When I was little, some insensitive person somewhere came up with the cruel notion that the best way to pick teams was to choose two captains who would, in front of the entire class, select their teammates, one at a time.  Everyone crowded around, desperate to be the first one picked.  They were the special ones.  For those unathletic or poor spellers who predictably were called last, can you imagine?  If you can, I am so sorry.  No doubt, had there been this type of selection for a trigonometry or geography contest, I would have had, for good reason, a taste of this putrid medicine.

I just happened to do well in the athletic/spelling areas, and for that reason (or the fact that I probably would have had a dramatic meltdown which no one wanted to watch), I was chosen towards the top.  I cringe when I think of how those called last must have felt.  Was I oblivious?  Embarrassing to admit, but I certainly don’t remember ever demanding a kinder means of team selection be used. I apologize.  (That being said, if you read my book, you know that I have had my share of not being good enough.)

I wonder if any of Jesus’ disciples ever felt like that.

John MacArthur, a respected theologian, writes about the disciples in his book Twelve Ordinary Men.  Of the dozen apostles, I find myself drawn to Andrew, Simon Peter’s older brother, who even though the first of the twelve to be called into Jesus’ inner circle, the one who introduced his sibling to this man from Galilee, then had to sit back and watch as Little Bro got most of the attention.

Andrew gets little Bible time.  Peter, on the other hand, fills pages and even two letters and totally overshadows his brother as one who spent quality time with the Messiah.  Never do we read that Andrew was jealous.  Whereas Peter addressed multitudes when he spoke, Andrew was more of a one-on-one type of guy.  Apart from where the twelve are listed in the New Testament, Andrew’s name appears only nine times, most of those with little fanfare.

Still, Andrew brought individuals to Christ.  He brought the young boy with the five barley loaves and two fish, recognizing a potential miracle for feeding the thousands, when the other followers remained overwhelmed with the problem.  Nothing in scripture indicates that Andrew bragged about his action and derided the others for missing the obvious.

When some Greeks (Gentiles) asked Philip if he would introduce them to Jesus, Philip, for some reason, came to Andrew with the request, a request Andrew was pleased to fill. If Andrew ever addressed a crowd, we are not told so, but I have to wonder if the majority of Christians aren’t a lot more like Andrew than Peter.

We see a problem and respond.  If someone needs a favor, we are there. We take cookies to our new neighbor or soup to a sick friend, drive an elderly person to a doctor’s appointment, encourage those who, unlike us, evangelize large crowds and always are prepared to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  We don’t wait for someone to bless us; we just help…with no public accolades (sometimes, not even private ones).

Andrew is proof that, although the limelight has its place, many times—most times?– it’s the little things that count. What little thing can you do today to make a difference?

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

I had dipped out some chocolate ice cream into a bowl, shoved in the spoon, and then left it on the counter while I did a quick chore. When I returned and took the first bite, my lower lip stuck solidly to the frozen spoon. (The stories about little kids being told to lick a frosty flag pole suddenly flashed through my mind.) I couldn’t believe this painful disaster was happening to me in my own kitchen by my own hand! Before I could get my lips and clinging spoon to the water faucet, the spoon fell off my lips and took the skin with it. I immediately looked in the mirror and discovered that my lipstick was running. Except I wasn‘t wearing any — it was blood! I was surprised to find that my ice cream-eating experience had ended so very badly.

Life is full of surprises — some are good and some are bad. When the bottom drops out of our world, that’s when we look up and reach out to the One who can rescue us. We all live with the challenge of pressing on in the bad times (trials). In the Old Testament, we find that David didn’t cave-in during hard times. When David and his mighty warriors returned to Ziklag (their headquarters), they found it had been burned with fire and all their women and children were taken captive. The men wept until they had no more strength to weep and then, as a bad surprise to David, his own trusted men talked of stoning him. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30:6 MEV).

Times of calamity can fall on us without any warning. When your shins have been kicked until they’re skinless and you feel like throwing in the towel, throw in a heart-felt prayer instead. David trusted God and knew how to get ahold of Him. And when he did, he and his men found the strength and courage to double down and recover everyone and everything that was stolen. A wishbone does no good when a backbone is what’s needed.

