one
Have you ever wanted to take a quick peek at someone else’s mail? Maybe it was an envelope from a doctor’s office that held the results of a family member’s recent medical tests. Or perhaps it was a letter addressed to your parents from an estranged family member. As you held the envelope in your hands, the temptation to open it might have felt overwhelming.
endure toward joy
When people become comatose, one of the many concerns is to keep their muscles from degenerating. Atrophy sets in quickly when there is no movement. On the other hand, most exercise trainers will tell you that muscle grows after it has been under stress. Strenuous exercise makes small tears in the muscle tissue. As it heals, the muscle grows stronger or larger than it was before the ordeal. Some pain is necessary for our bodies to retain vigor.
heavy lifting
An elderly man saw me struggling to carry a heavy box from my car to the post office. Rather than let his age, a pronounced limp, or hot weather deter him, he rushed to my assistance.
the three Cs
I recently heard a speaker who had engaged in an immoral lifestyle in his younger years, but later received Jesus as his Savior. He now oversees a thriving ministry. In his talk, he described “three Cs” that should comprise intimate relationships.
bad habits
Our young daughter has always preferred sleeping flat on her stomach and without a pillow. But last winter she developed a sinus condition, and the only way she could stop coughing during the night was if she placed her head on a pillow and slept on her side. Six years of lying flat on her tummy without a pillow had become a habit, however, and she would stay in that raised position for only a few moments before wriggling down and sleeping on her stomach.
the waiting game
In 2006, Trevor Thompson surveyed 1,003 adults and determined the following: While waiting in line at an office or store, most people take an average of 17 minutes to lose their cool. When placed on hold during a phone call, most people lose their patience in 9 minutes. Women lose their patience after waiting in line for about 18 minutes. Men lose it after 15 minutes. People with a college education and a higher income lose their patience quicker than those with lower income less and education.
shrinking faith
In Indonesia, scientists have located remains of an ancient people that may have—over the years—shrunk due to what they call “island dwarfism.” The researchers have used the name hobbit to identify the remains. Though hobbits are fictitious creatures, we’re naturally curious about what might cause humans to grow smaller.
God’s will and our hopes
Barely a few inches long, the image on the sonogram looked like something from a science fiction movie. With distinctive little nubs for hands and a clearly defined head, I could see the promise of the one who was to be our firstborn. Still unknown were the gender, personality traits, and distinctive qualities to fill out the picture of the now-beating heart. Capturing the image of this little life in the womb, the sonogram pictures were treasures for my husband and me. They reminded us that what we couldn’t see with our naked eye was indeed real, though hidden.
put to, put on
Though it’s my job to be an actor, I have given my life to God. I am very comfortable and firm in that, but I still have to be on this [TV] show. It’s the number one [rated] comedy, but it’s very inappropriate and the themes are very inappropriate. I have to be this person I am not.”
burned
Pepperoni, fresh garlic, black olives. When I agreed to try my friend’s favorite pizza toppings, I had no idea they would smell so divine. The aroma prompted me to take two pieces. “It’s gonna be hot,” my friend said. Stupidly, I bypassed her warning and sunk my teeth into a steaming slice. You know what happened next. Lavalike cheese burned the top of my mouth, and the rest of the meal was spoiled because of my impatience.
worth the wait
Everybody is waiting for something. What are you waiting for—employment, marriage, family peace? Imagine having to wait centuries for the fulfillment of a promise, but there was no evidence that it would be fulfilled. This was the spiritual and emotional climate during the time Jesus was born. People were waiting for God to fulfill the promise of restoration through the Messiah, but the political, social, and spiritual darkness concealed any evidence that God would keep His promise. Many people became weary of being righteous. Yet, there was a man who continued to wait and trust in God’s promise (Luke 2:25).
proven by patience
While dining with friends at a restaurant in Uganda, my 9-year-old son and I requested refills of our iced tea. Because friends own the restaurant and it’s a relaxed environment, when I saw our waiter was busy serving others, I picked up our glasses and started toward the kitchen. That’s when my son quietly said to me, “Mommy, it’s OK if it takes them a little while to bring us our tea. Please be patient.”
crime and punishment
An English media personality was highly honored when he was alive. At his funeral, someone said of him, “His story was an epic of giving. Giving of time, giving of talent, giving of treasure. [He] can face eternal life with confidence.” But then the police launched a criminal investigation into more than 300 allegations of child sexual abuse and rape by the deceased.
