Ephesians 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
This winter I was feeling overwhelmed with concern about cutbacks at our company due to the economic slowdown, the negative TV news and plenty of stress at work. (All of us in the office have been pulling double duty since we were shorthanded and we had been taking pay cuts.) As I pulled out onto the dark, snow-covered by-pass at 5:45 a.m. to begin my 45-minute commute to work, I wondered if this would be the morning I was dreading. How many trips can a person make on the same treacherous stretch of highway before being involved in a traffic accident?
But that morning, a Monday, I recited Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I recited it again, putting emphasis on different words and thinking about how the meaning changed. Finally, I prayed out loud, “Lord I need to experience a miracle today.” I got to work without incident and later in the day an event that I had been worried about simply evaporated into a great afternoon. Unexpectedly, I had accomplished what I wanted and all was well. On the dark drive home it occurred to me that I had experienced a miracle, so I acknowledged God. This routine continued all week and I was not disappointed; I daily experienced some event that I chose to recognize as a God-given miracle. One was not so small: once when I started to pull out into traffic, a truck narrowly missed me as it blew past. Once again I thanked God.
But that morning, a Monday, I recited Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I recited it again, putting emphasis on different words and thinking about how the meaning changed. Finally, I prayed out loud, “Lord I need to experience a miracle today.” I got to work without incident and later in the day an event that I had been worried about simply evaporated into a great afternoon. Unexpectedly, I had accomplished what I wanted and all was well. On the dark drive home it occurred to me that I had experienced a miracle, so I acknowledged God. This routine continued all week and I was not disappointed; I daily experienced some event that I chose to recognize as a God-given miracle. One was not so small: once when I started to pull out into traffic, a truck narrowly missed me as it blew past. Once again I thanked God.
Prayer: Lord, I have been blessed with safety, health, family, a job, a home—all I need. I believe that Your pleasure is why I have been spared tragedy in my life. I’m learning to look for and expect Your presence throughout the day. You make me smile. Thank You, Lord.
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