Later, David wrote a song of thanksgiving and praise after the Lord delivered him from all his enemies: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior; the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise and He saved me from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:1-4 NLT).

Life’s trials are opportunities for a believer’s faith in God to grow. I don’t particularly like that statement, in fact, I don’t like it at all. But I know it’s true because I’ve personally experienced it. Plus there’s scripture to back it: “My brothers, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4 TEV).

When God strengthens your backbone and encourages your heart, you’ll come out stronger in the end than at the beginning. The following hymn lyrics were written by G. A. Young:  “God leads His dear children along. Some through the waters, some through the flood. Some through the fire, but all through the Blood. Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song in the night season and all the day long.” Your finest spiritual growth may be the outcome of a painful surprise in your life.

The Key: When your lips are skinless and bleeding, God will be your place of healing.

The day started off fine.  On my drive to the dermatologist in Olathe, I spoke to my granddaughter, Montana, who was boarding a plane with her sister-in-law, Julia, and Julia’s two children, a two-year old and a three-month old.  They would land in K.C. and get into their car they had left in the airport parking lot and drive to Ft. Scott.

At the doctor’s office, some skin cancer was removed, and my back was sewn up with several stitches.  There were a few errands to run in K.C., but I needed to be home for my late afternoon, Bible study, Zoom call.  About ten minutes north of Fort Scott, my phone rang.  It was Jenn, Mo’s mother, calling from somewhere in Alabama.  “Where are you?” she asked.  I said that I was on 69, headed home.

Silence…which in this case was not golden.

“Do you need something?” I asked.  She did.  Jenn had looked in her purse and, Surprise! Surprise! There were the keys to the car parked at the K.C. airport.  I told her that I could turn around and pick up my four relatives.  They were to land at 2:30. It was 2:15.                                Stopping in Louisburg to get gas and use the restroom, I managed to drop my credit card (you know, the one that pays all my bills automatically) into the toilet which, at record place, flushed on its own.  Then I hit rush-hour traffic while on the phone, calling to cancel my credit card.  (Yes, talking on the phone while driving.  Illegal and, in this case, unnecessary, since the odds were against anyone getting their hands on my flushed card to use it.)

At the airport, the traffic attendant told me that my gas lid was open and the cap was hanging outside my truck, meaning, I probably had lost quite a bit of fuel driving to the airport.  Mo called and she said that they were delayed because the airline had broken their stroller and she and Julia were trying to scan the Q.R. code—whatever that means—to submit a complaint.  Neither baby had napped the entire day (which did not change on the ride home) and the girls were “starving.”  It was then the deadening agent for my stitches began to wear off.  Not. Good.

I had mapped out my day to time everything perfectly, but “perfectly” in God’s timing can be very different than what I think.  My needs being met or someone else’s needs being met?  A minor inconvenience verses coming to another person’s aid?  Understanding that God continues to give me crazy stories to write about verses a boring, mundane life?

What I didn’t count on was how much of a hassle it is to lose a credit card.  I don’t know how much is too much, but this was close.  However, there were blessings.  When I called to say that I would not be on the Zoom call, others also had conflicts (but did not want to be the one to cancel), so we moved it to the next week.

My granddaughters and I had a wonderful conversation which we would not have had, had they remembered to bring the car key.  When I phoned the billing departments to change my credit card number, everyone got a good laugh from my toilet flushing story, and when I ended my calls with “Have a blessed day,” they told me to have the same.  I know, it’s not like I baptized someone or led them to the Lord, but it made me smile, and sometimes that’s as good as it gets.

Maybe that’s what God had in mind the entire time.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

It’s the Beard

My son came home on his day off to do some chores for me. I had a “to-do list” for him and I could tell he enjoyed marking off the tasks as he completed them. I’d suspected that my 29-year-old dishwasher might possibly have a tiny leak, so Aaron removed the front panels to get a good look at everything. There was no apparent leak, but we found icky gooey things and major calcium buildup. In the words of my mom, “I can’t tell it bad enough.” Both of us were appalled and decided that just because the appliance still worked didn’t mean it wasn’t time for a new one! Although the dishwasher still functioned and the exterior looked great, the hidden workings of it were disgusting and  unacceptable. It reminds me of Phyllis Diller’s standup comedy when she said her oven was so dirty she could only bake one cupcake at a time.

