Where’s it Hiding?

By Kim Stokely –

“Mom!” My son cried from the kitchen. “Where’s the parmesan cheese?”

“Top shelf of the refrigerator,” I yelled back from the basement. Where it always is, I thought.

“It’s not there.” His voice sounded mournful. Like someone had killed his dog.

I trudged upstairs to find him staring into the open fridge, dejected. At first glance, I didn’t see the missing jar of grated parmesan cheese either, but then, feeling like Gandalf, I moved a gallon of milk and it appeared. “Voila!” I exclaimed as I handed it to my son. “Don’t say I never gave you anything.”

I like when things that are missing are so easily found.

I’ve come to believe, however, that there’s a black hole in my house sucking in odd socks and lip balm. I don’t know where they get sent, perhaps some distant planet where alien beings only have one foot and dreadfully cold, dry air. It’s amazing how quickly those items disappear from my house. I’m thinking of calling NASA in to investigate.

Some things you misplace and you know they’ll turn up eventually on their own. Things like car keys and cell phones. I’m convinced they roam the house like cats only to reappear when it suits them or they need to be recharged.

Lately, however, I’ve been losing weird things. Like spaghetti squash.

I mean really, how does one lose a spaghetti squash? I remember buying it at the store, but for the life of me, I can’t find it in my car or in the house. Unfortunately, I’m sure in another week, the smell of rotting pulp will lead me to the missing gourd.

In Psalm 139, David tells us that there is never a time we are out of God’s sight. He doesn’t misplace us on some cosmic counter in heaven. We can’t be lost amid a pile of clutter. Even if we want to disappear, there is nowhere we can hide. “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:8 NIV). My husband, a former Navy submariner, took great comfort in knowing that even though he was on the bottom of the ocean, God could still see and protect him.

It’s a blessing to me as well, to know that I am never out of God’s sight. At least somebody knows where I am, because most days, I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to sniff around my house to try and find that missing squash.

Hangnails

By Cheri Cowell –

Hangnails have to be one of the most annoying things of life. They are an irritant that won’t easily go away. We usually get a hangnail when we are nowhere near a pair of clippers and an Emory board. So we end up just dealing with it the best we can by either trying to ignore it or putting a bandage over it. Neither option actually fixes the problem, which only gets worse until we repair the damaged nail. God knows all about hangnails and other irritants in life. In fact, He allows them, sometimes to help us know our human limitations. What do I mean?

Much speculation has taken shape over ‘Paul’s thorn’ mentioned in today’s scripture lesson and what that thorn could have been. I actually like the fact that it was not spelled out. In this way all of us can relate his suffering to our own thorns, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. How assuring it is that Paul, who was loved dearly by God for his great faith, asked God three times to remove his thorn and God said ‘no.’ Because of that we can be assured He loves us greatly even when He has to say ‘no’ to us.

PRAYER: Thank-You, God, for being with me in whatever difficult situation I am in today. I praise You for being my strength and ask that my weaknesses may be used to glorify You in spite of life’s little irritants.

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:7-9 ESV).

Will You Hear Them Now

By Jennifer Slattery –

When I first began writing, I’d ask my husband to read my work then offer feedback. Each time he did, if he said anything remotely corrective, I’d get upset and feel the need to argue with him. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before he quit offering feedback. That was when I realized I preferred the constructive criticism, as hard as it was to swallow, to the wall of silence.

In essence, I came to a point where I had to choose—did I want someone to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, or was I truly wanting to learn and grow?

Proverbs 9:7-9 says: “Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more” (NLT).

To become wise, to grow, I had to go from a mocker, one who spurns truth and correction, to the wise, one who soaks it up and listens, receiving criticism with an open heart.

This applies to all areas of life: parenting, at work, in our small groups or Bible studies.

And I suspect, to receive constructive criticism, to take it in and prayerfully consider it, requires a great deal of humility.

Pause for a moment to think of how you typically respond to criticism or correction. If you respond by getting defensive or upset, why do you think this is?

