There When You Need It
When I donated blood some time ago, a nurse gave me a card to read while a pint of the vital red fluid was flowing out of my vein. The card showed the percentages of people who have the different blood types. Here are some of them:
Dirty Dishes
When I was a boy, my father often traveled to other cities to speak at churches and Bible conferences. Sometimes my mother would accompany him, leaving my brother and me alone for a few days. We enjoyed being independent, but we detested doing the dishes.
No Grieving Allowed
The American Hospice Foundation says that bereaved people tend to keep thier grieving a secret in the workplace. Many of us have grown up with the idea that sorrow should be overcome quickly. What often happens is that we deny our pain, bottle it up inside, and try to go it alone. A sign that reads NO GRIEVING ALLOWED might as well be posted on the walls at work.
He Is In Control
Flipping a coin, drawing straws, or taking a number out of a hat have long been ways of resolving disputes. I once read of an election in an Oklahoma town where the two leading candidates each received 140 votes. Rather than go through the expense of another election, city officials used a chance method to decide the winner, and everyone accepted the outcome. What the writer of Proverbs said proved to be true: "Casting lots causes contentions to cease, and keeps the mighty apart" (Prov. 18:18).
Truth And Tenderness
Bobby was feeling down. He had just been cut from the school basketball team. To make matters worse, his dad had found out that he had stolen some items from a store.
Learning To Cooperate
The following story was told by A.W. Tozer: "A simplehearted man was asked how he managed to live in such a state of tranquility even though he was surrounded by adverse circumstances. His reply was profound, yet simple: 'I have learned to cooperate with the inevitable!' "
A Battle Over Words
Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster recently came under attack. According to company president John M. Morse, protesters demanded that a specific word be deleted because it is derogatory and offensive. Morse pointed out that dictionary publishers don't invent words or decide the meanings that words will have. A dictionary merely lists and defines the words of our language. Society does the inventing and reinventing of words.
Plan To Pray
I have an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth cleaned and checked. I'm confident that I'll get a good report on the condition of my teeth and gums because I floss every morning and brush two or three times every day. I have built it into my daily schedule.
Not Just A Victim
David Gelernter suffered permanent injuries when he opened an explosive package sent by the man known as the Unabomber. But he has refused to view himself as a helpless victim or to wallow in self-pity. Gelernter writes, "When you encourage a man to see himself as a victim of anything —crime, poverty, bigotry, bad luck—you are piling bricks on his chest."
Mudpies And Motives
God wants us to make the most of the talents He's given to us. That's His will for a student writing a term paper or for an architect designing a soaring skyscraper. But as history rolls on, we also know that the greatest of human work will eventually become dust and ashes.
Hey, Dad!
Sometimes when I'm in a crowded place, such as in a mall or at a ballgame, I hear someone call out, "Hey, Dad!" I instinctively look around to see who's calling. Although most of the time it's not one of my children, I'm always reminded of the universal nature of the name Dad. It's a one-size-fits-all label.
Misplaced Treasure
I once read about a man who bought a luxurious house and filled it with expensive and impressive furnishings. After taking a friend on a tour through the mansion's many spacious rooms, the owner asked proudly, "Well, what do you think of it?" He expected to hear lavish praise, so he was stunned when his guest replied, "It is magnificent; but to be perfectly frank, things like this make a deathbed terrible."
Trouble
Does it surprise you that trouble is a part of life? Probably not. We all know trouble close-up and personal—bad health, empty bank account, blighted love, grief, loss of job, and the list goes on.
Forgiving Clubs
If you play golf, you know how important it is to hit the ball at just the right spot on the club face. The newest clubs, however, are more forgiving. The metal-head woods, the featherweight clubs, and the hollowback irons have expanded what is often referred to as the "sweet spot" on the club. Now it is possible to hit the ball on the heel or the toe of the club and still get good distance.
What Did God Promise?
