Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Warning Lights
Why is it those pesky car lights only come on as you are about to leave on a trip of some length? I panicked, and called my DH. “Chill” was his advice. Not hard – it was 7 degrees out and I was headed to a Christmas party across town.
Once home, after partying with the image of a yellow engine outline flashing across my mind, we examined the manual.
Emission problem indicated. My hero investigated and replaced the spark plugs. The car was fine for my trip, and the warning light went off the day after he changed the plugs. What could have been a big problem was reduced to do what is needed to avoid the problem’s escalating.
I was grateful for the warning light, and I wondered, are there other warning lights in life that I miss before an issue gets too big? Emotional, physical, spiritual or mental lights that I need to check in the manual?
Emotional: feeling on edge, crying with no good reason – sad or joyful, basing actions on emotion – all warning lights to be carefully observed with questions to ask: In the Word daily? Sleeping enough? Hydrating enough? Eating too much sugar or artificial foods? MSG? Making decisions without prayer or counsel? Try daily devotional or Bible Study like Woman of Faith ‘Managing Your Moods’.
Physical: out of breath, legs hurt, trouble sleeping – or waking, digestive issues, allergies. Ask – questions for Emotional issues and add: Daily exercise? Stretching? Regular hours (pattern) to wake and sleep? Try the Stupid diet, do a detox or try Oxycise.
Mental: sluggish thinking, forgetful, cannot add numbers as quickly as I used to, can’t recall names, constantly losing or misplacing things. Ask: questions and recommendations for previous topics and add: Review daily schedule – more planned than there are hours? Spending any time organizing? Do you have more things than you use? Find ways to get oxygen into you like add ½ tsp. of chlorophyll to bottle or glass of drinking water, Oxycise 10 minutes a day (preferably twice a day at first), Take a walk – outside. Bring in some houseplants.
Spiritual: worried, depressed, lost interest in spiritual gatherings, defensive attitude, spending more time alone. Ask: questions and recommendations for previous topics but first employ spiritual remedies: Read something from Bible every day. If possible journal letters to God. Write worries on paper or in journal and visualize putting them in God’s hands. Each week later check what has happened (most worries never come to pass, others are often worked out without continual focus or fear). Hand write out one verse a day (or a week if you prefer) and put it in your pocket for review throughout the day.
My lesson – Pay attention to the warnings, and take action before the warning becomes an emergency. As the book illustrated above says: Just do something!
Ezekiel 33:5 tells me about someone who didn’t accept the warning:
But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life.
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 