Moulding

 

I have a pair of shearling slippers that were a gift to me 3 years ago Christmas.  They are fleece lined and started out fitting kind of tight.  But, as time went on, my foot began to mold the fleece slippers, and they felt better and better.  After a year, they fit perfectly.  And after 3 years, they fit like an old pair of comfortable gloves.  My slippers and feet are a perfect example of Romans 12:1&2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  My feet are doing the transforming and the slippers are being conformed.  May I be conformed to the image of the dear Lord today, is my prayer.

Little Choices

 

Life is made up of little decisions that seem to be insignificant but can have tremendous consequences.  here is a great example: I know this isn’t the way that you should do things, but this is how it happened to me:  When I was a senior in high school in 1967, my dad encouraged me to go to college.  I had a pastor who attended Tennessee Temple College, and I had a cousin who attended Bob Jones University.  Both good schools.  I got applications from both schools, but I couldn’t decide which one to choose.  The application fee was $25 for Bob Jones and the application fee was $10 for Tennessee Temple, so I chose Tennessee Temple.  At Temple I met my wife, who was from Michigan.  I had never been to Michigan, and otherwise, would never have met her.  We had four children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild (so far).  And all of this was because of a little decision that I made one evening in 1967!  If I had decided to attend the other college, the trajectory of my whole life would have been different.  Solomon said in Proverbs 3:5&6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  I am so glad that God directed my path to Tennessee Temple, where I joined the Concert choir where I met my future wife, Kathy.  Hey, God has continued to direct my steps in a wonderful way!  Let God direct your steps.  He will!

Band-Aids

 

I was late for cardiac rehab Monday morning, and you’ll never guess why: it took me extra time to put the Band-Aids on all of my cuts and abrasions from caving Saturday.  The nastiness of caving makes little cuts red and inflamed. Neosporin is the only solution, and a Band-Aid is needed to keep the Neosporin covered and in place.  I had a scrape on my anklebone, a nick on my right knee, and another scrape on my left forearm.  The stitches on my right finger rounded out my collection.  And no, I’m not clumsy.  It’s just that the cave environment causes scratches and incubates bacterial growth.  Normally, my body quietly heals daily scrapes and nicks using the antibacterial properties of sunlight to sterilize my skin.  But nasty cave bacteria can get a foothold without sunlight’s help.  Hey, that’ll preach!  Like nasty cave bacteria, self-reformation relies on human effort rather than God's grace.  It leads to pride, false spirituality, and ultimate rejection of the Savior.  True change requires divine regeneration rather than mere outward cleanup.  Paul said in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Hey, let the Lord do the work today.  Let the Neosporin of the Holy Spirit keep you safe.  You need the Lord today; it’s nasty out there!