My sisters keeper

     We use the word "keeper" in a variety of ways.  We talk about a certain sized fish as a keeper.  There are hardware pieces that are keepers.  The police are keepers of the peace.    We have been claimed as keepers when we have accepted by Jesus.  You get the picture.  We live our lives being the one who decides what or who are keepers or not.  It seems that with age we are better able to be better at Christ living our through our lives and yet, we still want to hold onto that which we don't really have.  Jesus doesn't want us to be keepers.  He wants us to be givers in every sense of the word.  When we remain keepers we deny Jesus' blessings.  I have been a master of holding Jesus off while remaining that keeper.  There is no excuse for my doing this.  There is no excuse for you doing this either.
     My sister Charlotte is my best friend.  She has been there for me through every event in my life.  No one could ask for a more giving person that she.  She is a keeper AND a giver.  Through telling of her story one can only be blessed with all Christ has done in and through her.  For Charlotte, life is Jesus.  She is awesome!  Definitely a keeper in any sense of the word.  When I talk about Charlotte, I have the privilege of giving Christ through her to others.  The blessing is many fold as the Word is taken further and further down the layers of family, friends and even our enemies.  Charlotte has been through many difficulties and has been able to be strong in her witness of the goodness of God.  Keeping the goodness of Charlotte and the goodness of God is truly a great decision. 
     I'm a good deal addict.  Even when I don't need the item, if the price is right, I want it.  I want to keep the item for myself.  Sometimes I cannot have that which I desire for one reason or another.  The resulting sense of loss maybe isn't like you might think.  Many times I have kept the door open I order to obtain the desires of my heart.  I've just described a way in which I don't put God first in my life.  What does God want in my life?  He wants to be the center of my life and to be the everything in my life.  God sees me as a keeper.  That is wonderful news!  In spite of who I am and what I do, God still sees himself reflected in me.  I agree that this is possible but don't fully understand why God, knowing what he does, continues to love me in so many different ways.  One way is having Charlotte in my life.  I also feel that way with other siblings. 
     You may have heard the phrase: "He is his own worst enemy."  Couldn't be truer about me as well as others.  God doesn't want me to be an enemy of his, an enemy to myself or being an enemy to others in my life.  God wants me to give himself away to the enemy, to others and to myself.  Pretty simple.  God blesses us and we in turn bless others.  What could go wrong?  For me, this is a forgone conclusion.  I bring "wrong" with me pretty much everywhere I go.  I try to avoid passing wrong onto others.  Since we are all sinners, we all have "wrong" in us.  God wants to replace the wrong for His right.  The best way we can help him do this is to give away what God gives us.  We will NEVER be able to out give God.  It's only then that being someone's "keeper" is a positive blessing in their lives.  Today be both a keeper and a giver.  That's the only way life works.