Mike sent the following story. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of truth in it.
A pastor assured his congregation he was their servant and that they should feel free to call him anytime they had a problem.
That night the pastor’s phone rang at 3 a.m. On the other end was a dear elderly lady who said, “Pastor, I can’t sleep.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he comforted her. “But what can I do about it?” the pastor asked.
She sweetly replied, “Preach to me a while, pastor.”
This reminds me of something years ago.
A woman I have known since my teenage years called very late on a Saturday night. As she began to tell me all of her problems, I asked why she was calling me instead of her own pastor.
She said, “I decided to call you because my pastor has to get up tomorrow morning to preach.” I said, “I do too.” And she replied, “Yes, but not at my church.”
Needless to say, as soon as our conversation ended, I immediately called her pastor because if I had to be waken up late on a Saturday night, so did he.
While you may not receive a call from a mentally ill woman in the middle of the night, more than likely, the unexpected will happen. That’s life.
No matter how bulletproof our plans, there is always one possibility we did not take into account.
So, if you get a flat tire on the way to work, your child brings home a bad report card, you accidentally wash your wife’s white clothes with a red shirt (long, painful story), your boss is a jerk, you hit every red light on the road, your 401K takes a huge hit, you have to deal with a rude cashier, the waiter gets your order wrong, or the greatest dry cleaner in the history of dry cleaning shrinks only the collars on your dress shirts, know that’s just life. It happens to everyone.
Today, let Paul’s words guide you through the unexpected challenges of this day.
He said, “Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are disorderly. Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak. Be patient with everyone. Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18)
The unexpected is going to happen but God will see you through it. All you have to do is trust.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, I cannot be ready for everything that is going to happen. I know I will be caught off guard. Guide me through the unexpected. Give me wisdom, patience, and grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Just know no matter what happens, God is right beside you. That means, you can handle it.
Also, just for the record, I turn off my phone late at night. My mother didn’t raise a fool.
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 