Morning Devotional

August 5, 2003

“Combinations”  

by Don Emmitte

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"My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." (Matthew 11:27-30 NLT). 

I was looking for a phone number in the Ft. Worth yellow pages recently and discovered something unusual. If you look at the top of each page, you will notice category headings. If the page includes more than one category, the beginning and ending categories will be listed separated by a hyphen. There are some very interesting combinations of categories listing each of the sections. Perhaps yours will be the same.  

For example, in the “P’s” I noticed that the top of the page read, “Plumbing-Police.” What a great idea to have “Plumbing Police.” They could have a number similar to 911. When there was a plumbing emergency, all you had to do was dial one number, like “777,” and the nearest plumbing police officer patrolling your neighborhood would be dispatched. There are other combinations, too. How about “Food-Forklift”? Having attended many church socials over the years, that image seemed to fit very well. But then there were others, like “Hair-Hardware.” Even in my wildest imagination, I’m having difficulty with that one. Here are some religious ones: “Christmas-Churches” is listed on the left-hand page, but on the right is “Churches-Cigar.” I know what Christmas churches are, but what about “Churches-Cigar?” Does it have anything to do with deacons standing outside the church sending up burnt offerings? The list goes on: “Pest-Pet,” “Motel-Motorcycles,” “Garage-Garbage,” “Fishing-Fitness,” and “Airlines-Alcoholism.”  

The last word combination was “Youth-Zoo.” Sound familiar? It is probably the best two words that describe many homes. You would rather live in a zoo than spend another day with your child. Raising a family is often difficult. The challenges of guiding them without being too strict or too permissive can be a great burden. The answer to achieving that balance begins with your partnership with Jesus.  

Begin with a conscious commitment to pray each day that your family will find peace and that harmony will fill your home. One thing I know for sure. You cannot find peace and harmony in the yellow pages because Jesus is not there! Right answers can only be found in the right places. Trust in Him and you will begin to find the solutions to those problems you face in your life each day.