May 14, 2024 – The Dollar Spot Devotions

Cheap Sun Glasses

“Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When theLord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.  So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”  But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:1-11

Cheap Sunglasses are the next item up for consideration in the bins at the Dollar Spot. Personally, I only buy cheap sunglasses because something always happens to my sunglasses. Either I lose them or they get stepped on, run over, scratched, bent, burnt, or somehow destroyed. One time I was out cutting the grass when my wife came out of the house with my expensive sunglasses melted onto a stovetop cover. So, if I buy cheap sunglasses, I can buy three pair – my regular pair, my backup pair, and my backup, backup pair. And still I have spent less money than what I would spend on expensive sunglasses. And they are a necessary item for funerals, outdoor weddings and the like.

Can you ever imagine sidling up to a bonfire in the middle of the desert?  Not me, unless it was at night. I imagine Moses could have used a pair of sunglasses when he came upon the burning bush in the desert. In my mind I see Moses in a pair of cheap sunglasses and he is the coolest cat in the desert. Yes, Moses averts his eyes once he hears the voice of G-d, but once G-d begins speaking to him, well G-d gets personal. “You are the guy I need Moses, to save my people from the Egyptians. So take off those ridiculous sunglasses and head straight to Egypt.”

Of course Moses would eventually go, but not without a fight. My friends, it is not cool to fight with G-d. Oh we can, but G-d is going to win. G-d will listen to our complaints, our worries, even our anger. And then G-d will tell us to go – and do – and speak – and forgive – and love. So, cheap sunglasses or not, get ready for G-d to light up your life and give you your direction.

Pastor Dave 

May 13, 2024 — The Dollar Spot Devotions

The Bubble Blower – Do Not Repeat Nine Times AFAYC…

“They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him.  He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.  Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”  And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.  Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.  They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:32-37

The bubble blower found in the Dollar Spot bin is shaped like a water pistol.  But instead of shooting water, it shoots out bubbles in rapid succession.  Any bubble blower is a great distraction for kids. Nothing says summer outside fun like bubbles. I have seen the bubble blowers used at wedding receptions, at outdoor picnics, and even just in the middle of the summer when kids need something to do. Bubbles are just fun.

Of course, there is nothing fun about having a speech impediment. When I was younger, I was impacted by a severe stutter. It was hard to read out loud; it was hard to say certain words; and the more worried or stressed I became, the worse it got. It was embarrassing to me, and kids often made fun of me or laughed when I couldn’t get a word out. Do you know someone who has a speech impediment? I do. And I am proud of how he manages his impediment – because it is not an “impediment” to his life. He struggles with his speech, yes, but he also perseveres in assisting in our worship life.  He reads lessons at our worship services, and participates with sermon discussions without hesitation. He is inspirational because we have come to see, not him as someone with a “disability”, we see him as a vibrant member of our worshipping community, because he is a loved child of G-d – which is the same way G-d sees him. We need to learn to see everyone not through the lenses that mark them as different, but through the same lens that G-d sees them – as beloved members of the community of faith.

Pastor Dave