Though Waters May Rise...

Picture this...you've just finished a long day at work.  You've held your tongue when you've wanted to unleash the wrath usually used on your kids when they set something on fire.  You've plodded into your home only to hear, "I'm hungry.  What's for snack?"  After throwing bananas and Little Debbie snack cakes to the hungry masses, you throw together a dinner that would never make a Food Network show, but at least it's food.  Right?  When you finally have a chance to sit down, you hear the dreaded words.
"Mom, I have homework, and I need help."  This scenario happened to me the other day.  I spent hours helping my daughter navigate a web program that provides algebra assistance.  She was able to retake quizzes if she didn't like her score.  She missed a couple of questions each time and wanted to do better, so we worked for several hours.  I think I might have even mentioned something about putting a flaming bag of doggy doo marked with a variable x on the Algebra teacher's front porch when I was at a complete state of emotional exhaustion.  Hey, I'm human, too!  At the end of her homework, my other daughter walks in and says, "Mom, she didn't have to redo the problems.  The teacher will take a 75 and above and count it as a 100%.  Now, she tells me.  I felt the jab of annoyance that we worked so hard for her 100% while someone else only partially worked to get the same grade.  Then today, as I was teaching the youth class at church, a scripture came up that made me think of this algebra dilemma.  

1 Corinthians 3:12-15.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 
     We started to discuss how unfair the world seems sometimes.  Those who work hard are often forgotten while those that squander their time somehow come out on top.  The algebra quiz came up.  Our conversation moved toward a hot topic right now on Facebook.  Some pastors have been attacked for not responding quickly to the floods in Houston.  As we looked at the Scriptures, we came to a conclusion, instead of focusing on what one person is doing, or what someone else is not doing, why don't we let God judge the hearts and actions of men?  When tragedy strikes, we don't need people looking at the negative.  There's plenty of that in the world as it is.  We need men and women of God to rise up and do something.  Each person is held responsible for their actions and words.  Instead of wasting our breath on pointing out failures of others, let's use our breath to petition Heaven for those who've lost their homes.  Let's use our Facebook presence to get supplies, prayers, and volunteers for those in need and let God look into the hearts and motives of men!  Have a great week all of you high-heeled warriors out there!