Good Thursday morning! I think our weather prognosticators were only off by about 20 degrees on the high yesterday, no big deal. Since it was to the cooler side of their predicted high temp, we'll take it. :-) Today we want to think about checking in. I know that in the corporate world you could use a lot less checking in. You have to track your time spent on jobs or projects, your time spent at work, time spent at this or that location, and then account for every penny spent too. In the family you check in with your spouse or parents, and if friends don't check in once in a while, you tend to start wondering. Even in our faith we are expected to check in each day with Bible reading and prayer. Of course the government wants to know where you are too. Too much checking in? Perhaps in the corporate world, but the remainder of our checking in is for our own benefit and to prevent worry.
In hiking or backpacking, especially in wilderness areas, a hiker is advised, and in some cases required, to post a plan; much like a flight plan for pilots. The hiker checks in with family, friends, or rangers to let people know that the party is alright. The benefit to this is that in missing a check in or two, the wheels of help start turning much more quickly. A person who rages against the restrictions of periodic check ins may not be missed until well after help is rendered moot by death. We might call that person a fool... and then do something very similar ourselves!
Letting a loved one know that you or I are taking a trip and giving them our approximate plans is courteous and wise. They worry less, and we get to send quick messages such as, "made it to Clownyland, plan to leave at 0600 tomorrow for the Clown Hall of Fame ceremony, love, Bozo." My parents are doing that very thing right now. (The checking in part, not the clown thing) I do it in a similar way by writing this devotional each day. (The clown part, not the checking in thing! ;-) The Clown Hall of Fame is in Wisconsin, by the way. I drove past it once or twice in the old location. It has since been moved to Milwaukee, i.e. "the city"; which makes sense as we know the city is where all the clowns live and work anyway. :-) Back in the days of traveling to cable stores and such, I didn't always check in as often as I should. One boss was okay with it, but others got very much bent out of shape if I didn't constantly (it seemed) update them on progress or problems. The funny-interesting thing is that at the time I was not good at checking in with God either.
Why does He who knows our every thought want us to check in with Him anyway? The best explanation I heard is that God, the creator and ruler of the universe, is intensely interested in hearing from you and me. Each day, God wants a personal time with each of us to simply talk to Him. I don't believe that God worries about us, but that He worries for us. When we don't talk to Him on a personal level each day, God worries for our spiritual well-being. Put yourself in the frame of having God sitting right beside or in front of you leaning on every word. He wants to know how your day went, what is bothering you, all the things you are grateful for, who you feel called to pray for, and even your worries about the economy, terrorists, wars, weather, and the dog. God wants to hear it all! Some of the great men and women of the Bible complained bitterly in their prayers to God. Their "check in" began with something like, "Lord, I gotta beef with you!" God is not afraid of how you and I feel. Let Him know everything! Check in with God and listen to His healing words.
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment