Direction-Correction

As a professional stock-car racer, Darrell Waltrip was once proud of his image as the guy folks loved to hate. When crowds booed, he’d just kick the dirt and smile. Then things began to change. He miraculously survived a Daytona 500 crash. He began going to church with his wife, Stevie. He and Stevie began to try to have a family. Stevie, however, suffered four miscarriages.

One day their minister came to visit. He asked, “Your car is sponsored by a beer company. Is that the image you want to portray to the millions of young people watching you each weekend?” Darrell had never thought about it. He had always loved watching kids admire his car, but the more he thought about it, he discovered that he did care about his image.

He thought, if Stevie and my prayers were answered for a child, what kind of dad would I be? He remembered his minister’s admonition to “walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” He didn’t know what to do to convince the car owner to change sponsors, but amazingly, an opportunity opened for him to sign a contract with a new racing team sponsored by a laundry detergent company.

After much thought and more prayer, he switched teams. Two years later, daughter Jessica was born. A few years later, daughter Sarah was born. Then in 1989, he won the Daytona 500.

In order to receive direction from God...you must be able to receive correction from God. Hebrews 12:5-6: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

God disciplines us in many ways. Sometimes to train or prepare us for his ways. Sometimes to punish us for unfaithfulness. The Children of Israel suffered for 40 years in the desert because of unfaithfulness. David was punished for his sin with Bathsheba.

Has God punished you?

Or has God used individuals, situations in your life to remind you of his love for you?

I know God uses individuals, situations and things in my life to help me refocus on Him.

We talked in our Sunday YP/College Class about faith. The sandbars that hold us down. Doubt, Anger, Frustration. A particular sin that we battle constantly with.

Sometimes I have a pity party for myself. Life is not fair. Why does God allow this to happen to me?

Because he loves us and he cares for us.

This life is short - Eternity is forever.

This past week, I stopped by my grandparents’ graves in El Dorado and Augusta. I said a prayer at my grandparents’ grave in Augusta. “Thank you Father for giving them to me, for only a short time, but because of their lives, I found You.”

God blesses us each day. He wants us to be part of Him.

We do this when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

Remember this week, in order to receive direction from God, you must be able to receive correction from God.