Spirit & Body

My imagination ran in hyperdrive. I didn’t know when to expect my friends back home, but I was sure they should have been back long ago. I sat uncomfortably on an oversized windowsill in the kitchen, watching and worrying.

Each passing minute seemed like an hour. My hands were clammy. I began to shake uncontrollably. Sweat slid down my spine under my shirt. I was sure that my BO was becoming unbearable and that when they returned, I would be embarrassed by it. Darkness fell, exacerbating my terror.

Rain fell and a strong wind blew. A tree outside swayed in the wind and scratched on the window. Odd and terrifying sounds filled the house, which would have seemed perfectly benign in other circumstances.

I had been left alone in this large house while a group of friends took a day trip. I don’t remember the details, but we were a college group that memorized Bible verses and had Bible studies together.

My fears were groundless but no less real. When my friends returned, I could not admit I had been afraid. “Everything went just fine,” I said. But I was a liar. My foolish pride would not allow me to confess that I failed to apply what I claimed to believe. If I had been honest, they could have prayed with me, we could have laughed together, and I could have grown.

If you are not a part of a small group, find one. Seek out friends to whom you can confess your sins of unbelief. Let them love you to spiritual growth.

“Don’t hang around with those girls,” my grandmother said to me when I was in high school. “They’re a rough bunch and a bad influence on you.”

I didn’t fully understand at the time and didn’t want to heed her advice. Those were the cool girls. The popular ones. I wanted to go where they went and do what they did. After all, what was wrong with that? I wanted to be like them—or at least I thought so.

As it turned out, Mama was right. I had to separate myself from that rowdy crowd before I got in trouble.

I’ve thought about her advice a lot over the years as I’ve looked back at all the people and circumstances that have impacted my life the most—some good, others not so much.

Let’s face it. We can easily be influenced, either positively or negatively, by other people. Money, fame, jobs, the environment, even the church. It’s a matter of where and with whom we spend our time and direct our focus.

The truth is Jesus wants to have more influence on us than anyone or anything else. That can only happen when we spend quality time with Him.

In the story of Mary and Martha, Martha busied herself making preparations for Jesus while Mary sat contentedly at His feet, taking in every word. When Martha complained about all the work she was doing without her sister, Jesus said:

Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her. (Luke 10:41-42 TPT)

Jesus wants to spend time with those He loves. That means me, and it means you.

Think about it for a moment. Who has the most significant influence in your life? Let it be the Lord.

Excruciating neck pain, nausea, and vertigo arrived with me as I entered the writer’s conference building. Chronic pain has been my constant companion for over twenty years. Flare-ups usually showed up when least expected. I knew I could not stay for the conference, but my husband was seven hours away. How would I endure this attack on my body?

Two dear friends and I enjoyed a wonderful conversation during our seven-hour ride from South Carolina to Florida. We were excited to fellowship with new and long-time friends at the event. We chatted about the various classes we wanted to attend and the authors we wanted to meet. The sounds of laughter filled the car as we traveled to the venue.

But the closer we got to our destination, the more my troublesome symptoms surfaced. As my body cried out in fear and trembling, I prayed to God for comfort and peace.

God answered by reminding me of His Word in Psalms 120:1. When we call on the Lord, He answers. God wants us to lean on Him in every moment. I prayed, and God heard my cries. When I am weak, God is strong. I did not need to fear.

I called my husband and explained the situation. He arrived hours later to take me home and to the doctor for treatment. God comforted me while I waited, and He never left me.

When we arrived home, I made an appointment with my pain doctor for the next day. I praised God for His mercy and presence before, during, and after the trip.

Think of ways to trust God when your physical body hurts. Thank God for His presence in times of pain.

Many of us can think of someone who habitually uses a particular perfume. In fact, it has become their signature scent. Every time we smell it, we think of that person.

While some odors attract, others we’d rather forget. I think particularly of a skunk that has been road-killed. Unfortunately, that smell lingers for a long time like the aftereffects of troublemakers.

Every perfume is unique, but none can be as special as the one God instructed for use only by His priests. Exodus 30:22-25 details a blend of myrrh, cinnamon, and other aromatic plants that produce a distinctive fragrance. Anyone who attempted to reproduce the recipe other than designated priests was banished from among the people. 

Mary of Bethany created the opposite effect. After sacrificing expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet, she used her hair to wipe them dry. The Bible says the aroma filled the house, and I imagine it remained in the air for days. The fragrance served as a testimony to Mary’s love for her Lord.  

We should examine the atmosphere that clings to us to ensure it’s pleasant, not disagreeable. I hope we don’t go anywhere without the fragrance of Christ seeping through our conversation and actions.

Today, pray that you will remind everyone you meet of Christ. Bring the fragrance of Christ to others who are already God’s and a reminder to those who are not.

My seven-year-old niece Evelynn's admiration of me is undeniable. She always watches me and attempts to emulate my every move. Her sweet adoration made me reflect on my fascination and admiration for my heavenly Father. "Do I look at God with the same level of esteem and amazement that Evelynn looks at me?" I questioned. "Do I try to emulate Him with the same unmatched vigor?"

When I reflect upon the God we serve, who existed before time itself, I'm left absent for words. He created the heavens and the earth, is ever-present, faithfully fulfills His promises, and loved sinful humanity so greatly that He sent His own Son to die for us. And how wondrous that the maker of the universe desires a personal relationship with each of us.

Although we can't visibly stare at our creator as Evelynn stares at me, we can fasten our gaze on His Word and the world around us, which freely display His nature. As Evelynn illustrated, often, when we're so full of reverence for someone, we can't help but stare, keeping our eyes fixed on the object of our fascination. I suspect such innocent and wholesome childlike adoration is precisely what God desires from His children.

Through my niece's shining example, I daily remind myself of my need to be more like a child in my relationship with God. Further, I plan to never let a day pass without meditating on God's wondrous nature and pouring out my adulation to Him.

Although we have the honor of serving an extraordinary God who deserves more praise, honor, and acclaim than we could ever provide, we can certainly try. Try something today.