As one who in the past had been quite resistant to some forms of modern technology, fully aware that “big brother” utilizes them to peek into our lives, I often wonder why I ditched my 20-year-old 4-Runner and purchased a 2023 RAV4. The darn dashboard on the RAV4 displays an eco score — whatever that is — every time I complete a trip, as if I need some kind of pat on the back or something to make up for the annoying sound emanating from the dashboard whenever my tires hit the mustard or the mayonnaise (yellow or white lines). Last week, I was on a straightaway, not a car in sight or anything else on the road, when an alarm screeched and the exclamation “BRAKE!!!” appeared below the speedometer. Really?! I chuckled and thanked the good Lord above for safeguarding me from the invisible obstacle.

I recently changed insurance providers. To show good stewardship of the means the Lord has blessed me with, I installed Progressive’s goofy app on my phone to save $50 on my premium. So yea, more big brother. Anytime I do something deemed unsafe while tooling along, the app records it as an “event,” which lowers my driving score. I’ve chalked up a few events, so the last time I checked my score was 4 out of 5 stars. I don’t dare to look again. The good news is my eco score remains high; unfortunately, I don’t save any dough with that.

It dawned on me that my disdain for these big brotherly intrusions is, at least in one respect, similar to mankind’s contempt for the laws of God. I’d always considered myself a pretty good driver, but the beeps and warning lights in my vehicle and events recorded on the Progressive app point out my less-than-stellar driving habits. By the same token, I’d always thought I was a pretty good person, but the laws of God point out my sinful nature in all its ugliness.

In Romans 3:20, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” I’m not sure I’ll ever achieve any sort of victory over my vehicular transgressions, but much admiration and gratitude go to the only Big Brother I’m ecstatic to trade the world for — my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

What seems like a lifetime ago (approximately 15 years), I was employed as a law enforcement officer. One night while sitting in the dispatch office bantering back and forth with one of the young dispatchers, I teasingly said to him, “Awww, you love me, don’t you?!” He hesitated briefly and replied in a serious manner, “I love you in a biblical sort of way.” At that time, I was not in relationship with the Lord and thus had no earthly idea what he meant. I was just thrilled that SOMEbody loved me.

Despite being saved in 2020, it was only within the last year or so that I’ve understood what it means to love biblically as in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It’s not always easy, and I know full well that the ability to love in this capacity is a gracious gift from God above. (As a side note, I’m ashamed to admit that I had that Bible passage read during my first wedding ceremony in 1990, way before I knew anything about the Bible or biblical love.)

In 2023, I relocated to a parcel of land in a rural area a couple counties away and far from downtown. My dream for years had been to live amongst the trees as a hermit, only to deal with people when absolutely necessary. I’d even gone so far as to proclaim that I did not like people. God changed all that. He has given me many opportunities to unite with and share biblical love with His adopted children as well as yet-to-be believers.

One late afternoon, I was waving at every vehicle that passed by me on my drive to an evening Praise and Prayer gathering at church. I giggled inside and thought, “Why am I doing this? Because I love people!! Wait … what?! Praise the Lord!” And what a blessing to know that I, too, am loved by others, most especially by God.

On the bottom of many of my posts, I place an image of a heart-shaped rock. There was a time when my one-eyed wonder dog Patch and I would hike … a lot … accumulating between 5 and 10 hours of trekking through the woods each day. Soon after I was converted to Christ, I kept noticing heart-shaped rocks on our journeys. It was uncanny! I have amassed over 300 photos of said rocks.

I never actively looked for them; I’d just randomly, without even thinking, look down at times and discover one. Sometimes I’d spot one while conversing with God in my mind, other times while listening to a Bible-related lecture on BiblicalTraining as we strolled along. I’m not one to look for sign and wonders as mentioned in John 4:48; however, I couldn’t help but wonder why this phenomenon. I look at it as a gift from God, like an “I hear you” straight from our Creator. Of course, it may just be a series of coincidences, but after experiencing His providence over the years, I no longer believe in pure coincidence.

Yesterday, as I was about to go live online with this website, I decided to go check on my chickens first. The rock in the photo below was just outside the door to the chicken run. Granted, it’s probably been there a good long while, but by happenstance my eyes fixated on it and I noticed its shape. Coincidence or a simple show of encouragement from our Lord and Savior?! Only He knows for sure!