Life Lessons

A couple of nights ago, my husband and I were enjoying a pleasant evening outside. We were checking a section of the yard that didn’t seem to be getting water from our sprinkler system, so he began fiddling with the thing.

Have you heard the phrase, “it’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye?” Well that’s kind of what happened that night. As he was poking and prodding that stubborn sprinkler head, a piece of plastic flew up underneath the rim of Mason’s safety glasses, and hit him in the eye.

After doing everything possible, we decided a trip to the emergency room was in order. We arrived at the hospital at 10 p.m.

Apparently there had been a lot of emergencies that evening, so they placed Mason in a room that was designed for children.

The décor was obviously designed to bring joy to a young heart. I mentioned it to Mason…he liked it.

Here are a few things I learned from this moment in time.

Lesson 1: Small incidents can have a huge impact.

A tiny piece of plastic. That’s all it was. But boy did it have an impact. I am but one person on this earth in the midst of billions of people. But I can impact my world by sharing God’s love and grace with anyone I come in contact with. I may not even be able to share this message, but my attitude and my demeanor shows that I am different. That, my friend, is impact.

We must live in this world, but we must not fall into the traps of the world. We must think the way God thinks, not the way the world thinks. We must be different. Others must be able to see Jesus in our lives.

Some Scripture to consider: John 17:15-16; Romans 12:2; Galatians 2:20; and 1 Peter 1:16.

Lesson 2: Interruptions in life are inevitable.

I’ve mentioned before that I participated in a Bible study on the book of Jonah by Priscilla Shirer. Now there was interruption. My service trip to SE Asia, that is interruption. This small piece of plastic in Mason’s eye? That was an interruption. But again, how we handle that interruption is the key.

Jonah ran. Do you find yourself running from interruptions? If they are God appointed, you might as well stop running. He wants to teach you something and you best be listening.

I accepted. Is there a situation where you need to accept an interruption as part of God’s plan? If so, accept it wholeheartedly. God will bless your acceptance.

Mason gave in. He really didn’t want to go to the hospital for a whole list of reasons. But he finally said, “okay.” What if he hadn’t? Any number of things could have happened, from infection to the loss of his eye. God knows what’s best for us. Maybe it’s time to just give in.

More Scripture to consider: Jonah (only 4 chapters…an easy read); Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 19:1-10; John 14:21; and Acts 9:1-19.

Two and a half hours after arriving at the hospital, we headed home. Mason with a sore eye, tetanus shot, pain killers, and an antibiotic. Me with a better understanding of how things can turn bad so quickly. His eye is doing much better and he is beginning to feel like his normal self.

You know it’s going to happen. I must ask these questions.

What are the interruptions in your life? What interruption are you running from? What interruption have you accepted? What is your attitude about these interruptions?

You will be interrupted, I guarantee it. I pray that God will direct your decisions and attitude during these interruptions. I know for sure, there is so much to learn.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna