How Time Flies, First Impressions, and Auto-pilot

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” This unknown authored quote came to mind when I woke up this morning along with another invading thought, nagging me since Friday, “It’s already been five weeks of school?!” Which, also indicated to me yet another week and a lack of posting on The Seeder Chest blog.

Ugh.

I had begun to draft a post the Saturday after school started entitled, “First Impressions and Auto-pilot,” but never managed to complete it. The rest, literally, is history. But I digress. Here’s how it began:

Made it through the first week of school! This week was filled with enthusiasm, energy, introductions, and getting-to-know-you activities… I even had a student tell me what a good teacher I am, and then quickly thought, oh honey… let’s wait and see what you think when we round the bend to 180 days! But seriously, first impressions are important. However, we also need not base our entire perspective of someone on that first impression.

I then went on to say that Jesus made a good first impression, until His people decided He wasn’t going to do things their way.

What a different world we live in than when I was a little girl. I used to be able to play outside from dawn til dusk without a care. Perhaps that is also perspective because I can look back on my life and see on many occasion how obvious it was that God had a plan for me based on the messes from which He saved my very life. But the puzzling thing to me is how did we get to this place of thinking if we don’t agree with someone it must mean we hate the person…?! All I seem to hear about in the morning news is how North Korea is launching another missile. How the ANTIFA have violently tormented people, specifically an old man and journalists – including women. And yet another bomb injures many in the London Underground tube in England. What is going on?
Beth Moore said yesterday at her most recent world-wide simulcast that social media has created a disembodied society. We are addicted to our devices. In fact she said, “our devices have become our vices.” Beth mentions that our American “Body” is in critical condition. Exhorting us to not ignore Hebrews 10:25 because, “disembodiment leads to dehumanization… and dehumanization leads to disposal.” A remnant is unhappy, and we are on the cusp of change. What is going to change cynicism is the re-embodiment of the disembodied Body of Christ.

The only way we’re going to accomplish this is to become grounded in the Word and in prayer. I’m barely beginning my 50’s and I am just now sensing a new plateau I’ve reached in my relationship with God. Although I have been aware of Him my entire life, and even studied as a young child, it wasn’t til my 30’s that I fully surrendered from considering Jesus as my Savior to Him being my Lord. You see, while I didn’t give in to the hell and brimstone tactics, I also knew there was a difference between entering heaven with my tail still smoking and that solid confidence of having a place that is prepared just for me. I wanted the latter.

When the rubber meets the road we can rely on our auto-pilot, trained by THE Pilot through His Word and direction of the Holy Spirit! As we stand firm and don’t succumb to compromising our character, when those situations arise which distract or tempt us to sway from who we want to be, our “auto-pilot” will kick in and truly give the impression of who we are… despite, or in addition to, our first impressions.