Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

What’d You Say?

My oldest granddaughter is in sixth grade and loves to read. She’s developed a mature vocabulary, but I occasionally say some hillbilly words that throws her for a loop.  One evening, my family was visiting in the living room and, I don’t remember what we were talking about, Lydia Mae joined in and said, “Instead of staring off into the vast obese”… and that’s when her dad and I burst out laughing. We knew she meant to say “abyss,” but we took advantage of the opportunity to laugh like we meant it. Obviously, both the younger and older generations have verbal malfunctions occasionally. And that makes me feel better about myself when I grope for a word.

Our words are important and so are God’s words. The Bible is chock full of promises to His children. In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born to save His people from their sins and an angel reiterated that same prophecy to Joseph. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23 NLT). In the next chapter we read that what God said came true – Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

I love the following anonymous quote: “God is everywhere we have ever been and everywhere we will ever go.” Isn’t that comforting? No matter what our circumstances are, God never leaves His followers. In the New Testament, Jesus was speaking to His disciples and said, “…Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT). Jesus is always with His children, guiding and protecting us through all of life’s challenges. We all know that life isn’t always a rose garden.

An atheist had scribbled a note that read, “God is nowhere.” When a young boy, just learning to read found the note, he read it as, “God is now here.” I wholeheartedly agree that ‘God is with us.’ All we have to do is open our eyes and heart to see God’s fingerprints and footprints all over our lives. God is involved in everything that does and doesn’t happen to us. He is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-caring, and all-loving. Nothing escapes His view of our lives. “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help. The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:15,18 NLT).

God’s Word never falters, fails, or changes. Christ followers can always trust Him to be with us and help us. God knows exactly what He has said in His Word, and we’d be better off if we actually knew what He said! Whatever Jesus said when He walked the earth, He’s still saying it to us today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT). Not personally knowing and believing what God’s promises are is like going hunting with an unloaded rifle. You’re simply going through the motions of being a great hunter (Christian) but when it’s time to pull the trigger, you don’t have what it takes to get the job done.

When we know and believe God’s promises are true for us, Christ followers have what it takes to “get ‘er done.” In the Old Testament, God said: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NLT).

The Key: God never uses wrong words. He says what He means and means what He says.

Scripture tells me not to be angry. But I am. It’s spring break, Dave and I spent two days driving to Nevada (the state) to visit our grandkids and great grandkids, and I have spent much of my day, trying to contact Walmart here in Henderson, Nevada, to ask what time tomorrow I am to bring my vehicle in to have my tires checked. Twelve calls with no response. For the first five or six, I was fine. But now? I am upset.

This morning, I pulled up to the Automotive area at Walmart. Three bays were empty, and four employees were standing/sitting, doing nothing. A female employee turned me over to a male employee who announced that it was his time for a break. “Not until you service this woman,” she responded. Although pleasant, the young man was not happy. He checked my tires and said that nothing was wrong, but when I told him that one tire continues to go flat, he said that I would need to set up an appointment.

“What about now?” I asked (since there were no other vehicles being serviced). He said that they were full (i.e., it was time for his break) but set up an appointment tomorrow. He would send me the time via text. Which he did not do.

Twelve calls later (“Dial two for the automotive department”) to find out what time I am supposed to show up, my frustration is increasing. No one answers the phone, and when I call Walmart’s customer service representative, she tells me that there is nothing she can do except forward my call to the auto service area…the same area I have called twelve (now 13) times. I tell her that and she gives me a choice: “Either I forward your call, or I hang up.”

Each call to the automotive department is answered by a robot who says that they are “experiencing unusually high volumes of calls at this moment.” This does not happen in Fort Scott. There, someone answers the phone. I am used to Fort Scott. Am I asking too much?

As much as I hate to admit it, I need an attitude check. I find it much easier to say “If only…” “If only Walmart could get its act together.” “If only that customer service agent wasn’t so abrasive and actually showed a little compassion” (you know, what I did not show her).

For all I know, she was trying to keep food on her table for her five kids after her husband left her for another woman. Maybe she was working two jobs to help pay the medical bills for her ailing father. Possibly she had been yelled at by ten other customers, trying to contact the automotive department. Did I show her compassion? Tell her that I would pray for her? Even ask if she was okay?

We all know the answer to that. Actually, had I told her that I was a Christian, she probably would have started laughing. I demonstrated none of the qualities (fruits of the spirit) we are told to exhibit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galations 5:22-23 NIV).

Yesterday evening, I received the text with the time of my appointment. By then, I had decided to go elsewhere for my service and tried to text back to cancel. A large “X” appeared on my screen. Under it were these words: “Sorry…We’re having technical issues, but we’ll be back in a flash. Try again.”

This time, I had to laugh. Clearly an improvement. I think that Jesus would be proud.