Pillsbury Dough Boy wanted for attempted murder
A lady named Linda went to Arkansas last week to visit her in-laws, and while there, went to a store. She parked next to a car with a woman sitting in it, her eyes closed and hands behind her head, apparently sleeping. When Linda came out a while later, she again saw the woman, her hands still behind her head but with her eyes open.
The woman looked very strange, so Linda tapped on the window and said, “Are you okay?” The woman answered, “I’ve been shot in the head, and I am holding my brains in.”
Linda didn’t know what to do, so she ran into the store, where store workers called the paramedics. They had to break into the car because the door was locked. When they got in, they found that the woman had bread dough on the back of her head and in her hands.
A Pillsbury biscuit cannister had exploded, apparently from the heat in the car, making a loud explosion like that of a gunshot, and hit her in the head. When she reached back to find what it was, she felt the dough and thought it was her brains. She passed out from fright at first, then attempted to hold her brains in.
Now that is a funny image! And yet we all face times when life is not a funny mistake. Times when we get hit with bad news, bad issues, bad seasons of life! When our minds take us to dark places. Maybe this coronavirus has you in a bad place right now.
We have been talking about prayer, now for the third day. If you missed the other 2 devotions, scroll down to view them!
I shared some of the prayers and the people that I pray for…Here is an important section of my daily prayers.
“Lord, be with those that are lonely and neglected, abused and intimidated, facing fear, pain, grief, distress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, facing hurts, habits, and hang-ups.”
Take some time to carefully ponder that list and identify which of those areas you may be struggling with. It’s a long list and most of us can relate to a few of these at any time in our lives. It’s all part of living in a post Garden of Eden world. Talk to the Lord about the ones that are making your life unmanageable. Turn to the Lord for direction and comfort. Call me and let’s see what a healthy next step can look like. Seek God’s Peace that is beyond our human understanding.
John 14:27…Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
1 Peter 5:7…Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Now, go back over the list and think about those you know who are struggling with one or more of those issues. Maybe a family member, friend or neighbor.
What would God have you do? Do you realize that you may be the answer to their prayer? God may want to work thru you into their struggles!
1 Thessalonians 5:11…Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.
I saw a devotion that caught my eye, it was about going to the beach and trying to find shells in the sand. We look for the perfect, unbroken ones…the bigger and more beautiful the better. There are countless varieties like conch, scallop, oyster…some from far away washed up on the shore. But what about the broken ones? They tend to get ignored, overlooked, and passed by, or worse yet, stepped on and broken further. No one seems to be seeking them or finding value in them.
It’s the same with people. Do the people that you have identified from my list of brokenness feel like those shells? Do people pass them by for those that seem more “whole?” Do people try to ignore and overlook their brokenness…not sure what to say or do? Maybe too busy to stop and help…thinking let someone else help them.
How about you? Will you stop to help them? What if it were Jesus? Would you offer Him help? Matthew 25:37-40… “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
So, again I ask you, who can you reach out to? Many have suffered for a long time…while others more recently with coronavirus related issues. Who is God nudging you to call or text? Will you take the time to let them know that you care? Will you listen to their story? Will you tell them that you are praying for them? Do you pray for God to tell you how to help them? Can you refer them to someone like myself for further help? Can you send them a card…or help with a financial issue?
The greatest gift that you have…and that you can give someone is to point them to the Love of Jesus. What if you helped give those that are lonely and neglected, abused and intimidated, facing fear, pain, grief, distress, depression, anxiety, facing hurts, habits, and hang-ups the gift that they need most?… Invite them into a relationship with the Lord who can replace those negative things with God’s gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control! (Galatians 5:22)
So…that is the end of my 3-part devotion on prayer! I wanted to end it with a quote that I read …..In prayer, I confess once again that I won’t ever be what I’m supposed to be and do what I’m supposed to do without the forgiving, empowering, and delivering grace of the One to whom I am praying!