Momentarily Distracted

May 21

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus … so that you will not grow weary.

Hebrews 12:2,3

It was the state track and field championships, and James was confident. He’d

cruised to victory in his qualifier and didn’t expect any serious competition in

this event.

He’d trained hard for the one-hundred-meter hurdles, spending several

hours each day perfecting his technique. He could soar over all ten hurdles,

clearing them by no more than an inch. It was all in the snap and lean.

“Take your mark, set … ” Pow! The starter’s pistol sounded.

James got a good start and quickly took the lead. Snap the leg, stretch for the

next hurdle, stride, he repeated to himself.

As he approached the final hurdle, James’ lead had increased to ten meters

over his nearest competitor. Glancing left and right to see where everyone else

was, James’s focus was momentarily distracted—just long enough for him to

mistime the last hurdle.

Striking the top of the hurdle with his lead foot, James stumbled and fell

headlong onto the track.

What had appeared to be a state title turned into devastating disappointment.

As he lay there regaining his senses, James realized he’d struck the hurdle

because he’d waited too long to look back. That split second of distraction had

caused him to misjudge the distance; it had cost him the race.

h

It only takes one brief moment to become distracted. The pride of self-suffi-

ciency can take our eyes off our intended target. In doing so, even for a moment,

we can miss the mark, become disoriented, and possibly lose the race.

Distraction is one of Satan’s most frequently used weapons. “Hey, over

here,” he whispers. And we unwisely give credit to a defeated enemy, looking

away from Jesus for a glimpse at the world.

It’s hard to remain constantly focused on Christ, not giving rent to the

devil.

That’s why the author of Hebrews was so adamant about fixing our eyes on

Jesus, not just casually glancing His way once in a while.

There will always be hurdles in life, and we must have single-minded pur-

pose if we are to clear them safely.

Prayer

“I tend to lose sight of You from time to time, Lord.

Help me fix my sight on You alone. Amen.”

 The Kid and the Camaro

May 20

Feed my sheep.

John 21:17

“No way! You serious?” Benjy asked.

Kyle, his older brother, had just handed him the keys to his 1968 Z28 Camaro.

Kyle looked him straight in the eye and said, “It was always gonna be

yours, kid. Just ‘cause you made a mistake didn’t mean I wasn’t gonna follow

through on my promise. Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

Kyle was referring to a night six months ago when he was still in Afghani-

stan. Benjy had snuck the Camaro out for a joyride and had gotten stopped for

speeding. His dad had made him write Kyle a letter explaining the incident.

Benjy figured Kyle would be so angry that he wouldn’t follow through on his

promise to give him the car when he turned eighteen.

But Kyle understood. He’d made mistakes. Looking at the excitement on

his little brother’s face, Kyle had to smile. All the times he and Benjy had

shared working on the car before he’d shipped out on this last tour of duty had

provided precious memories while he was away. Benjy had spent more hours

washing and waxing the Z than Kyle had!

He pulled Benjy’s letter from his pocket and handed it to him. “Don’t

forget, but don’t let it define your future.” A look of sorrow replaced the excite-

ment on Benjy’s face momentarily; true remorse showed he was sorry for his

impulsive action.

h

Has Jesus ever reinstated you? Has He taken you back to something or some-

place you have abused and given it back?

Restoring is what Jesus does. He isn’t looking to break our will, just bend

it in the right direction.

Peter’s heart was right. He’d just demonstrated a streak of impetuousness

that needed eradicated.

We’ve all done things that we shouldn’t have—some of them pretty seri-

ous, some of them harmful. But that’s what is so amazing about the grace of

God. It cannot be outrun! It’s always there, waiting for us to fulfill our mission,

waiting to restore us to a place of healing, where our impulsiveness is turned

into kingdom purpose.

As in Peter’s case, he’d made mistakes. But Jesus didn’t allow it to define

his future.

Prayer

“Thank You for that grace that never stops pursuing

me, Lord. Help me redefine my future. Amen.”

 The Tenement

May 19

Take care of my sheep.

John 21:16

Jim and Char sold their Colorado ranch and used the money to purchase a

rundown Colorado Springs tenement. They immediately began renovation,

believing God had led them to this decision.

Over the next seven months they experienced times when they wondered

how things would work out, but they never questioned that it would. Several

times the project seemed doomed to delay, only to see miraculous things bring

them back on schedule. Eight months to the day they’d sold their ranch, they

opened the homeless shelter.

