“Emergency, Emergency”

By Jarrod Spencer –

“What are you going to be when you grow up?” If you ask my son this question, his answer will be “a fireman.” Over his short forty-seven month life, he has told us that he is going to be a Chinese-food worker, a Pizza Hut worker, and a few other occupations when he grows up. The latest, a fireman, has come after being introduced to the movie “Fireproof.”

Wanting to be a fireman has invoked a wide range of imaginative play. He takes the plug-in side of a cell phone charger to be the walkie-talkie that a fireman uses. He has used his bicycle helmet to be fireman’s helmet. He uses a small oatmeal container with a bungee cord through it as an oxygen container. It is rarely a dull moment when his imagination is in full swing and “Fireman Caleb” comes out to save the day.

Recently, I picked up a play fireman’s hat for him. The other night my son was going through his pre-bedtime ritual when I heard him exclaim, “Uh oh, Dad, your razor is in the toilet.” I ventured into the bathroom to find that one of the attachments to my mustache trimmer was located at the bottom of the toilet. My fourteen-month old daughter decided to exercise her new talent. As I reached into the water my son exclaims, “Emergency, emergency!” He had gone into his room to put on his newly acquired fireman’s hat. Now he came into the bathroom with only a t-shirt, underwear, and his toy fireman’s helmet. As I pulled the attachment out of the toilet, I couldn’t help but laugh.

As I thought about this situation, I think that God must have his moments where He watches us scurry around in our “emergency” situations and is thinking, “Relax, I have this all under control.” Do you go through situations like that? However, in the grand scheme of things they are pretty little? Maybe it is losing your keys, missing a turn, forgetting an assignment at home, or a host of other issues we face.

Does God become worked up over those types of examples? I seriously doubt it. So why do we?

Are you in the middle of an emergency? Remember that God has these things all under control.

PRAYER: Father, may I rest in You. May your Spirit prompt me to rely on You and not me in matters I deem as an emergency.

BIBLE VERSE: “’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV).

One-Eighty

By Robin J. Steinweg –

I sat at a table in the food court just after Christmas. Three teen girls squeezed in next to me. I found myself included in their conversation whether I chose to be or not.

“My grandma gave me ten measly dollars.”

“That’s better than what I got. At least you get to pick out something you want. I’m stuck with ugly mittens and a hat—that my grandma made.”

I pictured a gray-haired lady in a tattered shawl and fingerless gloves huddled close to her space heater. She ignores the searing pain in her knotted joints as she knits (having gone without lunch for months in order to afford the yarn), smiling wistfully and fondly praying over this granddaughter with every painful stitch.

Manna. In Exodus 16 God’s people were hungry. He sent heavenly food to them with the dew each night. It tasted “like wafers made with honey.” By Numbers 11, they were tired of manna. They whined about it. And then Moses complained about their complaining. God became “exceedingly angry” and sent quail until they were so sick of it, it came out their nostrils.

The third girl spoke up. “I’d be happy for even a hug from my grandma. She died a few months ago.”

The girls got quiet. They got the point.

Not only they: I looked at the brand-new coat I’d planned to replace that day, complaining it wasn’t quite my style. I thanked God for it, took the money I would have spent on a new one, and tucked it into the Salvation Army bucket. Grateful.

PRAYER: Lord, You’ve caused a one-eighty in my perspective and reminded me to be grateful. Thank You!

BIBLE VERSE: “O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:12b NIV).

“Before” Still Gives You A Choice

By Jarrod Spencer –

If you are like me, you’ve probably had many moments where you either knew or felt that you shouldn’t have said something, could have said something differently, or wonder if someone took it wrong what you said. These are not fun moments. They can aggravate you like a rock in your shoe. You think about it, worry about it, and want to fix the situation.

Though easier said than done, there are some ways we can prevent that feeling. It comes from a poem titled “Before You”, by William Arthur Ward…

Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.

Not all of these are situations where you make a mistake and have to go back to correct it. However, they are some simple, everyday, applicable phrases to help us through some situations in life. Some of them may impact you more than others. Some may make you really look within. Some might be what you wish someone else would keep in mind.

“Before” is a powerful word that says things are at the fork in the road. “After” is when you chose to take a path. “After” is no turning back; “before” is when the option of taking another route is possible.

