Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

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!

There are certain things that are impossible to do if you follow the wrong guide. Many years ago I wanted to learn to sew. I bought a pattern, material, and thread and set out to create a real work of art. I fastened the thin paper pattern onto the material, cut around the outline, and pinned the fabric pieces in place. The machine whirred as I stitched along the edges to hold it all together. I was very pleased with my effort . . . until I tried the garment on. Things were all out of whack and the seams didn’t lay right. I wondered what had gone wrong.

This was the saying on my childhood bedroom wall poster featuring a hen talking to a hatching chick. The words were a comforting reminder to a gangly teenager suffering the physical effects of changing from a child into an adult – my inner beauty was most important. The poster was talking about the essence of who a person is – his or her personality, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. These are the qualities that define a person’s life, not the outward flaws that many teenagers experience. But for a Christian there is an even greater meaning to these words.