A young man was rebelling against his parents. When he lost his job and his girlfriend, he complained that God was being unfair. He didn't think the Lord was being very loving or was giving him the help He promised in the Bible. What he didn't realize was that Jesus promised a sense of His love and presence only to those who keep His commandments (Jn. 14:21-24; 15:9-14).
Lord, Don't You Care?
Two of the most telling questions in the New Testament were asked of Jesus by people who loved Him deeply. When a fierce storm threatened to sink their boat in the Sea of Galilee, His disciples asked, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" (Mk. 4:38). On another occasion, as a relaxed Mary listened to Jesus, a tense Martha came from the kitchen and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?" (Lk. 10:40).
Prepared For Persecution?
While I was visiting the Russian Far East, I had a conversation with my friend Lena that I will not soon forget. She is an excellent student and works at a Christian radio station in Magadan. Since becoming a believer in Christ in 1994, she has enjoyed remarkable spiritual growth.
The Best Argument
As I talked with a skeptic about the moral standards of the Bible, I could tell that he remained unconvinced. Then I asked him if he knew any cruel, greedy people who had become kind and unselfish when they became believers in Christ. His demeanor changed abruptly when he admitted that he did know such people. I could tell that they were having a greater impact on him than he wanted to acknowledge.
Make Your Reservation
As early as 1995, reservations were being made in fashionable hotels and resorts for celebrating New Year's Eve 1999. According to writer Calvin McDowell in The New York Times, the London Savoy had by then been twice overbooked. Although the charge for the evening was $1,000, the Rainbow Room in New York City had a waiting list. So did the Waldorf-Astoria. Reservations were hard to get.
Just A Moment
It takes years to build a reputation—and just a moment of indiscretion to destroy it.
Wings Versus Willpower
On a flight from London to New York, I was seated next to a nervous passenger. He admitted to me that he felt he was keeping our plane airborne by sheer willpower. He couldn't relax for a moment, for fear that gravity would drag us down.
Changed
When we put our trust in Jesus as our Savior, we are not only forgiven but also transformed from the inside through the renewing activity of the Holy Spirit (Ti. 3:5).
God's Opportunity
We usually think of "opportunity" as our own chance to take a significant step ahead in life. We love the idea of an open door or a favorable moment to seize the chance of a lifetime. But do we ever think of opportunity from God's perspective?
The Little Enemy
In the late 1960s, I witnessed a carefully planned bombing raid. I remember watching as the planes methodically worked the Florida skies in an attempt to wipe out the enemy. In this case, however, the enemy was not human. It was a creature known as the fire ant—ittle in size but causing a major problem. The planes were spreading a pesticide aimed at ridding the South of this invader.
A Cure For Criticism
A church bulletin had a clever poem about criticism that began:
Get Proverbial
I first saw the car in my rearview mirror, weaving in and out of traffic. It zoomed by, cut me off, passed two cars on the right, zipped back into the left lane, roared past two trucks, and cut sharply to the right before disappearing from view.
To Tell The Truth
Henry David Thoreau said, "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth." Imagine the difference it would make in our world if that theme were heard as often as those catchy and memorable advertising jingles by Coca-Cola or McDonald's.
God Has No Big Shots
I was one of the speakers at a family camp in Canada. One afternoon as my wife and I were visiting a couple who directed the children's ministry, their teenage son came in and sat down. During a lull in the conversation he asked me, "Who are you, one of the big shots here?"
God Wants Your Garbage
Once a week, a truck moves slowly down our street, pausing at every house. Full and sometimes overflowing garbage containers are picked up, emptied into the truck, and returned to each house. During the next week, as the rubbish accumulates and the odor increases, we become eager for the return of the garbage truck.
Do You Love Me?
When our daughter was 4 years old, her little legs were propelling her through the house one day. As she headed toward the front door, she suddenly hit the brakes and wheeled around. With a sense of childish urgency she called out, "Mom, I love you!" Then she was off and running again. She could really melt a parent's heart!
