On obedience`

My sister lives in South Carolina, so I don't get to see her much.  I've only been to her house a couple of times.  Once, when she was living in DC, I came to visit and we went to Columbia to visit her son and his family.  That's when I got to see something that I will never forget.  My niece, Deanne, was training her little daughter Hannah.  Now, I'm sure you know that in the South, the boys and girls are very polite.  Whenever you speak to them, they always answer, "Yes, ma'am."  With that delightful drawl, it's as sweet as it can be.  As a California girl, I'd always just assumed that the response came with them from the womb.  But when I was visiting, I realized that I was sorely mistaken.  That "yes, ma'am "is acquired.  Through training. And obedience.  Time and again, I heard Deanne say something to Hannah, who would answer, "Yes."  Sweetly, Deanne would prompt, "Yes, what?"  Not so sweetly, Hannah would respond, "Yes, ma'am!"  It is learned by practice--and obedience.

We learn through obedience, too.  I find that more often than not, I first do things because I'm told to do them.  It takes a while for me to get the habit of doing them because it's right (and even longer for me to do them because I want to).  Take praising God in all things, for example, I remember praying, "God, I don't know why I'm going through this.  I don't like it.  I don't want it.  But because you've said to, I thank you for it." (Can you hear the yes, ma'am??)

But sooner or later, it becomes accustomed, and then it becomes welcome.  I know now that praising God in all things means that we give him room to work, whatever the situation.  Even if the time seems dark, we acknowledge that he is eternal Light.  And that's okay, if only because he says that it is.

I am determined to write once a day for a year.  I am not interested--yet--in being published.  For whatever reason, I feel that I must do this first--this act of obedience to my writing.  And so I will.  Sometimes, like today, it will be just a passing thought.  Other times it will be something of more import. Maybe one person will read today's thought.  Maybe ten will read tomorrow's.  And that's okay.  I'm doing this in obedience, and in the knowledge that if I am faithful with a little, I will be able to be trusted with a lot.

And I want that trust.

Yes, ma'am!