Char hired workers and interviewed volunteers between cooking and

cleaning. Jim spent his days calling and visiting local businesses and churches

asking for donations. His evenings were spent doing structural maintenance

and whatever else needed done.

By the end of the first month, they were feeding and housing twenty-

seven men and women. Both Jim and Char fell into bed exhausted at the end

of each day. Feeding cattle and horses on the ranch had been rough work that

had yielded a sense of accomplishment. Yet, it couldn’t touch meeting the needs

of God’s flock!

h

God isn’t going to ask most of us to sell our homes and take on such a daunting

task. But we are all capable of feeding God’s sheep, and He expects us to do our

part. Learning what our responsibility is requires thought and effort.

Not all of God’s sheep are starving from a lack of physical nourishment

or a lack of housing. Many need nourishment of another kind. Some of our

elderly need rides to the store and help with their shopping. Broken families

need a compassionate ear and wisdom in how to handle specific situations;

their children need a mentor that may no longer be in the home.

Most of us fit in the category of going to work every day to provide the

service we were hired for. A smile from behind the counter can do more for the

person who needs to see it than all the money in the world.

Nourishment comes in a variety of packages. Discovering what someone

needs requires us to be discerning, looking for signs.

Prayer

“Give me discernment, Lord. Show me who needs

my help today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Violets

May 18

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his

love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5

They each held a fist full of violets as they rode the thirty minutes to see

Gramma in the nursing home. They were so proud of picking them—one or

two at a time—from the blanket of little flowers covering the plush grass under

the grape arbor.

The sisters had picked until they had what amounted to two brilliant bou-

quets of blue, purple, and white love! With smiles that matched the joy in their

heart and climbing on stools to be seen, they held them at arms length and

announced, “Here!” Gramma, who’d had a stroke recently, managed a smile.

Delighted Gramma had liked their present, the little girls jumped from their

stools and ran from the room, heading for their next encounter with life.

Shaking their heads and smiling, Mom and Dad watched as the girls flew

out the door. They continued to sit at Gramma’s bedside, marveling at the vital-

ity of life. In two, it was increasing; in one, it declined, and through it all, the

love remained alive, attentive, and selfless. As a tear slipped from Mom’s cheek

to the collar of her dress, she thanked God for creating flowers so little girls

could use them to say, “I love you!”

h

The cycle of life retains a hope for the future. In each little kindness, we reflect

the love of God that His Spirit produces in us. As we grow older, we become

more sensitive to His leading and to the gifts He gives us along life’s journey.

As flowers bloom in season, we too develop into something beautiful as

we draw nearer to God. We are blessed with special moments and memories

that construct the substance of life. In those memories lies hope for the future.

Prayer

“Father of love, thank You for giving me relationships that

cause my heart to soar and tumble with the events of life.

May hope be seen in my life as I do my best to reflect the

presence of Your Holy Spirit. Forgive me when it doesn’t

and help me adjust my attitude. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Quiet Words

May 17

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts

of a ruler of fools.

Ecclesiastes 9:17

Janet liked Reed. He was one of the most intelligent and engaging people

she knew. However, because of his intellect, Reed sometimes engaged in the

wrong thing at the wrong time. Reed had the potential to rub you the wrong

way because he tended not to recognize or care when he was stepping on toes.

This evening’s event was becoming one such occasion … ”No, Sir, you are

wrong!” Reed adamantly asserted.

Janet, hearing the annoyance in Reed’s voice, hurried over, grabbed him by

the arm, and politely excused them. Once clear of the room, she asked, “What

do you think you’re going to accomplish arguing with the senator?”

“I want him to admit the truth about partial-birth abortion!” he said in

defense of his actions. “He spun his stand on mass murder of the unborn, sight-

ing errant statistics slanted to meet his liberal agenda!” Reed said malignantly.

“I was setting him straight!”

Janet measured her response. “Look, Reed. We agree abortion is wrong;

and partial-birth is especially vile. But this event is neither the time nor the

place to confront the senator. If you want to debate the issue, call his office and

set an appointment.” Janet felt for Reed. His stand was one she shared. But he

lacked the wisdom to temper his words. Hoping he would hear the wisdom in

her words, she added, “Demeaning him in public won’t change his heart, Reed.”

