Coming Soon

Coming soon... New BLogs.

I have finished the experiment with the Newspaper Route and am now working part time in a consignment shop. I am sure there will be tons of things to 'learn' about while I am surrounded by unique treasures and even more UNIQUE treasure hunters. Check back soon for the next post!!

What Did I Do, Officer?

Last week as I was driving early in the morning hours, I got a shock. All of a sudden there were red and blue lights flashing in my rearview mirror. I knew at once it was a sherrif's patrol car. As I pulled over to the side of the road I was replaying the last mile or two and thinking, "What did I do?" "Was I going to fast?" "Did I miss a stop sign?" "Was I swerving?" I rolled down my window, got out my driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance. Unfortuneately, I know the drill. My first words were, "What did I do, Officer? I don't think I've done anything wrong! I really can't afford a ticket right now." To which he said, "Relax. There have been some robberies out here lately and we were blacked out by the road watching for anyone to come by. I can see that you are not our suspect, but I would like for you to help us keep an eye out for anything suspicous. Have a good morning."

 Wow!...  Whew! This encounter with authority taught me something about how I treat God. Sometimes I see Him as the one I am going to be in trouble with. I fear He is going to write me a ticket and punish me. But the truth is .... He wants to use me. He's asking for my service. Yes, all my moving violations must be accounted for, but the end result is so that He can enilst me in His cause. I have a new appreciation for authority. Sooo..."What CAN I do, Officer?"

Fog Helped Me To See

This morning I experienced the results of a cool night following a spring rain… FOG. It was only patchy, so I could see most of the time. But occasionally it was so thick I had to slow down.  I was concerned about not knowing what was hiding in that low-flying cloud… a deer… a stray calf…a downed limb in the road…even a possible wash out or unexpected pothole. If I knew all was clear, I would just charge ahead. After all I know that road like the back of my hand! – at least I thought I did.

As I drove on with my vision that was limited to only what was near the car, some things caught my attention… I never knew there was a turnoff there… where did that rusty old car back in the trees come from?...Why have I never noticed the design on that mailbox before? You see, because I was going slower and I was temporarily forced to be near-sighted, I noticed so much more than ever before. The fog actually helped me to SEE!

It’s like missing the trees for the forest. Jesus said some would be ever hearing but never understanding and ever seeing but never perceiving in Acts 28:26. I miss so much by not looking at what I’m looking at!

Do you think this could be why God doesn’t let us see farther down the road sometimes? Maybe He wants us to slow down and pay closer attention to where we ARE… as we are getting where we are going. I think a little bit of obscuring the future; a little bit of FOG,  can make things more clear!

Blackout

This one is not for my wife. Angie, you can stop reading now and move on to the next one. Picture this…driving 55mph in the dark in the middle of nowhere on a cloudy night. No streetlights, no stars, no moon, no light. I reached over to roll up the window and accidentally turned off my headlights. Everything went black… I mean really black! I can HEAR the gravel road that I am on but I can’t SEE anything…

Scroll down for the rest. 

I scramble to get some lights back on, but the car is fairly new to me and I can’t find the switch. Flap-Flop-Flap-Flop. …. Windshield wipers in the night with no rain do nothing to help you see where you are going…. kaBlink-kaBlink-kaBlink… Hazard flashers provide momentary red-filtered glances at my position and situation on the road, but mostly they cause the whole ordeal to be more disorienting… Finally I found the lights and skidded to a stop… Headlights streaming – Dust settling – Flap-Flop – kaBlink-kaBlink – My heart is about to pound out of my chest. By the way, In case you are still reading this, Angie… Yes, I did have my seatbelt on if it is any consolation.

 After an experience like that you can see how dangerous it is to drive blindly. 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." Where else would we want to walk?

Next time you are tempted,,, think about it. To walk in darkness is even more dangerous than driving in the dark with no headlights!

I Wonder Why I Wander

Why did the deer cross the road? Because they didn’t have anything better to do! Where are they going? All these deer I keep seeing seem to be wandering. Every morning they are there… sometimes in a slightly different location. They are always moving. I wonder if they just wait around for someone to drive by and say, “Let’s go meander in the road and see what they do.” Really their lives seem pointless…day after day… eat some of this… walk the same path as yesterday… eat some of that… you get the picture.

As I puzzle over those pedantic deer I look back at my map to see where the next delivery is and it hits me. I go around in circles… every day! Round and round I go. Paper tube here…. Wander around… paper tube there… wander some more… same thing tomorrow. Do the deer see me and think, “What does that guy do anyway? He’s always out here wandering around getting in our way. I think He’s trying to hit us. Stupid Human!”

 

Now for the spiritual angle. I don’t want to wander so to speak in my walk with God. I want God to give me purpose and direction. Please, Lord, don’t lead me around in circles.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way - Psalm 37:23 (ESV)