NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

April 15

Scripture focus: Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you – better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. Proverbs 27:10 NIV

One of Marion’s favorite things in the world was to travel with her dear friend. They regularly planned and executed great adventures to Hilton Head, Florida in February, and all sorts of places. A couple of times they went to California. These women were seasoned veterans of travel. At some point, they decided that they did not like the way long airplane trips caused their ankles to swell. Ever on the lookout for new and better ways to travel, one of them got the brilliant idea that perhaps taking a diuretic would help keep down the swelling. So, right before they were headed out to catch their flight, they downed their water pill with great expectation that they would land in sunny California looking their finest.

Soon, the folly of their ways became clear. Pete, who was their chauffer for the day realized that perhaps something was amiss when they were complaining for their need for a bathroom break as soon as they got in the car. “Didn’t your mothers ever tell you to go before you got in the car? I know mine sure did!” he teased. Soon it became apparent that this was no laughing matter.

Quickly he pulled the car over and stopped at the nearest fast food restaurant. Those ladies leapt from the car with the speed and agility of gazelles. He still marvels that two senior citizens possessed that much athletic prowess. Unfortunately, relief was short-lived. They barely made it to the airport before they were off and running again, looking for the nearest lady’s room. Afterwards, Pete would only agree to serve as chauffeur if they promised not to take a diuretic before getting in our car. Chagrined, they acquiesced to his request (demand).

In all the years of friendship and fun, these two women stuck together and always stayed close through various trials and disasters. However, their sufferings (and there were plenty) and occasional, very rare, once in a blue moon, teensy weensy lapses in judgment (hardly worth mentioning except they were always so funny) did not cause them to despair or even break their stride. They accepted their humanity as a natural part of life. Spending countless hours analyzing their shortcomings wasn’t their style. Hear me on this – when they recognized a shortcoming, they took it seriously. But their shortcomings did not define them. These women knew how to focus on the bigger picture. They valued relationship over all else. Living in community wasn’t something they invested in when they had time. Self-improvement, self-seeking, self-awareness – self was not the point. Seeking, improving, and awareness of self were the by-product of a profound commitment to caring about what God cares about – loving others. There’s a huge difference between paying attention to our shortcomings because we want to love others better, and self-absorbed naval gazing because we want to feel better about ourselves.

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