{"id":1844,"date":"2018-08-01T20:05:33","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T01:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/?p=1844"},"modified":"2019-05-17T13:15:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T18:15:35","slug":"going-through-the-motions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/2018\/08\/01\/going-through-the-motions\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Through the Motions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going Through the Motions<\/h1>\n

by Lydia Floren<\/p>\n

Greeting cards are a part of our family\u2019s birthday tradition. As a \u201cgood husband,\u201d Andrew knows this. And since he is not a homemade card kind of guy,\u00a0<\/span>every year he faithfully buys me, and gives me, a few cards –\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>most funny, and, at least one is serious.<\/p>\n

One year,\u00a0 <\/span>I was particularly touched by the sweet sentiment in the \u201cserious\u201d card he gave me.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Honey! That is beautiful. Thank you!<\/i>\u201d \u00a0With a tear in my eye, I glanced up at him.<\/p>\n

He had this blank look on his face. And, I got a little suspicious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you read it?\u201d I asked. \u00a0(His signature was at the bottom, so it would seem like a natural assumption that he had.)<\/p>\n

His expression turned sheepish.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally? You gave me a card, but you didn\u2019t even read it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I glanced at it. It looked like something you would like.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first I was hurt. And then, I burst out laughing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next year, when I opened \u201cthe mushy birthday card\u201d not only was his signature at the bottom, but there was a little “p.s.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>afterwards:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I read it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Birthday<\/a><\/p>\n

How often do we glance at God\u2019s word<\/a>, but don\u2019t take the time to really read it? Or, we say a perfunctory\u00a0 <\/span>prayer, but our minds are wandering elsewhere? When we do, we aren\u2019t fooling anyone but ourselves. And, we miss out. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship in the world. If we truly believe that, committing our full attention every day to a verse or two in the Bible – and listening<\/a> to what He might be saying to us through it – is time well spent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you been going through the motions of spending time with God? If so, don\u2019t miss out another day. Take some time. Give Him your undivided attention<\/a>. It will bless your socks off. Do it regularly, and it will\u00a0 <\/span>change your life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“You have the words of eternal life.” \u00a0John 6:68<\/i><\/p>\n

“For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and
\nthe earth was formed out of water and through water by the\u00a0<\/i>word<\/i><\/b>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/i>God<\/i><\/b>.” \u00a02 Peter 3:5<\/i><\/p>\n

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” \u00a0Psalm 119:105<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Sunset<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Going Through the Motions by Lydia Floren Greeting cards are a part of our family\u2019s birthday tradition. As a \u201cgood husband,\u201d Andrew knows this. And since he is not a homemade card kind of guy,\u00a0every year he faithfully buys me, and gives me, a few cards –\u00a0\u00a0most funny, and, at least one is serious. 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As a \u201cgood husband,\u201d Andrew knows this. And since he is not a homemade card kind of guy,\u00a0every year he faithfully buys me, and gives me, a few cards –\u00a0\u00a0most funny, and, at least one is serious. 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