Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Max Lucado once wrote about the way a potter checks his work. When he pulls a pot out of the oven, he "thumps" it. If there's a good, ringing sound-if the pot "sings"-it's ready. But if there's just a "thud," the pot is put back into the oven. As Max wrote, a person's character is also checked by thumping: Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. "You've-got-to-be-kidding" deadlines. These are all thumps. Thumps are irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren't big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out!
Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (see Luke 6:45). There's nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.
How do you respond to "thumping"-to the knocks and blows and trials of life? Do you sing? Or do you thud? Your answer depends to a large degree on what your "pot" is made of-what's in your heart, as Jesus said.
But even if you have a tendency to thud more than sing, take heart. There is hope. We can learn from the thumps. We can be aware of "thump-slump" times, like "blue Mondays," after a holiday and such. No thump is a disaster. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.
Is your mate or a child in a "thump slump" right now? Go and pray with him or her that God's grace and love will be real. Then hug him, tell him that you love him and go get an ice-cream cone together.
Discuss: What kind of "thumps" tend to discourage you most? What are the "thump slump" times in your spouse's life? Ask your spouse how you can be sensitive during such times.
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