Jesus had a few things to say about washing the dishes. He was emphasizing that true righteousness and authenticity come from within, not in outward appearances. He was not pleased with how the teachers of religious law and Pharisees were conducting their lives. “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You clean the outside of the cup and dish. But on the inside you are full of greed. You only want to satisfy yourselves” (Matthew 23:25 NIRV). This scripture is a serious call for all believers to continually examine our hearts and motives rather than focusing only on our  actions. Genuine inner purity and integrity is more important than outer actions.

My family and some friends recently attended a Christian comedian show together. A few of us in the combined group didn’t know each other, so there were some introductions before the show started. My friend, Tami, looked at my son and adamantly said, “He looks like you!“ I said, “Yeah, it’s the beard.“

It’s been said that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Outward appearances are not a reliable indication of the true character of someone. I find it interesting that the way an individual looks can be revealing or misleading. Generally speaking, we’re all too quick to judge by first impressions. The following is a personal incident dating back to 1979 when I worked in Springfield. I hadn’t been friends with Marilyn, a coworker, very long when she came clean regarding her first impression of me. She said, “When I first saw you, I didn’t like you. I thought you were stuck-up…just by the way you walked. But when you opened your mouth, I knew you weren’t.” I thought her misconception of me, a simple country girl at heart, was fascinating. Apparently, my confident stride on the outside was mistaken for being stuck-up. But the friendly way I talked came from the inside and, thankfully, she changed her opinion after she heard my hillbilly lingo.

Jesus continues his weighty lesson on washing the dishes: “You are blind and deaf to your evil. Shouldn’t the one who cleans the outside also be concerned with cleaning the inside? You need to have more than clean dishes; you need clean hearts!” (Matthew 23:26 TPT). The inside heart is more important than outside appearances. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

The Key: Keep your heart in pristine condition for it determines whether your dishes are clean or dirty.

When people say that they are working hard to become more like Jesus, I wonder how that plays out.  How many sacrifices of their time, money and talents are necessary to meet that goal, and what is their attitude as they strive to get there?  It took me years to realize that I cannot “do” enough to be Christ-like.  What I can do is “Behold” Jesus by “Being” with him, and then God will help me surrender and “Become” like him. Personally, I’m thrilled that this is God’s job and not mine.  It would be yet another thing at which I fail miserably.

I recently heard a pastor say that surrender cannot happen without transformation, but don’t I need to surrender so that God helps me be transformed?   I cannot undo my addictions or my propensity to anger or my selfishness or my desire to not forgive until I surrender my right to do as I please…which means I would be transformed, right? As long as I crave control, I have no chance of becoming like Jesus because that craving is rooted in my pride and my desire to be in charge instead of allowing God to run my show.

The story in the Bible about the Tower of Babel is applicable today.  “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…” Get that?  Not for “God” but for “ourselves.”  How many of us seek self-importance instead of allowing God to be the important One in our lives?  We strive to acquire more.  More power.  More money.  More respect.  More happiness.

More. More. More. Meanwhile, there is only striving and no surrender, no transformation.

In Philippians 3:8-14 (MSG), Paul explains how he surrendered. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him…I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself… I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.                Paul was saying that everything fails but Jesus. He’s right.  Everything we strive to accomplish or possess on earth will fade away.  Jesus won’t.  He can’t.

Sometimes, when I’m looking for stories of transformation, I Google “People whose lives were radically changed by Jesus.” Even shock-rocker Alice Cooper speaks about the difference Jesus made in his life.  The list is endless, but the results are all the same: Being with Jesus transforms lives.

How do I know if I’ve surrendered?  If I’ve been transformed?  I will have unspeakable joy and peace and know that life is not about me.  Rather, it’s about the One who created me, the One Who wants me to Be with Jesus so that He will make me Become like him.

In truth, my job is the easy one.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

I prepared a nice home-cooked meal for our family on Easter. However, I wimped out on making the dessert when I spotted a dozen beautifully-decorated cupcakes at the store. They looked delicious and my sweet tooth started begging, so I purchased them. After our dinner, I placed the cupcakes on the table and all of the adults “passed.” When I asked why nobody ate one, my honest son-in-law responded, “They’re not homemade.“ (My son and daughter didn’t say a word.) When I tried to eat mine, I knew what Levi meant. The cupcake was really pretty and luscious looking, but the frosting tasted like it was made from used motor oil. I won’t do that again. We’ve all heard that “looks can be deceiving.” Those cupcakes were guilty of first-degree deceit.

