Tagged - Eight Things You Didn't Know About Me

There is a game being played in the blogging world.
If you are tagged… you are ‘it’.
I like games, I like challenges, so since I was tagged last week – I will play.
What you have to do if you are tagged is reveal 8 things about yourself that people would not know from reading your blog.
Because my blog is a devotional blog , Lovella ( who tagged me) gave me an extra challenge – play the game but stay true to my ‘devotional’ focus.
OK…. Here is my post !

“Eight Things You Don’t Know About Me !”

1> I fell into a manure pit when I was three years old. We were visiting my parents’ friends’ dairy farm and I was running across the cow pasture to where my dad was standing with his friend. Seeing me coming both men started gesturing wildly- I interpreted their waving arms and shouting to mean I needed to run faster because a cow was chasing me. Not seeing the manure pit because it was full level with the ground I fell headlong into it.
My white Sunday dress, white socks and shoes and underwear all had to be thrown away.
My mother bathed me in three waters before I was ‘clean’ but a lingering ‘fragrance’ clung to me for some time.

I also fell into the ‘manure pit’ of sin and needed to be rescued.
Jesus found me, washed me in His blood until “I was whiter than snow!” (Psalm 51:7) and the ‘fragrance of Christ’ lingered over me. (II Cor. 2;15)

2> There are some quirky things about me that make me distinctly ME.
I have a long tongue, short feet, and double jointed fingers.
I hate change, love variety but hate repetition …..

When I was a baby a doctor discovered that my tongue – rather than being tongue-tied was actually too loose ! so I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue.
I have always had trouble getting shoes because I wear a size 5.
I can keep my fingers straight and bend the tips down at the first joint.

I love things to stay the same….never move my furniture around.
But I hate repetition … my least favourite part of sewing a garment is the sleeves- because there are two of them.
I love variety in details – always fascinates me – whether it is in art or a crafted piece of furniture , in décor, or in flowers, or in clothing.

I take pleasure in the fact that God declares , “I am the Lord! I change not!” (Mal. 3:6)
I take pleasure in the fact that He loves variety – and hates repetition – to the extent of every snowflake that has ever fallen on this earth had it’s own unique pattern.
No two people have ever been ‘repeated’ either ---making each of us special to God in a uniquely personal way.
Do you ever stop to think how remarkable that is ? You are the only You God ever made!!!

3> I would never have been born except that my Mom took fertility drugs. She is able to conceive only one month in the year; with me being the oldest the pattern had not yet been discovered . So except for the intervention of medical science, I would not be sitting here at my computer typing the words you are now reading!
Sometimes when I think about it I realize how much of a gift my life is !

Left to ourselves , none of us would have ever been able to find eternal ‘life’ either.
Except for the supernatural intervention of God, we could never have been ‘born again’.
(John 3;3,16)
Our eternal life is a gift without price !

4> I am the oldest of four siblings. We are two boys and two girls, alternating girl/boy/girl/boy. ( and yes, my three siblings all have their birthdays within two weeks of each other) We are all married with families; the boys had boys and the girls had girls!

God planned for the human race to be grouped in families. Can you imagine life without family?
In living our earthly lives we need to remember that ‘like begets like’.
What we sow we will also reap. (Gal. 6:7)
But even better than the human family plan is the spiritual family of God.
How wonderful it is to fellowship and share our spiritual journey with brothers and sisters who are walking the same path. How wonderful that God calls Himself our Father, and Jesus our elder brother!
Talk about family connections!

5> When I was a baby a wealthy, childless couple visited my parents’ neighbours.
They made my parents an offer. Since my parents were young and healthy and could obviously have many more children, would they consider trading me for a brand new car ! This was in 1947 – my parents had no car and no hope in the near future of getting one…especially a new one. It may have been a tempting offer for some people but my parents never even considered it ! I was not for sale!
I always loved hearing that story when I was little. I knew I was of more value than a car!!

Isn’t that like God ? He says we are of more value to Him than many sparrows (Matt. 10:31) and that nothing will separate us from His love. (Rom. 8:38,39)

6>My favourite subject in school was math. I placed third in the Provincial finals in grade 10 in my school district.
I love math because it is so ‘black and white’ – either right or wrong. There is an incredible order in numbers that I so appreciate, an order so concise and predictable that the internet that connects us at this moment could never be except for the ‘order’ of numbers.

I think more than anything else we study, numbers reveal the mind of God. His mind is beyond what we could think or imagine and yet so predictable and solid – worthy of our highest trust. Just as numbers will never fail us…. Neither will God.
I love the words of David …”Yet He has made with me an evertlasting covenant “ORDERED’ in all things and secure ….” (II Sam 23:5)
God has planned my life with the precision of ‘numbers’ – “The steps of a good man are ORDERED by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23)

7> I was valedictorian for my graduating class.
I could not believe that I was even considered, and when the votes were counted and I had the most votes… I was stunned. It added a very nervous element to my graduation, but I managed without making a total fool of myself!

We will all one day stand before God and be called upon to be the ‘valedictorian’ of our life. We will answer for our actions, our words, our faith. Are you preparing your ‘speech’, so you will be ready and “not ashamed before Him at His coming”? (I John 2:28)

8> I am directionally challenged! I am teased and laughed at probably more for this than anything else!! Not that I mind… it is usually in fun because I am so hopeless when it comes to directions --- but I am very consistent --- always wrong! My husband is very good at finding his way around in even a strange city but if he is ever confused he will ask me, “Which way should I go?” I will point in the ‘right’ direction and he will without a word turn the other way.
What I find so funny is that if I am in a mall, or walking down the street or in a group of people and someone needs to know directions, they invariably ALWAYS ask ME! Even people who know me - and then they catch themselves and say, “what am I doing, asking YOU for directions?”

And yet when it comes to giving directions in the Eternal Kingdom of God I feel much more confident that I know my way around. I am diligent in my study to make sure that I can give accurate directions to those who ask for it. “…always be ready to give a defense (directions)to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 3:15)
In God’s Kingdom , I have a built-in GPS - the Holy Spirit - “Cause me to know the way wherein I shall walk!” (Ps. 143:8)

9> I won the Citizenship Trophy two years in a row in Middle School. It was an exciting experience for me – humbling and rewarding – a great affirmation of who I wanted to be.

But no matter how great or many prizes I may win here on earth, they are worthless compared to the rewards waiting for those who have been faithful - the rewards that will be given out on the day of judgment at that great assembly before the throne.
I would so joyfully give up the greatest accolades of man to hear the simple words of God, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matt. 25:23)


So there you have my eight revealing tid-bits about who I am – “BUT wait”, you say,”you listed NINE “–
I did - because there are only eight that are true. One of the nine is FALSE, Can you guess which one?
How does that qualifying admission make you feel? Are you not now suddenly unsure as to what to believe and what not to believe? Do you feel a sense of betrayal?
The statement that is NOT TRUE is number 7 – I was NOT valedictorian for my graduating class.

The point I want to make is that for us to trust someone we need to know that ‘everything’ they say is true.
So also with God – His written Word, our scripture, HAS to be completely true --- if there is even one verse that is in question as to its inerrancy – then we lose our solid mooring, the Rock becomes slippery under our feet and we walk in doubt.
I am sooooo thankful that I can trust that God’s word is true.

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven!” (Psalm 119:89)
And my final word? “I trust in Your word!” (Pslam 119:42)

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I tag Cherie , and Demara – hard to find someone who has not been tagged!