Morning Devotional:
I was once schooled about perseverance by a pair of shoes.
I was in fourth grade and I had been begging my parents to buy me a pair of shoes. Not just any shoes, either – I wanted a specific pair of clogs that had a wide front strap with a buckle and an open back. I just had to have a pair. One day my mother finally relented and took me to the shoe store. We left the mall
with beautiful pair of navy blue clogs – the exact pair I wanted – and I changed into my new clogs in the car on the way home.
When we pulled into the driveway, Mom asked me to get the mail out of the mailbox. Happy to do it, I started walking toward the end of the driveway, proudly wearing my new clogs. About twenty or so feet into my trek, I tripped over my new shoes, fell down on the blacktop and sprained my ankle. I had to
wear a splint for weeks, and I never wore those clogs again. In fact, to this day I have never worn shoes without a strap around the back of my ankle for fear I would do the exact same thing again.
Failures have much to teach us in the Christian walk. They teach us about grace, and that God forgives us when we mess up. They teach us about perseverance, and that when we fall down we are to get up again, “forget what is behind, reach forward to the things that are ahead and press on toward the goal for the prize.” They show us, too, that when we do press on we will eventually hit the mark. We’re going to trip and fall, sometimes in goofy clogs and sometimes not, but whatever you do, get up again and keep pressing on.
– Beth
Burning Question:
What was a moment in your life when you knew you were loved?
Bible Quiz:
Question: Which of the four horsemen in Revelation symbolizes famine on the earth?
Answer: The third, or the black horse. (Revelation 6:5-6)
Storytime: Mercy wants to be carried