Before Saul became king of Israel, he was described as “a choice and handsome man, and there was not a better-looking man among the children of Israel. From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people“ (1 Samuel 9:2 MEV). The Israelites insisted on having a king like the other nations (which was an insult to God). When the prophet Samuel proclaimed Saul as king, he told the people, “…Truly there is none like him among all the people“ (1 Samuel 10:24 MEV).

King Saul had the outer qualities and looks of a great ruler. And even though he was taller than all the other men, in matters of the heart, he came up short. He failed his first commission by performing the burnt offering instead of waiting for Samuel to offer it. Saul had a tragic long list of disobedience to God, making rash oaths and stupid decisions without seeking God. Saul was jealous, suspicious, paranoid, and afraid of David because God was with him but had departed from Saul. While David was playing music to soothe the king, Saul attempted to pin him to the wall with his spear. Simply stated, King Saul operated in a deranged state. He looked the part of a king, but his heart was an ugly mess.

We often describe people by their outward appearance, e.g., “She’s long, lean, and lanky. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. She‘s ugly as a mud fence. He could stop an eight-day clock.” The Bible specifically describes a giant in 1 Chronicles 20:6 NLT, “there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.” The Bible doesn’t mention it, but I imagine this giant was probably hairy and ugly too.

In matters of the heart, we can often be mistaken about others. People can’t see what’s in your heart — they can only see what you do. Only God truly knows the heart of a man/woman. Nevertheless, we often describe people by their actions, e.g., “She has a good heart. He has a heart the size of a washtub.” The real truth of how handsome or pretty someone is has to do with his/her heart condition. Even though Mom’s gone, I hear her words of wisdom echoing in my mind: “Pretty is as pretty does.” I’m thankful she kept hammering this proverb into my head — which explains why it’s so lumpy.

God alone knows each human heart. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart‘” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). Let’s do our part to have a beautiful heart.

The Key: It’s OK to be hairy and homely as long as your heart is pure and pretty.

I should have spoken up.  At least then, the long-term damage might have been minimized.  Instead, I chose to stay silent.

No excuse.

While in Walmart this week, I was in the toy section when I overheard a mother in the next aisle holding her ground against her demanding daughter who insisted on getting a toy.  She was reminded that she had “hundreds” of toys at home that she never even played with, so she was not going to get another one.  “I am not buying you that doll.  You have dozens of them already.”  The whining continued, but the mother held her ground.  Yea, Mom!

When they ventured down my aisle, I was surprised to see that this was no toddler.  She was, perhaps, four or five years old.  As more things were pulled from the shelf, the youngster imploring her parent that she “needed” this or “needed” that, Mom held firm.

Tell her that you are proud of her for not allowing her daughter to win, I told myself.  Tell her.  The voice in my head persisted, but I said nothing.

You know what happened next.  As I checked out, the mom/daughter duo pulled their cart up next to mine.  Four toys (one, a doll) sat alongside a quart of milk and a loaf of bread.

NOOOOOOO, I wanted to scream.  Why did you give in to her?  You are creating a monster, a spoiled, “‘No’ doesn’t mean ‘No’” monster.  Of course, you probably already have asked yourself why this mother even brought her child into the toy section if she had no intention of buying her anything.  No doubt, this was not their first Walmart, toy story experience.

What is so hard about having our “no” mean “no” and our “yes” mean “yes”?  The Bible actually addresses that in Matthew 5:37: Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.                                

Our words matter; they should be reliable and sufficient. This scripture does not mean that adding words to our “yes” or “no” is demonic.  Verse 37 simply explains the verses preceding it in which Jesus is saying that we should not swear at all.  We should not have to “swear to God” or “cross my fingers, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye” or even “pinky promise.”

How many times have you heard a parent say, “How many times do I have to tell you…”?  Oh, I don’t know, Parent, probably as many times as you’re going to say it before you, in exasperation, start yelling or smacking or simply give in.  And we wonder why kids become entitled brats.

