Twice A Day: Refreshing

"The whole earth is filled at awe at your wonders;
 where morning dawns, where evening fades,
 you call forth songs of joy." Psalm 65:8 

   We often miss what God has prepared for us because we are so busy falling into the trap of distractions.
We miss out on our relationship with him or the beauty of his wonders or the joy of the Lord in our daily lives. When we take the bait of satan, we miss out on God's perfect gifts for us. The quality of  our lives should not be exchanged for the busyness in our lives. 

   Sometimes just sitting still can be a challenge, but one worth taking. "Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God." Psalm 46:10  If you're like me, slowing down your body isn't so hard. You run the kids around or work all day,  you come home and make dinner, clean up, getting everyone to bed and then your body is ready to give up. Sometimes my mind isn't though, it just keeps on going while I lay awake thinking of all things I didn't get done. So I find a distraction, read a book or put on a tv show to fall asleep to. In that busy day there is little time to "Be Still and Know God." 

   Other times we are distracted by the pursuit of what we do not possess; money, entertainment, material things, relationships, and anything to fill the void or emptiness in our souls.

Set Your Hearts and Minds on Things Above

      Close calls on a tractor are not fun and usually occur when you stop focusing 100% on your task. Determined to shake a clump of dirt off a 1500# round bale using the front loader lever, the round bale that balanced out in front of the tractor on a three prong spike bounced causing the tractor to tilt slightly. A  chain reaction occured causing the tractor to bounce on it's large, air inflated tires as it came off the ground a second time and then a third rippling to a stop. I, having neglected to put on my seatbelt in the name of efficiency, bounced up off the tractor seat several times before coming to a stop. My heart raced and I recall thanking God several times that the tractor did not tip over. Note to self: Do not shake a large round bale with the front loader when it is on the front spike.

      The incident renewed my sense of vertigo until just driving the tractor along the field caused my stomach to cramp and a fear of the tractor tipping over every time I hit a small bump in my path. I had one more bale to lift and put over the fence for the horses. I had to move forward. I prayed. I remembered a horse riding lesson I had a few summers ago. I was experiencing vertigo and my instructor told me it was because I was looking down at the horse and not where I was going. "Look between the horses ears and keep your eyes focused on where you are going."

      I realized I was watching the tractor's tires to make sure they were solid on the ground. My focus was in the wrong place. I saw every bump and bounce as I made my way down the field road to pick up another bale. The bumps and bounces made me even more nervous. I looked up toward the stack of round bales in front of me and took a deep breath. "Look between the horses ears and keep your eyes focused on where you are going," I told myself. It worked. When I focused on the bales on the other side of the field, driving straight toward them the tractor felt level, solid, and my vertigo subsided.

     "Set your minds on things above," we are instructed in Colossians 3:2, "not on earthly things." When the path you are on gets bumpy, keep your focus on things above not on the bumps and bounces. We are not of this world but are ambassadors to this world from heaven. We pray directly to the throne of the almighty and He hears our prays. He knows our hearts and comforts us. He guides us and instructs us and gives us all we need to walk solidly and securely along our path if we keep our focus in the right place. "Since then you have been raised in Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God  (Colossians 3:1)."