Today's Jerry Note-
I know a lot of my Jerry notes revolve around food, but that's only natural considering we eat a lot, right? Breakfast, lunch, dinner or some variation of that happens every day for most people. That's a lot of food, food practically every day of our lives. By now those of you reading these little Jerry notes and such know that He liked a whole lot of things others of us in our family did not. Veering off onto another track for a moment, don't worry it meets back up with the Jerry track- some of you also know my mother made the best Spaghetti Sauce ever! (I know, a lot of moms do that.) Her sauce was a staple in our families, each of her kids learning to make some variation of her sauce- which she encouraged. If you liked a hotter sauce she told us to add jalapenos, if we wanted a cheesier sauce just add some parmesan right into the pot, don't save it solely for a topping later. My mom also made meatballs to go with her sauce and sausage. I'm not going to say all of us loved her spaghetti sauce, but the majority of us did and do. Now veering back on the Jerry track- Jerry also liked my mother's sauce BUT he liked his OWN mother's sauce more. His mother's sauce had things like mushrooms, big chunks of green pepper and onions, ground beef - not meatballs, ground sausage- not links, a different combination of spices. So, in our family we would have both sauces but NOT every time we had spaghetti. When Jerry got a hankering for his mother's sauce he would ask me to make it, and sometimes I'd just surprise him with it.
One day during the last two months of his life for dinner I told him we were having spaghetti and he immediately asked- "With my sauce?" I nodded and told him I'd made his sauce too, and boy, he was happy. That night he had his sauce - plus a meatball and enjoyed it immensely. He had it once more after that on another night that week and then guess what I did? I froze the rest of the sauce.
You know what's coming next… recently I gave the sauce away. My niece, Tisha took the two containers home with her about a month ago. Today when Tisha came over I asked her if she'd had a chance to eat it yet and she told me just this past week they did and they loved it!
And yet again, you know what I'm going to say, Jerry would have been so thrilled to know that sauce did not go to waste, that others enjoyed it as much as he did.
I know I keep telling you of these things that are probably starting to seem a little like the same ol' story, but I can't help it, I really can't. You see, I know that once all these sauces, soups, meats and so on are gone from that freezer, then a part of him will be gone too. Each time a frozen food that was meant for him is gone there is joy and tears because that's what life is right now- joy and tears. I will run out of food stories soon enough, but for now they are something I have and want others to know about so they too can share in a part of my husband's life- knowing him in a small way that they never did before. Sharing his love of food, his love of life, his love of me, his children and his family and friends.
God blessed me richly with Him and God blesses me richly with memories of Him and a life filled with knowing Him. I can't tell you how many times I've said the words- "I know Jerry would have…" Because I know him.
Another little thought just crossed my mind- I can remember my own mother speaking of my father in the same way, "Your dad would have…"
Those we love in loving them, we know of them, so much of them. We are blessed.
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Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jesus did not have a wooden yoke in His hands when He told the multitudes to take His yoke. Even if He had, who of the many would have been the one to take it? The yoke He spoke of was figurative. The yoke symbolic of the burden Jesus was carrying. Take my yoke upon you, He says. And how do we do this? How do you take on the burden of another? You've done it before haven't you? Someone has a problem and they tell you their problem with the hope you'll be able to help them. They want you to share their burden, make it lighter, or if not lighter then at least bearable. Sometimes we do share our troubles with others without wanting their help, we share it just so another person knows what we are enduring. We might share it just to get someone to pray for us, or think of us with a bit of compassion. There are a lot of burdens that cannot be shared physically. I can't take the job interview my son has to take, but in knowing how heavy that burden is for him I can pray for him, I can offer my commiseration. Jesus told us to take His yoke upon us, take His burden upon us. He also told us something else along with that. He said, Take my yoke upon you and LEARN OF ME. Take His burden and learn of Him.
Then He goes on to further say- that He is meek and He is lowly in heart. He doesn't stop there, He tells us that we will find rest unto our souls. And that His yoke is easy. His burden is light.
Such amazing words! Such wonderful, awesome words!
Jesus DOES have a burden.
Jesus' burden is LIGHT.
Jesus' burden is EASY.
Jesus is MEEK.
Jesus is LOWLY IN HEART.
Tell me, what do those last two things mean? What does it mean that Jesus is meek and lowly in heart?
Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Psa 131:1 A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Luk 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
2Co 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Meek-humble, lowly-gentle, heart-thoughts and feelings.
Jesus is meek, humble, lowly, submissive, without elevation,
Who can read all the above and NOT comprehend that Jesus was the epitome of selflessness?
Is it a burden to be selfless? It can be, especially in the world we live in today. We grow up with a lot of outside stimulus towards being self-focused, self-serving. We are inundated by a whole slew of entertainment that promotes the life of the self-serving, business men and women who thrive on serving themselves. It's sobering to realize that the men and women in our world who control the vast majority of wealth choose to keep the majority of that wealth to keep their own self-interests afloat. Our world is ruled by a system that dictates the wealthy are in need of being even more wealthy while the poor are told to become wealthy- somehow, without help, just do it. Yet the world could not support all people being considered wealthy, or so that's what we are taught. The wealthy thrive, the poor suffer- history proves this to be the case since sin entered and took over the lives of mankind.
To be selfless is burdensome because the world fights against true selflessness in its supposed need to be so many other things.
More on all of this tomorrow by the grace of God, by His will. We need to LEARN of JESUS! May we humble ourselves and learn!
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