What 'spikenard' is yours?

Most Friday nights I drive about an hour away to a Chinese ministry where I teach the class for tween and teen girls. I took over the class over a year ago when the former teacher had to leave for school.  In all honesty, it's a challenge sometimes.  It's very far... my brain usually starts winding down at the end of the day at the end of the week and I'm not always as sharp mentally as I'd like while teaching... it takes, like everything, preparation... and it's on Friday night.  Now, really by no standards would I be considered a "partier"... as a matter of fact, my idea of a fun Friday evening is really just having a family movie night at home with a well planned meal.  But, sometimes, social things do come up, there is a young adult Bible study my sister and I used to enjoy attending from time to time... now, I usually turn invitations down (if I can't miss it, I get a sub for my little class).  My baby sister says this is worse social suicide than when I was training for a marathon.  She's right in a way.

For whatever reason, it has been challenging for me to give up my right to how I spend "my" Friday nights.

"Most every Friday night you're out with Chinese families and girls, it's no wonder you're still single," satan has tried to whisper.   "You're tired, you've had a long week, this is hard," my flesh whines.

But these young ladies are precious.  I mean, really precious.  They have the distinct privilage of not being inoculated to Christ by over-exposure to American-Christiandom.  Many of them have come to Christ directly through this Chinese ministry, and many of their parents still are not saved.  Many of them are the only Christians they know of in their school.  They bless me, every time I see them.  I love the way they pray in simple English and simple faith.  I love the way an 11 year old girl shares that God has been showing her that when she doesn't read her Bible in the morning the day is all wrong.  I love the way they drink in Jesus.  I love the way they go back to China to visit their relatives, and they carry Christ with them.  I love the way the adults are learning about the Gospel while I teach their daughters.  I love the whole ministry and the other volunteers.  I even love the way the Chinese concept of matching clothes is so radically different than mine.

Yet, I don't attend these Friday night meetings for myself.  (This is a very good thing.)  I don't attend these Friday night meetings for the girls even, although I love them dearly.  I attend these meetings for Jesus.

I recently heard that the oil of spikenard that was poured on Jesus' feet by Mary of Bethany (Jn. 12:1-3) was likely her dowry.  She poured her dowry, her chance of getting married, at Jesus' feet.  That puts a whole other perspective on the story, besides an expensive bottle of perfume, I think.

When I heard that, I stopped and pondered what I had to pour out at Jesus' feet... my Friday nights... were they a worthy offering to pour out at Jesus' feet?  Some might consider my 'social suicide' part of my reason for not being married yet (my relatives would, I'm sure; but I learned a long time ago not to worry about what they think, because they are not a part of my Audience of One that I want to please)... But the reality is that where I spend my Friday nights has little to do with God's timing, yet the crux of the issue has everything to do with pouring out something that costs me, at the feet of Jesus.

Making the effort on Friday nights to make the trek into Big City cost me something (ie: rest, spending time doing something relaxing or recreational, etc).  A very small something*, but still a small something.  But isn't Jesus worthy of my all?  Would it be better to spend my Friday nights pleasing myself?  No, Jesus is worthy.  And when I think of it in light of this fact, it is an absolute privilege to have something that costs me, to pour out at the feet of Jesus.

Driving down the long dark country roads to home, I feel His pleasure, and the presence of my Prince of Peace fills my car, and there is no ache to the aloneness.  But even when there is, even the loneliness is a gift to be poured out at His feet.

One day I might be called to hand off the class, or get a teaching partner to trade off with, but the heart of the issue is that I keep my heart pure from having a "right" to "my" schedule.

Everything has value when it's poured out at Jesus' feet.

(we sang this in church this morning, and I just loved it)

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.



*really nothing in comparison to what so many persecuted Christians give up, I am almost embarrassed to mention my little trivial battle within myself about this... I only do it to help remind all of us that we all have something, great or small, to offer.