His wife, Cindy, had been complaining for a while that the dryer was not drying properly. It took three or more cycles to get the clothes dry. So one afternoon Gary went out back on the patio to check the dryer vent.

Unfortunately, when he rammed a tool up the vent to make sure it was clear, he discovered the problem. Dozens of wasps swarmed out of the vent in Gary’s direction. In self-defense, he turned to run, but after only a few steps he tripped on an electrical cord running across the concrete patio.

My brother is a big man and not light on his feet. He went down hard, landing on his left elbow, jamming his shoulder, and breaking the bone in his upper arm. At least the wasps left him alone.

A few days later he went out to finish the job. First, he blasted the inside of the vent with wasp and hornet killer. After giving the spray time to work he cleaned out the vent. He found two huge nests that essentially blocked off the vent. Those wasps had constructed a couple of yellow jacket condominium complexes and made themselves at home.

When I thought about sharing this story with you, like always, I wanted to use it to demonstrate some deep spiritual truth. I considered talking about the danger of Satan and how he attacks God’s children. Then I toyed with the idea of watching out for those “little, pesky” sins that on their own don’t seem like a big deal, but when they start to build up all of sudden you have a big problem.

But, I was really just stretching to make something work. Sometimes things just happen to us in this imperfect world. We trip over extension cords and hurt ourselves. But I thought you might enjoy the story.

I laid the scarf on the counter. The checkout clerk picked it up and scanned it but continued to talk to her associate. She did not say “hello” or “did you find everything alright.” In fact, she didn’t even look my way. She just continued her conversation with the other lady.

I couldn’t help but hear what they were talking about. It had something to do with another employee reporting the checkout clerk to the manager for some kind of unprofessional behavior. Hmm. I can’t imagine.

Well, she continued to ring up my purchase without looking at me or speaking to me. I saw the total pop-up on the register and handed her the money. She took it and gave me my change. Still, no word. The only acknowledgment from her that I had even been there was a tossed out “Thanks, have a nice day,” as I headed out the door.

I headed to my car sporting a rather indignant attitude. I couldn’t believe she would just totally ignore me. I wanted to report her to the manager. She went through the physical routine of her job but was never really “with” me.

That’s when God tapped me on the shoulder, like He often does, and said “You do that to me all the time.” Huh?

It didn’t take me long to grasp what He meant. How often do I go through the motions of spending time with Him only to really be doing something else? I read my Bible. I pray through my list. But in many ways I’m already off in the middle of my day. I’m thinking about all the things I have to do. I’m planning next week’s meeting. I’m wondering what to fix for dinner.

God deserves so much more than that from me. In fact, He deserves everything.

Obviously, I’ve always had plenty of food. I’ve never experienced physical famine. But millions of people all over the world will face it today. Millions are starving for lack of food. We see their bloated bellies and rail-thin limbs on our TV screens every day.

Recently I’ve been going through the Minor Prophets in my daily Bible reading. There is a verse in Amos about famine that has been haunting me.

“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12

The signs of physical malnutrition and starvation are obvious. And even though I’m more than well fed, I can’t skip one meal without my stomach protesting loudly. But what about spiritual starvation? Would we notice or even care if we never again ingested the Word of God? Are we, right now, in the midst of a famine of the words of the LORD? How can we tell?

On a national level I think it’s pretty obvious. Prayer has been kicked out of our schools. The Ten Commandments have been removed from public buildings. Oh yeah, and just recently our President proudly declared that the United States of America is no longer a Christian nation. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that the USA is a haven for people from every nation. But Jesus Christ died for every culture, tribe, and tongue.

Yes, even with all her religion, our country is spiritually starving. But what about me? On the occasional day when I’m “too busy” to spend time with God I don’t really think about the toll this spiritual fast takes on my soul. Funny, I can skip time with God relatively easily, but skipping a meal is a real hardship.

What about you? Are you spiritually well-nourished? Do you have a regular, healthy intake of God’s Word? Does your soul regularly feast on the Bread of Life? The Living Water? Or are you spiritually starving?

There is no spiritual substitute for spending time with God. As we read His Word, interact with Him in prayer, and respond to Him in obedience, God will supernaturally sustain our souls. Are you starving today? Pull up a chair. God has saved a spot at the table for you.

Kelley, our 2009 UNT Graduate

The last twelve months have been filled with milestones for me and my family. They serve as constant reminders that time passes quickly, things change, children grow-up. In the last year, our second daughter graduated from high school, our youngest got his driver’s license, and Wayne and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. And still ahead this summer is Kelley’s wedding and my 30th high school reunion.

A month ago, I had lunch with two dear friends from high school that I had not seen in at least 25 years. (We couldn’t remember exactly how long it had been.) We chatted non-stop for two hours, talking about the past and catching up on each other’s lives. It was like stepping back in time and sitting down with the girl I used to be.

Kelley joined us near the end of our time together. She sat quietly while we reminisced about football games, teachers, and the boys we’d dated. It felt odd, like a blending of worlds. My high school self and my middle-aged mom self there in the same spot at the same time.

In case you hadn’t noticed I’ve been feeling extremely nostalgic. As I look back, I can see God’s hand in my life at every step. And even in the times I wasn’t particularly paying attention to Him, I now recognize He was watching over me. I feel the need to erect a few “standing stones.”

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, God held back the waters for the people while the priests stood in the middle with the Ark of the Covenant. After everyone was safely across, God commanded Joshua to take twelve stones from the bed of the Jordan and stand them up at Gilgal as a memorial.

Generation after generation would see the stones and ask their elders about their significance. Their fathers were to say: “The LORD your God dried (up the Jordan) before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God (Joshua 4:23-24).”

I’m not always faithful to tell my children about the many ways God has blessed our family and worked in my life. However, just yesterday I called Kelley’s attention to God’s activity in the recent circumstances of her life. I have a responsibility to pass on the wonders of our glorious God to the future generations. If I don’t tell them then who will? I think I’ll get busy now and start standing up some more stones.