Rainy Day Prayer

By Anne C. Johnson –

Rain poured down like water gushing over Niagara Falls. A shiver ran down my spine as I glanced at the truck’s digital thermometer, 38 degrees. One last stop and we would be done with our chore list. Oh, why did I have to procrastinate and leave the dreaded weekly grocery shopping ‘till last? If only I had done the shopping first, then I wouldn’t have to get out of the car at all, just drive through at the bank, pharmacy and library. Now I had to hustle two small children and myself into the store in a freezing deluge. Great.

I glanced in the back seat, the kids were quietly examining their new library books. The umbrellas that often clutter up the floor of the car were AWOL. Figures, why do I have to be so neat and tidy and put things away in their proper place?

Frustration mounted in my heart. As I drove up and down the parking lot aisles I allowed a loud sigh to escape.

“Well, I guess we could shop later,” I grumbled.

“Why, Mommy?” my daughter asked. “All you have to do is pray for a spot.”

I snickered, “Yeah, for a spot close to the front door, right?”

“Amen,” my two children said in unison.

As I came to the head of the aisle, a car backed out of the first stall right in front of me. I pulled in, dumfounded. From the back seat my children said, “Thank-you, Jesus.”

“See, Mommy, God does listen to and answer our prayers,” my son offered.

“I guess Jesus doesn’t want us to get soaked,” said my daughter.

“Neither do I,” I laughed. “And children, thanks for reminding me to pray, even for the silly things.”

When I became a mom I knew I would do a lot of teaching, but today was my turn to be taught. God showed me through my children, how much He cares about even the little things in life. That night as we snuggled on my son’s bed to say our prayers, we thanked God again for the great parking space.

Funny when a parking space can bring to life that verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 “Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT).

Glue

By Elaine James –

“Faith, get on your mat!” I yelled at the dog.

She ran to her mat, sat down and looked at me with those puppy eyes as if she was saying,  “Look, I’m in my safe zone. You can’t touch me now.”

Did you play “it” or “tag” as a kid? To play the game, someone had to be “it” and the one important thing you needed to know was the location of “glue” which is your safe zone. Glue was the spot you touched or hung onto so you couldn’t get tagged by “it.” You’re out if you get tagged. You win if you don’t get tagged.

That is what I thought of in that moment when I stared at the dog. She was in her safe zone.
I have played the game as a child. The game is different as an adult. My mind is the playground where instead of getting tagged by kids, I get tagged by the evil one. He catches me and I am out; it feels like I am inundated with all sorts of negative thoughts. As a child after I got tagged I was out. I liken being “out” to not feeling secure in life. When I’m insecure others’ comments, betrayals, stubbornness, impatience, bad moods…make me feel out! The Holy Spirit reminds me to go to the B.I.B.L.E, which can be an acronym for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” I run to God, I get glued, and then I am in a safe zone where I cannot get tagged.

When I awake at night and my mind is racing I focus on Him because He alone calms my racing thoughts. My approach is to acknowledge God by practicing the presence of Him. I do this by singing a hymn, praising, thanking, and praying to Him. I know the power of praying scripture and I find that this is the perfect time to pray for others too.

“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:11 NIV). At one point in my life I focused on this verse and asked myself if God is my fortress, what would it be like to be in God’s fortress? I let my mind wander further. What would it look like, who would be allowed in? I feel physically safe and that can be attributed to the Lord. This verse was my safe zone and I was stuck to God.

With all that said, I look at my darling dog with my puppy eyes and bark back “I’m glued to Jesus. He’s my free zone and you can’t bother me.”

Warning: The devil’s version of “it” still exists. Don’t be caught in the game. Stay glued in your safe zone, a place you can stick to Him!

Prayer: Lord Almighty help me to remember You are with me; You are my fortress. I want to stay glued to You and be in Your safe zone. Teach me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Can I Help You?

By Richard Gammill –

It’s the afternoon of Good Friday and Noah and I are stuck in heavy traffic on I-35. I want to finish my errands so I can get to the early evening services. It’s looking more and more like I won’t make it.

I love these times in my pickup with six-year-old Noah. We talk about many things. I try not to waste these teaching opportunities. I ask, “Noah, do you know what is special about this weekend?”

“It’s going to be Easter, Grandpa,” he answers.

“Why do we celebrate Easter, Noah? What is it about?”

“Well, it’s about when a bad man got money for showing where Jesus was.”

“What was that man’s name?”

“I don’t know, but he did a very bad thing.”

“What happened then, Noah?”

“Well, they took Jesus and they put him on a cross and they pounded big nails in his hands and his feet.”

“What happened then?”

“He died, Grandpa. But then he came back!”

“Why did he suffer and die like that, Noah?”

“It’s because he loves us so much.”

“Now what does he want us to do?”

“He loves us very much. Now he wants us to love him.”

