You’ll Miss Your flight

By Peter Lundell –

“You’ll miss your flight,” the agent said. If she were comatose, she would have been just as helpful. Because of airlines buying other airlines, I was at the wrong terminal. I got mad at the airline, mad at the unhelpful personnel, mad that every shuttle was going to Car Rental, instead of the terminal where I needed to be.

So I selfishly asked God to delay the flight. A sympathetic driver took me to the other terminal, after a quick stop at Car Rental. I clenched my teeth through the Transportation Safety Administration lines, where of course they had only one screening line open.

The flight was delayed.

As I calmed down before boarding, the Holy Spirit prompted me. I had been tested. And I had failed the test. Still, God had been gracious to me by delaying the flight until I could arrive, but I had not lived up to my character as a follower of Jesus.

Then my connecting flight was canceled. “You’ll have to stay here overnight,” another not-so helpful agent said. I made up my mind not to fail this second test.

I smiled. “You can do better than that.” At Customer Service, another agent put me on standby for the next flight and said, “You still won’t get on. It’s a small regional jet, and we have too many people waiting. Come back afterwards.” So I selfishly asked God to let me on the flight. But this time calmly, with faith, and the added request that no one else suffer because of me.

One passenger had not shown up, but I was impossibly low—eleventh—on the standby list. I calmly waited. Even if I didn’t get on, it was okay because I was passing this character test, which had become more important to me than the flight.

Problems are temporary; character is lifelong. And little victories add up to big differences.

And as it turned out, I got on the plane, filling the one remaining spot created just for me.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are always with me. And my being with you is more important than anything I do or that happens to me. Lead me to always trust you put my character first.

BIBLE VERSE: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV).

Incredible Grace

By Cheri Cowell –

With the temperatures climbing like they have been lately, I was reminded of a group of people from an area church who decided to take bottles of ice-cold water to people who were working outside. They thought this simple gift of love and compassion might be a chance to witness and would also be something  “Jesus would do.” Two team members set out on a Saturday with four bottles of water to give away. They were very discouraged after several hours. No one was mowing their lawn, walking their dog, or washing their cars. It was too hot.

Just when they were about to give up they drove by a laundromat and saw two women who looked a little weary from the heat. When they gave them the bottled water they discovered the women were living with their families out of a van parked out back. The two water-bottle-missionaries were able to help this family find shelter and a meal in addition to giving them water. Not the opportunity they thought their day would provide, but it would be what Jesus would do. God desires us to extend grace to the weary.

In the book of Romans, Paul encountered a lot of people who thought they were safe and secure because of their lineage, their wealth, their position in life, their deeds of charity, or their allegiance to Paul. Paul wanted to make it very clear that although the Jews were the chosen people, it wasn’t their heritage that saved them. It was God’s grace. And His grace is given freely to those who deserve it and to those who don’t. If we are to do as Jesus would do, we need to look on the needs of others as an opportunity for us to share grace, especially when those who need it don’t really deserve it.

PRAYER: Thank You, God, for the opportunities You give to share Your grace and love with those around me. Help me broaden my view of those who are in need so that all Your children might come to know Your incredible grace.

BIBLE VERSE: “’I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:4-6 NIV).

A Tooth for a Tooth

By Lynn Rebuck –

Last week I had a wisdom tooth extracted. I am aware that there are many of you out there who have had four wisdom teeth removed at once, or two taken out together, and so you may scoff at my surrender of only a solitary tooth.  Let me explain the wisdom of this choice.

The oral surgeon wanted to take out both of my lower wisdom teeth.  In dental circles they are known as teeth numbers 17 and 32.  As I sat in the chair awaiting the procedure, he entered the room and in a rather cavalier way announced he wanted “number 17 and number 32.”  Apparently he thought that he was playing the lottery.  He had confused my mouth with the “Pick 6.”

I declined the dual extraction, and my final offer was for him to remove tooth number 17, which had recently broken.  Up until that time 17 was my lucky number.  Not anymore.  Tooth number 17 stubbornly refused to come out.  You know a medical procedure is not going well when they call in additional personnel to help (I was wondering how four people would all fit their hands in my mouth).  I think he started calling in people from the waiting room. “You, put the magazine down and get in here.”

At one point I heard him say (since I was fully awake and partially numb for the procedure), “Come in here.  Take this arm off,” which scared me since I thought he was referring to my arm.  I know dental work can cost an arm and a leg, but I thought they’d at least wait until the procedure was over.  Luckily he was referring to the arm of the chair. I think he put his foot up on it for leverage when he pulled.

What should have been a quick procedure turned into an extended tugfest. Worse yet, with a mouth full of hands and dental tools, I couldn’t express my opinion about what was going on.  And believe me, it was a strong opinion.

