WHAT CAN BE SHAKEN

Since starting this blog I have endeavored to be real. To present my life, myself, my joys, my shortcomings just as they are.

Hebrews 12:27 "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."

I truly love God's Word and I know without a shadow of a doubt that it speaks to us exactly where we are. The above verse had always spoken to me, and especially the last few months, as we've seen so many things in our political and national realm being turned upside down and shaken.

But this verse took on very personal and special meaning to me last Saturday.

Allow me to lay the background: Our Church, as I have shared with you, is in a 4 month period of raising money to pay off the loan on our ROC building with a matching $1 for $1 from a family in our Body up to $100,000. One of the fund raisers was an auction and we were asked to donate items to the auction.

At first Mickey & I could not think of anything we had of real value to put into the auction and then we decided to auction my piano. Now I have to tell you about my piano and how much it meant to me. I bought my Black Ebony Wurlitzer piano brand new in 1956 - I don't remember the $ amount I paid for it, but I do remember, quite well, I was making $1 an hour working as a typist for an Accountant. That was $173.22 a month salary and my payment on my new, beloved piano was $25 a month!!! Or another way to put it, 14.32% of my gross pay.

Please remember this was even 2 years prior to my marriage to Mickey in 1958. We have moved this piano 14 times (from NM to CO to OK to NM to OK) during these 51 years of our marriage. Not had it moved, my dear precious husband has moved that heavy piano all those times until this last and 15th move from our home to the church.

My piano pulled away from the wall and ready for the Church to come and pick it up.

Mickey & I take excellent care of anything and everything we own. It is one of the many frugal ways I was taught and trained by my parents. We were told by 2 men from our church who know piano's and their values well that with the age and condition of my piano it was probably worth $1500. Now we knew that at a Church auction, in our small town, that it probably would only bring about $500 but with the matching $'s that would be $1000 toward our Church debt that Mickey & I were happy to be able to made. At one point, prior to donating the piano I told Mickey, "I don't know about giving my piano. I'm having second thoughts." He said, "It's too late, I've already added it to the donation list." So that was that. Anything we give to the Lord should be a sacrifice.

The day of the auction and the crowd gathering.

My piano at the auction with other items.

Last Saturday, November 14th, was the auction.

My piano sold for $100!!!!!! I was near tears. Then I saw the man who had bid on it and he was from our church and I felt better about it. Then I found out he was bidding for someone else who wasn't even at the auction!!!

Back to Hebrews 12:27 "The removing of those things which can be shaken." I was shaken. Mickey & I were BOTH shaken and hurt to the core. We both hardly slept Saturday night and I kept breaking out in tears every time I thought about it. I also began thinking "Well, if I'd have known that was all it was going to bring I would have not put it in the auction" or "I would have rather just given it to.............". Even in Church several people came up to us telling us how sorry and upset they were when they heard, or saw, what had happened. Again, both Mickey & I were in tears.....in church!!!!!!

From the moment the piano was pronounced "Sold for $100" the Hebrews 12;27 verse came into my mind and heart and I began asking the Lord, "Why am I so shaken by this? I know Mickey's & my heart in donating it and that is what matters." etc.

The FLESH dies hard and "I" want so badly, and so much, to be in CONTROL. To have things turn our like "I" think they SHOULD!!!!! I began to realize that this was the issue......not what the piano had sold for, or who it went to......I wanted it to be like "I" thought it should be.

My constant prayer is that God will continue to do His work in me and you know HE GIVES US THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART.......even when it hurts HE is faithful to continue to transform us into HIS plans and purposes if we will but desire He does and be willing to let him.

Thank you Lord that you love me enough to continue to mold, and sometimes to use the chisel!!, to conform me into the plans and purposes YOU have for my life and not my own ideas, thoughts, and "shoulds" and "oughts".

The reason I KNOW that the work that The Lord wanted to accomplish in this event has been done in me is : I have been able to tell my story of this episode without one tear as I was typing it. It is with joy in my heart that I know God is still very much at work in my life and not willing to let anything stand that needs to be shaken.

Thank you LORD!!

I have just recently finished reading Matthew Hagee's first book, "Shaken But Not Shattered". Yes, I am happy to say, even though I was Shaken I am not Shattered!!!