Thought for the Day – Friday 7th August 2020
The airline had mangled Debbie’s luggage. Then her purse disappeared. Instead of entering the airport through an enclosed corridor she stumbled off the plane in pouring rain. She was drenched, far from home with no money, no identification and no dry clothes.
Under normal circumstances Debbie would have been furious, but that night it didn’t matter. She had just survived the crash of Flight 1420 in Little Rock, Arkansas. “When I walked off that plane,” Debbie said, “I walked off with nothing, then I stopped and thought, I have everything.”
She had suddenly realised that her life was more important than all she had lost. It sometimes takes a dramatic turn of events to alter our perspective.
That was true for Saul of Tarsus. He had treasured his hard-earned reputation for “righteousness” more than anything in the world (Phil. 3 v 4-6). But when he met Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9 v 1-6), his whole outlook changed. Later he wrote, “What things were gain to me, these I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3 v 7).”
Over the last few months many people have had to get used to other people doing their shopping for them. They have had to give up their independence and freedom in order to stay safe and well. Many people have not been able to stay at home and have gone on to lose their lives to Covid 19.
We can all appreciate the sacrifice made by many in these strange times. But if you are reading this,then like Debbie getting off that plane, you are alive and material things are of little importance. I cannot imagine how it must be for refugees having to flee with only the clothes on their backs and in many cases having to leave some family members behind.
As we pray for others may we give thanks to God for lessons learned through the trials of recent months, asking for grace to know our lives truly changed. When we have nothing left but Christ, we find He is enough.
God bless, Anna.