SIL - Jan/Feb 2019

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Everyday Adventures The Word That Changes Everything There are some phrases you never want to hear from your kids, things like, “I didn’t mean to cut her hair” or “are computers waterproof?” Children have a way of saying things that can completely change the trajectory of your day. This happened to a couple of friends of mine last year. Our families were on vacation together, and we were up late playing cards while the kids were supposed to be getting ready for bed. Suddenly our youngest daughters appeared in the room together. From the look on their faces you could tell something was wrong. My friends’ daughter obviously had something to say but didn’t look eager to spill the beans. “Is everything okay?” her dad asked. “I dropped my toothbrush in the toilet.” We all grimaced. Toothbrush and toilet are not words you like to hear in the same sentence. Her mom, an engineer, immediately went into troubleshooting mode. “What did you do with it?” she asked. The girl paused and considered her answer before lobbing a verbal grenade into the room. “I already used it.” Everyone erupted in a mixture of shock and revulsion. Someone said, “Eww.” Another gasped. We were laughing yet horrified. Parents spend so much time trying to protect their kids from germs, but what do you do about that? In a matter of seconds, this situation had gone from bad to worse. Fortunately, the girl’s mom kept her cool. “Wait,” she asked. “You mean you used it before or after you dropped it in the toilet?” “Before.” Whew. We let out a collective sigh. That one word changed the entire story. So often in life things appear worse than they actually are, especially when we don’t have all of the information. Our doctor tells us we need more tests, and we assume it’s the worst. Our boss wants to talk to us, and we think Jan/Feb 2019 • 46 we’re getting fired. We overhear gossip about someone we trust, and we conclude it must be true. We waste endless hours worrying, judging others and jumping to all kinds of conclusions that turn out to be unfounded. Then, there are the other times, the times when the test results confirm our fears, our boss does fire us, and the rumors we’ve heard about others are true. We may feel betrayed, rejected, terrified and not know what to do. Still, even in these darkest times, we don’t have the full story. God is always working on our behalf behind-the-scenes of our everyday lives. We may not be able to see it. We may not have all the information, but we can count on God’s faithfulness and that he is working for our greatest good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). We all grimaced. Toothbrush and toilet are not words you like to hear in the same sentence. Just like with the toothbrush incident, one word changes the whole story. That one word is God. You may not know how you’re going to make it through whatever you’re facing today, but God knows. And he can help. He also promises a day when he we will away every tear and make the world right again. In the meantime, we don’t have the full story. But we do have God’s presence and his promises to see us through. • Image: M_Melanchenko / shutterstock.com Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends his way every day. You can catch up with Jason on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jasondbyerly.
WHY TURN CORNERS, WHEN YOU CAN TURN HEADS. 2018 Jeep Wrangler EXPERIENCE THE CADILLAC XT5 JOHN JONES CADILLAC 1450 S. State Rd 60 Salem, IN 47167 JohnJonesCadillac.com © 2018 General Motors. All rights reserved. Cadillac ® Jan/Feb 2019 • 47
Page 1 and 2: Southern IndIana Jan / Feb 2019 Liv
Page 3 and 4: Looking for a rustic space for your
Page 5 and 6: Featured Stories 12 | SAPPHIRE ON S
Page 7 and 8: Southern IndIana Living JAN / FEB 2
Page 9 and 10: A Note to Baby Boomers Why Does Ret
Page 11 and 12: If rural postmen are paid by the po
Page 13 and 14: vious store that she owned in Madis
Page 15 and 16: Jan/Feb 2019 • 15
Page 17 and 18: Our Town Our Town: Jeffersonville,
Page 19 and 20: The bridge from Louisville to Jeff
Page 21 and 22: The Schimpff family has been making
Page 23 and 24: 4. Adrienne & Co. Bakery Cafe Adrie
Page 25 and 26: The Widow’s Walk is a jack-of-all
Page 27 and 28: Exercise Across All Ages The leadin
Page 29 and 30: Power of Pink GALA EVENING RAISES F
Page 31 and 32: Libraries have provided a myriad of
Page 33 and 34: The reading room at the library ty
Page 35 and 36: Southern IndIana Living Local Busin
Page 37 and 38: Local Business Spotlight Respite Ca
Page 39 and 40: One block east of the historic Cour
Page 41 and 42: (an 18-by-24-inch oil on canvas, di
Page 43 and 44: Jan/Feb 2019 • 43
Page 45: Food is Fuel A New Year’s resolut

SIL - Jan/Feb 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?