Friday morning started out as a typical morning. We headed out after breakfast to take care of our beginning of the month errands. All was well...until we got to the gas station. My husband was pumping gas into the car when I felt a muscle cramp in my left arm. Assuming I was sitting wrong, had the seatbelt in the wrong place or just pulled a muscle by moving the wrong way, I moved my arm around and readjusted my seatbelt all in an attempt to alleviate what was becoming a pain growing in intensity. By the time my husband came back to the car after paying for the gas, I knew that something was very wrong. All I had to say was "take me to the ER" and my husband was off at a somewhat safe and breakneck speed (I detest the ER so when I say I need to go, something is very wrong). To make a long story short, I did not have a heart attack but a mild angina episode (they called it that). My doctor said it was a wake-up call to start changing my lifestyle to a more healthy one which included diet, exercise and medication.
God is like that. He sends us wake-up calls all the time but sometimes we do not pay attention to the calls because it just doesn't fit into our lifestyle. I am sure that my body gave me some wake-up calls in the past but the calls were dismissed because who wants to eat healthy, exercise and take pills all the time. God knows that following Him is not easy and many of us prefer the easy way to do things. The great thing about God is He will patiently wait for you to hear His wake-up call and follow it.
Corinthians 10:12-13 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
Every time we are tempted to sin, God offers us strength to do the right thing. God will provide us a way out, but only if we turn to him for strength.
Luke 13:3 "Jesus said “Unless you repent, you too will perish.”
Repentance is telling God “I hear your wake up call.”
So will you hear God's wake-up call when it comes? But more importantly, will you heed the warning and do what is necessary to follow Him?
Ellen, I'm starting to wriggle uncomfortably!
ReplyDeleteExplain "wriggle uncomfortably", please.
ReplyDeleteI received a wake up call some months back, and shaken, I vowed to make immediate changes - diet and exercise, too - and for a while I did, but soon fell off the wagon. So reading you, I'm forced to face the fact that there have been too many excuses, and I've got to set that right.
ReplyDeleteI am sending you encouraging thoughts on resuming your changes. It is not easy. I have fallen off the wagon a few times but what has kept me going is thinking about those I love and how I want to be around as long as I can for them. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteEllen, there's no way you could have known that only one button works for me - to be there for those I love. Thank you for everything. Caitlynne.
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