It all started innocently enough.
My wife Deb was going out with her niece Missy and I had been asked to watch 8-year-old Lochlan for the evening. Fun! Lochlan is a full-of-life little guy who like many little boys, goes through life like a whirlwind. Deb was a little concerned. As a cancer survivor, Deb never had any children and our beautiful home reflects that. Her flair for decorating and her crafting expertise have our home looking like something from a page out of “Country Living” magazine! The house is not child-proof! So Deb gave me strict orders, “Make sure Lochlan knows he can’t throw anything in the house.” “Yes, dear.”
We had a great evening together. At one point Lochlan pulled a little football out of his backpack and began playing with it. He tossed it up in the air, and like he was the NFL star on the big field, caught the football and rolled on the floor. Touchdown! Later I said, “Throw it to me!” No big deal. No danger. A little foam football. I was two feet from him. What could go wrong? We tossed back and forth a couple of times and then he let loose with a strong pass. The little football bounced off my hands and went back and broke a glass decoration on the table behind me. Oops!
It was my fault. Deb was rightly upset with me. We didn’t scold Lochlan. This was on Larry! But, his mother must have had strong words with him later and reminded him how Aunt Debbie’s house is filled with glass!
The next time they came to the house Lochlan had been warned. He walked around the house … living room, dining room, kitchen sunroom … pointing at things and saying, “Glass! Glass! Glass! Glass! Glass! Glass!”
Our lives get busy. We are rushed and battered with day-to-day living, problems, pressures, and responsibilities. Sometimes we may feel as though we are trying to catch the football of happiness. Sometimes things get broken. Hearts. Relationships. Lives. We can miss Jesus in all the details.
Sometimes in all the rush, we just need to quiet our minds from the rush and pay attention to the Lord. His presence. His miracles. His help. It is all around us! Do you see it?
Psalm 46 begins with the familiar promise, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear….” (Psalm 46:1,2 NIV), and the Psalm ends with the familiar call, “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)
Your Lord is here for you. He cares about every detail of your life. You are never alone, even and especially when the glass breaks! And if you will still your anxious heart, and open your spiritual eyes, you can look around your life and see that your Lord is present in so many ways!
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
Larry M. Dentler, CBC Executive Board
