Goodbye White Pages

According to a newspaper article I read recently, phone books are becoming a thing of the past. With more people embracing technology and many doing away with landline phones, telephone service providers see a decline in the need for a printed book. Not to mention it helps cut their costs and helps saves the trees. Reportedly three states-New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania- have adopted regulations allowing providers to cease printing.                                                                                                                                                                                                           Photo credit: 19melissa68 via Flickr

 

Depending upon the area you live those phone books can be massive. Living in rural area, I do not have that problem. But, I do have several phone directories in  my house and from time to time I do use them but I’m more likely to look a number up online at whitepages.com. But does the use of technology make the old standby obsolete?

 

Reading the article caused me to think about another book that many people have at least one copy in their home – the Bible. Do we consider the words crafted along its white pages as being something that has very little value in our fast-paced, technology driven lives? Has it become antiquated? I’m all for technology but has it helped us to become more aloof to His Word? Or, has it deepen our longing for His truths? More sermons, articles, and devotionals are available now more than ever before  through podcasts, webcasts, blogs, and websites. But on a personal level has it lead to you only consuming regurgitated messages from someone else? Or, has it invoked within you an insatiable appetite for more of Him?

 

 

 

Recyclable You

Although, I don't watch it as often as I once did, HGTV is a favorite of mine. It's a great place to get ideas to spice up your living environment. Of particular interest to me are the shows that seek out flea market finds and then turn those items into something impressive. After they've finished dressing them up a bit, they no longer look like rejects  suited for the garbage dumpster. Instead they look like new, store bought items deemed for a place of honor.

Most times they have to do some cosmetic work on the items. Stripping them of paint, sanding, cutting, painting and polishing are all required before the transformation is complete. Not unlike ourselves, who require some remodeling before we're ready to enter the spotlight of our God given roles. He has to strip away the painting from our old selves. You'll find that it's necessary for Him to do a pit of sanding as well. Sanding causes irritation. Do you find yourself being a bit irritable? Could it be that God is sanding to expose some areas that need to be addressed in your life?

For most of the furniture, sanding is required in order to allow the new paint to stick. The new ideas, mindset, and instructions He wants to give us will be unable to adhere without Him getting in there and scuffing up the old. I believe God wants to paint new anointings, new assignments, new connections, new creativity, and new ingenuity into our lives but we must endure the complete makeover. No skipping steps allowed. If we walk out only after the stripping or sanding has been done, we leave ourselves vulnerable to our enemy. Trying to skip past to the painting and polishing may make us appear ready but in the end the old stuff-our way of thinking and behaving-show through.

Lord, I don't always find the stripping, sanding, painting and polishing to be comfortable. But help to remain humble and submitted to you as you complete your perfect work.

Discarded Things

As I walked this morning, my mind began to reflect on my walking companion-my sweet dog Bella. Just a couple of years ago, she found herself among discarded cats and dogs at a local humane society. It’s uncertain how she found herself there. Perhaps at one time, she had loving owners, who through no fault of their own could no longer provide for her. So they thought it best to send her away. Or maybe, she was a prize possession that simply got lost and couldn’t find her way back home. For whatever reasons, she was among the lost or discarded.

Yet today, she smells all fresh from her bath last night. She’s fed and has toys, comfy bed, ribbons and even a few clothes. She has everything that she needs and my sister jokingly says Bella is living better than she ever lived in life. If that’s true or not I don’t know but as I thought about her, I thought about how we sometimes find ourselves discarded by others. Whether it is through divorces, broken friendships, or job terminations, someone somewhere decided you were no longer useful. The scenarios are different but the outcome or feelings are the same-discarded like a napkin or once beloved toy.

But just as Bella found a new place to belong, God does the same thing for us. Although others couldn’t perceive our value, He will connect us with others, who will embrace that which was discarded. And we’ll find our latter end more enjoyable than what we experienced in the past.

Lord, I thank you that even when others throw us way, you never leave us. We thank you for connections with others, who’ll embrace and cherish that in which you’ve placed in us. Forgive us for how we failed to see the value in others and we pray that you will connect them to individuals who will nurture them. In Jesus name.