Proverbs 3:12 tells us that the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.  Discipline is necessary, Readers, and I have to believe that the easiest way to teach our children right from wrong is to say what we mean and mean what we say.  If we’re going to say “No,” our “No” should have no Plan B.  Start early, and the lesson will be much less painful.

In “Empowering Parents.com,” several suggestions are given to make sure our kids do not grow up entitled.  Here are three:

1.  Don’t get pulled into fights with your child.

2.  Know that parenting is not a popularity contest.

3.  Saying “No” to your child takes practice.

Any one of those would have prevented what I witnessed in Walmart.  Not only would the child have learned some discipline, the mom would have as well.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

When I moved out of the house, right before I turned 19, Dad gave me a hammer. This was not just any ordinary hammer; it was one of his that had broken off five inches below the eye. Rather than discard it, he had kept it around. Forty-seven years later, I still have and use this hammer every time I hang a piece of décor. I love this special tool because it perfectly fits in my hand and doesn’t weigh as much as a normal one, enabling me to use it easier. I like to share the story of the weird short hammer to those who see me use it.

Dad believed in me and I, in turn, believed in him. The Saturday in 1967, when my folks took me to Springfield to shop music stores, changed my life forever. I’d been begging for a piano but I couldn’t play a lick. Dad bought a new piano for me and I was the happiest girl in the whole USA! In talking about the purchase of my piano, in his later years, Dad told me, “That was the best investment I ever made.”

Dad loved me, taught me life lessons, and instilled a love for God in my heart. He taught me how to fill the washer fluid, check the oil, and radiator level. He told me to drive with the traffic. If the temp light came on, pull over and stop. If the engine light came on, I should be able to get to a short destination. He taught me how to ride a horse, carry plenty of cash, be on time, and shine my shoes. By spending time with him, I knew him like the back of my hand.

Was he a perfect man? No. Was he the perfect dad? Maybe not — but he was perfect to me. Because of his devotion to God and faithfulness to my brother and I, he nailed the definition of a great father. “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them” (Proverbs 20:7 NLT).

It’s no surprise that fathers have a profound influence on their children. In the Old Testament, we see that some sons walked in their father’s footsteps. “Uzziah…began to rule over Judah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah had done” (2 Kings 15:1,3 NLT). “Jotham son of Uzziah began to rule over Judah…. Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done” (2 Kings 15:32,34 NLT).

To all the great and godly fathers with wayward children, don’t despair. As long as there’s breath, there’s prayer and hope for change. And please don’t take unwarranted blame — God gave humans a free will on purpose. Remember Adam (the first father)? In the beginning he had two sons, Cain and Able. One chose poorly and one chose righteously and both had the same father.

On April 11, 2012, I was preparing to leave, so I kissed Dad on the cheek. He immediately pulled out his billfold and handed me a ten-dollar bill and said, “Here, take this. I might need you to get me something.“ He died two days later and I still have that $10 in my billfold. The last thing he did was give.

Happy Father’s Day to all the hero dads who provide the wind beneath your children’s wings. You are essential, valued, honored, and loved as a very special blessing.

The Key: I don‘t have Dad, but I have his hammer. And that will do for now.

“Win the person, not the argument.”  I’m not sure who said that, but it’s super applicable if you want to live a Christ-like life.  That being said, it’s really, really, really hard to do.  It requires patience, unselfishness, diplomacy, compassion, kindness and humility, to list just a few attributes.

As a former debate coach (eons ago), I taught that the competitors needed to win both the judge (who hopefully would decide that the argument also had been won). Debaters entered a room and asked for the judge’s paradigm.  Novice judges (probably parents who had been guilted into judging by their children), if honest, would say that they had no idea what that meant.  Seasoned judges would say “tabula rasa,” meaning that their brain was a blank slate; they would depend upon the structure of the arguments to choose the winner and would be totally open-minded about the discussion. I’m not sure that’s possible, but it made the judge sound pretty cool.

We all know that life is not a structured debate where each person gets the same amount of time to defend, counter and question. Can you imagine disagreeing but setting the rules ahead of time?  And then sticking to the rules?  “We both get eight minutes to present our case.  Then we have three minutes to question what has been said…”

Arguments in the real world are…well, arguments, and sometimes they get heated. People interrupt.  Raise their voices.  Refuse to accept the validity of anything the other person says. My way or the highway.   Abraham Lincoln once said, “When arguing with a fool, make sure the opponent isn’t doing the exact same thing.”     Sound advice.

