I got up this morning and did my normal morning routine; getting ready for work, drinking coffee, morning reading to my kids, etc. Things ran slow and I got off to work late, get to work and my computer is acting crazy. This school year (I’m a teacher if you didn’t know) has been a crazy one as far as technology goes, basically anything that could break or not work in my classroom has done so, repeatedly. Well this Monday morning was no different. I am running late, need to print out some things and well my desktop will not boot up. I have a laptop that I use more often, but i can’t print from the laptop..another issue, so I need the desktop to send anything to the printer. After 4 separate reboots I finally get it to pull up and the wait begins. Well class is already starting as I finally walk back in, papers in hand.I really hate being rushed yet it is what it is today. I usually have a second cup of coffee by now, but that has not taken place either as of yet. Regardless, the day has not got me flustered. Things are going relatively well. I get to a break in what I am doing and sit down to check the student’s journals from last week and enter the grades into the grade book. As I am on my laptop the “verse of the day” popped up.

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 HCSB

It was very appropriate to how things were going and How my reactions to these things was playing out. I struggle with becoming frustrated and irritated as well as grumbling and complaining.about things not going the way I think they should.This isn’t always apparent to others, it usually happens inside my head, but it does occasionally come out, especially in regards to being  being late. I hate being late anywhere. To me it is an integrity issue. If you say you are going to be somewhere or have a commitment to be somewhere at a certain time then it shows your character and reliability when you actually show up at or before those times. I really believe the old saying, “early is on time, on time is late.” Nevertheless I am working on not being legalistic about this area because the reality is, sometime life happens and it really is out of your control…especially with kids. The start of this actual year I have increased my daily time with the Lord and started reading to the kids from the Bible before we all leave for the day. I have always had study time, but this is in addition to my time and provides a more consistent daily routine for me and the kiddos. This is the reason I was not upset tis morning by all the mishaps and lateness. As I read the verse of the day I remembered what the next verse says.

Philippians 4:9Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

“9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Starting out my day thinking on The word, praying with my kids, listening to praise music on the way to work, these actions were actually me doing what verse 8 says, dwelling on things worthy of praise. Well therefore verse 9 came into play and the God of peace was truly with me today. It really is a simple thing on one hand, I was running late, computer was fussy and I didn’t get upset about it. Big deal. On the other hand, it is a reminder to how simple certain aspects of our walk really can be. Trust the scripture, put it into practice, and what it says will happen, will happen. So I want to encourage you to truly read wha the Bible has to say, and put it into practice. In the 1st Chapter of James it says,

“22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face[i] in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.”

The Bible has a lot to offer us and can help us with our relationship with the creator, but really only if we actually are putting it into practice. Let’s all be doers, it really does work.