HSBC Coffeebreak

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4

I love Tuesdays. This is the day of my women’s Bible study. I adore getting together with a group of women and learning more about the God that I so love. These women may be 20 years older than I am, but I learn from them in ways that are priceless to me. This Tuesday was no different.

We had been studying the book of Philippians and discovering the meaning of true joy. We were in the second chapter of the book and I listened as my teacher read its words. She came to the third and fourth verses and pointed out that they command us to humble ourselves not only to fellow Christians, but our families and strangers as well. Our assignment was to put into practice this humble attitude as we continued our day.

This should be easy enough, or so I thought. I was a wife and mother after all, and wasn’t looking out for the best interests of others in my job description? I went about my day considering others better than myself. In service, I entertained the discussion of an elderly lady at the swimming pool when all I wanted to do was enjoy some peace while my children were in lessons. I put down the broom when my son wanted to curl up on the couch and read a book with me. I prepared a meal to show my husband that I appreciated his long hard days at work. All the while, I was making plans for the upcoming weekend at home. The fair was in town, and I envisioned our family enjoying a rodeo and eating high-fat foods. I thought I had these Bible verses figured out.

Then my husband got home. He had other plans for the weekend. Later in the week, my husband had a meeting in Billings. We were going to bring our camping supplies, the children and I would find something to do during the day while he was at his meeting, and then we would go camping somewhere in the Beartooth Mountains later that afternoon. Well, that didn’t agree with my vision for a happy family weekend at the fair. God brought the verses from Philippians to my mind. That stopped my selfish ambition and vain conceit in its tracks. My husband relaxes more on camping trips than anywhere else, and my kids jumped at the opportunity to sleep in the camper, chase bugs and eat s’mores. I realized that this verse was not something I could ever master, and that this would not be the last time that God reminded me of this command.

God rewarded me at the campfire that weekend. After an enjoyable discussion with my husband, I gazed at the bright stars, which reminded me of the glory of God and took my breath away. I found real joy that night and I look forward to the next time God reminds me of this verse. I am excited to see the outcome of my submission to His will.

Written by
Lisa Waterman

HSBC Coffeebreak

Your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8b

I was fifteen years old and rather bent out of joint. My dad had the nerve to ask me to spend a Friday and Saturday out on the ranch fixing fence. B O R I N G. That meant sitting in the pickup, driving s l o w l y along miles and miles and miles of barbed wire fence, putting in fence staples where old ones had fallen out, repairing broken wire and replacing fence posts that were broken. I could think of things I'd much rather do with my time, but it was a job that needed doing.

I'd had lunch earlier in the week with my Grandmother, and she said she'd enjoy spending time with me, would like to help if she could, and offered to sit with me and visit while I worked. A little background information is needed at this point, to clarify what was about to happen in my story. Grandma was blind. She also had diabetes. My siblings and I had been trained over the years, to treat Grandma carefully, since sometimes she'd bruise and not know it, and infection for a diabetic, left untreated, is a bad thing. Grandma and I got along great, and not being alone all day long was of interest to me, so I told her I'd pick her up and we'd head out for the long day ahead.

We sat in a dusty old pickup, windows down (no air conditioning). I'd watch the fence line as I drove and we'd talk. She'd hand me fence staples when I'd stop. "How many do you need?" she'd inquire. Sometimes just one, other times I needed two, three or four. She'd open up the pick up door and visit with me about different things. It did make my day go a bit faster.

After several hours, I noticed a larger section of fence was down, and three head of cattle were out, grazing on the wrong side of the fence. I was tired and dirty and wanted to just turn them into hamburger. "Oh crud," I groaned. "What's wrong?" Grandma inquired. "Cows out. Um... let me see. I'll figure out something to get them in." It was at this point that Grandma offered to stand on one of the fence posts that was down, holding the barbed wires down on the ground and enabling the cattle to walk across. I could round them up, walk them across, and then repair what was broken. I didn't give it another thought. I stood my blind, diabetic grandmother on a post that was attached to four barbed wires. I wasn't completely heartless, I gave her an old tree branch to steady herself with, as she stood there alone in the wind.

I ran out quite a ways, and rounded up the stray cattle. They got a bit excited and began running... towards my grandma..... and it was at this point (I'm not a real quick thinker, ok?) that it dawns on me what predicament I've just put my grandmother in. There she was, a bit bent over, perched on a broken fence post with barbed wire under her feet, her thinning white hair blowing in the breeze, blind to what was going on around her, cattle on a dead run heading towards her! AND I HEADED THEM THAT WAY! I didn't even have time to formulate a plan. It was over with before I could do anything about it. The cattle ran past my grandma and into the pasture where they were suppose to be. Grandma just stood there. (She obviously didn't have much other choice!) When she heard them run past, she hesitated for a bit longer, then said, "Are we done?" I could barely breathe. I was so embarrassed at what I'd just done. I ran towards her. "Grandma! I'm so sorry! I can't believe what I just did to you!" I cried. She smiled and laughed out loud, "I offered! I told you I wanted to help, and I'm glad I got to!" I swore her to secrecy, I didn't want my dad to find out what I'd just done to his mom! It was years later I told him about it (when it was safe to do so!).

Sometimes we find ourselves in predicaments. Some, like most of mine, are of our own doing. Other predicaments are just a result of living life on an imperfect earth. I didn't have time to pray for my Grandma at the moment I realized her predicament. I only had time to gasp and watch the events unfold within seconds. It's nice to know at times like that - God knows our needs, even before we ask.

Grandma lived another twenty plus years after that. We both had a good chuckle over that story, and I think she was tickled even though I was mortified.

Thank you, Lord, for Your limitless knowledge of what I need just when I need it, and for Your ability to provide it in spite of myself!

Written by
Melody Foster

HSBC Coffeebreak

Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NIV

My third pregnancy has been rough. I’ve found myself ill almost all day, everyday. Nothing stays in me and nothing even really sounds good to eat. I’ve been tired and nauseous and cranky. It’s hard to be functional, let
alone an enthusiastic mom to my two other children when I feel this bad. And all this illness wears on me emotionally.

I wake up everyday thinking about when I can nap. I wake up from every nap thinking about when I can lie down and rest again. Sometimes I don’t even know if I need a nap, I just think that I need to rest if I am going to survive the evening. As a result, my home has suffered and, well, did I mention that I am cranky? I usually have my quiet times with God during my kids’ naps. I usually straighten up, return phone calls and begin dinner. With me napping for a full two hours, I am unprepared…both domestically and spiritually. This drives me crazy.

A few nights ago, before I went to bed, I decided to look up the word “rest” in my Bible. I read the above verse and spent some time thinking about what it was really saying. I noticed that Jesus says, “Come to me” to find rest. I was struck by that. He doesn’t say, “Take a nap all you who are weary…” It made me think that perhaps Jesus defines rest differently than I do, and as a result, rest that comes from Him is true rest. Better than a nap. Better than a vacation away alone for a week (I’ve daydreamed about this too!). His rest is full of peace – and better yet, obtainable in any moment of every day. I can go to him in my thoughts while changing a diaper. I can pray to him while fixing lunch, washing dishes or playing in the yard.

Since that night, I have been trying to trust God with my need for rest. He knows my situation and my health needs. I don’t for any minute believe that He is against naps. I simply think that when I choose to spend time each day with Him, asking Him for rest and strength for the day, that I will receive it and it will last longer than when I take a nap. He is where true rest and peace are found.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the rest that you can provide for my body and soul. Thank you for providing time in my day to slow down. Give me wisdom to know what I need to do and what I simply “think” I need to do, be that napping or sweeping the floors. Help me to operate on Your strength, both when I am sick and when I am well.

Written by
Holly Hauskins

HSBC Coffeebreak

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
John 21:6

The disciples were fishing all night. But they didn't have any success and daylight arrives. Then some land-lubber hollers from the shore, that perhaps you just need to throw the nets on the other side of the boat.....

How do I respond to this? I am the expert, trying and trying to do something, but it has no effect. Then someone who hasn't the knowledge or expertise, happens by and gives me a new thing to try. Am I willing to give it a go? I need to be. The disciples chose to listen to the person on the shore, and suddenly they had more than they bargained for from a night's work of fishing and later some time fellowshipping with Jesus on shore. As I pursue my work, I want to have ears that listen to that "land-lubber" as well as a heart willing to give new advice a try.

The fish we can catch are bigger than the ones the disciples caught that night. We are called to be fishers of men! So let's throw that net on the other side of the boat!

Written by
Theresa Zacher