Try to put the “Before You” tool in your pocket to pull out at the many opportune times that will come about in your lifetime.

PRAYER: Father, help me to listen, think, earn, investigate, wait, forgive, try, save, and give as I go through life.

BIBLE VERSE: “The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (I Kings 19:11-13 NIV).

Fan into Flame

By Carin LeRoy –

My teenage son is a huge fan of the reality program “Man vs. Wild,” which shows people are surviving in isolated places across the globe. They scale rock faces, cross icy rivers, sleep in trees and eat strange, wiggly creatures. On almost every episode, they must make a fire. They gather bits of dry tinder, rub two sticks together until smoke forms, then blow gently until a flame sparks. Gingerly, they add kindling until they have a blaze large enough to cook food or warm themselves. That effort makes me thankful I have an electric stove where I turn a knob to cook.

In reading through Paul’s admonishment to Timothy, we see how he was encouraged develop the gifts given to him by God. He says, “I want you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,” (2 Timothy 1: 6 NIV). I was reminded of the effort it takes to start a fire. It isn’t easy. They search for the right materials, rub sticks until their hands are sore and work hard to get that fire started. Soon they are rewarded with a blaze big enough to provide warmth.

We are each bestowed with gifts given to us by God in order to use them to minister to others. These abilities need developing; to be fanned into a flame. We start small and gain confidence. Soon we watch as God utilizes them in an even greater way. Just as it takes effort to start a fire, we must work to cultivate those areas where God has bestowed our spiritual gifting. Usually, these gifts are something that comes naturally to us, and we enjoy them!

Charles Spurgeon, the great British preacher from the nineteenth century, said that we should not only be using our gift, but we should also work to improve it. If you feel you are gifted in an area but lack the confidence to serve, then start small. Be diligent and soon you will see God using your gifts for an even greater impact.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for giving me a spiritual gift to use for others. Help me to be diligent in using, developing and improving that gift for an even greater impact for Your glory.

QUOTE: “And then, again, we must stir up our gift because it needs stirring. The gifts and graces of Christian men are like a coal fire which frequently require stirring as well as feeding with fuel…there must be stirring and fires go out sometimes for lack of it. There are times with us when we become dull and heavy, doing little or nothing–restless, indifferent. Then it is that we require rebuking. If there is a solid bottom of real grace in us, we only need the poker that we be stirred up and straightway the fire begins to burn.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Renovation – A Step of Faith

By Aubrey Spencer –

Before we moved from Illinois to Kansas a few years ago, we spent time fixing up our starter home for the purpose of selling it. We knew that in order to get the best result, renovation was inevitable. Our time frame was short and our project list was extremely long. In a matter of weeks, we painted the entire outside of our house and hung new shutters. We removed carpeting, tile, and a banister from our front porch. Then we sanded, grinded, and painted the concrete on both the porch and the adjoining flowerbeds. And if that wasn’t enough, we took on the job of all jobs – the bathroom! We needed to re-do that little bathroom for a long time, but once we began the renovation process, we realized why we had put if off for so long. What a nightmare! At one point (and I have pictures to remind myself of the craziness) the room was down to the studs in half the room and debris was everywhere. We made countless trips to the home improvement store – thirty miles away – to get more supplies. Water was turned off for days – which was problematic seeing as how that was our only bathroom. And our son Oliver, who was only a baby at that time, had to learn to nap through the mighty hum of the shop vac.

The renovation was crazy, but all for a purpose. We were moving on, stepping out of our boat towards a new opportunity for Him.

Sometimes, it seems that “stepping out in faith” is a lot like our remodeling. Messy. Confusing. Stressful. Hard work. Scary. But all the effort is worth it when the outcome is revealed. Peace. Joy. Excitement. Beauty. It may be downright frightening to let the Master Builder hammer away a new life/opportunity/outlook for you. But, I believe that He has a remarkable masterpiece waiting at the end of the renovation.

PRAYER: Lord, although the process is rarely easy, I thank You for continually renovating my heart and mind and life. You amaze me constantly with how You create such beauty and peace out of chaos and confusion. Help me to remember that the next time I find myself “under construction.”

BIBLE VERSE: “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).

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