Haggai 1:2-10
You say this isn’t the right time to build a temple for me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses, while my temple is a pile of ruins? Just look at what’s happening. You harvest less than you plant, you never have enough to eat or drink, your clothes don’t keep you warm, and your wages are stored in bags full of holes.
Think about what I have said! But first, go to the hills and get wood for my temple, so I can take pride in it and be worshiped there. You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It’s because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins. That’s also why the dew doesn’t fall and your harvest fails. And so, at my command everything will become barren—your farmland and pastures, your vineyards and olive trees, your animals and you yourselves. All your hard work will be for nothing.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There is a story in our state newspaper today about a husband and wife whose 31-year-old daughter suffered from PTSD and drug addiction after serving our country for a year in Iraq, where she was wounded. Substance abuse had plagued Jennie Burrow in high school, but she seemed to get her life on track when she enlisted in the US Army in 2007. While deployed to Iraq, Jennie was shot during a rocket attack and firefight that occurred while she was on guard duty. She returned stateside for treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she was given opiates for the pain. This led to a heroin addiction… an “other than honorable” discharge from the Army, and no Veteran’s benefits.
Jennie returned to Arkansas, where her parents did their best to help her… no doubt dropping everything on many occasions to rescue her from a bad situation. Such was the case on April 6th, when Jennie phoned her parents and asked them to come and get her in North Little Rock, where she found herself in an unsavory – and unsafe – neighborhood. The parents collected Jennie, helped her sober up, and then a friend came and got her. When she called the next day and asked for help, her dad told her that he was busy – headed to the hardware store – and that he would call her later. Jennie walked underneath a bridge on Cantrell Road in Little Rock, doused herself in gasoline, and set herself on fire. She suffered burns over 95% of her body and was airlifted to Springfield, Missouri, where she died a few hours later.
Jennie’s parents must now live forever with the thought that they did not stop what they were doing to see about her that day. The “what ifs” will haunt them for the rest of their lives. And in their defense, they had apparently gone to her rescue time after time… and Jennie had “cried wolf” more than once. Most likely, this is a sad case where drug addiction was more powerful than any and all efforts of two loving parents to help their daughter… and they truly did all they could do – and still it wasn’t enough.
On the other hand, many of us have “gone to the hardware store,” because that was simply what we had on our agenda. The needs of others could wait. Most certainly, God’s needs could go on the back burner. It’s like the “to-do list” that many of us make each day/week/month. We prioritize what absolutely has to be done… and if there is a moment to spare – and we feel like it – we might do something for someone else. So the notes to those who are sick, grieving and lonely never get written. The kind word spoken to a neighbor never happens because we hurriedly dash to and from our car with barely a wave of acknowledgment. The shut-ins don’t get visited, because let’s face it… that can be a real downer! You can’t attend an event to support your friend or family member - much less see after their pet while they take an important overnight trip. And heaven forbid if they ask you to watch their small children for a few hours! If no other excuse seems plausible … it’s simply not your problem. Let someone else do it!
This works pretty well… until something happens to shake us to our core… or we find that no one is coming to our rescue! Unlike Jennie Burrow’s parents, many of us cannot truly say that we did all we could do … that we had simply exhausted our avenues for help – and were exhausted in the process. We are in many ways a “good enough” people… as this scripture demonstrates… we “harvest” just enough (in every sense of the word). We put our discipleship on the back burner in favor of the things we want to accomplish. We work hard for our money… then squander a good portion of it on things that truly are unimportant. Many of us barely get buy in many areas of life. But since we don’t have to expend a lot of time and energy in the process, we figure we are doing okay. All the while, we short-change God and the purpose to which He has called us… and He is not pleased.
I am deeply saddened for the parents of this young mother who could not rid herself of the demons that plagued her. Hopefully she is at peace now. But I can use this sadness to energize my own efforts to get up and get going… to look around for those who need an encouraging word…a smiling face… a phone call… a helping hand or a little assistance of some sort. I can make an effort to reach out to people of all ages and all walks of life, because the love and Good News of Jesus Christ is for everyone. I can stop making excuses and thinking more about my own needs than those of others… and get busy building God’s temple. What about you… whose temple do you have time to build today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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