got This: I remember the words so vididly that it is as if I am hearing them today, "Mrs. Corbin, your son is missing half of his brain. He will never...
God's Got This
I remember the words so vididly that it is as if I am hearing them today, "Mrs. Corbin, your son is missing half of his brain. He will never be able to function normally on his own. You may want to consider terminating your pregnancy." These were the words of the doctor who had just performed a sonogram on my unborn child, during the seventh month of my pregrancy. I remember thinking to myself, "Are you crazy? I have felt this child move in me and I have talked to him and bonded with him!" But without hesitation, the words spilled from my mouth, "No, I won't consider that. My God doesn't make mistakes."
Immediately after his birth, my son was examined and scanned by some of the top pediatric neurologists in the country and they confirmed the diagnosis. He underwent his first surgical procedure to drain fluid from the skull at six weeks old and then again at four months. He was followed closely every six months by these same physicians and they held steadfast to their original diagnosis, yet were perplexed by my son's continued success in accomplishing the very things they said he would never do-crawling, walking, talking, feeding himself, riding a bike and going to school.
After years of meeting with these doctors who asked the same questions over and over again, "Can he walk? Can he talk? Is he able to hold a pencil?", frustration had built to a boiling point within me during his five year old visit. "He is starting school next week!", I belted out and with a pitied look on their face they asked, "Oh, a special school?" Completely mortified and furious at what they asked, I sarcastically replied, "Well if you consider a private parochial school special, then I guess he is." At that point I needed to point out that every six months for five years they had continued to look for problems with my son that were not there. I needed to know why they were persistent in looking for the problems and not acknowledging the successes. What I wanted to hear was that they had made a mistake in their diagnosis and that the scans and xrays had been wrong, but instead what I heard was that my son's accomplishments were not what they would expect from someone with his condition.
Just three months after that appointment, my son became very ill; complaining of headaches, unable to eat and wanting to sleep all the time. These were symptoms we had been told to watch for as an indication that fluid was once again building up around his brain. A trip to the emergency room and a visit with a new pediatric neurosurgeon confirmed that fluid was building up but it also yielded a new revelation. While my son was being prep for emergency surgery, the neurosurgeon sat with my husband and I and asked what we knew about my son's condition. Of course we explained that we were told he was missing part of his brain. The doctor reached under his desk, pulled out a model of a brain and placed on his desk. "This is what is wrong with your son," he said as he pointed to the model with his pen, "See this piece of tissue between the two parts of the cerebelum? He's missing this. What does that mean? It means God forgot to put it there, that's all. Your son's brain is in tact."
Obviously we were elated by that revelation yet we were furious that we had been led to believe the opposite for so long. How could all of these doctors and scans be wrong all this time? Or were they? We were so lost in the medical issues, the doctors reports, the lab and scan results, that we failed to see what was happening right before our eyes. God had healed our son. He had given us a miracle of healing, not because of anything we deserved, or even because of our faithfulness, but because He wanted to give us tangible proof that He is real and in control. I was a believer at this time, but not devout and my husband was an atheist, if he couldn't see it or feel it, it didn't exist. Like ripples caused by a rock thrown in the water, this miracle of healing caused ripple effects for years. My husband became a believer, my own walk with the Lord became more real and personal and my son, well, suffice it to say, he is a testament to what it means to be "touched" by God.
We will celebrate his 23rd birthday tomorrow and with that celebration all the praise and glory will be given to the One who saved him, both physically and spiritually. To meet my son, is to see the face of Jesus in him. He has a compassionate heart and loving spirit and we are so blessed that God chose to lend him to us. When I look at my son, I am reminded to look for God in all things.
So often, we get mired down in the details of a medical diagnosis, the stack of bills, or the struggles of everyday life, that we forget to seek out God in the situation. In our anguish and fear, we forget that God's got this and He wins. If we seek Him and acknowledge that He is in control, we will inevitably see His workings in any situation, regardless of the outcome for, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Until next time, I'm seeking Him today,
God bless,
Cat
Immediately after his birth, my son was examined and scanned by some of the top pediatric neurologists in the country and they confirmed the diagnosis. He underwent his first surgical procedure to drain fluid from the skull at six weeks old and then again at four months. He was followed closely every six months by these same physicians and they held steadfast to their original diagnosis, yet were perplexed by my son's continued success in accomplishing the very things they said he would never do-crawling, walking, talking, feeding himself, riding a bike and going to school.
After years of meeting with these doctors who asked the same questions over and over again, "Can he walk? Can he talk? Is he able to hold a pencil?", frustration had built to a boiling point within me during his five year old visit. "He is starting school next week!", I belted out and with a pitied look on their face they asked, "Oh, a special school?" Completely mortified and furious at what they asked, I sarcastically replied, "Well if you consider a private parochial school special, then I guess he is." At that point I needed to point out that every six months for five years they had continued to look for problems with my son that were not there. I needed to know why they were persistent in looking for the problems and not acknowledging the successes. What I wanted to hear was that they had made a mistake in their diagnosis and that the scans and xrays had been wrong, but instead what I heard was that my son's accomplishments were not what they would expect from someone with his condition.
Just three months after that appointment, my son became very ill; complaining of headaches, unable to eat and wanting to sleep all the time. These were symptoms we had been told to watch for as an indication that fluid was once again building up around his brain. A trip to the emergency room and a visit with a new pediatric neurosurgeon confirmed that fluid was building up but it also yielded a new revelation. While my son was being prep for emergency surgery, the neurosurgeon sat with my husband and I and asked what we knew about my son's condition. Of course we explained that we were told he was missing part of his brain. The doctor reached under his desk, pulled out a model of a brain and placed on his desk. "This is what is wrong with your son," he said as he pointed to the model with his pen, "See this piece of tissue between the two parts of the cerebelum? He's missing this. What does that mean? It means God forgot to put it there, that's all. Your son's brain is in tact."
