It has been a challenge to get myself to sit down this morning, Father. I am sorry but I am here and I know You are as well. Help my attention to be focused on You and what You have for me today. Amen.
Mark 8:14-21 (<<click to read the passage)
“Seat on seat. Back on back. Hands in lap. Feet on the floor.” I think this, or some variant of it, is on the lips of every school bus driver… every… single… day…
No matter how many times it rolls off my tongue, I am forced to repeat myself over and over again. I think I can relate a little to Jesus’ frustration when He says,
“Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?” v17b-18
Jesus was quoting a portion of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 5:21) for the people of his era had the same problem that the disciples had and that my bus kids have! We don’t listen! We have been given all the proper equipment – ears and eyes – but sometimes we are not good at using them properly.
I have said many times this can be a deliberate action on our part but it can also be that we are just distracted from what we need to be doing. I have had belligerent kids on my bus who will look me straight in the eye and deliberately disobey my very clear and direct command. But other times they are just caught up in things around them that they are not consciously being disobedient, it is just that it’s not in their mind at the time to do the right and proper thing!
Each of us has things that are our “distractions”. Some of them are not necessarily bad things – kids on my bus sometimes are just wanting to talk to a friend. But when they lean out into the aisle or over the back of their seat, they are no longer safe.
One of my biggest struggles is food… That may sound odd but my mouth likes food – my body not so much. Obviously, food is a necessity for life. But too much of anything is not good for us. Prior to my driving school bus, while I was still working in a retail environment, I had lost almost 30 pounds! I felt better and was keeping my newly diagnosed blood sugar relatively under control. Then came Christmas and family and…FOOD! And everything I had accomplished began to come undone… To date, I’ve gained about half of it back and my blood sugar is not crazy high but it is much higher than it should be. I try to control it but too often it seems to be controlling me! I have prayed about it but I really need to give it over to the Lord and buckle down with His help and get a handle on it all.
As I said we all deal with “distractions” but Lord Jesus, I need to use my eyes and see what I am doing to my health. I need to use my ears and listen when You are encouraging me in the ways I should go. Help me to know and understand Your will for me as it relates to my body. May I remember and not have to constantly be reprimanded by the Driver of my life. May I listen and obey. Amen.
Apr 30th, 2019, Tues, 10:53 am
