Lord, You've Got to Be Kidding

Almost everyone in the free world from ages eight to eighty has a cell phone these days. Cell phones are a real blessing until you get in a cell-free area and even the best technologically designed phones experience call drops. There is nothing that urks me more. I laughed to myself as I thought about the popular cell phone commercial where the technician travels all over the world with his cell phone pausing at intervals to say, “Can you hear me?” The words “Can you hear me?” also makes me wonder how many times a child can say “Mommy” and the mother never responds! 

Can you hear me?

Not too long ago I met some friends out for dinner where the children Gabriella and Michaela must have said “Mommy” to their mothers at least fifteen times--I lost count when I started looking for headache medicine in my purse. Gabriella even punched her mother about three times but her mother did not miss a beat and kept right on talking. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I said, “Gabriella is calling you...She needs to go tinkle”. At that point, I literally scratched my head in befuddlement and wondered do you not hear your own child? After a certain number of calls does the “mommy” sensor turn off? Are you so glad to be with adults that your child’s language becomes foreign to you? If you are a mom, I am not bashing you. I am actually in awe of you. I desperately need to learn this technique so I can use it on some certain people in my life. 

Several days later, I was sharing this little episode with my friend Liz who is also single and childless. Liz had a great analogy on this. (I wish I could take the credit but I won’t.) Liz said, “Melanie, maybe that’s the way the Lord feels about us sometimes--He is constantly trying to get our attention and we tune Him out.” This was definitely a devotional moment!

How many times have we asked the Lord for guidance and direction but when He gives us an answer or convicts us on a matter, we act as though we didn’t hear him? If the answer is not what we want to hear, we continue on our own little path, doing our own little thing until we get in trouble! 

John 10:27 KJV says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Psalm 95:7-8 KJV says, “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” The Lord is constantly trying to speak to us! Will you not hearken to His word and His will? He wants so much to help you in every detail of your life if you will only listen. What areas of your life is He saying, “Can you hear me now?”

Lord,

there are so many times as mothers, friends, co-workers and daughters, we not only tune you out but the people in our lives as well. We desire your will and your way in our lives. Help us to be good listeners and above that good followers. Help us to obey the first time you speak. Thank you for the ability to hear when you speak. Amen.

Well I was back on another business trip for a couple of days and you know what that usually means - a divine opportunity for more life lessons and devotional material. My final destination was Tennessee but I had a lay-over in Georgia. Now, flights are generally either a test or a testimony for me--so this adventure was sure to be interesting!

Think about it

It was a Monday and I was still recovering from feelings of guilt for eating chocolate cake at my friend Coral’s birthday party. I did not go over my Weight Watcher points but for some reason I still felt the weight of guilt on my shoulders two days later. And of course, it did not make matters any better that the enemy continued to prompt me every five minutes to give up and proceed to the nearest Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

As I entered the gate area, I was bombarded with high calorie fast food stands which are of course all of my favorites! Can you say Set-Up? As I longingly walked passed them, I tried to fight the urge to stop and indulge. I finally reached my actual seating area triumphantly, only to look up and realize that directly in front of me were two stands - Cinnabon and Burger King! At that point, I thought Lord, you have REALLY got to be kidding!

Well my resistance was weakening, so I needed a distraction and QUICK. So I called Tonya. She suggested I buy chewing gum in different flavors to somewhat represent the foods I was craving. I tried but to no avail! I was chewing gum as hard but as lady like as I could but meanwhile people from everywhere it seemed were inundating me with Whoppers, fries and Cinnabons. I don’t even like Cinnabons but at this point I was craving one!

I continued to pray, counting the minutes until my flight departed and what happened? It was delayed! Can anyone relate to this? At this point I cried out to the Lord, that this had to stop. I begged because I didn’t want to give in to the temptation. I heard in my spirit the words of Philippians 4:8 KJV, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” The most praise worthy thing I could think of at that moment was the remote possibility of meeting the man of my dreams at the airport! You know it was quite possible he was at that very airport and I could very possibly bump into him at any point. Bingo! All of a sudden I was no longer hungry! All that I needed was to shift my focus a bit. 

The point is temptations and feelings will come and go! It’s up to us to commit them to the Lord. If we are really serious about changing, God WILL help us if we pray, seek His help, depend on His strength and stop thinking about it! You can’t really be free from something that you are constantly thinking about now can you? So I ask you - what areas in your life do you need to shift your focus?

By the way, when I changed my focus, within minutes it was time to board my flight! 

Lord,

thank you for the privilege of being able to come to you in prayer at any given moment. Thank you that you are willing to help us in our time of need. May we daily be reminded to think on things that please you and that edify our spirit. Amen.