Meet Me at the Playground: Let’s See Saw

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21

The playground at Travis school in Greenville, Texas was divided: boys on one side of the courtyard, girls on the other. Fortunately, the girls had the playground equipment on their side. This week’s stories originated from this fun-filled place and our city park.

My favorite pastime during recess was to seesaw. The green wooden marvel lifted me up and then down over and over. My friend on the other end would join me as we sang this popular English nursery rhyme.

See Saw Margerie Daw

Johnny shall have a new master.

He won’t earn but a penny a day

Because he can’t work any faster.

I have a confession to make. My walk with the Lord is like that beloved seesaw. I rise with concentrated prayer, intense Bible study and thoughts of helping others. Up goes the seesaw.

Then I become lackadaisical and find excuses to skip my prayer time, ignore my Bible study and think only of Janice. Down goes the seesaw.

Does this sound familiar to any of you? Why do we who have Christ as our Savior do this? The answer is simple. Satan cannot keep us from accepting Christ as our Lord, but he still wins battles in our lives.

How do we defeat the enemy as he tempts us to stray from a consistent daily walk with Christ? There is no simple answer. Even the most committed Christians face the seesaw syndrome during their lives.

I think the first order of business is to admit that you have a problem. Take a good look at your habits and your main priorities in life. Does God take first place in your heart each day? If not, then take steps to correct this dilemma.

Confession is good for the soul. Talk to God about your shortcomings. He knows anyway, but He wants to hear from you concerning your desire to walk a consistent path with Him. Ask Him to help you lead a life that constantly reflects His Son, Jesus.

Develop habits by setting aside times for prayer, Bible study and meditation. Don’t forget to save a period in your prayer time to listen for God’s voice. Will you actually hear His voice?  I don’t, but I definitely get messages from Him. His Spirit convicts me, gives me assignments and encourages me.

Will we ever come to a place where we can relax and know that we have conquered the problem of inconsistency in our Christian walk? NO! But that doesn’t mean we can give up. We are Christian soldiers and we are in a battle that sometimes includes our will to overcome Satan and his wily ways.

Thank you, God for loving us even when we seesaw up and down in our daily lives.

Janice Yandell