Friends, A Driving with Anna Devotional
Anna K Payne
Published by AP Creations at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 Anna K Payne
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Table of Contents
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Two Kinds of People
There are two kinds of people: Those who love getting together with other people for pretty much any reason; and those who don’t. Can you guess which I am?
I think that I pretty much take after my dad. People are okay in very small quantities and for limited amounts of time. Individuals are very interesting and even fun. People, especially lots of people, are noisy, annoying and basically? Crowds.
Recently I had the privilege of attending an award luncheon because I had been nominated, and chosen, for an Honorary Service Award for recognition of outstanding service to children and youth. The Costa Mesa High PTSA presented it. It was a really big honor. I’ve seen other people get the award and thought, “Wow, they do so much, they deserve that.” I can’t believe they think I’m “one of them.”
So, there I was at this expensive restaurant with a bunch of people I don’t really know. Ok. I knew some of them. I sat at the table for Cost Mesa High School, so, really, I should know them, right?
There was the principal and the vice-principal. Oh, yes. Well. I don’t really talk to them much. The vice-principal I’ve actually spoken to. His daughter was in drama last year. I haven’t seen them this year. I missed them because they did help a lot.
And there was a teacher (she loves! parties and people) who had actually had all three of my children. Well, in reality, she still has one of my children. We said a quiet “hi” in-between her conversations. She sat across the table from me.
She sat near the two ladies whose sons are in drama this year. They have both done a lot of volunteer work this year for drama. One loves to bake and brings bread and cookies to rehearsals. The kids all love her food. And the other one had the cast party at her house and would like to do so again!
Those kinds of helpers are always encouraged! And there were two other really very nice ladies. One has a daughter in choir and I saw her later that night helping out at the concert I was helping with too. And there was another father, who knew the principal, but really didn’t like the whole crowd thing either.
I did manage to get him talking since we were sitting near each other. I hoped it would save me from total boredom. He had talked about fishing in Trabuco Canyon. I had always wondered about Trabuco Canyon since I had read in some local history of two sons dying while hunting there. He told me a lot about the area. He had previously been a law enforcement officer there too. I forgot to ask what he does now.
Crowds of people are okay. And separately, I’m sure all those people are very interesting and fun to be around. But when they are all together, it is just noise to me.
My daughter said it sounded like lots of fun. Guess whom she takes after?
I Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit.
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The Solid Rock
Standing on the sand at the beach was a real eye-opener to me. When the waves come in, your place in the sand is lost. I tried to stand in the same place as the waves swirled around me, but I ended up nearly falling over. The foundation below me was swept away. So the song goes, “The foolish man built his house upon the sand…”
So I look to the mountains as I drive. On a rock, a solid rock, I stand. Christ is my solid foundation. When I stand on him and his word, when I believe in him, I will not fall over. When I trust in him, I can stand through the storms of life, through everything, because I have him.
A new friend of mine has had a few trials in recent months. Things that make you cry and question what is really happening, and is this really happening. Speaking with her, I was impressed to hear her say over and over, that this is why…God had this in mind. Or, I’m not sure why, but I know that God is with me and he has his reasons.
I’m not sure that I would be able to view things in this light so completely as she portrayed to me. I remember going through trials myself without her complete faith in God, in his plan, following his leading. It was not fun. It was lonely. It was not filled with peace. I think her way of doing things, God’s way, is better.
So I will look to God and learn to abide in him. To run to him and hold onto him and never let go. Everything I hope for comes from him.
Hebrew 6:18-20 We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.