When he finally got the tooth out, I was relieved.  That was until he said he wasn’t sure if he got all of it.  An x-ray showed that he did.  After he was done, he announced his decision to not remove tooth number 32.  You know it was bad if a guy who removes teeth for a living doesn’t want to remove any more of yours.

After it was over, I was angry and I felt like he owed me something.  It was a barbaric procedure, second only to bikini waxing.  As I wrote out the check, I eyed the promotional pen I was holding.  “I’m taking this pen,” I silently decided.  “He took my tooth.  In fact, I want the whole container of pens,” I silently reasoned.  “I want every pen from the supply closet.  I want a fair exchange for what he took from me.”  Suddenly the “tooth for a tooth” scripture made a whole lot more sense to me.  According to Mosaic law, I think the oral surgeon owes me a tooth.  Number 17, to be exact.

Almost a week after the procedure I am left with a giant hole in my mouth where the tooth used to be.   It feels like it goes all the way down to my shoulder.  The hole is so deep that when I talk there’s an echo.  I’m thinking of turning it into a tourist attraction.  Who knows, maybe it’ll be one of the seven dental wonders of the world along with the Panama Root Canal, the Hoover Dental Dam and the Golden Gate Dental Bridge.

© 2011 Lynn Rebuck

Audience of One

By Elaine James –

I woke up this morning with a whisper from God.

“Read Proverbs 3.” Before I did so, I asked God to tell me what I personally need to understand from the word. I became an audience of one.

Whenever this happens, I get excited to see what God has for me to read and learn.

Read Proverbs 3 for yourself and ask like I did “What do you want me to learn?” Proverbs 3 has the famous verses 5-6, which begins “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” which is great to memorize. But today I was compelled to concentrate on the words “Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health; your very bones will vibrate with life!” (Proverbs 3:7-8 MSG)

Do I think I know it all when it comes to the knowledge of the Bible? Am I humble? Answering many Bible questions frequently and being deeply passionate about Christ is great, but I need to stay humble about that knowledge/wisdom.

I stopped, reflected and prayed a prayer of repentance that I would stay humble. So many times I find myself alone about moral subjects and I speak out and many don’t agree with me. I ask God “Am I coming on to strong?  Do I have too high of expectations for others?”

I could always use wisdom to know when to speak up and when to remain silent. I do want to stay humble.

I am reminded of another scripture “humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.”(James 4:12)

I sense a deep connection with God from reading Proverbs. I love to be reminded of God’s wisdom and passion to have us close by Him to learn. Why do I need to know it all? I mean, do I lack faith to just trust God? What about you? Do you need to know it all or can you let go and let God?

Being the audience of one allows you to discover such wonderful truths as in verse 8: “Your body will glow with health and your very bones will vibrate with life!”

I think I will make some popcorn and read some more.

PRAYER:  Lord forgive me for not always being humble. Help me to have Your peace-loving wisdom.

BIBLE VERSE: “Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health; your very bones will vibrate with life!” (Proverbs 3:7-8 MSG)

Finding Where We Don’t Belong

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Have you ever played the game of Sudoku?

It’s a logic puzzle that asks you to place the numbers 1 – 9 in each column and box without repeating any number.  It’s challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time.

The funny thing is that in order to find out where the numbers belong, you must first determine where they don’t.  Then, and only then, do you find the correct answers.

Sometimes I think God works with us like that as well.  We ask Him for guidance, but then it seems like we get a bunch of “no – that’s not it” answers.  But, my guess is that God understands that we are just human enough that it takes something like closing a few doors to nudge us out of our comfort zone; to force us to take a different step; to bring us out into the open, where the only choice we have is to depend on Him, and Him alone.

I can’t help but think that God is playing this game of Sudoku with us as He is creating our future. I jokingly told my boss the other day that I had given him a “two year notice,” because we believed we were getting transferred to another state (for my husband’s job with Ford) for the past two years.  For the first year, we thought we were headed to Louisville.  Then there were a few months of Chicago rumors, which even led us to take a trip up there to search for housing.  Then there was Kansas City, and now Dearborn, Michigan.

All of these locations have one thing in common.  They are far away from everyone and every thing we have known and loved for our entire lives.

So what does this mean for my family?

It means that as He is gently showing us where we don’t belong, He is also preparing us for whatever comes next.  And little by little, step by step, as one door after another is closing, God is slowly leading us out into the open, where we have no choice but to depend on Him, and Him alone.

And I’m okay with that.

I suspect that it will be challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time.

PRAYER: Lord, we want nothing apart from Your plan for our lives.  Please reveal that to us clearly, and put obstacles in our path if that path is not from You.  Show us where we belong, even if it means You must first show us where we do not.  We lay our future in your hands. Please give us the strength, and trust, to leave it there.

BIBLE VERSE: “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths” (Psalms 25:4 NIV).

« Previous Page — Next Page »