The Trouble with Numbers (Trina Agee Cornell)

Trina is one of my heroes! We have been on many mission trips together in Honduras and I've grown to love and admire her. She's such a wonderful example, WCS has tried several times to persuade her to teach for us. Trina and her husband Bob live in St. Louis and are expecting their first child!  Pray for me as I continue my mission in Vietnam!

Numbers.  

We deal with these entities on a daily basis.  They connect us to time, dates, steps, calories, money, and everything in between.  Numbers are used to measure, to calculate, to rank, and compare.  They run the show on a daily basis, without a doubt.  

I used to let one number rule me - define my day - and control my attitude.  That number, unfortunately, was my weight.  Back in the day, I was a chronic daily weighed - the first thing I would do every day would be hopping on the scale - and looking at the number staring back at me.  At this point, one if two things would happen: if that number was down from the previous day, I would feel great!  On the flip side, if that number was up from the previous day, I would become frustrated - hash out why it went up, and think about what I needed to do differently.  That number controlled me - I let it determine my attitude and effort on a regular basis in a very unhealthy manner.  

I let that number become my story.  

Today, I don't focus on that number so much.  Granted, I do check it once a month, but the days of daily weighing are over.  How did I make this switch?  I changed my focus.  I started looking at the inward - and outward - signs of health.  I thought about how I felt on the inside - how my immune and digestive systems were running.  I looked at the outside - and noticed my clothes were too big for me.  Some clothes fit so much better than they had in the past.  I noticed 5 - 10 - 15 inches disappear from my legs, arms, and waist. 

There are several mentions of numbers in the Bible – in the Old Testament, they are mostly connected to the twelve tribes of Israel, the dimensions of Noah’s ark, the building of the Tabernacle, and money.  In the New Testament, Jesus used numbers to demonstrate His power – and illustrate His points.  He took a young boy’s meager lunch – five loaves of bread and two fish – and fed 5,000 people with it.  He chose twelve men to become His apostles – to spread His word to the far reaches of the world.  Jesus told the story of a man who sold all he had for one small pearl. These are the numbers that matter – not our weight, shoe size, or place in line – but our I AM.  Our one Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins – rose again – and is coming back to claim His own.  If I were you, I would make sure I am in “that number”.   God bless, Steve Luke 18:1 www.hawleybooks.com E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com