August

Coming soon: a new grandchild to the Koinis clan! Thus, I will be pausing my blog for the month of August. (Of course, you can always visit www.smoothersailing.com and read entries from the last ten years if you miss me too much!) I’ll be back in September. Until then, I want to leave you with this quote, encouraging you to be open to whatever God may ask of you.

“She’d spent so much of her life with a firm plan for what she would do and how she would live her life. Now she was surprised to find that she enjoyed simply waiting to see what assignment God would give her next.”

— The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas https://a.co/2k0dCUY

Photo by Mediamodifier via Unsplash.com

Pure Gold by my mom, Beth Smith

Early prospectors during the gold rush were fooled into thinking they’d found real gold instead of something called iron pyrite, worthless rocks with flecks of shiny material in them. So many were fooled that iron pyrite became known as “fool’s gold.” I want you to know where our real gold is—where we have a neverending supply of genuine gold—in the Word of God.

Remember the crippled beggar to whom Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6 KJV). What did the cripple do? He went “walking and leaping and praising God.” He received far more than he asked for. Would he have traded his healing for a truckload of gold coins? Of course not! Here’s a bit more from the Bible regarding gold.

• “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:72 NIV).
• “I love your commandments more than gold, more than pure gold” Psalm 119:127 NIV).
• “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable that silver and yields better returns than gold” (Proverbs 3: 13-14 NIV).

Are you a bit timid about mining gold from the Bible? If you don’t have a modern or revised version, I recommend that you get one and try it out. That can make a big difference.

Another important thing to remember as we go into our gold mine, the Bible, is that we do not go alone. John 14 says that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. Ask him to help you understand what you are reading! The Greek word for the Holy Spirit is Paraclete, which means “one who is called along side to help.” He will help us if we allow him to.

On more than one occasion, I’ve “just happened” to read a portion of the Bible that was exactly what I needed in that moment. God will do the same for you. The next time you read a verse that makes you think, “That was for me,” you can be sure it was God at work. Our gold mine is filled with power for living in God’s world, in God’s way. “Every Scripture was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well-prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone” 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 (TLB).

It’s time for us to think not “Thar’s gold in them thar hills,” but, “thar’s gold in this here Book.” (It hurts me as an English teacher to write that way.) It’s not fool’s gold, but the real McCoy. So pull out your Bible and read on!

photo credit: @zlataky via Unsplash.com

How Good Is Your Memory?

Every time I re-read portions of the Old Testament, I’m astounded by the way the Israelites got caught in this loop:

1. Cry out for help. (For example, “Let us out of Egypt!)
2. Experience God’s miraculous provision. (Like parted seas.)
3. Find a reason to complain. (“We’re thirsty!”)

REPEAT:

1. Cry out for help. (“Give us food!”)
2. Experience God’s miraculous provision. (Like manna from heaven.)
3. Find a reason to complain. (“We’re so sick of eating the same old thing!”)

REPEAT…REPEAT…REPEAT…

But I have grumpy days, don’t you? I feel sorry for myself or evaluate my lot in life and decide it doesn’t measure up to someone else’s. I long for something I don’t have and forget for a while all God has done and all I’ve been given. I’ve seen miraculous provision in my own life, so how am I any different from those Israelites? I am ashamed to admit that I can get tired of manna too.

I was knocked upside the head by this quote not long ago: “If God never did one more thing for you, you ought to be the happiest person in the world.” (I heard it in a TV sermon, but don’t remember who was preaching.) Oh my, yes! When I step back from my doldrums and recount the miracles in my own life and in those of my loved ones, I realize any one of those gifts from God should be enough to keep me rejoicing until eternity. How quickly I can forget!

So, today, I want to leave you with this verse, Psalm 42:6, from The Message.

“When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you.”

Has God ever done anything for you? Then, next time you find yourself grumpy or dissatisfied, refresh your memory! I plan to do the same.

Photo: Nam Anh on Unsplash.com because “an elephant never forgets,” or so they say.

Those Who Mourn

July 7, 2022

Here’s something weird that happened to me today. I have a sweet 90-year-old neighbor who wants to have her windows cleaned. She gave me a flier a few weeks ago for someone she was hoping would do the job. I made a call and what I thought was an appointment. Nobody showed up. I called the number on the flier again today. Short version: the guy who answered told me he was busy, that I should wash the windows for her myself, and then hung up on me. So, yes, weird. And, for a few too many moments, insulting and upsetting. Fortunately, I remembered that people sometimes have bad days, and I let it go.

