Unplanned But Part of God’s Plan

Bump into God in the Parking Lot

By Pam Kumpe –

Do you think God looks for us in the parking lot of life? Does he have to yell before we will respond?

My hubby’s parking lot incident sent my thoughts to wondering how I’d react if God came looking for me, or if I’d hear the Lord call my name.

One night, I had driven back to my hometown, knowing, I needed to stop at the store for groceries. I didn’t want to circle back to do this task, however my schnauzer was in the car, so I need hubby to pick her up from me.

After I begged, he offered his assistance, to make a puppy exchange in the parking lot, so I could go shopping.

I parked my car, turned on the dome light and opened my car window. Macy’s black nose twitched in the cold air as I kept watch for hubby’s red Tonka truck.

Zoom. Zoom. He rounded the parking lot, and I expected his truck to pull up behind my Honda, only he zipped right past me and turned down the other lane.

This routine of drive-bys continued five more times. Finally, I dialed his cell phone, tracking the moving target. I didn’t wait for his hello. “What are you doing?”

Of course, in my retelling of this story, my voice is much calmer and sweeter. It’s always nicer on paper.

Hubby responded with, “I can’t find you. I’ve been driving around. I’m parking my truck and since you see me, you bring Macy to my truck.”

I grabbed my puppy and walked to his truck. Handing my barking pet to hubby through the window, she licked, whined and loved on her human daddy giving him doggy smacks.

Their reunion was interrupted with my yelling words.

“Ray. Ray. Ray. R … A … Y!” I bounced up and down like a pogo stick at his window, and with each roll of the tires, I screamed his name.

When his truck crashed into the car parked in front of his, Ray realized his foot had slipped from the brake pedal.

Crash. Boom. Bang. Dents. Scrapes. Embarrassment.

I learned from this situation, to never ask my hubby to make a doggy exchange, and to never stand outside of his truck while he has a dog licking his face.

However, when it comes to God, I must be ready at all times, so I can make the best exchange of all. The Lord wants me to put on the brakes and roll ahead with victory, as he directs my steps.

Scripture tells me, that whoever listens to God will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil. (See Proverbs 1:33.)

In other words, a life listening to God has less bumps, and fender bender moments, however if we need to make a love-exchange with the Lord, he’ll meet us anywhere, even in a parking lot.

He will drive up and down the lane as he searches for us, ready to deliver his message of everlasting love, the hope we all need when life crashes in, or in the case of my hubby rolls ahead and into other folks.

Pam Kumpe writes a weekly inspirational newspaper column for the Bowie County Life/ Texarkana Gazette newspaper. She is the host of “Permission to Have Fun” an online radio show filled with fun, faith and encouragement, with the idea of rejoicing in the Lord, even when life seems out of tune. http://www.pamkumpe.com

You Put Your Whole Self In…

By Robin J. Steinweg –

“Is this your youngest? He’s so tall! When did he mature so much?”

Startled, I looked at my son through my friend’s eyes. He had grown tall. How had I missed this latest spurt? How long was I not really paying attention? Once I’d had every eyelash, every mole, each dimpled finger memorized; his hairline mapped out; the pitch of his voice was the refrain that wound through my mind like an 8-track loop.

What things had I put my whole self into instead? A novel or a project can capture my focus, so my attention and energy converge to one point. The external world fades. I even forget meals. Most often it’s the pressure of my To-Do list.

Now properly jolted, I reacquainted myself with the features of this young man of mine. I contemplated his choice of words—the things that make him laugh or concern him—listened with care. I saw and jumped on the opportunity to ride with him in the car once a week to his choir and art classes. This had been my free morning; now it was the morning I was free to spend my most precious commodity on him.

Time.

Two captured hours with my son in the car one morning a week until the end of the semester. I’ve been told that I’ve made a sacrifice. Hmm—balance this one on the scales: my son on one hand, a few hours of my time on the other. In terms of sacrifice, I feel as though God has provided the lamb. He has gifted me with an opportunity to “put my whole self in,” as the song goes. My full focus and attention can converge to this one point. The external world can fade. My To-Do list can wait, my son’s maturing won’t.

Seconds expire the same instant they spring up. I’ll put my whole self into these!

QUOTE: “You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by.” –James Matthew Barrie

“For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

Who Encourages You?

By Don Otis –

One of the primary reasons people aren’t consistent with their fitness regimen is lack of encouragement. Of course encouragement and motivation go hand in hand. What do you need to stay focused and consistent?

As Christians, we have our heroes of the faith. These are men and women who stood tough in the face of impossible odds, grave risk, or uncertainty. The walk of faith is characterized by the unknown. When you think of people who are fit, who comes to mind? If you are like most, you admire people who look good, are active or in shape. Some of us are blessed with good genes or the ability to eat almost anything we want without putting on the pounds. But the rest of us have to work at it, remain diligent, disciplined, committed.

If you have read this column in the past you know I preach the importance of consistency, intensity, duration, and mode–choosing activities that you like that are going to help you improve. Most of us also benefit from having encouragement from a spouse, friend, or fitness coach. These people keep us accountable, give focus, and offer a pat on the back when we need it most. Who plays this role in your life?

Unfortunately, some spouses discourage their mates from spending too much time exercising. Others complain that their spouse is lazy or overweight. These disparaging or discouraging comments do not motivate us to improve our lives. People change their lives when they decide to do so, but the effort to stay changed is pivotal to reaching our goals.

There is a saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” The same is true for fitness; you need to know where you are going. When you know what you want to be and where you are heading, you eventually find ongoing success. Once you have determined your goals, find someone to hold you accountable for achieving these goals. While most of us have little trouble achieving short-term success, our real problem is sustainability.

Today, before you forget, write down your goals. Then write down how much time you are willing to commit to achieving these goals. Nothing worthwhile happens by accident; it takes intention. Next, be sure to tell someone about your plan and then paste it on your refrigerator or next to your nightstand. Be sure the person you tell is someone who will be supportive.

What I have discovered about encouragement is that it happens in the beginning and it happens once people see the results. It’s the in-between part that is tough!

Here are some things to do to encourage yourself and stay focused:

1. Write it down (what are your goals?).
2. Track your progress (keep a journal).
3. Tell someone and ask them to check in with you occasionally.
4. Keep a mental diary of how you feel about yourself.
5. Be patient with yourself and others.
6. Ask God to help you to successfully reach your goals.

Remind yourself of this: God wants you to be healthy and whole. And He wants you to encourage others to be healthy. It is His will for you. If being healthy is part of God’s plan for you, don’t you think He wants you to be a success? Of course He does! And He will give you strength to succeed… if you do your part.

Don S. Otis (don@veritasincorporated.com) is a certified personal trainer, runner, climber, and author of five books. He runs Veritas Communications, a publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado.

Having Loved His Own

By Kathi Woodall –

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love” (John 13:1 NIV).

Many, if not all, of us can look back at an event in our lives and realize it was the last time we did something significant. We might say things like, “That was the last Christmas I spent with my dad.” Or, “I didn’t know that would be the last time I would see my hometown.” Often those comments are accompanied by wishes of things we could still say to that person or do in that place. That’s not the case for our All-knowing Savior in this passage. Chapter thirteen of John begins a long discourse Jesus gave during His last Passover meal on earth, or during what Christians call the Last Supper. Jesus knew everything was about to change. Within hours He would be hanging on a cross and He had some important words to speak before it happened.

Jesus knew that His time had come. Throughout the book of John, Scripture tells us Jesus’ time had not yet come.  However, now the time had come. What was it time for? Jesus had come to this hour to be lifted up on a cross, to die because of our sins, and by so doing, to be glorified (John 12:23-27). This process would also lead to Him leaving the world and returning to the Father, a key theme throughout the last minute instructions He gave His disciples at the Passover dinner.

The second half of John 13:1 says, “Having loved His own.” The phrase “His own” pertains “to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self” as opposed to another, and, in this usage, it means one’s household, family, or company. (See Acts 4:23, Acts 24:23, and 1 Timothy 5:8 where it is translated his people, friends and relatives, respectively.) This phrase also has the idea of privacy or being set apart.[i] In just those four little words, “Having loved His own,” we see that we are His, we are part of His family, we are set apart, and He loves us.

The problem of our story comes in the next phrase. We, His Beloved, are in the world. Jesus was leaving the world to go to the Father but we were staying here. Because of that great love, He couldn’t just leave that situation alone. He had to fix it. He had to make a way so we would not stay separated from Him forever but could have the hope of being reunited with Him again someday. He fixed this problem by dying on the cross, enabling us to join Him with the Father in Heaven and thereby experience “the full extent of His love.”

I’m not all-knowing like our Savior. In our tumultuous and changing world, I don’t know when my last meal will be with my loved ones. However, I can be at peace knowing that because Jesus loved all of us so much and because He made a way, we can all join Him someday with the Father. My prayer for each one of you this Easter season is that you also will experience the full extent of His love.

Kathi Woodall’s desire is to love and serve God. She primarily does this through writing and teaching the truth of His Word including her first published Bible study, “Seven Roles, One Woman: You Expect Me To Do All That?” Beyond that, she loves and supports her husband, Jimmy, takes care of their home, homeschools their four daughters, and serves in her church.  To learn more about Kathi Woodall, please visit www.growbarefoot.com.

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