It's Not My Fault

Yesterday I got off work only to discover news that came out of left field.  I opened my email and read something to the affect of "You are $557.00 delinquent on your rent!"  Seeing as how only our kids live in apartments, I knew it was one of them...specifically the youngest one.

I can not tell you how upset I was to read this.   [I use that word mildly as irate was more the feeling].  The first thing I did was call my child and ask "What is going on?" Of course he did not know what the problem was since he "always" pays rent on time.

I told him that this presented a huge problem since it was an unplanned expense.  We don't like the planned expenses either but at least we're ready for those.  I proceeded to contact the apartment complex and was advised by the accounting manager that "way back in September" we under paid our utilities by two dollars and that initiated a late fee.  Of course since we were not aware of this balance, every month it carried over we were charged a "late fee" of $50.00 plus $5.00 a day.

As you can see, that created the problem.  If they would have only told us back in September that we had underpaid by $2.00 it would not have gotten so big, but the longer it went, the greater problem it became.  I spoke with our son and we discussed  how to resolve the matter.  That was going to require him contributing some funds from his account.  I heard all the arguments and discussions about "why he should not have to contribute" and "why did they wait so long to tell us" before he finally belted out "It's not my fault."  He finally resigned to contributing half of the amount to clear the account. 

The next morning as I drove to work with that on my mind,  those words rang out in my ears.  "It's not my fault!"  I suddenly became defensive and thought "Hey...It's not my fault either and I'm having to pay too!"

I was struck by those words...."It's not my fault."  I thought of Pilate when they brought Jesus before him and he quoted the words "I find no fault in him." [John 19:4] He was without sin and without fault yet he paid the price!

I agree that it was not fair to make my son contribute and possibly drain his account to pay for this but was it really fair for ME to absorb the entire expense?  I was humbled at the thought of Christ did for me.  I just couldn't let my son take the hit. I resigned to the idea that he was without fault and you guessed it, I paid the price in full!

Christ did not say "I'm not taking his place-it's not MY fault he's a sinner." No! He paid the price even though it was not His fault!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one might dare die, but God shows His love for us while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:6-8

It's Packed!

I have been hosting a ladie's bible study in my home.  I am co-teaching with a friend that is also a great teacher. We alternated sessions and as luck would have it, I got the chapter "Overwhelmed."

No, I don't think it was luck, I believe God actually worked it out that way.  You see, like most of us, my scheduled is completely packed.  I love working with kids and teaching but it takes so much time! It's an eight hour day everyday. That extends into grading papers, doing research, and planning lessons for me. So much for being retired.

I always prepare my bible study lesson way in advance asking God to lead me through it. One day as I left for school, I saw house after house after house with trash cans out. Many of the cans were completely packed!  Some were overflowing.

It made me think how we are so much like that.  We put things on our schedules and don't stop when it's getting full. We don't even stop when it is full. We don't stop until it is completely packed or overflowing.

Then we become overwhelmed with all we have to do.  That "quiet time" reserved for God goes from one hour to thirty minutes to quoting a memorized bible verse and a quick prayer.  The time that belongs exclusively to God is compromised.

Our mornings keep starting earlier and our nights just get longer.  Do not "pack" your schedule so tight that you take all of God's time.  He desires to be with you. Before you pack your schedule too tightly, remember to put Him first.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place and there....He prayed. Mark 1:35