What We Think About

       If we could count how many things we think about each day, would it amount to hundreds or thousands?  I’m not sure, but I do know the list of things we do not think about far exceeds those things we do think about.  For instance, I don’t often think about sewers, or light bulbs, or shelves, or carpets, or seesaws, or sailboats, and on and on.

       So, why don’t I think about these many things?  It is because they are not important to my life most of the time.  Yes, on rare occasions they come to mind, but for the most part they are trivial and not worth my attention.  On the contrary, people (most especially my relationships), finances, household issues, and schools etc. are frequently on my mind.  It is because I consider them important to me that I think of them most often.

       This logic is critical in realizing how important we are to God.  He WANTS to be part of our lives, and it shows in His thoughts of us.  David understood this, and so should we.

How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly!  I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me.  And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!  (Ps. 139:17,18 TLB)

       You and I are just as important to the Lord as David was.*  He loves us so much that we are constantly on His mind!  ‘Constantly’ means He has a LOT of thoughts about us.  Now consider how often He thinks of each of us multiplied by the amount of people He thinks of.  I can’t even imagine how He is able to do it, I only know He is God and able to exceed all our expectations.

       ‘If I should count them, they are more than the sand;’ is the literal translation of verse 18a.  I wouldn’t want to attempt to count sand (would anyone?), yet David says the Lord thinks of Him that often.  So, just by the amount of times the Lord thinks of us in a day, we can logically assume He considers us important to Him.  And if that isn’t enough, the Lord resumes His thinking of us first thing the next day.  Wow, the God of all creation, the universe and us, is thinking about us… constantly.  What love He must have for us!

*God is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34)  

One of Those Days

       It was one of those days.  My day started with three and a half hours of broken sleep followed by a long drive over three hours, computer software lessons of about seven hours that filled my head to overflowing, the long drive back home (a short nap in the van though J) and finally I was able to rest.  My head is still swimming with information- that I was very glad to learn- but I’ve never been good with days like today.

       Tiredness overtakes my body, but it’s a good tiredness, and I look forward to diving under the covers of my bed, reading a bit of The Word, and laying my head down to relax away the brain strain of the day.  All I feel is gratefulness.

-My nose is stuffed because of allergies, but I will be able to go and get my shot to help tomorrow- and one whole nostril is clear for breathing- yeeha!

-I was able to go and learn something new that will allow me to help others (which I love to do) and work in an area I enjoy in my local church- and my head did NOT blow up! J

-We had no big traffic problems, and with hundreds of people on the road, that is a miracle in itself.

-Tomorrow I visit my dentist and my doctor who will help me to remain healthy- where else in the world can you access affordable healthcare in this way?

-I have a house to shelter in and warm bed to crawl into… and the most amazing pillow I hope to never lose!

-Thoughts of friends and family bring a smile to my lips, and even though some of them are far away L, I know for the most part they are fairly safe in this country, and I am likely to see them again.

-Best of all, the One who loves me most is with me now; He will be with me through the night, watching over me as I dream, and will be waiting for me in the morning to start a brand new day together.

Like I said, I am so very grateful.

Lord, thank You for this life.

Finding Your Way in the Dark

       Before we left I had drawn out a map of the roads we needed to take to get to the cottage from the nearest city.  To help, I added the km’s between all the road changes with the help of Google Earth and the ruler feature.  It would be night and very dark before I would fully appreciate that map with its information.  You see, we planned to get there well before nightfall, but for several reasons we were held up and so it was very dark by the time we entered unfamiliar territory.  The roads were narrow and winding (so dark I could hardly see their edges even with my high beams) with signs up for potential moose making me tense and uncomfortable while driving. 

       It was slower going than I thought but eventually we found the final road and breathed a sigh of relief… until we realized it was dark so we couldn’t see the signs of the cottages or my sister’s car, and we weren’t given the number of the place.  When we were getting close to the km’s we expected to drive, we realized we might have to drive into every driveway to find her red car, but then we saw it parked at the end of a driveway with her personalized license plate.  What a relief it was to know we reached our destination and could finally rest!

       That map and the car at the end of the journey were the main things to help us find our way in the dark.  We have very similar items to get us through to our destination while on this journey through the darkness of this earth.

       First, we have the Bible, our map, full of wisdom and information needed to make our journey successful. (2 Tim. 3:16,17)  In it, we find out the truth about needing Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our salvation, and if we respond to that truth, then we learn: to know Him (John 17:3), to live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) and be one with the Lord (John 17:21).  The Word can be used to guide us on His paths, keep us in His ways, and it will light our path (Ps. 119:9,101,105).

       The red car in front of us was like the Lord Himself directing us in the way we should go.  The Bible says, He is our Light (John 9:5), He both precedes and follows us (Ps. 139:5) and He is with us no matter where or how far we go (Ps. 139:7-10).  His Spirit, whom dwells within us (Rom. 8:11) will teach (John 14:26), lead (Gal. 5:18), guide (John 16:13) and help us (John 14:16,17) on our journey.

       It was into the darkness of this earth (Eph. 6:12) that Jesus said, “…I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12  ISV)  What a great thing to know that as we travel these dark roads of life, which are uncomfortable and treacherous at times, that Jesus our Lord and Savior will be our Light!  We can find our way because of the One who loves us!

Thank You Lord for the Word, for Your life,

and for being our Light in this ever darkening world. 

We appreciate You.