The Bible gives us a few examples of people who “argued” with God and won.  Moses pleaded with God not to kill the Israelites for worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32: 9-14). Abraham convinced God to save Lot’s family when God determined to destroy Sodom because of its sinfulness (Genesis 18:16-32).  When Hezekiah became ill, he begged God to save his life and was granted another 15 years (2 Kings 20:1-11).

Proverbs 15:1 is often quoted as a reminder of how to handle a disagreement.  A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.         These people in the Bible showed respect to God when they disagreed with Him. There was no name-calling, no “You have no right to talk to me that way,” no misunderstanding about Who it was with whom they were differing.                                                                                                                                                        Recently, I overheard a conversation (argument) about our presidential candidates.  My stomach turned as voices raised, interrupted, ignored facts and made attacks personal, refused to find something valuable in what the other person said, and used the “You” attack regularly.  (Sidenote: unless paying a compliment, “You” statements have the potential to be derogatory or hurtful.)  You can guess the result of this attempt at political persuasion: neither party changed his mind.

To “win the person, not the argument,” we must take a learning approach.  Decide to listen to actually learn something instead of being heard.  Be able to say, “I’ve never thought of that” or “That’s an interesting idea” or even this one: “I think we should just agree to disagree” instead of letting the discussion ruffle our feathers.  If those don’t work, just tell someone that you’re a tabula-rasa kind of person.  Chances are, that might end the argument.         

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Often I find myself so distracted that I completely forget my original intentions. Recently, while in the kitchen, I realized I’d left my water bottle on the nightstand. On my way to the bedroom, I noticed that I hadn’t fired up my computer. So I stopped to turn it on, and then I checked the weather. By then I’d forgotten about my original mission and returned to the kitchen. Then I remembered I didn’t even make it to the bedroom to retrieve my water bottle. I unintentionally aborted my own mission simply because I let myself get distracted. Like the busy woman in the middle of the staircase who got distracted, stopped to send a text, and then couldn’t figure out if she was supposed to be going up or down.

Spiritually speaking, distractions are not humorous or harmless. In the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha sent his servant Gehazi on an urgent mission. Elisha warned him not to be casual or distracted along the way. “Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face” (2 Kings 4:29 NLT). The MEV states, “Prepare yourself, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you find anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him, and lay my staff on the face of the boy.” Gehazi was not to dilly dally on the journey because the boy had died on his mother’s lap, and she had hurried to Elisha for help.  

When Elisha and the mother arrived later at the house, he found the boy dead and lying on his  bed. He entered the room, shut the door to distractions, and prayed to God. He put his face on the boy’s face and his hands on the boy’s cold hands. Then Elisha bent over the boy and his flesh warmed. He left the room and then returned, bent over him again and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. The thing that struck me while reading this account in this year’s reading was not the miraculous raising of the dead by the man of God. It was the fact that allowing certain distractions can change the outcome of our lives.

This young boy’s life could have had a much-different ending had Gehazi allowed himself to be distracted along the way to the woman’s son. This incident occurred in the Old Testament, and the topic of distractions was also candidly addressed in the New Testament. And in the 21^st century, we continue to deal with risky distractions that persistently plague our culture.

“I will guard against the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things that creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, causing it to become fruitless” (Mark 4:19). Jesus was on a mission of love and salvation  to change the world. Because He and His disciples disallowed distractions, they turned the world upside down. There was an urgency with Jesus as He stayed on task to do His Father’s will.

As full-on believers, let’s be more aware of the dangerous distractions of this world and be determined to fervently follow Jesus’ example. Life is full of intense choices and glowing opportunities, but we must honestly realize that, “I cannot do everything so I choose those things which are vital and excellent and of real value. I have wisdom and I am able to distinguish the highest and the best things for me to do” (Philippians 1:10).        

The Key:  Block distractions so you can determine if you’re going up or down.

Dave and I are dog-sitting for two pugs that belong to Dave’s daughter and her husband while they are on a business trip in the Netherlands. The dogs are nothing alike. PJ loves to play and chase her ball, and Zoe is lazy and gets excited only when her food is being prepped and placed on her eating mat.

