Lakeland Seventh-day Adventist Church

Panda was a funny dog. An Australian shepherd with patches on her eyes resembling her namesake, she would take nuggets of dog food out of her 25 pound feeder and bury them around the yard. Maybe she had watched one too many squirrels, but we suspected she didn't trust us to give her enough food. How low-down does it make you feel when even your dog won't trust you?

Some people want to be president. Some want to be a world champion athlete, others the richest, smartest, or best looking. They have big plans! Jere Webb, while pastoring the collegiate church at Southern, said, “Most people start out to build a ladder to the stars, and end up throwing a plank across the ditch.” How's your ladder. . . ?

Right now Patty and I are twisting in the wind of the housing market. We are on the last month of our apartment lease, we've already lost one house—three days before closing, and our fingernails are almost gone. Here's what's happening. . .

When I was in Boy Scouts, the Scoutmaster did an exercise in trust. Each boy was blindfolded, led into a tent, had their hands put into two containers of liquid and asked what they felt. While they were putting the blindfold on me, my juvenile mind knew I was in no mortal danger, but my trust-o-meter was diving into the dirt. Then, tents being what they are, I heard the boy who went in before me scream, “Ewww! It's wor--!”

Many of you know the reason I didn't post here last week, continuing our study of the Lord's prayer. It was a little scary to hear the doctor say there was something wrong with my electrocardiogram. When I was hurried aboard the medivac helicopter, perhaps you will forgive me for wondering if “Your kingdom” was coming just a bit sooner than I expected! I might have started to think. . . .

The sign said $1.56 for regular. Not too bad considering it was right on the freeway. I got to the pump, slid my card through, and opened the cap on my tank. When the pump said I could press the button for the grade I wanted, that's when I saw the little sign.

Our relaxing ride on the bicycle ended with a shattering surprise, with the smashed back window of our car. After the feelings of violation and anger settled in, we realized we needed to hurry. We were out on the Van Fleet Trail at the Green Pond Trailhead and there was no cell service at all, nothing we could do until we got back into range, and the clock was ticking.

As fast as we could race back we started calling and the bad news started to roll in—hundreds of dollars of charges had already been made on our credit cards. The money wasn't the big loss. How would we get our good name back? What would happen to our credit score?

Doesn't God already know what I need? Why do I have to ask?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him,” so this seems to be a very good question. Let's see if He has left clues to an answer for us.

I know it has happened to you.

And when it does, only three things matter:
You are hot.
You are thirsty.
And both your money and the soda are in the machine to stay.

When we put our money in, we expect that we will get what we paid for. Frustration sets in and we start shaking things around, kicking and cussing. OK, those of you who read this wouldn't do the last one, but we feel like we did what we were supposed to do and we want our reward.

Ready for the leap? Here we go. Do we ever act this way with God?

Perhaps you remember an old cartoon show where George Jetson was “walking the dog,” Astro, on the treadmill. It begins to go faster and faster while the dog jumps off. George screams, “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!”

Most of us wonder how we got so busy. Even retired folk often tell me they haven't slowed down! Now that is worrisome. . . .

Too often we wake up already thinking of all the things that need to be tended to during the day and we don't stop, even after our heads are on the pillows at the end of the day, until exhaustion overpowers us. The clock goes off again, and we repeat the cycle.

Is there any way to stop this crazy thing?