17. Fear

     A little girl caught her father off guard one day with one of those outrageous question-asking sessions in which children engage. "Daddy," she said, "Are you afraid of wild animals?"
     The father replied with paternal boast, "No, of course not."
     "Well, Daddy, are you afraid of the dark?"
     "Never," said the father bravely.
     "Daddy, are you afraid of the long woolly worms?"
     "Never!" said the father, feeling more invincible with each reply he made.
     "Well, Daddy," the little girl concluded after a brief pause, "then you aren't afraid of anything but Mommy, right?"

SCRIPTURE: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, / and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)

SENDOFF: Lord, teach me to stand in fear and awe of you and you alone.

16. Briefly Noted

     A bishop called a gathering of all the ministers in his area for a one-day consultation and retreat. The man assigned for the opening devotions that day called in sick at the last minute. The bishop sought out a young man who had recently graduated from the seminary and had just been ordained. The bishop explained what had happened, and then he asked this young clergyman to lead the morning devotions.
     "Oh, Bishop," he exclaimed, "I could not do that. I have nothing prepared. I would not know what to say."
     The bishop handed the young man his own Bible. "Here, take my Bible and spend a few minutes of quiet time somewhere doing your preparation. Then, just trust the Lord. Just trust the Lord."
     The young man know he could not refuse the bishop the second time. He reluctantly took the Bible and began to leaf through the pages. He could not find a proper text, but he did find a number of pages in the Bible and began with notes on them. One piece of paper intrigued him. As he looked it over, he decided that it would provide a good outline for a morning devotional for the group.
     The young clergyman presented the devotions with exceptional poise and grace. When he was finished, the bishop came running over to him. Expecting some kind of gracious response, instead he heard the bishop exclaim, "Young Man! What do you think you are doing? You used my notes for the closing worship today. Now what shall I do for my own leadership later one?"
     The younger man looked at his bishop and counseled, "Just trust the Lord, Bishop. Just trust the Lord."

SCRIPTURE: "When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:19-20)

SENDOFF: God, grant me the appropriate inspirited words each time I speak to someone today.

15. Some Things Cannot Be Risked

     Two individuals were driving down a highway in a large truck. They came to a bridge underpass with a big stern sign in front of it reading: "Absolutely no vehicles over 10 feet 3 inches allowed." The two men pulled over to the shoulder and got out of the truck with a measuring tape. As it turned out, the truck was 10 feet 4 inches tall. At this point, the second man looked at the driver and said, "What shall we do?"
     The driver glanced both ways and then answered, "There's not a policeman in sight. Let's risk it!"

SCRIPTURE: For we intend to do what is right now only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of others. (2 Corinthians 8:21)

SENDOFF: Lord, help me to make all decisions this day as one who lives ever in your sight. Amen.

14. Wedding Cake

     A cake maker took an order for a wedding cake from a couple about to be married. The couple requested a verse inscribed on the cake, taken from 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear."
     The baker must have misread the order. When the cake arrived on the day of the wedding, the newlyweds were aghast to find that the "1" had been dropped from the Scripture reference. Instead, the verse that appeared was from John 4:18, which reads: "For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband."

SCRIPTURE: Let marriage be held in honor by all. (Hebrews 13:4)

SENDOFF: Think of a married couple whom you know well. Offer a prayer on their behalf right now.

13. From the Mouths of Children

     The day was blistering hot and muggy. The house was full of guests, and things were not going well. Finally, the hostess for everyone seated for dinner and asked her seven-year-old daughter to offer the blessing. "But, Mother," said the child, "I don't know what to say."
     "Yes, you do," said her mother. "Just say the last prayer you heard me use."
     Obediently, the child bowed her heard and recited hesitantly: "O, Lord, why did I invite all these people to dinner on such a hot day?"

Scripture: Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, on of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1)

Sendoff: Lord, help me to learn to pray with the honesty and assurance of a child.