“There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again…” (Proverbs 14:12a)
I’ll tell you something upfront: Do not underestimate the value of this meditation. Understand that the subject it addresses is something that we all can find beneficial. So, make sure you take note and also go ahead and share this meditation with others! Let me start with a story.
In 2010 I purchased a used 2007 Ford-150 truck. I had it for about 10 years before I had to have it towed away by a salvage company. At the time I had it towed, it only had 8,000 miles on it. I had to have it towed because the drive shaft dropped, disconnected, fell, as I was waiting at a stoplight, about to get on a busy ramp leading to an even busier interstate. Thank the Lord the drive shaft fell off at the light where I waited for the traffic signal to turn green. Why thank God? Well, if the drive shaft had stayed connected for just a little less than half a mile further ahead, the car could have catapulted as I drove down the ramp at a fast speed heading to the interstate. Thank God because I would not be writing this meditation, no longer in the land of the living, if it had not malfunctioned at the stoplight, and I was saved from certain death. Yes, thank God!
Now, I will take the blame for the drive shaft problem. I won’t blame it on rust, the previous owner, the winter weather, or anything else. You see, I ignored the signs that there was a major problem with the drive shaft. The signs: One morning I got up and looked outside, and my car was in the middle of the street. On another occasion, I had tried to park the truck on an incline, but after it kept rolling back, I decided to park on a nearby flat surface. Then there was a time when I was in the grocery parking lot and apparently the car was making a noise that caused the driver in the car next to me to look at me with an expression on his face that seemed to convey disbelief that I was driving the vehicle. Let me share one more sign. I went to the dentist office and parked on the large parking lot, being careful not to park on a steep incline. When I came out of the dentist office, there is a police car and two elderly people standing by a truck that had rolled into their car. I said, “That’s a truck just like mine.” As I got closer, I said, “That is my truck!” We exchanged information, gave a police report, and I called my insurance agent. After all those signs, I never took the car to a shop, never consulted with a professional, and I certainly did not know that a major breakdown was coming. I just kept driving closer to it.
That’s the story, now here is some serious advice, applicable for any time of the year, but especially during the holiday seasons: “Don’t ignore the signs.” If you can’t sleep at night, if you are losing your appetite, if you find your eyes flooded with tears and nothing is even wrong, if you know that you are not feeling like your normal self, if some place , someone, or some happening serves as an emotional stimuli that puts you on the brink of disaster, don’t ignore the signs!
Instead of ignoring the signs, try these recommended actions. Recognize the signs! Reach out to a believer who you trust as a confident, because talking it out will get you started on the road to releasing your stress and worry. Of course, while you are reaching, definitely reach up to the gracious throne of God and tell Him all about your troubles and petition Him to direct your path, order your steps, and comfort your soul. Plead with Him to deliver you! He is a Deliverer! Also, read the word of God and do it continuously, not temporarily for the moment, and find the fitting, specific message that will relieve your anxiety, calm your fears, and protect your being.. On top of all that refocus on all that is good instead of all that is about to breakdown. Finally, remembering what you just read, let me use some slang, “Repeat all dat!”
Don’t be like me and my 2007 Ford-150 truck! No! No! No! No! Don’t ignore the signs, my friend. Love you! Be blessed!
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22 English Standard Version!)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King