Grenades

Our sermon in church this week was amazing. We heard a story of a hero. A soldier in Iraq that died for his unit while doing house to house checks. He was shot at one house, as were some of his buddies. The shot did not kill him. While the shoot out was happening a grenade was thrown by the enemy and it landed by this man. He reached for the grenade and tucked it under himself by his heart. He knew he would save many yet loose his own life. He had great honor and commitment to his unit. He had also just become a Christian, being baptized in a hole filled with water. He was learning about Christ's love for him, learning about the price Jesus paid for our sins. And he obeyed the ultimate command, to love others as Christ loves you: to do for others what you would want done for you.
We have grenades launched at us all day everyday. Some of them are really big, some just small annoyances. We just take those grenades, hold them close to our hearts so that the ones we love may be spared. Isn't that what we do as women? We always want to take care of others. Soldiers for our families and friends. Its important for us to handle our grenades carefully. We have to be sure we handle them the way others would handle them for us. Have you ever had the privilege of doing for someone else? Isn't it just the greatest to be a blessing for someone else? I wonder what God had to say to that soldier in Iraq. For sure Well done Good and Faithful servant. How proud God must have been at the mans bravery and most importantly his selflessness.
It is amazing to have the chance to be selfless. To give money or things to others in need. To bring meals to others. To bring up our children to love God. To serve the church, Jesus, in our everyday life. Grenades: speeding tickets, school projects, bullies, illness, headaches, family strife, financial issues, job loss, job change, moving, staying, death, broken hearts... So many for us to catch. So many for us to handle. I hope we continue to learn to give the grenades to our Father. He can take the explosion for us. I hope we can learn to tuck the grenade in to our hearts so God can take it. He holds our hearts, therefore he holds the grenades as well. So tuck them away my friends. Hold them close knowing that who you are protecting is who God wants you to protect. Knowing that who you are loving in spite of or because of the grenade is who God wants you to love. Earn your hero status by letting God be your hero. Because we will never be good enough. We can only be humble enough to take our gift of life from God and to live our lives as he would want. So live this life. Serve. Love. Handle Grenades with care....