Diane Mickler's Blog

I delight to do Your will! Psalms 40:8

This past week,my sisters and our husbands spent the weekend at Kathy’s lake house. It wasn’t the usual chaos of children and grand children, but rather the six of us and two old (but extremely loved) dogs.

We weren’t constantly doing the obedience training that just comes naturally when children and adults are together, but rather, we just relaxed and took in the scenery and enjoyed catching up.

The two sweet old dogs who are the epitome of obedience training just sat by us, listened, and slept in the shade. It is the obedience that is born of a loving relationship that drives their respect and love for us, not the obedience born of punishment, obligation or rewards.

In our case, we rescued our dog from an organization, but in actuality he rescued us. He came to us already knowing the obedience commands, having a loving spirit, and a heart ready to give love and affection. Unlike some other dogs who might have been abused, he evidently had loving obedience training, and he is a joy!

Ruth Graham once wrote: “Tonight as I sit on the porch, our old German Sheperd dog lying at my feet, thunder rumbles in the distance. As the storm nears, he tears into the front yard to meet it, furiously doing battle. As it passes, he returns to the porch convinced that he has driven it away.

He’s a German guard dog, carefully trained in search and rescue, attack and obedience. Search and rescue in these mountains can come in handy. I can’t imagine an occasion on which I would give the order to attack, but a well trained dog can sense hostility or spot a weapon (even what resembles a weapon), in which case it’s a wise person who freezes in their tracks.

It’s the obedience training that gives real joy. To stop, to sit, to heel, to lie down, to search, or to stay. A disobedient dog is not only a liability, but he can be a headache. Obedience makes a dog a joy.”

It is the same way with God and His children. There are some of us who have been trained in attack. Nobody likes to talk about them, but we may know a few because they are well skilled in it. These people are always eager to lift themselves up while degrading the actions of others.

Then there are those of us who are trained in search and rescue. These are the people who minister to those around them who need a helping hand, a kind word, or a gentle touch. These are the folks who make sandwiches, pack food kits, and serve meals to those in need.

Finally, there are the folks who have been trained in obedience. These are those who offer simple obedience to God, and these must give him a lot of pleasure. Those who offer joyful, eager, unquestioning obedience are a joy!

When we walk in obedience to God, we align our daily choices, words, and actions with His out of our love and trust, not our fear or obligation. It is a step by step journey of surrender rather than a rigid list of rules.

There are four things I believe will help us show our obedience to God. First, love others selflessly. Just like our dogs love us unconditionally, be of that same mind with others.

Next, give up things you know are wrong. Give up habits and actions that go against God’s teachings.

Then, help those who are poor, sick, or lonely. There are many organizations who need an obedient servant.

Finally, remember to follow God’s teachings in the everyday choices, routines, and thoughts. Be obedient in the small things as well as the major life choices.

The hymn Trust and Obey came from the simple, spontaneous testimony of a young man during a revival meeting in Brockton, Massachusetts in 1886 led by the evangelist Dwight L. Moody. The song leader, Daniel Towner, wrote down his single sentence: “I am not quite sure, but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.” These words were sent to his friend, John Sammis, a Presbyterian minister, who wrote the hymn, Trust And Obey.

When we walk with the Lord In the light of His word; What a glory He sheds on our way. While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.

Obedience training brings us closer to God while empowering us to live life victoriously. It opens doors for God to move in miraculous and powerful ways in our lives.

Fix your attitude on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

In 1977,Jimmy Buffett came out with the song, Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude, which expressed his opinion that changes in scenery can actually change our attitudes and reduce the stress of every day life. He believed that one’s physical location could actually help people relax and let go of rigid expectations. I have to agree, but not all of us are able to change latitude in order to change our attitudes in this life, so we are left to work on our attitudes wherever life finds us.

Attitude is defined as a manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one’s disposition or opinion. Our attitudes can be socially acceptable and good, or they may send strong signals to those around us that it might not be a good day to disagree.

Last week my attitude had deteriorated after dealing with the AI operator at different offices where I needed assistance. So, I decided to make a visit in person to secure the necessary forms I needed. When I entered the elevator, there were two young ladies already in there. They took one look at my face, and one of them pulled out what I thought was a deck of cards, spread them out face down in her hands, and asked me to take one.

