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Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
by Tom Kelley
Day to day life. We see it as a life and death struggle on some fronts. That is why we come up with statements such as, "It's a dog-eat-dog world," and "It's a jungle out there." Perhaps it is a bit difficult at times just trying to make it from day to day. I cannot help but think that, for the most part, it is not as bad as we make it out to be. Maybe, just maybe, because it isn't a piece of cake, we make it seem worse than what it actually is. After all, if it is happening to us, then it always seems worse.
If we were to watch the world that is around us we might get a bit of a different perspective on our lot in the world. We spend almost every day with our eyes straight ahead looking for the next great problem to come our way. The next time you take a walk or are out in your yard look down at the world beneath your feet. A couple of weeks ago as my wife and began our evening walk we got to see what the difficulties of life are truly about in a "dog-eat-dog" society.
We had just gotten onto the portion of sidewalk bordering our property when we saw one of life's true difficulties. There on the sidewalk was a worm. I know, worm's get on a sidewalk quite often. No big deal there. Ah, but this worm was not making his way from point A to point B. He was being swarmed by a horde of ants who were intent on ending his life and making him food for the colony. The worm was fairly motionless when we saw it. No doubt multiple ant bites laced with formic acid had all but done him in and he was about to be carry away in bits and pieces.
When we weigh the rigors of our lives against what most creeping and crawling creatures must endure life tends to lose some of its stress for all but the staunchest pessimists. What once we might have seen as threatening is merely an obstacle for which God gives us the grace for the victory. Our problem is that we forget that , "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 Life may seem complicated when we face it on our own terms and in our own strength.
God has a simplified version that we would do well to heed. It cuts through all the confusion of bits and pieces living and makes life much more easily lived and success in living much more easily attained. "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 God's way keeps the ants from swarming and makes our "dog-eat-dog" society much more palatable.
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...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.
...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.
...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
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