Wednesday- October 5, 2011
Good Morning!
*Today at 10am is craft-n-chat. Lately we have been having our lunch delivered so we can
continue to work, but you can bring yours if you prefer. Everyone is invited to come even if you
don't craft.
*Tonight beginning at 5:30 are team meetings. Please check with your leader to be sure you are
meeting and what time.
*Immediately following team meetings, ad bd will meet in the sanctuary. Again everyone is
invited.
*Sue, our secretary, is taking the last two weeks in Oct for vacation, so it is vital that you get
everything into the office for the November newsletter as soon as your meetings are complete.
This also applies to children's ministry, Parent Life, Young At Heart etc.
*If you have not received your newsletter, it is at the back of the sanctuary. Please help with cost
by picking it up.
*We began the book study yesterday. If you forgot or just couldn't make it, you may come next
Tues. Gail Schlenk is ordering material for the class.
The following is from Nancy Riggs:
*We are trying to get a group together to go see Casting Crowns at the Bank of Kentucky Center
on Saturday, November 5. Tickets are either $27 or $47 depending on where we sit. We would
like to get tickets ordered soon so if anyone is interested they can either let me know at church
Sunday or can e-mail me at nriggs@cinci.rr.com.
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Damaged Goods
Carol Davis
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
despise." Psalm 51:17 (NIV, 1984)
I walked down the aisle of the discount grocery looking for a bargain that I couldn't live without.
It's always hit and miss in this store...and I had missed...again.
But, I passed by a bin that caught my eye. "Damaged Goods." It was filled with dented cans and
missing labels...no real rhyme or reason, just random items that were not shelf worthy. And
suddenly, I knew just how they felt.
Life sometimes delivers the unexpected. Lessons learned in the school of hard knocks bruise us,
dent us and remove the label that defines who we are. We feel as if we have been tossed into a
bin, no longer worthy of a place on the shelf. Some people substantiate the lie that we are second
class failures and all hope is gone.
So, I leaned over and intentionally chose a dented can with no label from the bin. I got it home
and placed it on the can opener with anxious anticipation. The whirr of the can opener finally
penetrated the metal lid to reveal....peaches!!! I let out a school girl squeal! I love peaches!!
What a treat to open this can and be greeted by one of my favorite fruits. The can was damaged
but the contents were still good...and sweet.
God must have smiled...because at that moment the sunshine beamed in my kitchen window. I
knew in my heart there was a lesson.
I have been damaged. We all have to some degree. I am not living the life that I dreamed about
when I was a kid. However, the damage that I have suffered has made the contents of my heart
so much sweeter, so much more compassionate, so much more in pursuit of Jesus. I have been
looked down upon and judged by many who have seen my label missing and slapped on their
own.
I've wanted to say, "Don't judge too quickly. My damage has not defined me...but, it is refining
me." I may sometimes be at the bottom of life's bin, but Jesus paid as high a price for those of us
at the bottom as He did for those that are proudly displayed on the top shelf.
Look around. Is there someone in your life, your family or your church that you consider
"damaged goods"? Don't miss an opportunity to reach out to them, to love them. You just might
find a friendship that is good...and sweet.
Dear Lord, my life hasn't turned out exactly like I thought it would. But, I know that You can
still use me. Please forgive me for labeling others and judging them by their outside
circumstances instead of the work that You are doing in their heart. Help me realize that we all
have dents but that's what keeps us desperate for a Savior. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
May God bless you this day and have a wonderful day serving the Lord.