Bugs In My Coffee

I didn’t bring a coffee cup with a lid to our camping trip this weekend.  I have plenty at home, I just did not think about it.  One of the most enjoyable things for me when camping is to sit outside in the morning and stare up at the trees, birds, sky, and other elements of nature.  DEET does a pretty good job of warding off insects I am most concerned about, and for the most part I can sit outside without much to bother me. My coffee is not so lucky.

Yesterday it was bugs.  Today we added tree particles.

One thing about camping is it reminds you of the little things to be thankful for.  Usually it starts with the little things you forgot to bring, like a coffee cup with a lid.  We are using a RV with an indoor toilet and thermostat so it is not all that tough.  That’s a good thing, because my son did not pack a jacket.

So today I am thankful for jackets, coffee cups with lids, thermostats, indoor toilets, and the campfire wood the prior users of this site left behind.  And about a million other things, starting with the three humans that joined me on this trip, and the brilliantly red cardinal that just flew into the tree in front of me.

I certainly don’t intend to let a little bit of “dirty coffee” bother me much.  Besides, it was cold anyway.

Help, My Bike is Drowning!

I was reminded this afternoon about a sweet day when my daughter was about five.  We were walking around a small lake at a park with my parents and their dogs, and my daughter was riding her bike with training wheels.  My daughter ended up veering off the path, down a small hill leading to the water.  She was unable to stop and drove that bike straight into the lake.  We were right there with her and she was never in any danger.  As we plucked her quickly out of the water, her bike sunk a little deeper.  “Help,” she said, “my bike is drowning!”

Her desperate plea for her bike made me chuckle. I “rescued” her bike and got her into some dry clothes.  The poor little thing was so upset about a problem that really was not a problem at all.

I wonder how often we do the same.  Many of the things that upset us are little things when you stop to think about it.  I wonder how often God looks down at us and chuckles.  Certainly there are times that I have chuckled myself when remembering silly things from my past for which I got pretty upset.

Even our big problems are small problems to God.  When I think back to the big problems I have had in the past, I usually find myself saying “That really did work out after all, didn’t it?”

God truly is a faithful God—imagine that.

Peace in the Soul

Today I am RV camping with my family at a local state park.  This morning I am sitting in a folding chair looking out at the lake and up at the birds.  I am listening to the gentle sounds of nature—the wind blowing through the trees and the birds chirping in the distance.  For the moment, I have peace in my soul.

It does us well to take captive moments like this.  I have tasks pending at work, a difficult patient situation for which I am concerned, and challenges brewing with some extended family members.  Yet right here, in this moment, I have peace in my soul.

Jesus says “Fear not, for I am with you.”  His death on the cross was for us, so that he could come live in us.  The Holy Spirit, alive in us, has the power to do so much, and yet we let the struggles of today make us turn away.  The result is worry, fear, pain, heartache.  Right now, I have none of that, for in this moment, however short that may be, I have peace in my soul.

What worries you today?  Perhaps sitting in a quiet place, where you can stare up at nature and bask in the presence of God’s glorious creation, will help you trust Him more.  Take that memory captive, and refer back to it as often as you can.

Give It Up, I Don't Smell Good

It impresses me how persistent mosquitoes can be. While I am hiking in the woods, they fly around me looking for a tiny square inch of non-DEET covered skin. It is surprising how long they will fly in front of my glasses sniffing for a non-affected area. Just face it, mosquito, I don't smell good!

Sometimes we are no better. We hover around things we think we want but are not good for us, trying to find some narrow way in. We choose which rules to follow. We rationalize. We let the devil tempt us to keep trying. If you continue to entertain those thoughts, be prepared to get squashed like a bug.

That is why Philippians 4:8 is so important in the lives of believers. We should face the fact that our temptations "stink" and replace those thoughts with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Think of this as the biblical "sniff" test. If a thought does not have one of these attributes, we should toss it out like we would rotting garbage.  Oh, if it were just that easy!

Lets think back to the mosquitoes.  Their sting cannot be felt at first, but the effects downstream are uncomfortable, itchy, and sometimes painful.  Our "little" sins are often similar--at first they seems like no big deal, then ouch!

Dear Lord, help me get a little better each day at being able to tell which temptations are not good for me.