Morgan has a lot to do with that. A baby sure makes you rearrange your life in a hurry. I think about her all the time. And now I notice little babies in restaurants and grocery stores and watch the way their parents treat, or in many cases, mistreat them. I’ve been thinking about what Morgan will be like when she grows up and what I can do right now to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Then my grandmother died two weeks ago. Though she had been sick, we all expected her to pull through. My dad asked me to do the funeral. It was the first time he’s ever heard me preach. It was also the first time I’ve ever heard him sing a hymn. We were all doing fine until my sister held up her two-year-old boy to look inside the casket. He waved and said, “bye, bye.” I’ve been thinking about what little time I make for my family and how infrequently I tell them what they mean to me.

Then came the plane crashes. I was not only struck by the destruction and death, but with the mere consideration that men would do this to other men. I’ve been thinking about how displeased the Lord must be in His creation. I’ve been wondering why it takes such a disaster to turn people back to God and to cause them to be thankful for what they have. I’ve been thinking about the 6,300+ who are still missing and the thousands more who will be lost at the judgment. That, too, will be a day that begins like every other day.

Among all the bad counsel and advice that Job received from his “friends” during his own crisis, Elihu said something worth noting. “Stop and consider the wonders of God” (Job 37:14 ).

“Stop.” Our culture doesn’t even know how to slow down, much less stop. We have fast-food restaurants with drive-thrus, microwave ovens, instant coffee, and Federal Express. I’m not against technological advances that make life easier and more convenient. But I’ve been thinking about the danger of rushing through day after day, week after week, without taking time to pause for prayer. Can you remember the last time you shut out the world just because you wanted to reflect on what is really important? It’s hard to find the stop button when you’re always in fast-forward mode.

“Consider.” That word originally referred to the way in which astrologers looked at the stars. They would observe how the various constellations came together and make predictions about the future. We may not be able to forecast what the morrow will bring, but we can certainly tell the direction that we’re headed. I’ve been thinking about how we need to stop, not just for leisure and pleasure, but to consider how our own affairs are coming together and how our daily decisions are determining our eternal destiny. That is the worthiest of all considerations.

“The wonders of God.” Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Faith. Hope. Love. Grace. Forgiveness. Family. Freedom. Disposable diapers. I’ve been thinking about how, in war or peace, in prosperity or famine, in life or death, we still need to give thanks count our many blessings. It will surely surprise us what the Lord has done.

That’s just what I’ve been thinking; doing is another matter. The Lord said it much better and in fewer words: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).