“Perhaps,” Reed conceded. “But wrong is wrong … no matter how you spin

it.”

h

Reed may have meant well but his actions were misdirected and inappropriate.

Colossians 4:5–6 says we should be wise and full of grace when dealing

with unbelievers. The wise seek instruction from God, through His Holy Spirit,

before debating matters of importance; be it abortion, or otherwise.

Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit allows God the opportunity to temper

our words with grace, and opens our heart to His leading so our words plant

seeds of truth, not enmity.

Prayer

“Teach me wisdom, Lord. Help me to know and

present Your truth quietly in love. Amen.”

 Blocks

May 16

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.

1 Peter 2:5

John’s mind was filled with questions. He’d received a call from his mother say-

ing she had something to give to him. He, his wife, Marilyn, and their grand-

daughter were on their way there now.

As John walked into the foyer of the old farmhouse he grew up in, he spot-

ted a long-forgotten metal ammunition case painted with tan porch enamel

sitting on the side table. A deep chuckle escaped him as the distant past came

rushing into the present.

Opening the lid, John pulled out a wooden building block. He was trans-

ported sixty years into the past when he’d last held these building blocks; back

to the days spent on the sewing room floor building some of the most world-

changing architecture. The older he got, the more intricate the structures

became. What began as three blocks stacked upon each other had evolved into

foundations for shopping centers, skyscrapers, and train stations.

Tinker toys, Lincoln Logs, and of course, these beloved wooden blocks

had occupied much of his time during the long winter months. A sense of

nostalgia, accompanied with emotion, surprised John. He thought of how he’d

learned about building a life by playing with these simple blocks. “You had to

lay a good foundation in order to raise a strong structure.” He smiled as he

turned and handed the block to his granddaughter, letting her get the feel of it.

h

It is impossible to build anything of substance without a solid foundation. John

remembered the lessons from his childhood well; how he’d always made sure

the bottom row of blocks were set just right before building higher. This had

become true of his spiritual life. And his foundation remained solid.

If we are to grow and become the person God intends to use in His king-

dom, we must first build our lives on the chief cornerstone … Jesus.

Peter emphasized the need to crave spiritual milk that we might grow up.

And grow up we will. Our stability will be determined by the nutrition we

ingest and the foundation upon which we stand. It is imperative to be nour-

ished correctly, and only on Christ will we stand against the storms of life.

Prayer

“On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand! Amen.”

 Who Says?

May 15

For when you eat of it you will surely die.

Genesis 2:17

The boys had been friends since Carp’s family had moved in beside Benny’s.

Growing up together in a small-town subdivision, they shared troubles and

triumphs, bumps and bruises. For six years they’d been exploring life together;

today they were in the woods that bordered their backyards.

“If you eat that thing, you’re gonna get sick,” Carp said.

“Who says? It’s only a stupid mushroom, Carp,” Benny fearlessly replied

as he popped the pinkish-looking mushroom in his mouth and began chewing.

“See, I told you. Harmless. Here, try one,” he dared.

“No way! My dad said to leave the pink-colored mushrooms alone. He said

they’d make me really sick, maybe even kill me.” No sooner had Carp made

his declaration than Benny got a funny look on his face and started choking.

“My lips and tongue are getting numb. Help me, Carp. I’m gonna die!” he

blurted out in fear.

“Spit it out! Spit it out! C’mon, we gotta get you home quick!” Carp said,

grabbing his friend’s arm and slinging it over his shoulder.

Fifteen minutes and two shots later, a scared and remorseful Benny was

loaded onto a stretcher, an IV in his small arm to offset the anaphylactic shock

he was experiencing.

h

Carp and Benny represent two general mindsets within society. One believes

what they are told and follows the rules set before them; the other must figure

it out for themselves. Many of us fall into the latter, causing ourselves and those

we love a multitude of problems.

There is within us an incessant need to discover, lay claim to, and control

the issues of life. God created us to go forth; but in some areas, such as today’s

example and text, we are forbidden to proceed. One step across the line can

result in death, physically and/or spiritually. Who says? God says!

We are given free will. His Spirit tells our spirit which things are off limits.

Even in our mistakes, His grace will chase us to the ends of the earth. He leaves

it up to us to respond.

Prayer

“My independent mind-set leads me to places I shouldn’t

go, Lord. Please help me rein in that insatiable desire

to explore places that are off limits. Amen.”