LIFE PAGE

LIFE PAGE

Friday, August 14, 2015

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM

Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

1Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

  As you can imagine, as an elder I receive communications wonderful and woeful. I accept the fact that He has written this on my life page.

  Yesterday I received something thought provoking with it reminding me of what was, what changed, what continuing result is, and how with blessed hermeneutic insight I later saw, still see, the greater purpose.

  The tale begins in a classroom with the teacher announcing an unexpected test. On each desk is a single sheet facedown. The students are instructed to write about what they see when they turn the paper over.

  The page is all white with the exception of one small black dot.

  As with such, there were various reactions according to personality. The creative souls happily wrote much, especially those seemingly inoculated with hyperbolic needle at birth. Others scribbled in tolerant good humor or frustration, a few with anger, some with their typical stoicism.

  But all wrote with one thing in common: Everyone wrote about the black dot.

  The teacher read aloud each and every essay, and then to students’ relief announced they wouldn’t be scored. Then their instructor went on to comment that though the black dot was small, the rest of the page was white, and no student had written about the white.

  What would you have written? How do we see our life page?

  There was a time when I focused on a number of black dots, and consequently wound up under treatment for a list of gastro problems including a 10 day hospitalization. Medication and a restrictive diet got me back to work.

   It was then that a Christian mentor suggested I read Philippians 4:4-9, write it on 3x5 card and reread and ponder the Scripture every time I focused on a black dot. After a few days of this exercise Bud Bond suggested my writing Philippians 4:8 topical lists on additional 3x5 cards, and reviewing them as part of the healthful regimen.

  After years of keeping Maalox near at hand, the helpful liquid was/is relegated to medicine closet. And no longer is it necessary to know the location of every public toilet. Additionally I proved the gastroenterologists liars as I enjoy dining on their outlawed list, including my much-loved cold drinks, slaws, salads, tomatoes, peppers ……

  The Lord wants us to take advantage of His guidance and live in optimum health spirit, soul, and body; seeking and then applying His healthful Word being solely our individual and corporate free-will option. And so it has been from first deviant thought and bite.

  Sometime later I realized that God didn’t include Philippians 4:4-9 in His Word as therapeutic health guidance or so I could enjoy life more fully.  His Word is not all about me. It is all about Him; is really about results that capacitate us to serve Him utmost all of our days!

EBB4