God is constant, just like the sun. He’s always there even when we can’t see Him.
I was a big fan of the television show Dallas, back in the eighties. There were beautiful, rich people and a ton of drama. When J.R. got, shot, the entire nation was abuzz. I even remember seeing bumper stickers that read, “Who shot J.R.?”
That was a lot of attention for one television show. I’m not sure why we were so captivated by the Ewing family, but as I look back on it, I remember that there was a good son, Bobby and a bad son J.R., who lived at their family ranch called Southfork with their parents Miss Ellie and Jock. Their wives and kids lived there as well, adding to the drama.
The Ewings all sat down to breakfast together every morning and discussed the coming day. Jock was not some far away father who got an occasional visit or phone call from his children. His kids didn’t only visit him on the holidays. They didn’t wait until their lives were in a bind to talk to him. They didn’t wait until they were sick or in trouble to ask him for advice or help.
They started every single day with him at the breakfast table. Now, those Ewings are certainly not a family that I think anyone would want to emulate, but the practice of starting their day with their father made me think about starting the day with my Heavenly Father.
I think that so often, we save the last for God. At the end of the day when we are exhausted, we say our prayers or we wait until we are in crises to seek God’s help. I think we may have it wrong.
In the Cain and Abel story in Genesis, Chapter Four, Cain was a farmer and Abel kept flocks. They both brought sacrifices to God. He accepted Abel’s, but not Cain’s. The fact that God picked a favorite always troubled me until I understand why.
Abel brought, “the best of his firstborn lambs from his flock.” Cain brought, “some of his crops as a gift.” Do you see the difference? Abel brought the best of what he had. Cain brought some of what he had. It wasn’t about the quantity of what they brought or the gift itself. God didn’t prefer the lamb over the crops. He wanted the best.
Cain didn’t like God’s requirement, so in a jealous rage, he killed his brother.
What in the world do Cain and Abel and Jock Ewing have to do with us today? Well, I think, like Bobby and J.R., we should begin our day with our father, with our Heavenly Father. We should start our day giving thanks, asking for guidance and handing over burdens we can’t possibly handle alone.
Like Abel, we should give Him our best, not what we have left over after a busy, stressful day of living. If we try this practice, we may find that our lives are more enriched than we could possibly imagine. I think I’ll try it. Care to join me? Feel free to share.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