Obviously we were elated by that revelation yet we were furious that we had been led to believe the opposite for so long. How could all of these doctors and scans be wrong all this time? Or were they? We were so lost in the medical issues, the doctors reports, the lab and scan results, that we failed to see what was happening right before our eyes. God had healed our son. He had given us a miracle of healing, not because of anything we deserved, or even because of our faithfulness, but because He wanted to give us tangible proof that He is real and in control. I was a believer at this time, but not devout and my husband was an atheist, if he couldn't see it or feel it, it didn't exist. Like ripples caused by a rock thrown in the water, this miracle of healing caused ripple effects for years. My husband became a believer, my own walk with the Lord became more real and personal and my son, well, suffice it to say, he is a testament to what it means to be "touched" by God.
We will celebrate his 23rd birthday tomorrow and with that celebration all the praise and glory will be given to the One who saved him, both physically and spiritually. To meet my son, is to see the face of Jesus in him. He has a compassionate heart and loving spirit and we are so blessed that God chose to lend him to us. When I look at my son, I am reminded to look for God in all things.
So often, we get mired down in the details of a medical diagnosis, the stack of bills, or the struggles of everyday life, that we forget to seek out God in the situation. In our anguish and fear, we forget that God's got this and He wins. If we seek Him and acknowledge that He is in control, we will inevitably see His workings in any situation, regardless of the outcome for, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Until next time, I'm seeking Him today,
God bless,
Cat
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Open Mouth...
So many times, I have found myself suffering from foot in mouth disease. Too often, I have spoken out of turn or said something out of anger, not considering my words or the affect they would have on the other person. It's like the filter between my brain and my mouth gets clogged with emotion and before I can stop it, the words come tumbling out. The look of "where the heck did that come from" on the other person's face leaves me wishing I could scoop up the words and have a do over.
People are emotional beings and sometimes, emotions get the best of us. In our anger, we sometimes react with stinging tones and biting words; in our pain, we sometimes snap at those who care about us and in our need to help we sometimes speak when we should be listening. I'm guilty of all of these. It's not that I ever intended to say something to hurt another person, I just didn't think before I spoke. I didn't give my heart a chance to catch up with what my brain was thinking and my mouth was spilling.
I've been on the receiving end of this as well and let's face it, uncensored reactions and words can hurt. There was a time when I would have gone with my initial reaction to become angry and oh the grudge I would hold. But, in my Christian walk, I've learned a spirit of understanding, and realize the imperfection of human nature making it easier to be forgiving.
We are called to encourage and uplift one another with our words. In the same way we are called to speak with honesty, seasoned with love and compassion. It is very easy to allow our own emotions and thoughts to overshadow anothers feelings. Words can be either a powerful weapon of destruction or a powerful tool of empowerment. "The tongue has the power of life and death..." Proverbs 18:21. Our words, can either build up or tear down and once they are spoken, they can't be taken back.
If you like me are prone to the "foot in mouth disease", "...be quick to listen and slow to speak..." James 1:19. Choose your words not out of reaction but out of love. If you can't find words that are pleasing or loving, take that as a sign to be silent and simply listen. After all, God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.
Finally, if words tumble out of your mouth and you find yourself choking on your big toe, take that as a sign from the Holy Spirit to shut up and by all means don't be afraid to apologize for any words or actions that may have been hurtful. A friend will be understanding. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13
This act of humility will go along way to taming our tongues.
When you feel the need to speak, gauge your emotions, choose your words carefully and speak only in a manner that is seasoned with love. If you trip on your tongue, be quick to apologize and if you are on the receiving end of hurtful words, be quicker to forgive. "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all type of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:29, 31-32
Until next time, I'm going to get a pedicure!
God Bless,
Cat
People are emotional beings and sometimes, emotions get the best of us. In our anger, we sometimes react with stinging tones and biting words; in our pain, we sometimes snap at those who care about us and in our need to help we sometimes speak when we should be listening. I'm guilty of all of these. It's not that I ever intended to say something to hurt another person, I just didn't think before I spoke. I didn't give my heart a chance to catch up with what my brain was thinking and my mouth was spilling.
I've been on the receiving end of this as well and let's face it, uncensored reactions and words can hurt. There was a time when I would have gone with my initial reaction to become angry and oh the grudge I would hold. But, in my Christian walk, I've learned a spirit of understanding, and realize the imperfection of human nature making it easier to be forgiving.
We are called to encourage and uplift one another with our words. In the same way we are called to speak with honesty, seasoned with love and compassion. It is very easy to allow our own emotions and thoughts to overshadow anothers feelings. Words can be either a powerful weapon of destruction or a powerful tool of empowerment. "The tongue has the power of life and death..." Proverbs 18:21. Our words, can either build up or tear down and once they are spoken, they can't be taken back.
If you like me are prone to the "foot in mouth disease", "...be quick to listen and slow to speak..." James 1:19. Choose your words not out of reaction but out of love. If you can't find words that are pleasing or loving, take that as a sign to be silent and simply listen. After all, God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.
Finally, if words tumble out of your mouth and you find yourself choking on your big toe, take that as a sign from the Holy Spirit to shut up and by all means don't be afraid to apologize for any words or actions that may have been hurtful. A friend will be understanding. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13
This act of humility will go along way to taming our tongues.
When you feel the need to speak, gauge your emotions, choose your words carefully and speak only in a manner that is seasoned with love. If you trip on your tongue, be quick to apologize and if you are on the receiving end of hurtful words, be quicker to forgive. "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all type of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:29, 31-32
Until next time, I'm going to get a pedicure!
God Bless,
Cat
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