I thought they were business cards, so I tentatively took one. She then explained, “These are attitude cards designed to encourage you along your day.” At that point, I realized I had taken two, but when I tried to give one back, she said, “Oh, that’s OK. I’m sure you can use both or pass one along.” My attitude must have been worth a thousand words.

The first card I picked said, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” I can’t say my heart was really in the task at hand, but it was a thought. The second card said, “Work hard, dream big.” I took that one to mean that all my hard work at accomplishing my task would pay off? It did work at making me aware of the need for a change in attitude.

We choose our attitudes. For example, both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over over the nation’s deserts. All the vultures see is rotting meat because they thrive on that diet. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants.

The vultures live on what was. They fill their days with what is dead and gone – they live with the attitude of the past. The hummingbirds, on the other hand, greet each day with what is and what is to come. They seek new life, and they fill themselves with the attitude that shows the freshness of each new day.

We choose our attitudes. Martin Luther said, “You cannot prevent birds from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” We are responsible for guarding our minds and choosing our thoughts.

How do we get through each day with the attitude God would have us exhibit? Attitudes that fix on the things that are lovely, true, honorable, right, pure, and admirable? First, we should NOT think discouraging thoughts of doubt and hopelessness by meditating on the solution. Think positively not negatively.

Next, count your blessings each day and remember how changes in attitude can remind you how richly you are blessed.

Then, pray and ask God for an attitude adjustment. God is ready, willing and able to help if we ask.

Finally, focus on doing your part to secure a good attitude. Let God do the heavy lifting so that you can finish strong. Kathryn Lang said, “You need to change your attitude if you are going to change your world!” Amen!

Have a great attitude day!

The angel of God showed up to Moses in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it did not burn up! God saw that he had stopped to look and called to him out of the bush. “Moses,” He said, “I am right here. Exodus 3:2-4 from The Message

When God shows up in scripture, everything changes. His presence brings comfort, power, and transformation turning fear into courage and despair into hope. If He showed up then, as a burning bush, a soft whisper, or a light from heaven, does He still show up today? If so, how do we recognize Him?

Last week as I was lamenting the fact that I see very few of my old buddies from the pool, a new guy showed up while I was exercising. He just sat down by the pool and began to eat his watermelon slices. We said “hello”, then I went on about my exercises.

As I was wrapping up, an acquaintance from our former pool jumped in and swam a couple of laps. As he exited the pool, the other guy commented on the red, white, and blue U. S. flag bathing suit my acquaintance was wearing. The next thing I knew, they were both over by the hot tub, my old friend was in the hot tub, and the new guy was standing there at attention, saluting him while singing God Bless America to the top of his lungs.

It was odd, but it gets better. In a moment, the two of them began singing a hymn that was familiar to me, so from the pool, I began to sing along. They continued talking, and when I entered the hot tub, the new guy said, “So, I realize that you are a Christian, what’s your favorite praise song?” I said, “Well, I have many favorite hymns, but how about Great Is Thy Faithfulness“?

He nodded, looked at my old acquaintance, and they began to sing it. He invited me to join in, and in that moment, God showed up for me. Who sits in a hot tub and sings hymns in public? It was a unique experience!

They both began to talk about their individual lives as Christians, and when they heard I was a minister’s wife, they insisted we meet again and sing more hymns together. We will have to see about that, but it will forever be quite a testimony that God does show up these days!.

If you are like me, when we see our country struggling, when we see the world in a crisis, when bad things happen to good people, when our loved ones and friends are struggling with illness or depression, or when life just gets hard, you sometimes ask, “Where is God” in all this?

God shows up in the Bible in times like these. When God showed up at the Red Sea, He divided the water for his people. When God showed up at Jericho, the walls came tumbling down. When God showed up in the early church, they boldly proclaimed His gospel and many joined them.

He still shows up today when things seem hopeless. Remember the old saying, “it’s always darkest just before the dawn.” He still shows up because He understands the struggles we are facing. He still shows up because He cares.

