Category: Minneke’s Musings

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Dig Deep!

Sue’s Views
The most valuable treasures are never on the surface. Gold ….. precious stones ….. minerals are hidden underground.  They have to be dug for! The same can be said for people. We have to dig down deep sometimes to find the true character and beauty that is hidden there. But we can help them discover it by getting to know them and taking an interest in them. The most valuable treasures though are found in the pages of the Bible. Again ….. we have to dig for them. We do that by reading ….. asking questions like ‘who’ ‘when’ ‘where’ and ‘why’? ….. applying it to our situation ….. and by chewing it over several times. Like a cow chewing the grass ….. it takes time to make it become part of us. But once it does ….. we will be changed forever!
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Lessons from Nelson Mandela

I recently
finished reading Nelson Mandela’s Autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom”. Few
life stories have moved me more than his in recent reads, although there are
many, many incredible stories out there. Perhaps it was the high cost he paid
for the freedom of others, the enormity of the task set before him, or the
extremity of the racial oppression he faced…

As I was
reading the incredible account of his journey, there was one part in particular
that struck me. It was something that may even seem minor, or somewhat irrelevant to the
grand narrative, but I found it fascinating, and it caused me to ponder.

Nelson had already
spent around 20 years in a high-security prison on Robben Island, suffering terrible
hardships along with his co-workers in the struggle for the racial freedom of others.
But now he was suddenly being moved to another prison, isolated and away from
his friends and colleagues. He was given much better food, a larger room, and
even a balcony where he could grow vegetables. The guards who had treated him
and his friends so viciously then began to take him on outings in their
vehicles, to lovely little townships along the coast, filled with white people
drinking tea and enjoying a life away from racial tension, poverty, and crime.
He was even taken to meet the guards’ families at their homes for a meal.

He welcomed
the relief from harsh prison life, and started looking forward to these
outings, longing to see the outside world which had been closed off to him for
20 years. He was desperate for everyday activities like buying a drink from the
convenience store, and saying hello to passers-by.

But he
thought it all very strange… why was he suddenly being treated so well? What
had changed? And then, it struck him… the government knew he was soon to be
released, and they knew the potential he had to change South Africa… so they
were trying to distract him. They were showing him the comfortable life he
could enjoy, away from all the mess that came with his cause… they were
tempting him to give in when he was so close to winning the battle he had long
been engaged in. Thankfully, he recognised it for what it was, and continued in
his pursuit of full freedom for himself and his fellow countrymen, giving up a
life of pleasure, ease and comfort.

It made me think
of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, who goes out to sow his seed. Some
fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it. Some fell on the rocky places
and sprang up quickly, but because the soil was shallow, the plants withered
when the sun came up. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked
the plants. And some fell on good soil, which produced a large crop.

The seed
sown along the path stands for those who, when they hear the message about the
kingdom and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was
sown in their heart. The seed falling on rocky ground are those who hear the
word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last
only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes, they quickly fall away. The
seed falling among the thorns are those who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the
word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil are those who
hear the word and receive it. They are the ones who produce a crop, yielding a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

I don’t know
about you, but I feel that I am often susceptible to being the third type of
soil. Many of us who may have been in church for a while have received the
word, and things are growing, and we’ve had seasons of working hard to
cultivate good soil in our hearts. But I also find myself in seasons of worry… worry about my children, finances, the future… I grow cares of the world in my
heart, become distracted and start pursuing other things, I have other loves in
my heart that seem to choke out the fruit that may have been starting to grow.

When I read
Mandela’s account of the temptation to give in, I was struck by how easy it
would have been to justify having a quiet life of comfort in his old age after
a lifetime of fighting for freedom. The thing is, he was about to be freed, but
his goal had been the freedom of ALL his fellow men. He could have said yes to
wealth, health and a host of other things that he probably deserved for all his
sacrifice. But he didn’t… he continued to fight for his own freedom, and the
freedom of others. He reminds me of the good soil, the one that yields a large
crop, 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.

We too have
an enemy that likes to distract us. He likes to offer us things that are appealing
and comfortable, telling us we deserve them. He causes us to worry, to take our
eyes off Jesus, to lose our focus on Kingdom living, and causes us to focus on
anything but Christ. He knows we already have freedom bought by the blood of
Jesus, and He knows our potential, and he will throw anything at us to make
sure we don’t walk in it and bear fruit. I’ve been guilty of this many, many
times…

It's good to spend some time reflecting on
the cost Jesus paid for that freedom… his own life. We can reflect on our own
hearts, and the condition of our heart soil. Maybe we need to allow God to
reveal some weeds that are choking out the Word and making it unfruitful, and
then do the dirty, hard work of pulling them out.

Let’s not
give up the freedom that Jesus bought us, freedom from sin, worry, and fear, and
be tempted to settle for lesser things…

Let’s
cultivate good heart soil that yields an abundant crop.

