Joy: Week 4 - Day 2
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me learn to turn to you for joy. Amen
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”
REFLECT:
Growing up, my parents gave me two life commandments that were ingrained into my mind and soul. They were “putting family first was a high priority” and the other was, “our boys are always successful.” I must confess I worked on the second more than on the first. This striving for success hit a brick wall September 22, 2002. I woke up in the middle of the night with a knife sticking in my right eve (at least that is what it felt like). I went to my office and found I could not speak coherently and was quite dizzy. I called my wife to come home and she took me to the emergency room where we found out I had a hemorrhagic stroke. I was flown to Wichita St. Francis Hospital and was released after three days to go home to recuperate. The Lord blessed me because I did not have long term residual effects from the stroke.
A friend had given me a book by Dr. David Jeremiah, A Bend in the Road, written about his study of The Psalms during his recuperation from cancer. Reading this book and the Psalms mentioned in it helped me evaluate what was important in my life and the striving for success dropped several notches on my priority list. Family and my relationship with Jesus/God raised to the top of my priorities. I resigned from my dream job in Garden City Schools and moved to Manhattan, KS to be closer to help with my grandson who was on chemotherapy, and to be near to my mother who was in failing health. My intent was to serve part time with Manhattan Christian College. God had helped me see what was most important as Paul so aptly states in the focus Scripture.
APPLY:
The focus Scripture reminds us what is important. James 4:14-15 (NLT) states, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--- it’s here for a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Lean on the Holy Spirit to guide your priorities and focus on Christ as your example.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, help me put you before anything else on my priority list. Amen