The other day, I was in a waiting room, sitting next to a man who was dozing off. But, the interesting thing was, other than his deeper-than-normal breathing and his closed eyes, you’d never know it. Even as he slept, he sat straight as a board, feet flat on the floor, hands folded on his lap.
He didn’t snore.
His head didn’t droop.
He didn’t slouch.
He looked ready and alert, even in his dozing.
And it got me thinking…
That’s how God is.
Sometimes, He may seem “asleep” in our lives. We may pray for something and get no answer.
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My daughter has been working on a science fair for the last month. For her project, she decided to test which item biodegrades the fastest: apple core, banana peel, or a cucumber slice. She created three trials for her experiment, and set three plates outside, each with one apple core, one banana peel, and one cucumber slice on it. It’s all been very scientific.
And quite the adventure…
First, after a week of the plates sitting outside, we had some big winds here in California and all three plates ended up in the pool. Needless to say, my daughter had to start her project over.
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Have you ever put up a front and hidden your true feelings from others?
Have you ever acted a certain way, just to be liked or accepted?
I think it’s safe to say that, at some point, we’ve all done this. Whether it’s during our teen years due to peer pressure, or later in life, to try to fit into a group of friends or family, there’s probably a time we can all think of when we weren’t true to ourselves because we were trying to please others.
Sometimes, the desire to be liked or make others happy can be so powerful that just being ourselves doesn’t seem like enough.
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This week, as I sat down to write my devotion for today, I paused to look out the window and soak in the moment of quiet. My kids were back at school after a very fun (and very noisy) spring break, and I savored the moment of stillness and peace.
And–maybe because of the gorgeous day outside and the beautiful sound of the birds in my backyard, or maybe because I had such a fun week with my husband and kids over spring break–when I finally began to type, I was overwhelmed with gratefulness…
And as I wrote, I prayed…
Thank you, God, for this day filled with peace, because it’s made me appreciate the moments of quiet.
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Do you want to make an impact for God, but aren’t sure how to?
Do you look at others who are serving and wish you felt more qualified to make a difference too?
About ten years ago, I felt a nudging to get involved as a mentor to teen moms through Youth for Christ. At the time, I was a new mom myself. My daughter was only a few months old and my son wasn’t even born yet. As I considered becoming a mentor, I doubted whether I should. After all, who was I to help other moms when I was still learning myself?
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“The whole earth is at rest and quiet.” –Isaiah 14:7a (NRSV)
When I read that verse recently, I laughed to myself. Everyone else on the earth maybe, but not me.
Blame it on my genes. Or my personality. Or both. I just can’t sit still.
I know it’s good to rest and take time out. I know that. I really do. But, of all the areas I need to work on (and believe me, there are plenty) this is one I need to work on the most.
I’ve always envied people who can sit on the couch in the morning and watch Regis and Kelly without thinking about the grocery list or the dishwasher that needs to be emptied.
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The other day, I was looking through some old magazine articles I’ve written and I came across this poem I wrote for a teen devotional magazine a couple of years ago:
Lord, help me know
That I’m your design.
Unique, of your hands,
Of your heart
And your mind.
It’s easy to look in the mirror and see
That I am not perfect,
But I am me.
Sometimes I think I’m too short or too tall.
My stomach’s too big.
My chest is too small.
My skin is a mess.
My teeth are not straight.
I try to be God-like,
But just make mistakes.
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In today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to get tunnel-vision, focusing on our own feelings, our own “little worlds”.
Maybe your life is busy right now. Maybe you’re stressed. Or maybe something exciting is going on in and you’re really happy about it.
But what about the other people in your life?
How often do we pause to notice how others-whether it’s our friends, our family, or our neighbors—are feeling?
Is there someone you know who might be facing difficulties right now, but you haven’t had time to call and see how they are doing? Or is there someone in your life who is celebrating a success, but you just haven’t had a chance to congratulate them?
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