Let's Put First Things First

Let's put first things first. Don't you find it amazing in a world that is
so complex, that there is still a natural order to things? Some people
choose to ignore the existence of God. I personally think that this is just
shear ignorance. How can so much order exist without someone in charge?
The Big Bang theory is one of their explanations as to why there is no God.
Hmmmmm. Ever really thought about that theory? To me, until those
brilliant scientists can explain where the first two atoms, those first bits
of matter came from that came hurdling through space and collided with each
other and spread the universe as we know it all over the place, I have to
take exception with their theory. When God wanted to create the universe,
He said, "Let there be light". And out of no where and nothing light was
created. Light, a good place to start. That way you can see what you are
doing. I think science needs to shed a little light on their age old
wisdom.

The best place to start anything is...you got it....at the beginning. All
of us, once we have a desire, or plan, or idea, often take things too fast.
Our minds and mouths move much faster than our common sense some times. You
have to stop and reflect in any situation as to how you are going to proceed
to accomplish your task. If you don't you are going to pay the price later.
I remember one Christmas I asked a neighbor if he would be a saint and put a
bicycle together for my son so I could have it in front of the tree on
Christmas morning. The guy told me no problem. Ah.....right. That is what
he and I thought at that point. Later I took the box over to him and he
opened the box, dumped everything out on his garage floor, opened all the
plastic bags with all the nuts and bolts and gizmos that it takes to
assemble the bike. I remember watching in amazement as he got out two lawn
chairs and rested the wheels against each one of them as they would appear
on the bike once it was assembled. He looked at me and smiled and said,
"Well, ought to be a couple of bar things that come up from the wheels.
I'll just look for those first." And he proceeded to rummage through the
pile of parts on the floor. I just happened to glance around his garage and
to my horror noticed that almost everything in his garage was in little
piles all over the place. Even his lawnmower, well, I think it was his
lawnmower, was in a neat little pile. I began to panic. I walked over and
picked up the instructions that were still in the plastic bag they came in.
I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder and told him to hold up. I was
going to sit and read the instruction manual to him and he was going to
follow along with me. He looked at me as though I had just tried to explain
Einstein's Theory of Relativity to him. He laughed that little laugh men
give women to let them know that they are the inferior race in the garage,
but sat on the floor next to the pile and followed me and in about an hour
and a half, there stood a bike as strong and safe and beautiful as the
manufacturer intended it to be. I thanked him, slipped some money into his
hand, wished him Merry Christmas and started to roll my son's new bike
home. I just couldn't resist, so I turned back and told him that if he
would go through his other piles in his garage and find the plastic bags
with the instructions, he could probably have all his piles put together in
no time. So you see, the big bang that all the parts to the bike made when
it hit the floor, never would have become a bike if not for some order. And
the instruction manual provided that order and my neighbor's task was much
easier and it wore less on my nerves too.

Just like God had order in His creating the universe, he knew that we would
need order to proceed successfully with our lives. He has given us a "How
to" manual for our lives. It is called the Bible. Don't let the Bible be
just some thing on a table or a book shelf that you dust once a week. Pick
it up and read it. It will make your life much easier. Put first things
first in your life and you will thrive. Start with prayer. Stop and think
about it. Your heavenly Father created the universe! If you need something
in your life, or if you have deep trouble or whatever your need might be,
pick up and read the number one best seller in the world today. Yes, it is
still the Bible. But people always want to lay aside the instruction
manual. Read it and see what you can build with your life. It is a common
manual for everyone, and yet no two people will build the same thing. The
miracle of the Bible, is that is was written just for you.