UPSIDE DOWN IN GOD'S PRESENCE

Not often being around my grandchildren, I love to spoil them when I am. This week we attended an out-of-state church meeting where three of my grandchildren live. As soon as I saw the two oldest grandchildren (a six year old girl and her five year old brother--the third is young enough he'd just eat any money), I gave them money, then, at different times during the week furnished them more . I doled out quarters and one dollar bills. Each time I extended money to them throughout a day , they quickly grabbed it from me. The first time I imagined they were thinking of the candy or toy they would buy at the store when they went. What I saw that night and each following night at church moved this grandpa: The usher handed the offering bucket to the first person in our row. Eventually it got to me, and I passed it on down the row where my daughter's family was sitting. After a few moments, I recognized out of the corner of my eye that the bucket had stalled out on its journey when it got to these two grandchildren. I glanced over. There was the five year old boy. He had a little leather wallet that was a replica of a men's one except scaled down to boy size. My grandson pulled out the dollar bill I gave him and put it in the bucket. Then he turned his wallet upside down over the offering bucket and shook it until the quarters came tumbling out. Then my granddaughter took the bucket. She had pulled a lady's coin purse out of her bag and did what her brother just had. She put in her dollar and then turned the coin purse upside down and shook out the coins. My wife leaned into me and whispered in my ear, "They gave everything they had." First, I felt emotion well up in my heart to think my grandchildren were being raised in church and had already grasped this concept of worshipping God by giving. Then as I looked back towards the platform, I kept seeing a replay in my mind's eye of their turning their wallets upside down and shaking out all to the last coin. What a picture of true worship. What if we came before God and turned our hearts upside down and shook out all that was in us giving him all? I can't imagine what all might come out. But, I am sure that it would please God as my grandchildren's giving pleased me. What a way to worship-surrender all. It reminded me of the psalmist's words: "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: ..." (Psa 62:8). I will not hesitate to give more to those grandchildren. It makes me want to fill their wallets completely full. God, seeing us emptying out ourselves before Him, is moved to fill us back up with His good things. Are you ready to turn your heart upside down today in worship and give it a good shake?

UPSIDE DOWN IN GOD'S PRESENCE

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