I made a short list of things that I do that make God laugh. Well, I assume that they make Him laugh. Maybe He also gets mad. I'd like to think, however, that He enjoys my silly blunders like I enjoy them. If not, I'm in big trouble.
1. I think He laughs at my neurotic list of idiosyncrasies. "Bryan, you can't step on the sidewalk cracks? Are you kidding Me right now?" I know! I KNOW! It's just that...well...I have to step carefully, otherwise my feet will feel uneven. "Bryan, if I could use My own name in vain, I'd probably do it with you."
I should probably be in therapy, but it would cost me too much money. If I went, I would have to have at least three appointments a week like Adrian Monk. I just don't see that ending well, so I hope that God enjoys the show while it lasts.
2. He probably thinks my list of qualifications for a wife is insane. I always thought that it was a good thing to be specific when you pray. I didn't think it was too much to pray, "Lord, please send me a beautiful wife who will love and respect me (obviously mutual), who will pour her heart into me (obviously mutual), and who will join me in ministry." After He continually responded with, "Bryan, just be patient and I'll take care of everything," I finally got upset and changed my prayer.
When I began to pray, "Lord, just send me a woman with a hand-written note from You that says, 'She's the one,' so that I don't have any confusion about my future wife," I think He might have gotten upset. I mean, He never came out and actually said anything about it, but I'm pretty sure that He was upset. I tried the whole awkward-laugh moment and I don't think He bought it. So, we're still a little touch-and-go on that one.
3. I'm fairly certain that He shakes His head at my control-freak tendencies. I didn't necessarily think that it was control-freakish, but I've been told (obviously by others) that I might lean that way. I always thought that I was calm, cool, and collected. I learned, on several occasions (high school, college, post-college, post-post-college), that I'm not as cool as I thought I was.
Sometimes God says, "Bryan, even I don't know what's going on in that noodle of yours. I created you, and you are more perplexing that anyone that I have ever seen." I was fairly indignant at the comment, so I asked my mother, "Mom, I'm a fairly simple guy, right?" The explosion of expression and fits of laughter told me that she was siding with God on that one.
4. He often questions my choice in wardrobe. I thought that wearing red socks with my black slacks and green shirt was a pretty awesome combination. When He said, "Bryan, I think the entire church can see your red socks when you sit down to play the drums," I started to get a little concerned. It obviously wasn't enough of a concern to keep me from doing it, but He began to question my judgment.
I thought, if ANYone would understand, it would be God. I mean, colorful socks just make everything better. If you're having a rough day, red socks just brighten the mood. If you're in a bad situation, seeing some purple argyle can totally change everything around. So, to this day, I'm still not sure if they're allowed...biblically speaking.
5. I think He is weirded out by my food consumption. I didn't think anything about eating half of a block of mild cheddar cheese in one sitting, until my bro-in-law started laughing at me in the middle of Albertson's. Around that time, God began to talk to me about the condition of my heart. I thought we were just having the normal "conviction speech," but I think He was more worried about my cholesterol.
I've since noticed that I'm in the minority for eating cheese. I didn't think it was weird to just offer someone some cheese when they walked into my house. I thought I was being hospitable, but apparently that's more disturbing than anything. So, God and I are still in the process of that conversation.
It's the simple things in life, right? We should take time to laugh at those small and seemingly insignificant moments, rather than being so concerned over all of the things that could potentially go wrong with the day.
I hope that your life is filled with opportunities to share the love of Christ this week. Don't forget that you have been bestowed an amazing opportunity. Use it wisely for the glory of God.
God's blessings on your life this week,
Bryan
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