Doing It unto Jesus...Tuesday

7/8/14 

Yesterday I had to do something that I really didn't want to do. Although I had a friend visiting me for a few weeks, my husband needed help inserting a chimney liner into a customer’s chimney. I know that my husband didn't want to ask for my help, knowing that I was on vacation and enjoying time with my company. However, he would be very challenged to insert this liner alone because the house was three stories tall and the job typically requires two people. Someone should be on the roof lowering the liner down the chimney while another person checks to make sure the adapter is lined up below. In addition, chimney insulation (more like cement) needs to be mixed on the ground and hauled up to the roof in five gallon buckets. If my husband had to do this liner insert alone, he would have had to continuously climb up and down the ladder, mixing the insulation, placing it in buckets, and then climbing back up the ladder to the roof top. Certainly not an easy task! Out of desperation, my husband said, “Who am I going to get to help me with this liner?” Our son was busy with his own roofing business and could not spare any time or one of his employees. A help wanted add that my husband placed in the paper went unanswered and my step-father is still recovering from open heart surgery. There was only one answer, I had to be the “helper”. So, I put on my best happy face and said, “I’ll help you with the liner”.  My husband was quite relieved, but I was feeling disappointed. I would much rather be going to the beach with my friend, driving around, or doing anything but helping out with a chimney liner, especially when I heard it was supposed to be hot outside that day. However, I tried not to complain. I know that my husband would help me if I needed an extra hand. Besides, I am his help mate and Jesus would expect me to help my husband when he had a need.

Sometimes we have to do things in life that we don’t want to do like clean our house, do the laundry, run errands, cook supper, or help someone out when all we feel like doing is playing. However, part of being Christ like means taking care of our priorities and being responsible. We should not ignore them or a brother’s need before fulfilling our own desires.

Deuteronomy 22:4 says, 

“You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox 

fallen down by the way and ignore them. 

You shall help him to lift them up again.”

I have found that when we do everything as if we are doing it for the Lord, unpleasant tasks become easier to bear. We also sometimes find that God blesses us too.

Although helping my husband out was hard work and I was sweating so much that the salt from my skin burned my eyes, God blessed me for my efforts. He blessed me for my willingness to help. He blessed me for being obedient and for taking care of my priorities. I ended up having a good day with my husband. The job was at a house on an Island, which meant we had to take a ferry across the water. While we waited for the ferry, my husband and I took a little stroll along the beach. On the way out we saw dolphins swimming. After the job was completed, I was given a quick tour of the island. I enjoyed the scenery and the refreshing ocean air. The day ended with a juicy steak, cooked by my husband on the grill. As for my friend, she was kept entertained by my mother and step-father. It was a good day. God is good. He is worthy of our time. When we find ourselves having to do something we really don’t want to do, do it anyway. Do it unto the Lord.  

Colossians 3:17 reads, 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Written by

Storm Hendrickson