Today’s Life with the Hellfighters: Don’t Blame Me

LIFE? Wow! That’s a big subject. But we all enjoy talking about things that are going on or has already gone on in our lives. I’m like many people, I personally love to share experiences from the past that I found were exciting. That in itself, can become more than a mouth full! No matter what the age group, our conversations seem to drift from one subject to another. It feels like there’s never enough time to cover the subjects we’re discussing completely. When we’re talk- ing we could be talking positively about so many things that are going on in life, but honestly we tend to cover the negative happenings in our lives more than the positive.

Sometimes that’s life, we could all talk for hours about life’s questions and have many different opinions. But I believe we will agree on this one thing; life can be tough and full of burdens.

Burdens - there so many times in the Bible that we’re told to: “Cast our burdens at the feet of Jesus,” Matt 15:30; “To lay our burdens down” 1 Peter 5:7; and “To carry each other’s burdens” Gal. 6:2.

The list of solutions for us to be free of anxiety and have peace goes on.

So, why? Why does it seem at times that life gets tougher and we continue to be burdened down and stressed out? But usually the big question we ask is “What or who can we blame for today’s tougher life and burdens?”

Today, if you’ll allow me, I would like to answer that question. I’ve decided we need to blame our microwaves. You may think I’ve lost my mind but let me try to explain. If you’ve cooked in a microwave lately, you know, they’ve improved them so much over the years that now everybody can cook a meal and cook it faster.

That miracle appliance revolutionized our home and kitchens. Now, men and women who are super busy can both easily cook, children can cook, just about anyone can make a meal that’s fast, hot and tastes good.

So, why should we blame our microwaves? Since microwaves came into existence it seems as though every- thing has changed in families, churches, and everyday life. We have become victim to the Microwave Culture.

First, family life changed.

1. When meals were pre- pared they were prepared in big pots and pans. Now when meals are prepared they may be put in plastic dishes small enough to fit in a microwave. And of course, time is vital. After all every- one is too busy to relax and eat together. Problems, bur- dens and the stress of the rough day is no longer discussed at the table.

2. No longer do we get to smell and appreciate the meal being cooked for hours, we no longer hear mom holler and tell everyone, “It’s Ready!” Because now it may be ready in minutes and we’re called to the table with the Microwave Dinger, -- Ding Ding.

3. Meals are planned around what will fit into the microwave.

4. Families no longer carries another’s burden because we don’t have time to listen - life at microwave speed.

But how did it change church?

1. People loved to attend church and didn’t worry so much about the length of the sermons. Now, hurry… we have to get home.

2. After the sermon people lingered around the altar in prayer, it was a time to talk to God and unload our burdens.

3.After prayer many spent time in fellowship and many times it was a time to share and get help with problems.

4. We do go to the altar and we begin to lay our burdens down but because of our Microwave Culture, we feel we’ve got to hurry. So we pick our burdens back up when we leave.

5. We want church to hurry. Preach, pray, dismiss and let’s go home. If it lingers we won’t come back. Again something so important has become a victim of this microwave thinking.

God has a plan for us, It’s Peace! God says, “My peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” John 14:27

So how does it affect us? Well, if we catch ourselves with a group complaining about past or present events and we realize we’re sound- ing like a pack of victims, we need to do this;

With a smile boldly say, “Hey, Let’s Blame It On The Microwave!” It’ll probably put a smile on everyone’s face. It can detour the talk about problems, burdens, and about us as victims, because now we have something to blame. In our conversations we should always include, The Joy and Peace of the Lord. We need to encourage others and inject peace into our conversations by talking about Jesus.

By: Richard Burke, Chipley Unit President

For more information on the Chipley Hellfighters call 850-258-3046 or visit their Facebook page.