I was reading a book a friend of mine wrote today and one of his statements jumped off the page at me. “Gaining through losing isn’t fun.” It was one of those statements I had to dwell on a few moments and allow it to roll around in my head for a little while. In his circumstance, my friend was referring to a sickness that cost him a great deal of his brain function, and what he had gained as a result of that loss.
As I pondered his words, I considered David and Goliath and the slingshot David used to kill Goliath.
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Psalm 39:5-6
“…Each man’s life is but a breath.
Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro;
He bustles about, but only in vain…”
Boy was I reminded of that verse this week. Last Wednesday, when I was out watering flowers in our front yard, I slipped on the wet concrete and fell.
And broke my arm.
It was the first broken bone I’ve ever had. And, aside from the pain and the inconvenience of it, the experience was a good reminder of how fast things can happen in life.
And how quickly things can change.
Just a couple of hours earlier, I had been at the park talking to friends, waiting for my kids to get out of school.
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Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (NIV)
Often when I am traveling through the dark streets at night to return to my home in the country, I am struck by the overwhelming darkness around me. Far away from the city, there are few street lights, and the light from my headlights often seems small and insignificant in the deep darkness.
But, as I drive that light goes before me, lighting only the road immediately in front of me. The light shines just on the part of the road I need to see right now.
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“Watch your fingers,” I warned my 3 year old just before I closed the back of the minivan. He pulled them away from where they were resting above the taillight.
I gave the hatch a shove and quick as a flash, he stuck his hand right back in! Of course I couldn’t catch the door before it mashed his fingers, and then I was torn between wanting to scoop him up as he screamed and needing to find the door release to free his poor squished digits.
Thankfully, he’d chosen the space on the car with the biggest clearance and a good bit of weatherstripping that cushioned the blow.
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He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him… Psalm 103:10-11 NIV
At the counter we stood waiting, peering through the glass while selecting just the right treasure. Both of my children wore frowns. Faith had 12 tickets, and she needed 15 for the Laffy Taffy her heart desired. Colin had his eye set on an Atomic Fireball and was 2 tickets shy. My husband tried unsuccessfully to talk Faith into giving Colin 2 tickets and choosing something for 10 instead.
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Note from Shera: Hello wonderful readers! Today I’d love for you all to welcome a brand new contributor…Wendy Miller from All In A Day’s Thought! She will be encouraging you every other Friday, learn all about Wendy here. Now, on to her first Devotional….
For the past two days I’ve been highly distracted by a bird banging into a nearby window. I watch as it throws itself up against the window, beak, then rust-colored belly, then frustrated, it backs away fluttering its wings only to repeat this pattern again and again.
The obvious reason I can’t stop thinking of this bird is because of the noise it keeps making.
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They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the created thrings rather than the Creator which is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25
When my oldest son was seven he said to me “Mommy, sometimes it’s hard to love Jesus more than you.” He also told me his teacher said some kids love God but they don’t love him with all their heart. He didn’t know if he loved God with all his heart.
Over the years my other children have said similar things to me, and I understood completely what they meant. It’s easier to love and desire the things that are here and visible.
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Busy. Irritated. Frustrated. That’s how I feel. This month has been screaming by. So much going on, so little time. I feel like I’m on one of those nauseating carnival rides. And not the one you love to ride over and over again. The ride I’m on makes you sick to your stomach. The one you swear you’ll never ride again.
I desire for my children to have a wonderful life. I really do. What parent doesn’t want that for their little ones? From playdates with friends, to birthday party invites and the demands of school and home. Yes, all are very good things.
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