This morning, following their breakfast and a trip to the backyard, Zoe started choking.  Instead of letting me help her, she ran.  (Seriously, who runs when they are choking?)  After a few minutes of her avoiding me, I finally caught her and began massaging her throat, probably saving her life.  She demonstrated no gratitude.

We were going to go for a walk.  PJ stood still and let me put her collar and leash on her.  Zoe refused, forcing me to chase her around the kitchen table and the dining room table and from room to room.  She, the chubbier one who needed the exercise more, refused to let me give her the protection she needed to go outside.  PJ and I left the house to a whining pooch-sister scratching to get out the front door.

Isn’t that just like us?  We who need the most spiritual discipline stubbornly run from what God knows we need and do instead what we think is best or convenient or easy.  He wants us to use our gifts to honor Him, but we think first of how those gifts can make our lives better.              What’s in it for me?

There are few parables more popular than the prodigal son.  Tired of the doldrums of living under his parents’ rules, he asks his father for his inheritance and do-si-do’s out of town.  I love how the father, knowing this would be a huge mistake, still gives his boy just what he asks for. The wayward son wastes all of his money and ends up living in a pig stye so decides to return to his father and repent, hoping to be accepted as a servant. However, his father, upon seeing his younger son, celebrates his return and treats him like royalty.  The parallel to our Heavenly Father is obvious. Too bad we don’t learn from this parable.

Why is it we have such a hard time yielding to what God knows we need and instead, like the prodigal son, think we know better?  A little gossip can’t hurt, right?  How about the way we justify our critical spirit?  Or fail to tithe for one of a dozen reasons?  Or wait for someone to edify us before we say an encouraging word to them? Or refuse to show mercy? What about this one: “I just don’t feel like it?”                                                                                                                        Yikes!

Sadly, Zoe offers a lesson to all of us.  When we are in trouble, we need to run into the arms of our Heavenly Father and not turn our backs on him, thinking we know better. It’s not a fun way to be left behind.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

I was praying early one morning while it was still dark outside. I was talking to God and sharing the desire of my heart to know Him better, climb up higher in my spiritual walk, and to lean on His grace to beat down occasional anxiety. The Lord reminded me that I don’t have to be perfect and always have it all together in order to help and encourage others. My personal experience with struggles and triumphs enables me to gently empathize and pray fervently for others who are in the same boat. This concept rings true for any follower of Christ.

I have walked barefoot through rocky places of loss and sorrow, but I’ve also experienced the supernatural grace and peace that comes from my heavenly Father. God carried me with unseen arms through the gut-wrenching journey of grief. God’s Word communicates to us that Jesus experienced everything we experience in our lives. “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). This passage gives us hope to not drop anchor, but to set our sails for a perfect docking when our journey is completed.

As long as mankind resides on planet earth, we will have both rough and smooth sailing  experiences. Heaven is perfect; earth is not. When Jesus was with the Father in heaven, everything was perfect for Him. But when He came to earth as a babe and grew to be a man, His life changed dramatically. “He [Jesus] was despised and rejected — a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT).

Perhaps believers should ask ourselves if we’re guilty of turning and looking the other way when we are aware that someone is going through stormy winds. I know many of us have good intentions to reach out and make the call, send the card, or drop by for a quick visit. Many roads are paved with good intentions. Sadly, I’ve been guilty of  procrastination and it was disappointing for both parties. Learning the hard way is a hard way to learn. Learning to practice prompt obedience to God’s leading is the better way.

Jesus was in the same boat with His disciples when a raging storm hit the lake. They  called out for help, so Jesus rebuked the storm and it instantly became calm. If Jesus has ever calmed your personal storm, you can “pay it forward.” “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God (Who is the Source of every comfort, consolation and encouragement) Who comforts (consoles and encourages) me in every trouble (calamity and affliction) so that I may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort with which I myself am comforted by God“ (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 AMP). In becoming more like Christ, believers will naturally turn our attention to the needs of others. May our  empathy run deep so we can weep with hurting people and gently guide them back to their place of joy and trust in God.

The Key: Let’s carry loved ones (in the same boat with us) until they find their sea legs.