The Tiny Dash

Some people think it’s weird.  I go to cemeteries to read my Bible, pray, and ask for help with life’s problems. No one distracts you there.

At the last graveyard I was still seeking an answer. I decided to walk in the warm sun and read the gravestones. One small thin tombstone had a lamb on it, and I read the baby’s name and October 25, 1909 – November 2, 1909.

I continued to walk and read names and dates of births and deaths. One thing jumped out at me as I walked. Their entire life was represented by a tiny dash. No matter how many or how few years they lived, it became a small dash when they died. Or as James records in chapter four, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Life is short.

I continued to walk and read mammoth size stones, and tiny stones. They all had a dash.

When I drove out of the cemetery I still was not positive which decision to make. But the dashes brought a verse to my mind. “Lord teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise” (Psalms 90: 12 GNT). I decided it was time to be wise, trust the Holy Spirit, make a decision, and live.

Practice makes Perfect

Does practice make perfect? My young son Stephen would hear his Dad and I say, 

“Practice makes perfect,” when we tried to encourage him. He began to say in his 

five year old voice, “PRAC-tice makes BET-ter.” At first I tried to correct him. 

But then I thought about the two statements, and I realized he was correct. 

We never arrive at perfection on earth.

But we can get better, and better, and better. Hebrews five talks about how a child

who lives on just the milk of the Word is unskilled. But solid food is for the mature 

who by constant use (practice) have trained themselves to distinguish good and evil.

Apply this to the Christian life. We will hear him more clearly as we continue to practice.

We can't stop when we don't hear or obey Him completely at first.

How did we learn to drive a car? We read the instruction manual and practiced driving. 

Did you think about quitting, and calling a taxi or Uber driver for the rest of your life? 

NO. You wanted to learn to drive a car.

So if we want to be a better Christian we continue to read His manual (the Bible) and 

come into His presence (pray).  Okay, we will not be perfect, but we don’t quit. 

Others may not even notice improvements, but He will notice.

Or as my five year old said, “PRAC-tice makes BET-ter.”

“… desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” I Peter 2:2

Grab the Brass Ring

Do you ever feel like the prize in life is just outside your reach?  No matter how hard you strain?

When I was little I loved the merry-go-round. Just the sound of the music in the distance made my small heart pound. I didn’t like going around in circles on wooden horses. Actually it made me sick. But I climbed up excitedly, chose the outside row of horses and hoped.

Young riders on the outside row of the MERRY-GO-ROUND horses were given a challenge. The ride started moving, a metal arm swung out that held many iron rings and a single brass ring, which riders could try to grab as they passed. The brass ring guaranteed a prize. I had short arms and long hope, but I always strained to reach for that brass ring and failed.

I learned something from that. Failure can condition us to quit trying. But while my hope was fading from failure, my arms were growing. Whatever God has told me to do I can do. Sometimes it just takes time for my arm to grow and catch up with His plan for my life and my desires.

I’ve recently grabbed my brass ring. I published my first book. Check your arms, and go for your dream. You’ll find it is no longer out of reach if you won’t quit trying.

 "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward that goal to win the prize for which God has called me..."(Philippians 3:13NIV).

  

Comfort Food

My body and soul screamed for satisfaction. 

Driving home from church I kept getting urges and cravings. 

Coffee? Ice crème? Rhubarb pie? Every food place I passed called my name.

What was wrong with me I wondered? I had eaten a meal already.

I realized I was looking for something to satisfy me. And I wanted it NOW. 

Instant gratification. When I was almost home I realized that I was looking

for something that I already had.

I didn’t need comfort food. I had the Comforter. 

I decided to use the cravings for food, drink, and other distractions 

as a signal that I needed to spend time with HIM.

I began to worship and satisfy the hunger in my spirit. 

It took awhile for my spiritual food to process through the rest of my body and soul.  

But soon I was content. The Comforter was inside waiting for me to acknowledge Him.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God (Ps. 42:1NIV).

Prayer is not like a blind date.

During Christmas break of my freshman year at College I went home with Roberta to her northern Michigan home. Snow everywhere and lots of adventures awaited me. She talked me into a blind date with a guy named Cal. When we met He acted as uncomfortable as I felt.

We loaded up in Roberta's boyfriends car with Cal and I in the back seat and Ron and Roberta in the front. We didn't know anything about each other. It was awkward. So I asked him questions which He answered with 'Yes" or "No."

We had gone several miles down a rural road when the car began to chug and finally stopped. I'd been warned that boys sometimes ran out of gas to be alone with you. But this was not one of those times.
Cal and Ron got out and hiked to a service station two miles away for gas. Berta and I huddled together to keep warm.

When they came back it had "broken the ice" in my relationship with Cal as we looked at each other and began to laugh. He had on shoes that were not made for hiking in the snow. I told him to take them off, and I gave him my sweater to wrap around his feet until the car warmed us all up.

Sometimes I feel when I come to pray that I'm on a blind date. Awkward. Then I remember that God posted in Exodus who he was. He said in chapter 34 that He is merciful, gracious, patient, and full of goodness and truth. Next. I remember that He knows me. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly, but he still loves me. And that NOTHING can separate me from his love. No, prayer is not like a blind date.