By: D. A. Slinkard
God is good; all the time and all the time, God is good. This is a sentence I love in my heart. As I write these words, I have a smile upon my face. I know that God is in control, and because of this knowledge I have some peace. I have peace in knowing where my Eternity lies, I have peace in knowing I am on the winning side, and I have peace in knowing that God can do anything but fail. This peace I have has helped me realize how grateful and thankful I am for several things and for several people. Sometimes with the hustle and bustle of life we forget to slow down and smell the roses; but the jokes on us – we are forced to slow down right now. You may have even planted some roses just so you could be outside!
This slowdown has made me realize how fortunate I am to have the wife that I have. She shows me unconditional love that I do not always deserve; and she is a tremendous helpmeet for me. I am quickly approaching graduation with Madison Baptist Theological Seminary, and I am proud to say she has been there (and supported me) along the way. She helps be my voice of reason when I want to handle things in a different way; she helps balance me out. I am thankful to have a wife that prepares home-cooked meals, holds my hand, wants to be a good mother, reads her King James Bible, and prays to God. She does all of this while having a career in the medical industry; again, I say I am fortunate to have the wife that I have.
This slowdown has made me realize how fortunate I am to have the girls that I have. God has blessed me with two girls that are precious to me, more valuable than silver or gold. I realize how quickly life passes by, and this slowdown has enabled me to make some memories with my girls, because who is seriously going to forget the Quarantine of 2020? Our life will forever be changed from this slowdown, but I am appreciative for the time I have been able to have with my girls. One day they will be out of the house and have their own families. What I realize is that I have one shot at raising them, and I pray to God I do them justice. I am thankful for this slowdown because I get to enjoy being around my girls.
This slowdown has made me realize how fortunate I am to have a church family. My family is extremely fortunate to have found Madison Baptist Church and Pastor Mike Allison. You do not realize how much you enjoy something until you no longer have it; and I can tell you I miss the fellowship of my fellow church members. I cannot wait for this shutdown to be over because I cannot wait to be back in God’s house hearing God’s Word being preached. The Bible tells us, “Great peace have they which love thy law…” — which brings me to the final thought.
This slowdown has made me realize how fortunate I am to have my salvation settled. There are a lot of people who are worried about dying; they are worried about their Eternity. And if I did not have my salvation settled, I would probably join in the hysteria too. I am thankful I am a child of God because I know where I am headed when I die. I may succumb to COVID-19 and I may not; but God knows, and I know He is in control. I am thankful I cannot lose my salvation because God, who cannot lie, says it is forever.
I hear about people doing a lot of binge watching of television shows and movies. I urge anyone to stop and take the time to reflect on this slowdown. Take out a piece of paper and complete the following sentence: “This slowdown has made me realize how fortunate I am to have…” Write your answers down. We have one life to live and when it is over, it is over. What are you going to do with yours? I know I have hopes and I have dreams, but this slowdown has made realize some things I took for granted before. I am fortunate to have my wife, my girls, my church, my salvation.
By: D. A. Slinkard
