the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
"Houston we have a problem." Those words signaled the beginning of difficulties for Apollo 13. The crew radioed NASA and informed them of various malfunctions that were happening. Being separated from help by miles upon miles and cast into the vastness of space left many of the crew with a sense of hopelessness. One of them commented later that he was sure that they were doomed to drift in space until they died.
Twenty-four years ago I realized I had a problem. I had just drifted aimlessly through a complete year of college at Johnson Bible College with no goal in sight and seemingly no help at hand. Personal problems in my life had developed that left me seeking my comfort and answers in the bottom of a bottle. I finally decided that my answer could be at the bottom of many bottles. The night I tried to find that answer saved me from oblivion all due to a man I'll never know.
Problems can vary for people. They don't have to be nerve-grinding or deeply emotional difficulties to lead someone to seek their help in some form of substance or even a game. They just simply need to seem like they might not end; like there may never be another beginning. The truth of the matter is they all lead to to the same end; total destruction.
If my life had ended that night that I was found by that nameless man, my soul would have been lost forever. I was lucky. No...I was blessed. God loves me. Know what? He loves you, too. God and I have gotten my problems under control and my life on the path it needed to be on. But it took me waking up in a drunk tank in East Tennessee Baptist Hospital to truly wake me up.
Today I am God's servant without an asterisk. Today God is in control with no reservations. And I love it. "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:12, 13 Nuff said.
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