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Thank you, pen

Thank you, pen, for allowing me
To hide behind you thoughtfully
Where words can be written in due course
With the ability to stop and pause.
Where my opinions may be told
To wait, to sit back down and hold
Their brash and noisy tongues a while
Until determined if worthwhile.
Should I bring them out full force?
Or should I wait and ponder their source?
Does this opinion come from love?
From knowledge, truth… or a punching glove?
For sometimes if I don't allow
My thoughts to fully filter, how
They have a habit of coming out
Unannounced, and often without
A proper thought as to whether or not
They are really needed on the spot
Or if, perhaps, they should be trained
By self-control, to be restrained…
But written words can be rephrased
Added to, or just erased
Unlike words fresh off the tongue
Which can't return once they are flung.
So I admit, I much prefer
To let my reckless thoughts defer
To paper while I stop and think
Before putting them into ink.
For words have power of all kinds,
To build up, or destroy, our minds
To usher in sweet comfort and peace  
Or cause a frail hope to decease…
They can cause a fire to rage
Or put our future in a cage,
Or they can bring about great change
And cause a life to re-arrange.
And so, dear pen, I thank you much
For being a thought-buffer as such,
To filter out anger and pride
And let my careless words subside.
Proverbs 18:21
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
James 1:19-20
“Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Proverbs 15:23
“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!”
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Until I know more

“Mum, I dont know where this goes!”

My kids were cleaning up the living room, what a state it was in! My youngest was picking things up and trying to find a home for them.

“Why don’t you just put away the things that you already know where to put?” I said, “and leave the other things for me or your older siblings, they know where they go.”

Thinking that sounded like a reasonable idea, he decided to just find all the toy cars and put them in the car box. He knew where those were supposed to go.

There are quite a few things in the bible that are hard to understand. I don’t always know where they fit with everything else, or what they meant in the original language, or how to interpret them. But, if I’m honest, there is plenty in there that I do understand, and is pretty clear.

A friend of mine recently shared this quote: “When reading the Bible, it seems we find it easier to debate the things we don’t understand than to obey the things we do.” So true. 

Just like my youngest child putting the toys away, I’m trying to just obey what I already do know, and not get overwhelmed with (or distracted by) the things I don’t. Hopefully one day I’ll know more, and then I can obey that too.

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Baking Bread

When I was living in my husband’s rural home in China, I was amazed at how much they could do in the kitchen with so few tools! Pretty much everything was done with either chopsticks, a wok, a knife, or a stirring utensil. Need to whisk eggs? Chopsticks. Need to peel potatoes? A knife…but wow, they got a lot done, and made some amazing food! In our Western kitchens, we have a gadget for everything! Apple corer, cheese slicer, whisk, cake mixer, electric beater, dishwasher, egg slicer, 100 different sized measuring cups and spoons… so convenient.

Sometimes I wonder if this has crept into our Western “Churchianity” (to quote Ben Taylor). We now have fancy sound sets, lighting, buildings, a course for everything (can’t be a proper Christian without the ____ Course!), and lots of teaching videos, spotify playlists, and media which, well… let’s be honest, some of us may have become a bit dependent on. I guess there’s nothing wrong with these in and of themselves, but have we forgotten the simple things of reading the Word, prayerful meditation, and simply obeying Jesus, no matter the cost? Without the fancy sound equipment, polished worship, big buildings, and church programs to tick the boxes and give us all the right feel-goods, do we still know how to hear from God, seek His will, and be obedient to what He tells us to do? 

I love this quote from Brother Yun, a man greatly used by God in times of revival and the persecuted underground Church in China:

“When I’m in the West I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive equipment, plush carpets and state-of-the-art sound systems. I can assure the Western church with absolute certainty that you don’t need any more church buildings. Just because you have a church building does not necessarily mean Jesus is with you. He is not welcome in many churches today […] God’s Word is missing. Sure there are many preachers and thousands of tapes and videos of Bible teaching, but so little contains the sharp truth of God’s Word. Not only is knowledge of God’s Word missing, but obedience to that Word.

When revival came to believers in China, the result was thousands of evangelists being sent out to all corners of the nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. When God moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His presence and blessings too long, and build an altar to your experiences.”

― Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man

This was the great commission Jesus sent us on: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Quite simple really. Not easy or convenient, but not complicated, and certainly not fancy. And He didn’t leave us on our own to do it, in our own way. He said He would be with us, and He is! 