“And how do we show that we love Jesus?”

“We show it by loving people and helping people. Like when someone falls down, we don’t say, ‘What happened to you?’ We ask ‘Can I help you?’”

Our conversation moved to other things, and, as I feared, the slow-moving traffic prevented me from making it to the Good Friday service. But Noah took advantage of a teachable moment to remind me the meaning of Good Friday anyway.

The Rains Came Down

By Charlotte Riegel –

A song I learned as a child about rain coming down and floods coming up came boldly to mind in recent weeks as the skies opened and the rains came down and down and down and down… Thousands of people in Calgary fought for several days to survive the deluge. Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated, some on short notice. Many homes were lost and much private property was destroyed.

A meteorological event that typically would drop some moisture and move along was stalled and rivers rose rapidly. People did their best to move items from basements and areas that might be affected before escaping to shelters in community centers, churches, or the homes of friends or family. It became a bizarre, historic event without precedent in our area, catching everyone by surprise.

As the rains kept falling, I thought about ‘in the days of Noah’. I pondered how the people in that time might have reacted, even as the people here were. First disbelief, then panic, and anger, especially anger towards authorities. Most of the people were cooperative but some rebelled and refused to leave their homes. When the rain finally did stop, these folks who defied authorities had no water, no power, spoiled food and no way to get food. They were also without sewer except in the sewage that backed up into their homes causing desperately dangerous situations for them and emergency personnel sent to rescue them.

Hearing and reading many horror stories made comparison to the ‘days of Noah’ an easy mental journey. I was also reminded that ‘in the days of Noah’ the rain did not stop for a very long time and all the people and their belongings, except Noah and his family, perished. There were a few deaths in this flood but God spared major loss of life. He did allow major devastation, and I wonder how long people will continue to defy His authority, accrediting ‘climate change’ to all the unusual phenomenon the world has been experiencing in recent years. Climate change, yes, but God controls the climate, not man. Do we contribute to it? Perhaps.

May we be diligent about getting our lives in tune with God’s ways and faithful to echo the words of Habakuk, who after describing much destruction and devastation says:
“yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakuk 3:18 NIV).

Relative Thinking

By Dawn Wilson –

No matter how bad our economy gets, I’m still wealthy at my local dollar store. I can buy everything I need: food and spices, dishes, personal and home care items, cleaners, school supplies, greeting cards, socks and underwear, toys and even holiday decorations. OK, maybe I need a few more things—I can’t live without coconut milk. Or my organic almond shampoo. Or a little bling. The truth is, I’m wealthy compared to most people in the world.

This is called “relative thinking.” It’s considering one thing in relation or proportion to something else. We are experts at relative thinking when it comes to our income.

A brain scan study by Professor Christian Elger and Professor Armin Falk at the University of Bonn in 2007 showed that no matter a person’s wealth, money is “most rewarding” when the person has poor friends, peers or colleagues. In other words, the region of the brain where the “reward system” is located responded when people felt they had more than others. This “keeping up with the Joneses” (and passing them) in order to stay happy and content traps us on a “hedonic treadmill,” one sociologist says. We become the ultimate consumers.

You’ve no doubt heard “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Most of the hungry, needy people in the world would love to sift through our trash or what we ditch in garage sales. Wealth is relative because of our attitudes.

We’re also experts at relative thinking in regard to our time. Think about it. Five minutes of a preschooler’s tantrum feels like infinity compared to the 10 minutes of peace that follows in “time out”. When we’re children, we can’t wait to be driving, married or in a career. Then, when we’re hobbling on a cane, we wish we could run with our grandkids. Watch the clock’s minute hand crawl by as you wait in a doctor’s office. But go to an amusement park and you’ll wonder where the hours flew. Time is relative because of our attitudes toward it. And so is our appearance. Fat is beautiful in Africa, but in Europe, trim is in.

Unfortunately for many people, spiritual life is also relative. Some chat with a giant in the faith and come away feeling like spiritual wimps. Others swell up with theological arrogance around those who are “new in the faith” and spiritually ignorant. Again, comparison at work.

My personal prescription to cure “relative thinking” is embracing God’s wisdom. It’s His perspective I want, not my own faulty, relative thinking. God says we are unwise to compare (2 Corinthians 10:12). He is more concerned about our hearts than our bank account or new wardrobe. God looks at our choices to see if we are focused on eternity.

Proverbs 4:7 counsels, “wisdom is the principal thing” (NKJV). Wisdom is learning to see life from God’s point of view, and that “life” includes our attitudes, finances, marriage, parenting, spiritual growth—everything!

The next time you pass a dollar store, remember how wealthy you are. Glance at your watch and ask God to help you redeem the time. Look in a mirror and remind yourself that God sees the heart. But most of all, thank God for transforming your thoughts and giving you wisdom’s perspective.

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