Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Regularly I am reminded of times past as I prepare for upcoming antique auctions. This week one of our featured items is a checklist reminder. This old time memorandum is painted on a wooden board and uses pins to mark the pantry items which were running low. While taking photographs for our website I came across this gem and was surprised to see how few items were represented on the list - twenty-seven to be exact. Times sure have changed! Life was simpler way back when and people were satisfied with much less than we are today. Grocery stores are now supersized and things once considered conveniences are now necessities. This trouble follows us into almost every area of life. We never seem to have enough, and more is always better. Satisfaction and thankfulness are things of the past.

Shhhh! Just be quiet! These are words you have heard me say over and over again. Children tend to be noisy. (Wouldn't you agree?:-)) Many times over the years I have needed to reign in an escalating conversation and call for peace and quiet. Silence is often needed to be able to think straight. While this is something that most parents need to do from time to time, did you know that we must also use this same tactic on ourselves? In this day and age we don’t like silence. We have learned to think with our eyes and our ears instead of our brain. We hardly go anywhere without a device secured to our person. It is the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we check at night. We watch the news and read other people’s views on it. We bombard our minds with movies portraying what we think life should be like. We play music to pump us up or calm us down. We surf the web for answers to our questions about anything and everything. This stimulation is a constant companion and shapes our understanding of the world. Why think for ourselves when there is someone else to do it for us?

Most people hate the word “No.” When we have a request and ask someone to fulfill it, we hope the answer will be “Yes.” Being denied is a great disappointment and not very fun. But sometimes there are good reasons for the rejection. Sometimes the “No” leads to something even better than we had hoped for. As a teenager I loved being at camp. When I was thirteen I started on staff at a small Christian camp in Pennsylvania. For six years I spent my summers there before applying to larger conference center in Speculator, NY. Camp of the Woods has always been known for its amazing musical talent. The accomplished music staff prepares for weekly concerts that rival any of the best shows you can find. Being from a musical family I thought that was where I would best fit. But God had other plans. He said, “No” to that desire and instead placed me in the education program teaching the Bible to fourth through sixth graders while their parents were in chapel.

Every time Dad and I go to the local gym they are there - the tall, thin man in the warmup suit and the tiny, muscular woman in leggings and sports shirt. Every time, this pair is doing the same thing - he studies a stopwatch while she runs short sprints. He teaches, corrects, and keeps time. She listens and follows his directions. Every time we watch the procedures we experience success in the making - a seasoned coach guiding a willing athlete. Behind every successful winner there is usually hidden a faithful advocate of victory. Teachers who inspire, coaches who challenge, and family members who support all have a place in helping the achiever to win. We all need them. Today many even hire life coaches to guide them in making life goals and developing a plan to reach them.

Following people today is all the rage! Constantly we are bombarded with requests from friends and businesses to “follow me” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. The more followers a person has the higher their status, business reach, or message platform becomes. But what is the purpose and benefit in following all these entities? Often we follow friends and loved ones to keep informed about their lives. Large events such as engagements, births, and deaths are now routinely announced on social media. If you are not a follower, you may miss out on important information. Sometimes we follow businesses so we can keep apprised of upcoming sales and receive coupons for future purchases. Numerous blogs share pertinent information about work or hobbies for which we desire to gather information. Church, school, extracurricular organizations – you name it – everybody invites you to follow them so you can stay informed.

A mother sits by the bed of her terminal child longing to ease the pain and suffering. She would do anything to suspend the death sentence for this little one she cherishes so deeply. Yet all she can do is sit by and wait. She is helpless to turn the tide. A once strong warrior who has been able to accomplish much in the past, now finds himself enduring terrible pain that confines him to a wheelchair. He helplessly waits for assistance to accomplish the most menial of tasks. When will this pain and frustration end? Changed circumstances, deteriorating health, difficult life stages, large time commitments, lack of opportunity – all of these can prevent us from doing what we want to do. We are left to wonder about our changed roles and what will come next.