Tag: travel

faith, faithful, Family, family trips, fortitude, God, Jesus, religious, scripture, spiritual, travel, Uncategorized

Always Alert

katietkennedy

I recently took a quick trip back home to attend a family Christmas party. On the return trip my father, who was driving us to the airport, pulled over at the terminal so we could get out. We grabbed our bags and headed inside.

As I looked down to step up onto the curb, I noticed a one hundred dollar bill on the ground folded up. I quickly assessed the situation. The bill looked smaller than normal and why would it be lying here in this heavily trafficked area? I looked up and saw two baggage handlers staring down at the bill. I walked by it and then looked back at them as they picked up the bill. Our eyes met and they started laughing. I gave them a hard time, in a jovial manner, about creating their own entertainment and messing with people.

They had planted the bill intentionally to catch people thinking the bill was real and watch how they reacted. It was early in the morning so I could see how someone would mistake the bill for real. Thankfully I was alert enough not to fall for their trick.

This reminds me of our faith journey. While this was an innocent prank, it did make me realize we must stay alert.

The Bible says to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

While the game the baggage handlers were playing was fairly innocent, the devil’s schemes are not. He is seeking to destroy. We must be on alert, always ready, constantly praying for wisdom and discernment, being vigilant to his tricks and attacks, especially when the stakes are so high.

Bible, challenges, faith, faithful, Family, family trips, God, God's will, Jesus, perspective, religious, scripture, sin, spiritual, travel, Uncategorized, water

Proper Perspective

katietkennedy

When I was in high school my family went on a cruise. We entered the boat anxious to find our cabin. After my brother and I had settled into our shared room, he ran up to my dad’s room (we were not on the same level) and started raving about how wonderful our room was.

My father’s face was marked with confusion. My parent’s room was on a higher level with a water view. Our room was on a lower level, an interior room (obviously the cheaper option). My father couldn’t comprehend my brother’s enthusiasm regarding his room, so he followed him down to the lower levels. My dad thought surely there was a mistake. Why had they given us such a great room?

My teenage brother escorted him into the room, promptly shut the door behind him, and turned off the lights. Then he declared, “Total darkness!” With the door shut and the lights off, our room was pitch black. There was no light seeping in through anywhere. For a teenage boy who had a master’s in sleeping, this was a dream come true. He could sleep as late, and as long as he wanted without any light disturbing his slumber.

My dad shook his head and laughed. To him, this room was second-class, inferior to his. To my brother, he wouldn’t trade this obscure haven for anything. Perspective.

This reminds me of our faith journey. When we are in Christ, we have an eternal perspective. God has already won the war. In our sinful world, sometimes we forget this. We want justice now, yet He is reigning over all.

We must remember we are playing the long game, and making choices to please God, not man. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

Our Christian perspective influences everything we do. Our decisions are made because we are looking ahead at eternity with Christ. We are not here to please ourselves, we are here to glorify Him.

“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven.” (Psalm 11:4)

How lucky we are to have our loving Father in heaven looking out for us, protecting us, and guiding us. When we get caught up with the stresses and trials of this world, may we lift up our eyes and remember He is on the throne.

blessings, communication, faith, faithful, Family, family trips, God, God's love, Jesus, religious, Uncategorized, voices

Verifying Voices

katietkennedy

It was a rainy Tuesday morning and I was headed to the bank to rummage through our safety deposit box. My mission was to find my husband’s passport. We were preparing to travel and I was gathering the necessary documents to get TSA approved.

Inside the bank, I requested access to our box. The employee informed me I was not on the account. I asked if we could call my husband and have him add me to the account. I learned they could only do this if an employee at the bank had encountered enough interactions with him that they could verify his voice. I thought this was slightly odd but awaited their response. Had my husband frequented the bank enough that his voice could be verified over the phone?

A teller spoke up and said she could recognize his voice. We made the call and I got added to the account. This gave testimony to my husband’s personality. His friendly demeanor and tall stature make him easy to recognize and remember. While I wasn’t successful in finding the passport, the adventure got me thinking about our unique voices.

It reminds me of God. He knows our distinctive voices. He knows the tone and cadence of our voice better than anybody, He created us after all. In addition to our voice, He knows our hearts and thoughts. God knows when we are praising Him or speaking slander about someone. He also knows when we are hurting so greatly we can’t even put words together.

God can recognize our voice, but can we recognize His? Are we getting to know Him through the words in the Bible? He won’t yell at us through the frenzy, we must carve out stillness to hear Him. “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)