“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (James 1:23-25 NLT)
If you are by chance saving these meditations and you are organizing them, not by date, but by the source of inspiration, today’s edition can be filed with those you group together under the topic, “While at the Store.”
Hats off to you who may have applied this organizing method over the last six years. I see how it can be easily done. There are the meditations where God used everyday things to inspire me. You probably have a “Splenda” file where I was inspired, more than once, by the saying on the back of the sugar substitute packet. There are several of those since getting a cup of coffee is necessary. You know me, “No Coffee, No Talkie.
Other files may be labeled, “It Happened at the Drive-thru Window,” “Wisdom from the Spouse,” “Sports Related,” “Childhood Happenings,” “The Monday Shorts,” “Files by Day of the Week,” and of course, “Serious Theology.” There are more potential categories. These are just a few possible filing categories. But today, I want to stay with the “While at the Store” category.
On Wednesdays, I go to the store early in the morning. Early for two reasons: First Reason: One of my sons calls me faithfully on his way to work, around 8:00 a.m. his time and 11:00 my time on Wednesday. We counsel each other, serve as a patient ear to each other, and travel down memory lane. We vent safely if necessary and share about victories out of the various ordinary aspects of life. Second Reason: I prepare dinner most Wednesdays for the Assistant Pastor and his wife. Yes, he’s my son and she is my daughter-in-law. I started doing this during the pandemic when their hours, demanded by the fact they were in the medical field, were long. I have continued, not just because they work so hard, or because I have not figured out how to cook the right amount for me and my wife, empty nesters, but I do it out of love. Yes, this could go under another file, a “Family Stuff File,” but it truly belongs under the “While at the Store” file. Let me tell you why.
Tuesday night I slept in some jogging pants and a polo shirt with my high school’s name on it. As I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I looked in the mirror and saw the name of my school appearing such that I could read the words without having to reverse the image. It said, “Crispus Attucks.” Remember, it is early in the morning. I get in my car and drive to the store to pick up 5-6 items quickly. The greeter that usually just looks at you, or maybe not, says, “Have a blessed day” or “Welcome to (Name of Store).” Sometimes this greeter says nothing, nada, not anything at all. That’s another story in itself. For just as we are to speak up as Christians to help a brother or sister out with sound advice, shouldn’t greeters actually greet you? Well, on Wednesday, the greeter said, “Go look in the mirror,” and pointed towards the restrooms.
I said, “Excuse me,” in a nice tone. Even though honestly, I was thinking, “What right does she have to tell me to ‘Go look in the mirror?’ Yet, I follow the instructions. I stand in from of the mirror over the sink and I read my yellow T-Shirt with green lettering that says, “Crispus Attucks.” Initially I started to walk away, wondering what that was all about. But I stopped, went back, looked again and figured out that my shirt was on backwards. That’s why I could read it with such ease. Silly me! I had looked in the mirror at home but did not see the need for correction. I thanked the greeter who just smiled, as she went back to her silent greeting behavior.
The reason why I am sharing this story with you is tied into the opening verses out of James’ epistle in the word of God. Too often we look in this inspired mirror, the Bible, and we go away not changing a thing, not making any corrections or adjustments to something in our character that needs to be changed before we go one step further. Too often we look in the word, see or hear what it says, but we walk away not intending to change anything that would make us more presentable as a child of God. We glance, get on with our business, and don’t get to the point where we make the necessary changes. Yes, it happens. But we should look at the word or hear the word, and do what it says. Blessings in some form or fashion will come.
File this meditation in whatever system you use, but not before making the corrections you recently saw in “the mirror,” God’s word. Have a great Thursday. Be blessed!
“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119” 133 KJV)
Mark L. King