The Mailbox

A Picture From the Past …
The small black-tin box was nailed on the front of our house right next to the front door. Let’s see … black box … bright yellow house … you couldn’t miss it. And even though we didn’t have one of those designer boxes stuck on a pole and ours was not encased in a brick edifice out on the curb, no matter, it worked just all the same, it brought mail from all over the world and in a variety of content. We had your normal stack of bills, magazines, and letters every now and then of course, junk mail galore.
Rarely did anything in our lives hold for us such a degree of anticipation! The mailman was faithful to deliver the mail about the same time each day, except Sunday. And even though us kids didn’t get hardly any mail at all it always seemed to hold a certain level of suspense to see what that little black box had for “The Damrons” with each passing day. Oh, my sisters and I were too young to understand most of the real mail, whether it brought good or bad news but I will never forget the day that my Roy Rogers Club Packet arrived with my name on it!
As I look back at my childhood mailbox days I remember that those daily mail runs were a great way to show us, things in life happened like it or not. I learned that the mailbox was not the place to blow up firecrackers, nor was it to be a constant source for worry. No matter what came, Mom was always quick to remind us that prayer was the answer. More than once, she told us that God was bigger than any news from a mailbox.

A Passage From the Book … Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard yours hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

A Point to Ponder …
Whether it comes into your life by telephone, newspaper, television, the front door or even the mailbox, absolutely nothing should leave the believer in a worried state of mind!
Paul’s first response to the inside job of worry is to pray. We should get alone with God and pray adoring God through worship. Such praying will remind us that nothing is bigger than His watchful care for His children. Then, we must pray by letting Him know of our specific needs and requests. Yes, He already knows but He likes for us to come to Him alone in our time of need. Then, we should pray thanking Him for His faithful watch care over our lives. It is this kind of praying that thanks Him by faith for hearing and responding to our needs.
The results will be obvious, how we feel and what we think will be brought in line with His security for our lives. There is nothing like God, our Father, guarding our heats and minds!

A Prayer from the Heart …
“Father, You are Lord of my mailbox and every other area that ushers life into my heart. May my sole focus be continually upon you and thank you for Your constant care.”

The Day After Easter

There are several things for sure, the day after Easter; the colored eggs are not as brightly colored, the chocolate bunny will never walk or hear again, the new clothes will never be new again and the grass in the basket will never be back in the basket but still found in a multitude of places this time next year! Oh yes, and now that Easter has come and gone all the stores will start putting out their Halloween junk.

Unlike the fading effect of the Easter season, that gives way to the next holiday cycle, the reality of Easter will never lose it's eternal power to change lives! Jesus Christ is really the same yesterday, today and forever and after all He has much more to offer than your local mall.

When Jesus stepped out of the tomb it was as if He cried for all of eternity to hear, "It Worked"! God's plan for the redemption of lost humanity has been successfully accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The resurrection of Jesus signaled the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice given. 1 Peter 3:18 states the unchanging truth like this ... "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God ..." And Romans 4:25 adds, "He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification."

"The Day After Easter," is just another day ... the next day ... to tell your world that Jesus Christ is alive and waiting to be the answer for their lives. By the way, telling people of God's love will have a much greater impact if you show them God's love. Hey, it's back ... "Show and Tell!" ... go figure!

Happy Day After Easter!