A few hours later, I got a text that a dear friend had that very morning passed away too young and too fast. Now I’m the one having a rough day. But I don’t look any different. If I stub my toe, I’m probably going to break out in sobs. If I have to wait in a long line, I will probably look impatient. And if someone wants to have a deep conversation with me, there’s a good chance they’ll wonder why my face shows such obvious distraction. They won’t know unless I tell them.

• If you’re having a rough day, please be willing to tell those who love you or who need to know so that they’ll understand what’s going on inside your head.

• If someone treats you roughly, please be willing to make allowances, since you don’t know what may be going on inside that person’s head.

My grandchildren have been learning to list the fruit of the spirit, creating a perfect opportunity for me to review and remember that list as well:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

If you’d asked me to name them a month ago, I would have gotten about seven out of nine. The two I think I would have missed were goodness and gentleness. Those are the subtle ones, ones that are all about how we treat others, and the ones I urge you to consider today. Please, go about your day today with goodness and gentleness, letting the rough edges of those around you become beacons of need. We have the Holy Spirit within us, equipping us to make allowances, even when they seem undeserved. We may never know the full story…

Photo credit: Fa Barboza via Unsplash.com

Surprising, Simple, and a Little Bit Silly

My left ear was killing me. Convinced that I had a whopping ear infection, Steve urged me to skip the primary care visit and go straight to the ENT. It was my second infection in six months. I was expecting a short visit, a new prescription, and a quick recovery. What I got instead was a lesson in body mechanics. My ear wasn’t infected at all. In fact, it was just fine. The problem was with my TMJ, or Temporomandibular joint. (And, yes, I had to look that up.)

Surprising: My brain was (incorrectly) blaming my ear for the ache, a common misunderstanding. The doctor called it referred pain. I had a hard time believing my ear wasn’t the problem. I was just so sure.

Simple: I needed to change a bad habit: resting my chin on my left hand as I work at my desk. It took weeks of Steve or me catching me in the act for the habit to change. And, truth be told, I just did it again, so that fight’s not over.

Silly: I need to do 40 repetitions of a really goofy looking exercise every morning and evening, keeping the tip of my tongue on the roof of my mouth while I slowly open and close my mouth. (I’m careful never to do it in public.)

Here are the life lessons I’m taking away from my TMJ problem:

Surprising: How often do we misplace blame? We can be so sure something is the fault of another person or a particular set of circumstances when, actually, we are just plain wrong. We may need for a wiser friend (or Friend) to help us see the truth.

Simple: How many stupid little habits are making less of our lives? I’ll bet if we all took stock today, we’d each find at least one. Find it. Stop it. Ask someone else to help you catch it. And don’t give up the fight.

Silly: That tongue exercise makes absolutely no sense to me. But the doctor told me to do it, and it matters. I’m better. How often do you wonder why we need to fast, or take communion, or get up early on a busy day in order to have a quiet time, or…? It isn’t silly at all. It doesn’t matter if we don’t understand. Our Lord told us to do those things, and they matter, so keep it up!

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Leaving Space for the Unexpected

I learned a long time ago that I have to leave white space on my calendar. No, this time I’m not going to write about all the reasons you need to take occasional time away from the daily grind for yourself. This time, I want to encourage you to be ready to spring into action.

Now and then, I look at my calendar and discover a day with (gasp!) nothing on it. Most of the time that turns out to mean I have a very busy day ahead. I just don’t know it yet. ‘Could be there’s a household repair or an unplanned errand calling my name. I might be needed by

            A sick child.

            A friend who is mourning.

            A new neighbor waiting to be welcomed.

            A lonely loved one, or one who is simply overwhelmed.

            Fill in the blank with the sort of calls you get…

In many cases, the unexpected that fills the “white space” in my life involves someone who needs me. That’s one of the reasons I need to remain vigilant about keeping my lifestyle and my calendar flexible and well-pruned. For me that means, when possible, staying prayed up and rested up. It means fighting the urge to procrastinate, so that there are seldom any “absolutely has to be done right now” items on my daily list. And it means, of course, intentionally leaving some unplanned time on my schedule.

I’m learning to expect the unexpected, because the unexpected is actually pretty common. You will almost certainly be needed in an unexpected way sometime soon. You may be summoned by a phone call, or an email, or maybe by that still small voice pointing you to a need you hadn’t noticed before. Today, I’m asking you to get ready to meet the need, to be prepared to answer with a cheerful, “Yes!”

The unexpected is coming, so leave a little space!

Photo by Eric Rothermel via Unsplash.com