Live Well and Wisely

Our truck pulled in at 10:00 a.m. and my heart sank. “It’s too early for lunch. Is David sick?”

I opened the front door and found my daughter, Laura, on the front step. Her car was getting serviced and she borrowed our truck. She took her birthday off and had an hour to wait before her haircut. I invited her in and went back to my office.

God nudged me, “It’s her birthday, you can do your next task on the couch.”

Deuteronomy 29:9, “Diligently keep the words of this Covenant. Do what they say so that you will live well and wisely in every detail.” The Message

I knew God was right. How many Moms get time alone with their adult daughter on her birthday?

She turned on Netflix. God nudged me again, “Why don’t you offer her a drink.” (Have I mentioned I am not the best hostess?)

As the coffee was brewing, I remembered the “Chocolate Chip Torte” I made on Monday.

“Hey, Laura, do you want to spoil your lunch with a piece of Torte?”

“Sure.”

Then I remembered the Ghirardelli chocolates David received as a gift. I got them out and set the bag between us.

The phone rang. It was David.

“Hey, the truck is missing. Have you seen it?”

“That’s not funny!”

(I no longer felt guilty about the candy.)

* * * * * * *

When he got home for lunch, he asked which piece of chocolate we ate.

“How did you know?”

“Laura told me.”

“I can’t believe she ratted on me!”

(Silly man, he thought we each ate only one piece.)

Today I lived well and wisely spent time with my daughter.

* * * * * * * *

The first part of this verse instructed us to “Diligently keep the words of this covenant.” Later, it said, “Don’t let down your guard.” Then it explained what happens to someone who exempts themselves from “The Covenant.”

Deuteronomy 29:18-20, “Don’t let down your guard lest even now, today, someone – man or woman, clan or tribe – gets side-tracked from God, our God, and gets involved with the no gods of the nations; lest some poisonous weed sprout and spread among you, (19) a person who hears the words of The Covenant-oath but exempts himself, thinking, ‘I’ll live just the way I please, thank you,’ and ends up ruining life for everybody. (20) God won’t let him off the hook. God’s anger and jealousy will erupt like a volcano against that person. The curses written in this book will bury him. …” The Message

How do you live well and wisely?

#bible