Joy On The Road

Do you ever get so busy that you forget to breathe?
Obviously, you breathe, or else you would not be alive.
However you forget to take deep breaths.
You forget to breath deeply the fresh air that surrounds you every day.

Do you ever get so harried that you breathe quickly?
You are not out of breath; you do not need to call the doctor out of concern.
But you find that you are taking quick, shallow breaths.
You are taking quick breaths as if with so much on your plate there is not time for more.

It is at those times you need to stop.
You need to stop and breathe deeply.
You need to stop and take the time for your spirit to catch up with your body.
You need to stop and recharge.

The Energizer Bunny comes to mind; still going, still beating that drum.
We all have those days.
We all have days when we are on autopilot.
We all have days when it’s all about getting things done and checking them off the list.

Days where we go and go and go and literally fall into bed exhausted.
Days that go by in a blur.
Days that when finished you simply want to close the book and put it on the shelf.
Days like these are not the best kind of days for your soul.

Mothers have those kinds of days when they drive their children to after school activities.
There are only twenty-four hours in a day yet everything happens in the hours after school.
Homework needs to get done in the midst of band practice, sports, and play practice.
In that window of time dinner has to be eaten, dishes have to be done, and lunches made.

Those are the kind of days that seem to have no time to spare.
There is no time to smell the roses.
There is no time to sit and have a cup of tea.
There is no time.

That is unwise.
We have all been there.
However, if we have too many of those kind of days, we pay a great price.
We find ourselves spent in all the busyness and never take time to be still.

The very things that were to make our life easier make them more complicated.
Now instead of one phone ringing, there are two, if you still have a landline.
Instead of going to the mailbox each day to retrieve your mail, you have emails to answer.
There are texts to respond to, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with.

We are being bombarded on all sides.
We are being pulled in all directions.
We are connected in cyber space but disconnected in real life.
We have substituted face-to-face conversation with Face Time through a computer screen.

We look down at devices so much throughout our day; we fail to see what is around us.
We go into our solitary bubble and check our Facebook.
We scroll through our newsfeed and think we are up to date on all the latest news.
We know a little bit about a lot of things and we are drowning in minutia.

Where is the joy?
Where is the face that brightens?
Where is the unhurried look?
Where is the stillness of spirit?

That joy is what will capture an unbeliever.
That peace is what will cause them to pause.
That brightness will invite them to approach you.
That stillness will make them ask, why?

And then you tell them.
You don’t take the credit for any of it.
You give the glory to God.
You explain the difference that they see and how those changes happened in your life.

You take a deep breath and begin.
You tell that that you are a sinner saved by grace.
You tell them about the Lord Jesus and all He has done for you.
You tell them that same grace is available to them if they trust in Jesus alone for salvation.

You explain how nothing they could ever do will get them into heaven.
It is not about works, and busyness, and checking things off the list.
It is Do vs. Done.
We cannot possibly do anything to earn God’s favor; it has already been done on the cross.

Tell them about the One who hung on a cross and took our sins on Himself.
Tell them about the One who paid the penalty that we were supposed to pay.
Tell them about the One who died, and was buried, and on the third day rose again.
Tell them that because He rose again, God the Father was satisfied.

Take them down the Romans Road:
(Romans 3:10) As it is written, There is no one righteous not even one.
(Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 
(Romans 5:8) But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.
(Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 10:9, 10) If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
(Romans 10:13) For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Walk them down that Romans Road with joy on your face and joy in your heart.
Joy is what will capture an unbeliever who desperately needs the Hope of the Gospel.
Joy is what they need to see first.
Joy in you will allow them to see the joy of the Lord that you carry inside you.

Look around and see the needs that are all around you.
Look around and take notice of the many people you pass every day who do not know Him.
Look around and see where you can meet someone right where they are.
Look around you.

Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John 4:35)
With joy in your heart look around and see whom God has put directly in front of you.
With joy on your face, meet that person right where they are.
With joy in your voice share the Gospel and walk with them down that road.

 

2 responses to “Joy On The Road”

1. Love it Gina. I just started reading a book called Simply Tuesday, (I think). This thinking coincides with the thoughts in that book. Write on my friend!

   Reply

   • Jean,
     Don’t you love the way God does that?
     We hear a sermon, we read a book, we listen to a worship song and the message is the same.
     God does have a way of getting our attention.
     Gina

     Reply