Do you tend to receive criticism better from some people than others? If so, why do you think this is?

What about your children? Do you allow them to openly share their concerns? Do you find this to be a hard balance between maintaining the parental role and creating an open environment for communication?

What changes in thinking need to take place in order for you to openly evaluate criticism received?

A New Season

By Judy Davis –

What new thing has God spoken into your heart this year? At the beginning of January as I reflected on setting goals I silently prayed, “What new devotion should I read this year?”

Within a minute I felt that still quiet voice of God speaking softly into my heart and spirit, “Write your own devotion, a 365 day devotional.” Did I hear correctly? That is a lot of writing!

However, I started writing the devotion the next morning. Since I have read the Bible through each year for many years, I felt it most important to write a Devotional for January through December using the whole Bible. This way the reader will also read the Scripture along with the daily devotion.

For over 20 years I have written devotions for various publishers. The way had already been prepared through attending writers conferences, going to college, even taking a class on writing nonfiction through Writer’s Digest.

I completed devotion number fifty this morning, writing one a day. My hope is to continue writing a page a day. But, if I can’t, I will continue working on this project until completion.

Is God speaking to you today? Are you listening? God never overlooks our obedience or disobedience. Peter Lord wrote in his book, Hearing God, “a person learns to hear” and that a hearing ear can be developed. What a challenge to learn to listen to God!

PRAYER: Father, thank you for a new thing you are doing in us today. May our hearts and ears be open to hear your voice. Then help us to act on what you would have us to do so others may know You.

“See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Isaiah 42:9).

Come

By Heather Allen –

She grips a fistful of buttons and his small collar. Her face reddens with irritation.

His eyes are dull, his face expressionless.

I hold my breath, ire rising, knuckles clenched. I begin pacing between the racks of clothing, hovering within fifteen feet.

She reeks hatred and lets loose an inch from his face, releasing him with a hard shove.

He trips backward. His face remains impassive.

Mine contorts for him. I’m not strong and she’s bulky. In the moment, it doesn’t matter. I’m ready to stand toe to toe with her. For his sake.

In Your soft, still way You remind me to seek You first, so I walk in circles to the beat of my anger. Trying to calm my shaking legs and queasy stomach. “Beloved, let us love one another.”

“Lord, how? How do I show this woman love?” And in my soul, I know she needs love, not shame. My feelings do not reflect this, but You dwell in me, You are love. I walk toward her.

She raises her hand defensively, palm out.

“I was watching your children play and your daughter tripped, your son did not hurt her,” I say quickly.

She scowls. “I don’t need parenting advice, so bye-bye.”

I want to contradict her, but instead I speak with a bit more authority. “I’m not here to give you advice, but rather a compliment on your child’s behavior. Your son is a great big brother.” My eyes shift down toward his little face. He is still on the floor. “He was kind and concerned when his sister fell, she slipped on a hanger. He merely tried to help her up.”

She stares at me with hard eyes. “He is not your concern.”

I lower my voice. “Actually he is. You both are.”

She stares at me incredulous.

Silence hangs between us. My words feel foreign as I stumble on. She knows it was wrong. God built that into each of us. I look her in the eyes, longing to water her soul.

The sadness is palpable as I turn and walk away. For her. For him. For what an unredeemed future holds. I think of a picture that hung on my Sunday school class’ wall. Jesus, arms extended with children piling on his lap. His words warning the disciples captured at the edge of the frame.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14 NIV).

In a world of generous wrath, there is a counterpart. A God of generous love.

Christ beckons “Come.” Lay down the anger, and shame. Break chains of habit. Fight the enemy that has taken you captive.

I quietly converse with the store manager and take short, pondered steps to my car.

I thought the perpetrator was the enemy. I was wrong. That woman is not the enemy, Satan is. I think he hopes we will be just angry, offended, and ashamed enough to think there is nothing more for us. No salvation possible, only despair and depravity ahead. I know that is not the case.

I have witnessed a grand resurrection from the dead in my own life. I am a redeemed sinner, charged to help others find their way home.

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