…Let us throw off everything that hinders and
the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith
(Hebrews 12:1b-2a NIV).
As
I sloshed through the melting snow and looked at the individuals busily
crossing block after block, I wondered how these people were able to keep a
focus on God in this hectic environment. This was my fourth day in New York
City and the constant static seemed to put me in a state of numbness. As I
returned to the hotel, I wondered how in just four short days my relationship
with God had drifted so far from where it was just earlier that week.
On Tuesday night, my cousin who lives alone in
New York called to tell us that she was scheduled for major emergency,
open-heart surgery set for Thursday morning. My brother, sister and several
cousins hurriedly booked flights and headed to New York to accompany her. When
we first arrived, we were concerned that the surgery may be more than her
overall health conditions could withstand. The initial report was promising and
she seemed to improve daily. Then we were faced with two winter storms that
were headed our way with concerns of a major blizzard. It seemed that from the very second we
arrived, one thing after another was consuming our thoughts and time.
As
I made my way back through the constant noise, I continued to think about the
close relationship with God that I had so enjoyed over the past few
months. I had spent the last three
months engrossed in the scriptures as I had been researching and writing a Bible
Study. It was clear to me that staying in the word of God is crucial. We talk
with God through prayer, but our answers are often given to us through the
Scriptures. Sometimes we feel like God is MIA, when in reality we have allowed
the static of the world to consume our time and thoughts instead of His
powerful words.
Michele
No comments:
Post a Comment