Three Spring Breaks Later...

What do you do when you have three Spring Breaks in a row? OK, I had one, Erik had one and Carlyn is now enjoying hers, but lucky for me, the Mom, I get to enjoy bits & pieces of them all.


Three, must be a somewhat of a magical number. I recently learned that if you receive a message 3 times in a row, it is a message that needs your attention, and God is behind that epiphany, that divine manifestation. I think we all have this happen to us more than we realize, we just don't recognize it. Since receiving this information of being aware of the third message, I have noted this happening to me at least twice in the last three weeks. I say at least two, because I'm sure I have had a third, but unfortunately for me I can't recall what it was. The first two I do remember are:


Taste and see that the Lord is good. ~ Psalm 34:8

and

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ~ Philippians 4:8


Psalm 34:8 has been posted on my fridge for at least 6 years. It has always intrigued me and amused me but until it was reinforced again in my life over these past 3 weeks, I didn't understand its special message for me. In a nutshell it was this: As I desire a closer, more personal relationship with God, all I really have to do is taste and see that the Lord is good. The more that I taste what God has to offer me, the more I crave it. The more I crave it, the more I want to be spiritually fed and henceforth I come to a closer relationship. It is like a delectable dessert, made by a fine pastry chef. She is so confident in her abilities to make something so delicious that all she has to do is get you to taste it and you want more. God's love is like that. He puts it out there to us just to taste, not to throw the whole, darn pie in our face...NO...just taste.


The other reoccurring message for me this last month has been, Philippians 4:8. I have been convicted to think about what is true, right and pure. The latest book I have been reading made light of this, as well as my Pastor, and also a dear old friend. Cherie and I exchanged stories recently about our journeys and our spiritual walks and we both realized that the Holy Spirit really works in our life’s, when we tune out the noise, weed through the distractions, such as TV, newspapers, talk radio...being careful what goes in our brains. Right thoughts bring energy and life; the wrong thoughts bring fatigue and death. Commotion blocks the flow of the spirit.


Which actually brings me to the third forgotten message, and thank you Lord, I remember now, and that is LISTENING. God has a great sense of humor, doesn't he...funny how I tried to forget that one! My Pastor and friend Matt gave a great analogy on listening recently. He talked about well know sports announcer, Bob Costas. Bob is famous for his smooth voice and great commentary on sports, especially baseball. Many of us probably think this was a natural gift that Bob was born with, and maybe it was, but Bob Costas attributes it to his childhood in Commack, NY and having to go out to the family car and listen to ballgames on the radio so he could come back in and repeat what he heard to his dad.  He had to listen to get the message.  I too have to listen to get the message and be aware of what barriers are getting in the way, keeping me from the message.  Which maybe in this case were three Spring Breaks?


Thank you Lord for giving me two ears and one mouth, help me to listen more. By the way, those two ears and one mouth, they add up to 3!