I’m not sure if he showed up for me because He knew I needed a new perspective on things, or if He just needed a laugh, but I like to think it was because He loves every one of His children.

Across the street from the bombed out Federal Building in Oklahoma City, where 168 people died needlessly and senselessly, there stands a memorial. At the heart of that Memorial is a nine foot statue of Jesus. But, the statue is not one of a stony Jesus with arms stretched wide, like you may have seen in the Ozarks or Brazil.

No, this is a nine foot statue of Jesus with his face in His hands, turned slightly away from where the acts of terror took place. The plaque reads, “Jesus Wept. “

There are so many times when we wonder why our lives have times when things look so hopeless. When Jesus shows up, we understand how much he cares and what a difference He makes. He brings peace, a new perspective, and a new purpose.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I think that can be checked off my list!

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Proverbs 3:5-6 from The Message

A while ago, I was gifted a small box with the words, God Box, engraved on the top. It is a tiny box with a thin slot on the top to receive small pieces of paper. I have to admit that I had never seen one of these before, and I didn’t fully understand their purpose at the time.

A God Box is a physical container used as a spiritual tool to surrender worries, fears, and things you can’t control to God. You take a piece of paper, write your worry or fear on it, fold it up, and slip the paper into the slot on top. Once they are in the box, they are God’s problem, not ours.

The God Box I received was made by a friend’s father. He made them specifically for the homeless and recovering alcoholics in order to give them a way to turn all their problems over to God. This box makes it possible to admit those worries and fears and trust God to take care of them.

It might sound a little impossible, but it works, at least for me. I am a fixer. A worrier. I’ve never been able to just let things go. I want to play God sometimes, but every time I do, things go wrong.

This plain ordinary, God Box, reminds me to put my faith in God, and not in myself. Randy’s grandmother loved to talk about leaving all her burdens at the altar at church when she kneeled to pray. However, she said when she left, she picked them all up again.

Some God Boxes have a lid which can be lifted up, and one can look at the prayers that have been written, see if they’ve been answered, and decide whether to leave things alone or try to fix those prayers not yet answered.

My God box is unique because the lid does not open, so there is no way of retrieving the prayers I wrote and put inside. When I put my prayer in, I know I have to leave it there. I can’t take it physically back unless I want to destroy the box.

Most of our stress in life is caused by our need to be in control. Even after we pray and supposedly turn our problems over to God, we have trouble trusting him to handle it. I wonder how many of us put our money in the bank one morning and then stay up all night worrying about it?! We are confident that the bank will take care of our investment. God deserves our confidence that He will handle things.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a downward spiral asking, How? When? What? Where? It is in these moments, that we need to stop and hand it all over to God. Not the limited God that we sometimes think He is, but the unlimited God whose track record speaks for itself. The God whose faithfulness never fails, and the God who has earned the right to ask, “Is anything too hard for me?”

God has promised to take care of us. All we need to do is turn it all over to Him.

Make your petition deep, O heart of mine. Your God can do much more than you ask; Launch out on the Divine, Draw from His love-filled store. Trust Him with everything, begin today. And find the joy that comes when Jesus has His way. Author Unknown

And above all these, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14

The ties that bind is described thusly: “an idiom describing the shared forces, relationships or beliefs that connect people and create cohesion, loyalty, or mutual dependence.” Most of the time, these ties can include emotional, social, or familial in nature.

This past weekend, Randy and I joined with his extended family, friends, and others in a celebration of the life of his first cousin, Rusty. There are many things Randy and I have in common, but one of the most precious things is the closeness of our extended families.

As we gathered together to celebrate Rusty, the gathering was full of stories of his humor, his love of life, and his love for his family and friends. After hearing inspiring messages by his sister, brother in law, daughter and son, Randy closed it out by reminding us of the three most important ties that bind us: family, friends, and faith.

As all the cousins arrived, it was much like a sense of coming home for each of them just seeing each other. Ties that bind hold us together during times of loss and during times of joy. Even though families are scattered, the ties of childhood and the ties of memories shared bind them forever. The ties that bind.

