Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

The winds howling through the night suggested that the day should be spent sitting by the fire. But that was not to be. The farm auction scheduled weeks in advance dictated my destiny. I would be spending the upcoming hours in the frigid early March air. Since I do not like to be cold, I prepared with utmost care to face the weather. First, I pulled on Under Armor togs, followed by jeans and a sweatshirt. After wrapping a scarf around my neck and crowning my head with a knitted toboggan, I slid into Carhardt overalls topped with my bulky, hooded coat. Finally, I grabbed my work boots to complete my winter attire. But when I leaned over to put them on, I discovered I had a problem -  encased in all my warm clothing I could hardly move.

Don’t we all love to read about heroes? Every once in a while there is a story in the Reader’s Digest about a horrible disaster such as a bear attack or hiking accident in which a courageous bystander steps in and saves the day. I like to imagine a scenario where I am the heroine throwing caution to the wind and risking my life to help a soul in danger. But deep down I always wonder, “Would I be brave enough, or would I end up ashamed at my lack of courage?”

High School plays are the best!! I looove to watch all of our talented and hard-working students perform. This year was a special treat since Cinderella is one of my favorite stories. Who doesn’t cheer for the sweet and lovable, but mistreated, Ella to meet and marry the prince (Josiah Winey)? It seemed impossible for this “country bumpkin” to catch the eye of the heir to the throne, but as in all fairy tales it became a reality with the help of the magical, blue fairy godmother (Sarah Pitts).

These words sometimes haunt my soul. In times of sadness or overwhelming pressure the heavy weight of incompetence drags my emotions to great depths. Every move, every decision, every encounter is laced with feelings of failure. There seems to be no way out of this maze of insecurity. These false impressions plague everyone at one time or another. Times of physical and mental fatigue or very difficult circumstances can be the conduit for hopeless thoughts that tempt us to give up.

There are certain things that are always true. No matter how you look at them or try to explain them away, these facts will always be the same. But what if I told you that certain things that are true CAN be changed? Many of us do not like to look truth in the face. Deep inside we believe that by ignoring certain pieces of information we can make them go away or lessen the effect on our life. For example, when dealing with disease it is tempting to ignore telltale signs so we don’t have to accept a scary diagnosis. We trick our brains into believing everything is okay when in reality each day could be moving us towards disaster.

I have come to the conclusion that a person must let go of something good in order to gain what is better. This is very hard to do in a world that promotes the mindset that everyone should grab all they can get. But in God’s economy you must let go of what the world has to offer in order to receive what is the best. This takes faith!