I should have known that April first was going to be `just one of those days." First of all, the University of Kentucky Wildcats lost to the Arizona Wildcats last night. Then, I got up to walk and one of the kids had taken my head-phones and misplaced them.

I know what you are probably thinking. Losing a ball game and not being able to find something is not earth shattering. However, the morning had just started. After trying to record a radio lesson, it was time to type on the computer. Word Pro is the word processor I use for the bulletin, lessons, and class material. It is vital! However, once I tried to use it I got an error message. "APPLICATION ERROR, PROGRAM WILL SHUT DOWN AUTOMATICALLY, IF PROBLEM PERSISTS CALL VENDOR." That sounds serious! In fact, I almost expected the program to self-destruct or call my parents next. So, I tried a couple of "things," and it kept giving me the error message. My day was getting worse. Next, I tried to uninstall (delete, eradicate, annihilate, etc.) the program. My intention was to get the program off the computer and just reinstall it. Maybe the problem would be taken care of.

My next problem (I told you it was one of those days) was, once I had deleted (eradicated, nuked, etc.) the pro-gram the computer told me that part of the program was still on the computer. It would not delete all of the program. So I decided to call John Duvall. John is a preacher over at Jonesboro; he is a friend, nice guy, and a computer nerd. So I called John to ask for help. To my surprise John said, "That sounds serious, you better call LOTUS."

It was turning into "one of those days."

I found the phone number for the LOTUS people. I called the number and got a personalized recording. The recording told me to call during normal office hours. This was the normal office hours at least that is what the recording said. It was in the middle of Tuesday! It was just "one of those days."

Thankfully, Dewey came along and rescued me, and we went visiting. I really owe Dewey a lot for keeping me sane. I was really upset and worried. However, Jesus addresses occasions such as these and much worse.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, 0 you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:26-33).

We must keep everything in perspective. What we want and what we need are often different. Let us notice some points that Jesus makes.

1. We must have our priorities right. A lot of things are not really that important. We take our games too seriously and the serious matters we treat like a game.

2. We must have faith in God to help us. God knows what we need, and he is able to provide for us. "I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Ps. 37:25).

3. We must let tomorrow take care of itself. "There-fore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34). We fret, agonize and anguish over a lot of things that will never happen or we cannot control.

4. We must allow our problems to make us better. Patience and endurance are by-products of problems we face. A lot of our growth comes when we are tested. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (Jas. 1:2-4).

5. We need to count our blessings. While we get upset over mundane things, others are struggling with problems much worse. I remember my Momma saying that things are not so bad that they could not get worse. There have been times I wondered how much worse things could get, but I realized she was right.

By the way, the University of Kentucky will be better next year, the computer is running, and April first is over.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 13 p. 17-18
July 3, 1997