Each of the friends who attended, many who came from other states, were eager to share their deep respect, admiration and love. They were eager to tell stories of how Rusty was supportive of them during hard times, never failed to stay in touch, and the quality time they spent doing things together. These are the ties that bind.

The faith that he shared with his family and friends was obvious in the consistent life he lived. He consistently loved life, his family, and his friends. The ties that bind.

It is never easy to face life without a person you love by your side, but there will always be the ties that bind us in heaven as well as on earth.

I love the story of John Fawcett who wrote the hymn, Blest Be The Tie That Binds! He was born in 1740 near the town of Yorkshire, England, and he was orphaned at the age of 12. John was forced to work 16 hours a day in a sweatshop, and he learned to read by candlelight during the traumatic years of his youth. He finally mastered Pilgrim’s Progress, the devotional classic by John Bunyan. He was later converted by the evangelist, George Whitfield.

He began his own ministry at a poor church in Wainsgate in northern England where the parishioners could only afford to pay him a minimal salary, partly in potatoes and wool.

After seven years, he received a call to a prestigious church in London. He accepted the call and preached his final sermon at Wainsgate. The wagons were loaded with his books and furniture, and all was ready for departure, when the parishioners gathered around him, and with tears in their eyes, begged him to stay.

His wife said, “John, I cannot bear to leave.” “Neither can I,” said John, “and we will not go!” Later, he wrote a hymn for this congregation at Winsgate entitled, Blest Be The Tie That Binds, recognizing the hands of love he knew in this congregation.

Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear, And often for each flows, the sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain, but we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

The ties that bind us are many, and whether we are here on earth or have received our reward in heaven, we are still joined in heart and will meet again.

I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they are going. I’ll be a personal guide to them directing them through unknown country. I’ll be right there showing them what roads to take so they don’t fall in the ditch. These are the things I’ll be doing for them – sticking with them – not leaving them for a minute. Isaiah 42:16 from The Message

It is amazing how many times I have heard the question lately, Where do we go from here? The L. A. Fitness in East Cobb is closing its doors permanently effective Monday. Many of us are perplexed about the reason and even more perplexed about the question, where do we go from here?

Most of us have been exercising here for well over twenty years, and we have all formed long term friendships and routines. For example, we know who swims and at what time, we know what lane they prefer, we know how to share our lanes when it’s crowded, we know the swimmers that splash us, and we know the trials, tribulations, and the celebrations of those who we see on a daily basis. The question arises among us every day, where do we go from here?

This dilemma is minor compared to those who have much bigger issues when they ask, where do we go from here? It could be the loss of a job. It could be the death of a loved one. It could be the relocation of a family. It could be a serious diagnosis of a loved one. It could be the splitting of a church, and the loss of all the things dear to the members. So, where do we go from here?

It is at these times that God reminds us that every detail of our future is already known to Him. The following story is told of a mapmaker. Centuries ago when a mapmaker ran out of the known world before he ran out of parchment, he would frequently draw a dragon at the edge of the scroll. This was intended as a sign to explorers that they were entering unknown territory at their own risk.

However, many did not regard the dragon as a mapmaker’s warning sign, but instead, as a prophecy. They foresaw disaster beyond the known worlds they traveled, and their fear kept them from pushing on to discover new lands and peoples.

Other, more adventurous travelers, however, saw the dragon as a sign of opportunity and a doorway to new worlds worth exploring. Each of us has a mental map that contains the information we need for guidance as we begin each new day and each new adventure. Sometimes, just like the maps of long ago, our mental maps can have edges to them which seem to be marked by dragons or fears.

Sometimes we fear failing , being rejected, being ridiculed, being alienated, being worried about not having enough, or being fearful of losing what we have. God reminds us in our scripture that He will take our hand, He will be our personal guide, and He will stick with us as we contemplate, where do we go from here?

In times like these, I can see in my mind’s eye God speaking to His people as they stood on the threshold of the promised land not knowing what awaited them when they went into it. The simple words, “The Lord is the one who goes before you” is the goal or strategy we need to remember every day.

After mapping out your day, and asking, where do we go from here? Commit it all to God and believe that He has gone before you to prepare the way.

As for the L.A. Fitness friends, we have confidence in the future!

