What Do You Really Mean By That?
May 31
“He really has ‘gone through the wringer!’” commented Scott Lockhart about his friend one evening at our weekly Hillside Home Group meeting. I quickly asked him if he knew what that phrase meant. He responded, “I think it refers to someone boxing, has been knocked down in the ring, the bell count is finished, and the boxer is declared a loser.” Gary and I started laughing our heads off (now, where did that thought come from – we need our heads on!). We knew it referred to the old wringer washing machine that our folks used to wash clothes with. Gary learned as a young child not to put his fingers near the rollers as his mother had warned him. How often does a person listening to our talk get the wrong meaning from what we are trying to convey? That is very hard to figure out because we cannot know what triggers a particular thought fleeting through someone else’s mind. I feel very sorry for immigrants trying to learn English.
The majority of residents in Milton have no meaning for the word “church.” Either they have not given any thought to that subject, or they don’t want anything to do with church due to a previous bad experience. They don’t know that church can be a very inspirational, educational, life-changing, friend-making place to belong to. Attracting their attention is a huge challenge for Hillside. We keep working on it and ask that you would continue to pray that we will see progress in the days and months ahead.
We are extremely excited. Our friend, Thomas, in Myanmar, meant what he said that he would bring about seven children into their newly built orphanage this past month. Gary conversed with him the other night on Facebook Messenger; he looked so happy, for he and his family have taken in eight orphans (two boys and six girls)! Their aunts or uncles, who cannot support them any longer, have given permission for this to happen, and the children are willing to try out this new home. With additional monies raised from our charity, school supplies, and uniforms have been purchased so they can attend the local school. Thomas is having a problem registering some of them because of the lack of birth certificates. I’m sure he will solve that difficulty since he is one resourceful man. Catch a picture of these innocent children at https://MyanmarOrphans.ca. Their lives will never be the same as they learn about God’s love for them in a loving, caring environment.
John 3: 1-21 in the New Testament of the Bible tells about an interesting, curious man called Nicodemus who didn’t get Jesus’ meaning about being born again.
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ ‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still, you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly, and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son…”
May God’s Spirit make us all more aware of what other people are thinking along with helping them to understand what we really mean through the words we say.
Continuing to serve God in whatever way we can,
Wendy