"An Everyday Survival Kit"

Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong. (Psalm 5:1-5 NIV).

Recently Mary and I won an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii. As a part of the preparation for the trip we were sent all kinds of little things to take with us. The travel agency handling all the arrangements made sure we had all the essentials: tickets, itinerary, and emergency information. However, they also sent along some other items. One of the most interesting was the first-aid kit. It contained sunscreen, minor first-aid items, antacids, and pain relievers. Each of these was included in anticipation of a potential need while on the trip. After reading Psalm 5, I began to think of the kind of “survival kit” that the Lord would want us to pack for life. It would need to include the following items:

1. A Toothpick, to would remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. It’s always easier to see the negative in others rather than the positive. However, our lives move much better when we look for the good in others.
2. A Rubber band, to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. Remember, there WILL be interruptions and changes to our schedules every day. View each one as a “divine appointment” and be flexible.
3. A Band-Aid, to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's. The Wisdom of Solomon still stands today: never let the sun go down on your anger.
4. A Pencil, to remind you to list your blessing everyday. Thanksgiving ought to be a daily activity, not just annual.
5. An Eraser, to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay. The beginning of our own forgiveness is in the forgiving of others. Release them from all of their debt into the hands of your heavenly Father. He is the only one who can make it right.
6. A Stick of Chewing gum, to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything. Perseverance, even when it seems that you cannot take another step will take you to your goal. “How do you eat an elephant?” the old sage rhetorically asked. In answer, he said, “One bite at a time!” It is a truth of life to be applied.
7. A Mint, to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family and friends. You are loved. Claim the acceptance of your adoption in the family of God.
8. A Candy Kiss, to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday.
9. A Tea Bag, to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of your blessings. All of us need that moment of being still before the Lord. It energizes us for the challenges of the day.

Pack up your “survival kit” and have a WONDERFUL trip!