We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. Proverbs 19:21 from The Message

Those of us who are old enough will probably remember the character that Gilda Radner created when she was a regular on the original Saturday Night Live in the late 1970’s. The character was a compelling lady named Rosann Rosannadanna who was a totally freaked out, zany, brash, and goofy lady. She always showed up in the television news room set giving the daily news.

As her news reports became more and more unbelievable, they usually ended with Roseann recounting some improbable disaster which would befall the subject of the news report. Then, she wrapped it all up by quoting her old nanny with these words, “It just goes to show you. It’s always something. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.”

In our everyday life, it’s easy to use the same expression, it’s always something to help us explain everything that doesn’t go according to our plan. We pray about it, and ask God to fix whatever it is, but we forget that He has His own plan.

Suffering, tests, trials, tribulations, distresses, health, finances, are all things that make Christians throw up their hands and declare, It’s always something. However, these are the things that the Christian should understand are just an ordinary part of life, and with God, what we get back is always greater than what we gave up.

Most of us are never quite satisfied with how God handles the somethings in our lives. This story is an example. A woman’s grandson was playing in the water at the beach while she stands back a bit not wanting to get her feet wet. Suddenly, a huge wave appears from nowhere and crashes directly over the spot where the boy was wading.

The water recedes, and the boy is no longer there. He just vanished! The woman holds her hands to the sky and screams, “Lord, how could you? Have I not been a wonderful mother and grandmother? Have I not given to the needy? Have I not tried to live a Christian life?”

A few minutes later another huge wave appears out of nowhere and crashes on the beach. As the water recedes, the boy is standing there smiling and splashing around as it nothing had happened.

A loud voice booms, “Okay, I have returned your grandson. Are you satisfied?” She responds, “He had a hat!” There is always something.

We all have those times when we think there’s no way this situation we are facing will end well. Things can get tough, and we are tempted to complain sometimes about our lot in life, but it is at this time that we need to remind ourselves that each day of our life is a gift from God. We will never have this day again, so instead of muttering, it’s always something, try vowing just for today I will... Here are some suggestions.

Just for today, I vow to experience and enjoy each hour to the fullest and not try to tackle all life’s problems at once. Just for today, I will be agreeable. Just for today, I won’t find fault or try to change or improve anyone but myself. Just for today, I will have a plan and a goal. Just for today, I won’t think it’s always something.

Just for today, I will do something for someone else and keep it a secret! Just for today, I will do something I don’t want to do. Just for today, I will make time to enjoy the little things in life. Just for today, I won’t feel guilty if I watch a Hallmark movie in the afternoon. Just for today, I will endeavor to enjoy all of God’s blessings and believe all the good things I do for His kingdom will return to me many times over.

It’s a great idea to look for all the positives in life, but it’s even better to choose to believe that each day is a blessing. and each day is a great opportunity to bless someone’s life.

It’s always something, but let’s make it something good!

.Lord for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray. Keep me, my Father from the stain of sin, just for today. Help me to labor earnestly and duly pray; Let me be kind in word and deed, Just for today. Jeff Mowery

This fundamental fact of this existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything which makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Hebrews 11:1 The Message

Just yesterday we paused to celebrate our Fathers, and I couldn’t help but think of some of my favorite guys who are not only excellent fathers, but faithful men as well. Each of them has contributed and continues to contribute to the spiritual course of our family!

I enjoy watching the old tv series like Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, and of course, The Andy Griffith Show because the shows depict the world in which I grew up. Each show depicts a father in a different light – a dad who arrives home in a suit carrying a briefcase, a single dad raising three boys alone, and my favorite, a hard working dad who loves his Lord and always makes time for his family.

On a recent episode, Andy and Opie were sitting on the front porch on a Sunday afternoon while Aunt Bee was making home made ice cream. Opie looks at Andy and says, “Pa, I hope you don’t mind if I tell you about something that happened.” Andy gives him his full attention and asks, “What is it, Opie?”

