NeuroTalk Support Groups - This weeks devotion by Max Lucado

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Thump-Thud, Thump-Thud
by Max Lucado

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of
the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it
“thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.

The character of a person is also checked by thumping.

Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals.
Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps.
Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in
us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to
be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams.
Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I
write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken
me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump.
Thump.

How do I respond? Do I sing, or do I thud?

Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke
6:45). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart.
The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but
in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.

If you have a tendency to thud more than you sing, take heart.

There is hope for us “thudders”:

Begin by thanking God for thumps. I don’t mean a half-hearted
thank-you. I mean a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy thank-you from the bottom of
your heart (James 1:2). Chances are that God is doing the thumping.
And he’s doing it for your own good. So every thump is a reminder
that God is molding you (Hebrews 12:5-8).

Learn from each thump. Face up to the fact that you are not
“thump-proof.” You are going to be tested from now on. You might as well
learn from the thumps—you can’t avoid them. Look upon each
inconvenience as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump
will help you or hurt you, depending on how you use it.

Be aware of “thump-slump” times. Know your pressure periods. For
me, Mondays are infamous for causing thump-slumps. Fridays can be just
as bad. For all of us, there are times during the week when we can
anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. The best way to handle
thump-slump times? Head on. Bolster yourself with extra prayer, and don’t
give up.

Remember no thump is disastrous. All thumps work for good if we are
loving and obeying God.

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From On the Anvil: Stories On Being Shaped Into God’s Image
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2008) Max Lucado