Me: Brady has it been a long day?

Prodigal: Yes, and I think it is time for bed.

Me: I have a story for bedtime.

Prodigal: We are ready for the story.

It was getting late; I was ending a phone call with my brother.  His sons were about to go to sleep so we paused our conversation to say goodnight.  I repeated a dear phrase we had said in our family at many bed time hours. 

“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” 

Brady, my nephew immediately said.  “I am going to punch those bugs; they are not getting me.” 

Just to clarify.  There are no bugs at all in his home.  He doesn’t know what a bed bug is.  He doesn’t even have to worry about bugs in his home. 

So, I thought this child has no fear. 

Matthew 18:2-4 

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 

Maybe, I could learn a lesson from this child? 

Brady has not experienced any harm during sleep from any bugs.  It was an experience that he has never known.  When presented with an experience he has never known, he decided to fight and not have fear. 

I cannot prepare for every unknown.  Life means that situations will happen to me that I have not experienced.  God will allow our paths to not always be smooth. 

Can I answer those time, when life gives me an unknown, as a child? 

If I do answer like Brady, I know what my response should be. 

I am not going to let this get me down.  I am going to punch Satan.  He is not getting me. 

No fear, no retreat and knowing I am protected. 

I kinda like that response. 

It is a spiritual night now.   What is my response? 

I am not going to let this get me down.  I am going to punch Satan.  He is not getting me.   

Goodnight, till spiritual morning comes.  That will be my words to you. 

Romans 2:21-23

you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking law.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodialpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: Sometimes we just need the right focus to start our day.

Me: Yes, I need help with that sometimes.

Prodigal: I think we all do.

This is from the book Prophetic Voices in Contemporary Theology by Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The Christian is “justus et peccator,” both sinner and righteous”; that history fulfills and negates the Kingdom of God; that grace is continuous with, and in contradiction to, nature; that Christ is what we ought to be and also what we cannot be; that the power of God is in us and that the power of God is against us in judgment and mercy; that all those affirmations which are but varied forms of one central paradox of the relation of the Gospel to history must be applied to the experiences of life from top to bottom. There is no area of life where “grace” does not impinge. There are no complex relations of social justice to which the love of Kingdom of God is not relevant. There are on the other hand no areas or experiences where historical insecurity and anxiety are completely transcended, except in principle. There are indeed moment of prayer and, perhaps ecstatic achievements of agape in which men are caught up in the “seventh heaven”; but these moments are merely an “earnest” of the fulfillment of life and must not be claimed as a possession. There is, finally, the transcendence of man over history and sin by faith. But that is also an “earnest”; and is corrupted like the manna in the wilderness when stored up as a secure possession.

Philippians 2:13

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: It’s so hot out here, I could fry an egg.

Prodigal: Should I get the salt and pepper?

Me: Lol, maybe if I get hungry enough. Let’s watch the video first.

This is a video devotion on proverbs

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 5:5

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: Nice painting.

Prodigal: I wanted to get a closer look at it.

Me: I have a story of a painting while you are looking.

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artist tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest–in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

Catherine Marshall.

Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your country: for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 24:22

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal:  It is a blessing to share God’s earth with others.

Me:  I agree and we cannot forget to thank Him for it!

This is from the book Abraham by Charles Swindoll

How easy it is for us to receive God’s blessings yet fail to balance receiving with giving.  Resolve to become a generous person.  I will warn you, however, that giving generously requires faith–trust that the Almighty will look after your needs.  That’s because we have a natural fear of running our of provisions, no matter how much we possess.  When asked, “How much is enough?”  a thin and frightened voice within our soul shouts, “Just a little bit more!”

I wonder how much better we would know our God if we gave more generously.  We don’t have greater intimacy with the Almighty because we don’t really believe He will honor our generosity….so we hold back.

God has blessed you.  So share.  Become a generous person.  When you do, you will discover a greater satisfaction than you have ever known.

Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

John 11:40

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org