“Well,” says Opie, “Mrs. Gilbert’s kitchen window got broken.” Andy pauses and says, “Well, I guess you did that.” Opie nods. “Well then,” Andy continues, “I hope you don’t mind if I tell you that you won’t get any more of your allowance until that window is paid.” Opie nods and says, “Yes, Pa.” They smile at each other and go to get ice cream! A perfect example of a father who has passed down to his son his faith, beliefs, and discipline.

This kind of father is likened to the ones who had enough faith in their Lord to sacrifice everything for this new country two hundred and fifty years ago. They trusted God to give them the strength, courage, fortitude, and vision to fight for freedom for these United States.

Now, we are gearing up to celebrate two hundred and fifty years of the United States of America! As a country, do we have the Faith of our Fathers to carry this country forward with the same strength, courage, fortitude, and vision that was entrusted to us?

Most of us in this country today are standing on the shoulders of those praying, believing, and steadfast Fathers that have come before us. Their unshakeable faith in times of hardship, their prayers at night, and their commitment to truth are examples that have shaped our lives more than any words that were ever spoken.

The faith of these fathers of our country provided strength in trials, hope in chaos, and direction in confusion. There are some qualities of those early Fathers of our country that we must embody and pass on.

First, these fathers of faith, obeyed God’s call and possessed a faith that moved forward in response to divine instruction. They never delayed when God spoke to them.

Next, these fathers of faith stood firm under pressure. They were not shaken by setbacks as they pursued the goal of freedom, but rather put on the full armor of God to move this country forward.

Finally, these fathers of faith cultivated a personal walk with God even amidst sacrifices. They passed on this faith to our country, and it is their greatest legacy.

The faith of our fathers is a foundation upon which this country was built these many years ago. The legacy of faith is the greatest inheritance we can pass on to the next generation, and it will last beyond time into eternity.

As we begin the preparation, remember the words of the song, Faith of our Fathers written by Frederick William Faber.

Faith of our Fathers living still, in spite of dungeon, fire or sword. O how our hearts beat high with joy, when ere we hear that glorious word. Faith of our Fathers, holy faith. We will be true to thee till death.

God Bless America!

Do not worry! Matthew 6:31

There are several friends of ours who love to do jigsaw puzzles. In fact, they enjoy them so much, that there is constantly a partially solved puzzle on a table in their homes with the missing pieces scattered all around!

I am not great at the huge jigsaw puzzles, but occasionally, while standing there, I try to find the correct piece to add just for fun! If I can see the picture on the box, I have a much better chance of getting the piece to fit. At this particular house; however, the box with the picture on it was not there! Suddenly, I had no hope of getting this one in the right place!

Life is a lot like trying to put a puzzle together without the finished picture. When things happen, we tend to do one of two things: we either blow the whole situation out of proportion, or we look at it as “no big deal!” I’ve heard these called “awfulizing or minimizing.”

In the course of our life in the ministry, I tended to be the one who awfulized a lot! Our very first parsonage was in the small town of Newborn, Ga which is a “suburb” of Covington. The house was built in 1848, was there during the Civil War, and was the birthplace of Charles Allen a famous minister.

In those days, the minister’s family did not see the parsonage before moving day. When I opened the front door on that June day in 1978, I began “awfulizing.” Needless to say I could not see the big picture.

When my parents arrived to help us move in, my mother opened the door, and immediately burst into tears! I got my “awfulizing” honestly. She didn’t see the big picture either.

After several months of “awfulizing” during which time the kitchen sink fell in, a brick from the fireplace fell into the den, and we did a lot of cleaning and crying, we finally invited the parsonage committee to come take a tour of the church’s house! We wanted to show them the big picture!

It turns out, they had no idea of the state of this parsonage! The men on the committee immediately wanted to fix everything, the women wanted to get all new furniture plus a washer, dryer, and dishwasher which we had been without. They saw the big picture, and we were able to work together.

God subtly taught me that this wasn’t about having everything we needed when we needed it, but rather teaching me how to trust Him and wait for Him to reveal the big picture. These people became our family, and some of my most precious memories are of them and this church.

As humans, we have a limited understanding of God’s big picture of our lives. Without His assistance..we never will. People today have a tendency to try and figure out why things happen as they do using our own thoughts and theories. If we want to understand the big picture, we have to go to the one who created the puzzle in the first place.

