Get On With The Business!
In the days before Connecticut became a state, the colonial legislature was in session when a thick darkness blotted out the sunlight. The cry was heard, "It is the day of judgment! Let us go home and get ready!"
Strength Out Of Weakness
A confident, self-assured person once told me, "My secret for living is simply doing all that I possibly can —and it works!" Clearly, this individual hadn't had the rock-bottom experience that I once had. My broken life became one big "can't." Trying to do "all that I possibly could" became impossible. My only hope was to find resources beyond my own.
It Disappears Like Stardust
It's one thing to pray for humility. It's quite another to live it. Our desire to be humble may lead us to do acts of servanthood —helping in the nursery, babysitting when it's inconvenient, running errands. But this can quickly turn into pride. Author and speaker Joni Eareckson Tada said it well: "We grab for humility and —poof —it disappears like stardust through our fingers."
Refuse To Rush
They call themselves "rovers." Their goal is to visit all 270 stations on the London Underground, the world's largest subway system, in the shortest time. The current world record is 18 hours, 18 minutes, 9 seconds. In the process, a rover will cover 245 miles on the "tube," run 11 miles above ground between stations, and climb 3,000 stairs. Detours are annoying and delays are intolerable. Rush hour lasts all day.
Mom's Dream Home
What is a mother's idea of a dream home? A one-story, ranch-style house on a half-acre lot with a fenced-in yard for the children? Three bedrooms, two large bathrooms, a big family room, a modern kitchen, and a two-car garage? Or maybe her dream home would have a beautiful garden and a view overlooking a quiet lake.
When Trouble Strikes
Dave Dravecky had pitched with remarkable success for the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants baseball teams. But his pitching arm developed an unusual soreness. Medical tests identified the problem —cancer. Surgery and months of rehabilitation followed.
What Matters Most
When I was a young man, I spent time pondering deep theological problems, like the source of evil in a world created by a perfectly holy God. I expected that by the time I reached a ripe old age I would know all the answers. Even though I'm much older, I feel as if I know less now than I thought I did then.
More Than Results
It was the eve of the US National Day of Prayer, and a Christian leader was being interviewed on national television. With a question that seemed devised to trip up his guest, the interviewer referred to the nation's worsening moral crisis and said, "Does that mean the Lord didn't listen to last year's prayer?"
Distracted By Serving
Not long ago, I spent 2 weeks teaching at a Christian college overseas. While traveling, I wrote out a prayer list that I determined to use every day. I was greatly enriched by keeping this commitment to pray, and I returned home confident that I would continue the practice.
