The attack of the jar lid;
thought I would share my experience – never know when you might be attacked by a
lid.
Now, I know canning does have
its dangers. There is a danger of
cutting oneself as we prepare the thing being canned. Canners are heavy when filled and could cause
a back strain when being moved. Hot
canners are just that and care must be used when handling the lid, pots and jars
to avoid burns. Boiling water could be
splashed on a person, burning them. A
hot canner could be dropped, sending boiling water cascading over someone, jars
breaking with glass shattering and cutting.
The processed jars and contents are also hot and can burn if not handled
properly.
However, in all the years I have
canned and the several decades Carla has been involved one way or another with
canning, we have never heard of a deep cut caused by a jar lid. Well, that has changed.
The other day while canning
peaches I was removing the rings and lids off new jars. Sometimes the lids stick to the tops of the
jar and have to be pried off. To do that
we push on them with our thumbs, it may take a bit of pressure, but they are
released and we wash and get them ready to put on the processed jars.
Only that day one of the lids
sliced and I do mean sliced as if by a sharp knife, my thumb. Deep and about 1.5 inches long. It hurt – as you know lots of nerves at the
tips of fingers – and it bled, hard – have gone through several band aids. Being on warfarin doesn’t help that
situation.
I will be changing the way I do
these from now on – I’ll let someone else do it...... No, just kidding. I will use the opposite tip of the plastic
lifter of hot jar lids (it has a magnet on the tip to pick up hot lids from
water) to push them up.
Speaking of canning we will be
canning more peaches today and probably some tomatoes today and/or
tomorrow.
2
Corinthians 5:12-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I
trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
I am reminded this morning that
I am responsible for my own actions and thoughts. When I meet Christ I meet Him alone.
My Pastors, my Sunday School
teachers, those that have helped me through the years as I walked with Christ,
will not be there.
My parents, my church
membership, my ‘good’ deeds outside of those served for Christ will mean nothing
when I stand before Him.
Now, those people will be there
to greet me and rejoice with me on my entrance into heaven, but not at the
judgment seat. I will stand, alone,
before God; He will pass judgment on me – alone. For a non-Christian this will be a terrible
time, one that will be just the beginning of their pain and suffering in
eternity.
We may belong to a body of
believers and we call it our church. But
we know Christ’s church is made up of believers, not a building or
organization.
While we can attribute learning
from and assistance in serving Christ to others, ultimately it comes down to us
as an individual. The body of believers
is made up of individuals, like minded, but still individuals.
We can only be saved by making
an individual decision for Christ. We
can only serve Him by making an individual decision to serve Him. NO ONE else can make that decision for
us.
If we are coerced, compelled,
working because we are made to feel guilty – but not serving from a heart filled
with a desire to serve Him, our service is nothing. No matter how much we may do, if it is not
from a heart turned towards God, doing it out of a love for HIM, it is as if we
did nothing at all.
Paul reaffirms that in these
verses. He wants us to be critical of
who we are in Christ. He wants us to
search our heart; he wants us to be focused on God, not on ourselves. He is fearful for us, that if we have turn
our back on God we will face His wrath.
The very essence of God is love,
but God demands righteousness from His people.
God wants to forgive us and lead us in a walk of righteousness. He has given us ample warning of what will
happen if we reject Him.
He has also given us His Word to
guide us; His Holy Spirit to lead us and men and women of God to help us discern
and divide His Word so we can apply it to our lives.
However, the responsibility of
our life decisions, particularly concerning Christ, is ours; alone.
Our walk with God is an
individual walk. It is different for
each person. Yet, it is the same in as
much as it starts with the acceptance of salvation through Jesus Christ, and
making Him the Lord of our life – and dedicating our life to Him.
It doesn’t matter how rich or
poor, whether a person works as a farmer or lawyer. It doesn’t matter whether we are male or
female, old person or young. It doesn’t
matter what country we call our home, or even what part of the country. We all have to make the same decision for or
against Christ.
Once that decision is finally
made – understanding that some people will take longer to realize who Christ is
– then our walk with Him is unique from all others.
We might share the same parents,
we might share the same church organization, we might share the same job, or the
same hobbies, but we are different. We
are unique. There is no one quite like
us – even identical twins have many differences.
As we walk with God, those
unique qualities can be used by Him to bring others to Christ. We can see that to be true by how we
ourselves relate to others.
We tend to listen to people who
‘have been there.’ We know their
experiences have made an impact on their lives and their thought process. We don’t have a baseball player come in and
teach the basics of Police work. Now he
may have some thoughts on personal commitment, but we won’t listen when he tells
us how to make an arrest – he doesn’t know.
It is the same with our walk
with Christ. We are going to gravitate
to those of similar minds, those that have proven their dedication to Christ in
their walk. BUT, they are not
responsible for our salvation or our walk, only their own. IF in the course of their teaching they have
led people astray from God then they will be responsible for those actions, but
the people led astray still must account for their own decisions.
No matter who we are in Christ,
no matter our social standing (or lack of it) no matter what we do for a living,
one of the things we are responsible to Christ for is our sharing of His Gospel
to others.
We must come to the realization
– each of us on our own – the truth of Paul’s concerns: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we
persuade men;” When
we accept this truth, then we understand that anyone without Christ is going to
face the wrath of God, and we have the means to help them come to Him with a
clean heart.
We do not have to stand on a
soap box, we don’t have to drag someone aside, we don’t have to make pointed
accusations at someone, we just need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit
and do what He tells us to do.
For most of us, those contacts
are one on one. It is fitting, because
their confession to God, their acceptance of Christ is one on one with God. We can help them come to Him, but only they
can make the decision.
We are uniquely qualified to
tell others about Christ and His love; because we are uniquely His. He has placed us in a position to administer
to others, where only we can present His Gospel in a way that will bring others
to the realization they need Him.
Later, Art :-)
From
the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again
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