THANKS GIVING

 She struggled out of bed and hobbled to the couch. Today she felt old and tired.

She was old and tired. Should she get dressed and go to church or go back to bed? Who would miss her if she stayed in bed one Sunday?

            Just then the Apple phone that her son insisted she needed rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but felt she should answer it anyway.

            “Hi, I’m calling from Colorado. Do you know who this is?”

            The male voice sounded solid and strong and vaguely familiar. “No, I’m sorry.”

            “I’ll give you a clue. I went to church with you and sat in the left front every Sunday. You used to hug me and pray over me.”

“Darwin, Is that you?” she exclaimed. “I wondered what happened to you,”

“I’m married to a wonderful Christian woman and we oversee the whole children’s department in my church. I called to thank you. I don’t think I would be alive without you and the church. Thank You.”

As they talked she recalled his struggles. But she also visualized him with his arms raised in thanks and praise every Sunday.

            He sent a picture of their first child on her new phone, and invited her to come to Colorado and visit them anytime. Finally they hung up.

            She looked at the clock and took a deep breath. Yes, she had time to make it to church. She felt an unusual strength surge through her when he said, “Thank you.”

 “…give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalms 107:8-9

 Prayer: Thank you LORD for the power in thanks giving.                   

Runaway

           I’d runaway when I was a kid a few times. Usually I’d announce to my mother that I was running away. Then I’d hid behind the piano and eat a bologna sandwich until I’d made her sorry for scolding me. Or I’d go across to “Tarzan’s Jungle” and hid in a tree for hours. She never looked for me.

            But this time it was different. I was twenty-two and married when I  jumped into the car and ran away from home. I drove to a secret place to get God’s attention. I shut the car off and screamed, “I’m not going home until you tell me what to do. My husband is impossible.”

            It got dark. It got darker. Finally he spoke. “I’ve created the heavens and the earth and nothing is impossible for me.”

            “Is that all you have to say,” I screamed. I wanted specifics.

            Suddenly it hit me how funny it was to talk back to God. I began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh until my stomach hurt.

            Finally, because God had spoken to his little kid I was ready to go home to my possible situation.

Behold, I am the LORD the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

God's Daylight Savings

 Turn your clock forward. Turn your clock backward. The contentious idea of Daylight Saving Time became law March 19, 1918. However, even today some love it and some hate it. Did you know God used daylight savings time twice?

             Joshua chapter nine and ten give this amazing account. The Gibeonites deceived Joshua because he “asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” He made a covenant with them, and then had to defend them from five kings. (Oh how much trouble we get into when we don’t ask the LORD first.) 

 "The Lord said, 'Do not be afraid of them; 

I have given them into your hand. Not one will withstand you.'

Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel…

'Sun, stand still over Gibeon,

and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.'

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

                                           till the nation avenged itself on its enemies."

In 2 Kings 20 God's daylight savings was a sign to Hezekiah he would live fifteen more years.      

"I’m going to heal you. In three days you will walk on your own legs

 into The Temple of God. I’ve added fifteen years to your life…

This will be your sign from God, said Isaiah,  God

 is doing what he said he’d do…

So Isaiah called out in prayer to God, and the shadow

 went back ten degrees on Ahaz’s sundial." 

             
And the moral of these stories is this: Pray so you don’t get into trouble. Pray when you get into trouble. And remember to set your clock back an hour this Sunday November 5^th.