Mind Meld of A Different Kind

PROVERBS 4:10-13

My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.

Shoes

This time of year in New York requires certain shoes for safe maneuvering outside. I have a pair of wingtip dress shoes that are more like bowling shoes than anything else. They look fancy and are fun to wear at times, but when walking down our snow covered driveway, they become hazards to my health.

Picking out the right pair of shoes is a basic requirement for all of us. You don’t wear your work boots while dancing and you don’t wear your dress shoes when shoveling snow. The right footwear enables us to complete our responsibilities with safety and confidence.

Wisdom is like a pair of shoes. We can choose to put on wisdom or not, the choice is ours. However, neglecting wisdom is like putting on the wrong shoes. Your footing will be unstable and you will not be able to run or walk without falling. Isaiah describes the life of those that embrace wisdom in Isaiah 40:31. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Jesus the path before me is full of different responsibilities and dangers. Help me today to embrace wisdom in all my decisions so that I will always have the right footwear to accomplish every task with humility and success through your power and guidance. - Dan Jones

PROVERBS 4:23

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.

My Green Zone
Protecting the “Green Zone” in Baghdad has been critical to winning the war and the peace in Iraq. It’s the heart of the country, the one secure place were stable government was able to begin its long road to resurrection. What happens here has determined the direction that country takes.

The innermost part of myself, my deepest desires and loves, my sense of right and wrong, my beliefs and overarching understanding of life – this is my “Green Zone”. Solomon is correct. Everything about my life as I push the 50 year mark is defined by what I have done in this zone.

In the last couple of years a disturbing realization has hit me with force. I have watched and interacted with people closing in quickly on death’s portal. I’ve meet people who model for me how I want to arrive at that point and people who represent just the opposite of my hopes. I no longer have a lifetime ahead of me to make sure I arrive there with my hopes fulfilled. Truth is, I have a good bit less time ahead of me than behind me.

It’s time to evaluate what’s in the “Green Zone”. It’s time to make some changes. And it’s time to strengthen the guard at some checkpoints.

Lord of my life, grant me clarity as I evaluate what lies at the core of my being. Help me to see through your eyes. Help me to know what changes must take place. What battles must be fought. And the wisdom to go about all this in a way the honors you. - Mike Leamon