The truth is “awfulizing” and “minimizing” never go away. Just like worry, it plagues us constantly. When one issue is resolved, there is always another one waiting to take its place. It’s a fact of life, and we can’t change it.

We can only comprehend so much about God and His plans. Does anyone know where they will be in 5 years, how about next year, next month, next week, or tomorrow? We can make our plans, but who knows if they will fit into God’s big picture. We must trust Him.

Thankfully, God is a God that is unlimited. He isn’t held to time. He isn’t held to place. He knows all about the plans for our big picture – He even created it. The grace of God that brought us through the last “awfulizing” situation will be with us in the next one, and the next one.

We all have a tendency to worry about the future. Whether it’s money, relationships, or the state of the world, we worry about uncertainties instead of letting God show us our big picture in His time.

There’s a story about Death walking toward a city, and a man stopped him and asked, “What are you doing to do?” Death said, “I am going to kill ten thousand people.”

As the days passed, the man warned everyone he could think of about Death’s plan. At the end of the day, the man saw Death again and said, “You said you were going to kill ten thousand people, and yet seventy thousand died.” Death replied, “I killed only ten thousand. Worry and fear killed the rest.” 1502

Notice what Jesus said about the things we worry or “awfulize” over most: Do not worry. Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Proverbs 31:33

God’s plan for each of us is perfect because He has the ultimate perspective.. The big picture is in His hands. We just need to watch while He finishes the puzzle!

So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

One of the most helpless feelings in the world is to be driving in a sparsely populated area and notice that the gas gauge is almost on empty! No gas stations in sight! You wonder how in the world you ignored the gauge when there were plenty of gas stations around? Nobody likes to be running on empty in that situation.

Just before World War II at the Tournament of Roses parade, the Standard Oil Company had a beautiful float entered in the parade. It was covered in red roses. The theme that year was, “Be Prepared.” In the middle of the parade, the oil company’s float came to a screeching halt and the rest of the parade stopped with it!

What happened? The float committee which had, spent countless hours making sure every flower was in place, which had spent literally days making sure that the music was just right, that the sound system was adequate for the task, had simply forgotten to fill the float engine with enough gas. That’s right, the Chevron oil and gas company float had run out of gas! It was running on empty!

The directors of the Chevron float had done everything well, but they had neglected to use their company’s vast resources of oil. They had neglected to do the one thing needed to finish the work of that day. The parade waited while somebody ran to get a gallon of gas.

There are times in this life when we might feel that we are running on empty. There are times when the unexpected circumstances of life take all our energy and leave us feeling empty. It can be spiritual, emotional, or physical depletion that can leave us feeling exhausted, confused, and just basically wiped out.

Forrest Gump ran, just because he liked running, for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours across America. Maybe for sometime now, we are like Forrest Gump, just going through the motions, with no meaning or purpose. We do it just because we think it’s what we are supposed to do. We are running on empty.

The late Adrian Rogers once shared how we live our lives like a car. We fill up the tank and take off never thinking of our need for fuel/power again until we are running on fumes and the tank is empty.

This life is not easy, there is so much pain, suffering, heart break, and sickness that we forget to remind ourselves that every day is a gift from God that we will never have again. I think God would have us fill up our tank every day by remembering the value of this day. Don’t run on empty.

First, resolve to experience and enjoy each day and try not to tackle our whole life’s problems in one day. Next, be agreeable. Try to be courteous and considerate of everyone in your path. Don’t run over those who might be running on empty.

Then, try to have a plan and a goal for the day. We might not follow it exactly, but have one anyway. Having a plan and a goal will save us from two of the most bothersome enemies – hurry and indecision.

Finally, don’t be afraid to love or risk. Endeavor to enjoy all of God’s blessings and believe that every seed we sow in God’s kingdom will be multiplied back to us many times over.

When we let ourselves run on empty, it’s like working outside God’s will for us. We wear ourselves out and end up having nothing to show for all our efforts.

We get out tank filled when we allow ourselves to stop, renew our fellowship with God, and allow Him to direct us.

God knows how draining life can be, so don’t run on empty -remember to fill up!