Packed Bags

by Macy Johnson

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

(2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV)

Is your earthly tent wearing out? Are your eternal bags packed? Are you ready to go to heaven?

As newlyweds, my husband and I looked forward to camping expeditions. We jumped at the chance to leave our stable, sturdy home to sleep for a week in a bright-orange, rickety, two-person dome tent. We loaded down our white Monte Carlo in flat-land Florida one crisp October and headed for the stately mountains and rippling creeks of North Carolina.

SOS - Save Our Ship!

by Macy Johnson

“I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God.”

(Psalm 69:3 NIV)

It was an Alabama Fourth of July on beautiful Lake Martin, a vast recreational area known for extravagant Independence Day celebrations.

The pontoon boat, loaded with drinks, food, towels, sunscreen, family and friends, promised a fun day on the water. As the sun set, a Montgomery radio station aired patriotic music to accompany the dazzling fireworks' display. We relaxed and enjoyed the concert synchronized with the overhead spectacle.

Wasp!

by Macy Johnson

“They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion

 when it strikes a man.”

(Revelation 9:5 NIV)

On our way to church one drizzly Palm Sunday morning, my sister Sandy and I noticed a wasp emerging from the vent below the windshield.

We looked at each other and agreed to ignore it until we pulled into the church parking lot. Unwilling to wait, the wasp eased closer and stared at me from the dashboard’s edge. I took a chance, eased up on the accelerator, and opened the driver’s-side window. Out it flew!

Chase the Creator

by Macy Johnson

“But Jesus said, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’”

(Luke 4:43 NIV)

Jesus was on the move, chasing His purpose. We are created to follow Him, pursue our Creator.

The blur of passing images on my path distracts me. God jerks my mind back to the Way, Truth, Life. I hear Him say, “Stay the course, close to me.”

Jeff opened the front door and called, “Come! Listen to this.” Intrigued, I followed him into our guest cabin. From the kitchen came a barely-audible, high-pitched tone, a steady squeal. We yanked out all electric plugs and pushed all buttons on the GFCI outlets. The tone continued while Jeff grumbled about visions of the cabin burning to the ground.

Stiff Neck, Screwy Spine

by Macy Johnson

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

(Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV)

Several years ago, while living in Birmingham, I visited a chiropractor because my neck hurt. 

The doctor concluded, “You have a screwy spine.” Recent DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) bone scans confirm osteopenia (bone loss) in my hips and spine, early stages of a weakened, brittle skeleton.

Count Your Blessings

by Macy Johnson

“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.”

(Psalm 104:24 NIV)

One Sunday morning, Beverly and I played a captivating piano-organ duet of the well-loved hymn “Count Your Blessings.” 

In the following days, the stanzas rolled around in my brain, nudging me to pay attention to all the wonderful ways in which God continually pours Himself through me.

One, two, three…my feeble brain counts everything, including footsteps. I reset thermostat controls from odd to even numbers. I write dates in the margins of my Bible when I read a section or verse. Why did God create us to count?

On a Mission

by Macy Johnson

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:3 NIV)

Headed to a recording session at the middle school, I hurried into my favorite shop for a gift. I breezed past the front counter and overheard a woman say to her co-worker, “She must be on a mission!”

I don’t like to shop. Growing up, I dreaded the weekly, often daily visits with my mother to Gayfer’s, the local department store. When my younger sister developed an affinity for shopping with Mom, I was graciously excused from that daughterly duty.