Devotions

A bunch of us were sitting
in my college dorm room
telling each other spooky stories.
The room was dark except
for the eerie glow of my lava lamp,
making its globby forms
one friend thought disgusting.

I was sprawled and comfy
on my roommate’s beanbag chair
holding my little rag doll
made of bits of cloth and yarn,
which everyone thought was ugly.
I insisted it was cute,
but it really was ugly, though.

It was about twelve inches tall,
had a white-taped face like a mummy,
scraggly, black yarn hair, brown-thread eyes,
arms stuck out like a scare crow,
a green and black outfit that let its
scrawny, white-taped legs show.
I think I called it Morton.

I told them about my grandma
during WWII who had two sons overseas,
my dad and his brother Bill.
One day, she was in the upstairs of her house
looking at Uncle Bill’s picture
when large black wings embraced her,
only for a moment.

I didn’t think the story particularly scary,
figuring it was just God’s heads-up
to Grandma, since Uncle Bill was killed
a few days later. But apparently,
one of the guys thought it unnerving,
because when I threw my rag doll at him
he went straight up like a rocket.

Perspective

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

There are three matters of perspective in this poem. I viewed the lava lamp as comforting and interesting when my friend saw the globby forms as disgusting, like something you’d see in a dissection lab. I saw my rag doll as cute, but others thought it ugly, or even scary like Chucky of the horror-movie fame. I saw the story about my Uncle Bill as fascinating and spiritual and my friend inferred that the story about the black wings was spooky.

We all have different tastes and see things in different ways. Those differences show themselves in fashions and styles, who we have as friends, and in our political and religious beliefs. The most important perspective, however, is God’s. How does He see things? What is His desire for us? How does He want us to live our lives? Fortunately for us, God is love. He loved people so much he sent His Son to die for us. All we have to do is receive His forgiveness and live for Him, making Him Lord as well as Savior. He desires good for us, not evil.

Different people value different things. We each spend our time and money on what’s important to us. But often what we value takes a back burner to things to what is easier, enjoyable or dictated by others. I’m a writer and I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say they’d like to write but don’t have time. They have the same 24 hours per day that I have. We do what’s important to us. This is an issue we have to present to God. What does He see for us as important? That involves prayer and moving forward with whatever is on your heart and allowing God to guide. Like some say, “It’s harder to move a stationary object than one that’s on the move.” Pray, follow your bent, and see where God will take you.

Prayer: Lord, help us see things as you see them and yield to your plans and purposes. Please use our time, talents and resources to Your glory within the assignment You have for us and not hold back in fear and uncertainty.

Recommended Reading: I Corinthians 1:18-31, James 3:13-18