The early Christians, empowered by the Spirit, saw amazing things happen. Each one of them took their place in the Church (not the building, the body of Christ), and learned to walk in obedience to Jesus, meeting together regularly, serving and learning from one another.  It was pretty simple. Not easy, but simple. Simple tools, simple “skills”. Similar things are happening in places all over the world, but not much of it seems to be happening in the West. As we examine these movements of the Spirit (in Iran, Africa, Thailand, China, India, Indonesia, and many, many more) we see that it’s much like what was happening in the times of the early Christians in the Book of Acts. The believers are passionate about Jesus, obedient to the Word, filled with the Spirit, fulfilling the great commission, and not distracted by fancy stuff!

I love this passage from the bible, and the quote after it from Brother Yun:

1 Kings 19: 11-12: “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small voice…”

“So many Christians seem impossibly distracted from hearing God’s voice. Instead of listening to that still, small voice that brings true peace and joy, they blindly follow the voices of mainstream religion.”
― Brother Yun, Living Water

So interesting… how easily distracted we are by all the loud and fancy tools of “mainstream religion”, or what I now like to call, Churchianity (thanks Ben Taylor!). But in it all, a lot of us have forgotten the simple things that Jesus asked us to do. Not all, but a lot.

Going back to the kitchen analogy, if the great commission was something like being asked to simply bake bread to feed the hungry, and we’re always spending time in a fancy kitchen full of tools that can make cheesecakes, creme brulee, and black forest gateau, how easy it would be to get distracted from the simple task of baking bread.

How many fancy tools do we really need in the kitchen? The rural Chinese would probably answer that… “none”! Why? Because they have skills. How did they get the skills? Lots of practice. I’ve seen a Chinese lady cut potatoes into perfect, identical thin slices at 100 miles per hour with just a simple kitchen knife! Can we also let go of some of the fancy stuff and really learn how to pray, listen, disciple, and obey? I think we will find so much joy (and power!) in Him when we do.

Let’s get back to the simple skills and tools that Jesus has given us, and let him do the fancy work of changing lives… the most meaningful work of all.

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Nothing too small for God

My 5-second memory had once again let me down… I had a mental list
of things I needed from the supermarket, and it only had 2 things on
it! I could remember one… but couldn’t remember the other one. Try
as I might, my mind went blank.

Then the thought came to me… “Why don’t I pray and ask Jesus to
remind me what it was? He knows!”.

So I did.

Immediately after praying, the words “floor cleaner” came to my mind.

Jesus, You are awesome…

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How Flexible Are You?

Sue’s Views
How flexible are you? If plans change suddenly ….. does it throw you? If your routine is disrupted ….. can you adapt? Some of us are more task focussed than people focussed …..   and see people as interruptions to our ‘to do’ list. Others are so ‘go with the flow’ that nothing gets done! It helps to commit each day to God. He alone know the plans He has for us. If His ‘to do’ list is ticked ….. that’s a day well spent!

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To Mothers

To the mother who battles guilt every day, who wonders if you said enough, or said too much, or said it the right way…

To the mother who battles loneliness, wishing she was surrounded by a community of other mothers to share the load with, mothers that could walk in on the stress and mess and say “let me help”…

To the mother who is giving her kid the same thing for lunch again when everyone else’s lunchboxes look so Instagram-worthy…

To the mother who’s doing parenthood alone, and wonders why…

To the mother who feels misunderstood, wondering if she’s accepted, if she measures up, if other people think she talks too much, or says weird stuff, or shouts at her kids too much…

To the mother who fights doubt, wondering if her kids really know how much she loves them…

To the mother who fights fear, who watches the news stories and wonders if her kids will be ok…

To the mother who watches Bluey and tears up because, well, her house isn’t always that fun and creative…

To the mother who feels she’s always saying “no, we can’t afford that”…

To the mother who feels there’s never enough time…

To the mother battling tantrums, sleepless nights, work deadlines, dishes, mess, hormones, depression…

To the one who longs to be a mother, or lost a precious child…

To the mother who fears she’s never enough… never good enough, kind enough, patient enough, involved enough, determined enough, successful enough…

God sees you. He knows. He cares… He wants in.

Let Him in and watch what He does… it will be greater than you ever imagined.

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Rest a while!

Sue’s View

If the soil needs a rest ….. how much more do we? We tend to live lives jam packed with activity and information ….. and fall asleep at the end of the day with our heads still buzzing! Our bodies and minds were not designed for so much stress continually. So how about giving yourself some time to recover and replenish ….. before you burn out.

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Not My Will

Sue’s Views
The Cross was a brutal and excruciating way to die. Jesus knew exactly what He was about to face. He spent an evening in anguish ….. wrestling with the prospect ….. and yet knowing what He had to do. So He yielded His will to His Father’s will. The thing that enabled Him to move forward was seeing you and me being set free from sin and reconciled to God. That gave Him joy! It was the most loving and selfless gift anyone has ever given. There are times when we may have to make decisions we don’t want to make. Things that will cost us ….. and cause us pain emotionally or physically. In times like that ….. remember the words of Jesus in Gethsemane:
 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” Luke 22:42