Good morning, everyone.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 10:9, “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.”
There’s a good-sized list of things that I do my best to avoid. At the top of that list would be snakes, which probably show up on many people’s lists. But also way up there for me is mustard and ketchup. I have a hard time even passing someone a bottle of mustard for fear that I will somehow get some on my fingers, where the stain and smell seem to last for months. Another anathema for me is getting sunburn. Long sleeves, sunscreen, and umbrellas on the beach are all utilized to help me avoid the week-long discomfort that comes with a sunburn. But there was a time when my list looked quite different. In high school, my go-to sandwich was a ham and cheese with mustard on it. And even through my college days, I used to spend hours laying out and getting a tan. In fact, I can recall numerous summer afternoons when I would take my blanket and radio and not only go outside, I would actually go up on the roof of our house and lay out. I would spread out the blanket, rest my feet in the top of the gutter to keep from sliding down, and lay there destroying my skin. And yes, there were a few instances of overexposure.
We know that the worst times of the day to be out in the sun are generally from 10am – 2pm. That’s when the sun, even from 93 million miles away, does its greatest damage through its 5,778 degrees Kelvin and ultraviolet rays. But that’s when the pools and beaches are full of sunbathers and swimmers, whether protected or not. And that’s when millions of workers are outside doing what they have to do to earn a living.
Temperature-wise, it may have been the worst time for Peter to go up on his roof to pray at noon. Today, Tuesday, may be the worst time for something you have to do. We don’t always get to choose what’s on our playlist. If so, how will you manage? Faced with something you dread and would do almost anything to avoid, how will you get through it? You know the Bible stories of courage and deliverance, of prayer and strength, but what effect will they have on your anxiety and preoccupation? In short, how real will your faith be? Someone once wrote that it was the best of times, and the worst of times. Will God turn one of these into the other for you?
As we seek Him today, tell God of your struggles, and ask Him to see you through.
Have a joyous Tuesday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
