Hot and humid was the forecast for our zoo day so I promised my grandbabies soft serve ice cream after lunch. We stood in line behind half a dozen other patrons inching our way toward the ordering window. When only two people remained ahead of us, the worst happened. We saw the lone cashier, half filled cup in hand, struggling to reattach the handle to the ice cream dispenser. As panic dawned on his faced, we ducked out of line to explain our predicament to the kids. Timothy and Ezra are still young enough to be easily distracted but Thomas and Amelia, both having awakened before dawn, were nearly too hot and tired for reason. Their toddler brains were promised ice cream and they were the ones in danger of melting if we didn’t deliver and soon.
Fortunately for us, the gorilla enclosure just down the path had drawn a crowd and there was space by the railing for our wagon. I lifted Amelia up to rail height where she could see an enrichment exercise just beginning. The male silverback was ambling to the opposite side of a grassy knoll while several younger and smaller gorillas lulled in the shade just a few feet from where we stood. One of the keepers tossed whole bell peppers from high atop a stone wall above us. One female gorilla gathered up an armful of peppers and paraded in front of us before perching on a rise to munch contentedly. An exploding sound caught our attention as one of the larger peppers burst on the ground nearby. Peppers continued to be strategically launched until each gorilla had received a snack.
We headed across to see one of our favorites, the meerkats. The older kids both spotted the sign for the adjacent snack stand before I could steer their attention away. No matter. There was no ice cream to be had, not even at the last stop near the gate. Our zoo trip to see the animals, to feed the giraffe, to ride the train and carousel had suddenly become entirely about not getting ice cream. I’m suddenly hearing Steven Curtis Chapman’s lyrics to See The Glory.
“The wonder of His Grace
Should take my breath away
I miss so many things
When I’m content with
playing GameBoy standing in the middle of the Grand Canyon
eating candy sitting at a gourmet feast
wading in a puddle when I could be swimming in the ocean
I know the time has come for me to
Wake up and see the Glory”
“Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine], And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.”
Psalms 119:37 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.119.37.AMP
“God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— my whole life one long, obedient response.”
Psalms 119:33 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/psa.119.33-40.MSG
I felt the call to write long before I surrendered to the call of God and posted the first installment of my blog, A Fitting Reply. Before creating a website for writing, I knew I wanted a dot com site, not some other arrangement of letters. I experimented with many iterations of verses and catchy phrases that felt like mantras, wanting my writing to point to God and His Word most of all. When I came across Proverbs 15:23 while reading in the New Living Translation, I was amazed to find the desired extension available.
“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!”
Proverbs 15:23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.15.23.NLT
“What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!”
Proverbs 15:23 GNT
https://bible.com/bible/68/pro.15.23.GNT
I claimed the domain name and posted for the first time four years ago. I recall clearly the amazement turned panic once the first installment was live. My thoughts turned from the surreality of having hit go to the impossibility of sustaining my commitment. I prayed, “Lord, this is Your thing. You started it at the most inopportune time. (I was midway through a four month cycle of chemotherapy.) I can’t keep this going. Help!” No sooner than my head hit the pillow, I was up again searching for pen and paper. Another five posts were outlined in my mind faster than my hand could scrawl. Over four hundred biweekly posts later, I am continually amazed by what God has done. I still think of the right thing to say hours or days after the moment has passed. What I’ve found is that my fitting reply is writing in obedience to the call of God, my fitting and right response to His Lordship in my life.
“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”
Colossians 4:5-6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.4.5-6.NLT
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.4.29.NIV
“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.”
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.10.23-24.NLT
Thankfully I was able to keep my promise to my grandchildren when we stopped for coffee on the drive home from the zoo. Birthday cake pops with sprinkles are a pretty close second to ice cream and a whole lot less messy in the car when toddlers are concerned. Thomas announced after finishing his that he’d wanted a cake pop all along. The moms do a good job of filtering options so it’s pretty easy, even for a toddler, to make an appropriate choice. God’s Word is an excellent filter for the myriad choices facing me each day. A steady diet of scripture activated by His Holy Spirit helps ensure that my words and thoughts are pleasing in God’s sight and helpful for building His Church. Meditating on God’s Word ensures I am less storm-tossed. I become better at keeping the main thing the main thing, and God gets the glory. My whole life becomes one long, obedient response.
A Fitting Reply 