Corona Devo 1215

You’ll never guess what we saw yesterday—sea lions.

And actually, we saw them, but much more noticeably, we heard them...and to be more specific…we heard one of them, pretty much the entire time we viewed the group.  One big guy (or girl) seal lion that seemed to rule the roost…or bully the bunch…or nag the gaggle of sea lions that were harmlessly gathered in the cove that we found them in.  Most of them were sunning and swimming and doing just fine…until the barking boss came into their area and moved them along or pushed them aside.

Notice his (or her) mouth?  It’s open.  And it was always open and barking non-stop while we viewed the sea lions in this Pacific Ocean cove.  Always.

The rest of the sea lions were all chill, except for the big-mouthed one.  He or she never really sat still or stopped moving, he just seemed to make his rounds, barking at the other sea lions and moving them out of their seemingly comfortable positions, while forcing his way into their path and causing them to react or move.

As we gathered and smiled for a family photo by the sea lions…I sheepishly asked my family if that barking sea lion…was me?

No one commented...but I knew the answer.

Nature can cause us to self-reflect, and more importantly, so can the Bible.

• Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.  ~Proverbs 21:19

• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  ~Ephesians 4:29

• It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.  ~Proverbs 21:9

• Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  ~Ephesian 6:4 

• Too much talk leads to sin.  Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.  ~Proverbs 10:19

Is our mouth always open?  Be honest. 

Would those that know us best say that at times (or all the time), our mouth is open and barking non-stop?

Are the rest of the people/family members/loved ones around us all chill…except for us, the big-mouthed one?

Do we never really sit still or stop moving?  Or are we always “making our rounds” and barking at other sea lions people around us and moving them out of their seemingly comfortable positions, while forcing our way into their path and causing them to react or move?

That big-mouthed sea lion might have been convicting for you.  But he/she was for me.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say that we don't enjoy a “boss” barking into our ear about every move we make or don’t make...and neither do our loved ones, employees, or kids.  

Most people are doing the best they can with what they've got.  

Aren't we?

Most people are "sunning" and "swimming" and doing just fine in their daily walks…until a barking boss comes into their area and moves them along or pushes them aside.

Yesterday, wild animals along the shoreline gave those of us who bark too much a nudge about muzzling our moths.

Today, let's ask the Lord to help us do better at less barking.

Your beauty... (4) ...should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  ~I Peter 3:3-4

 

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com