IMPULSE

If 600 people were coming to watch you walk down an aisle in a fancy dress, you had to feed all of them, the details of music and decorations and trying to please everyone and make sure that the day was perfect in every way, would you want to run away? Jennifer Wilbanks ran away. I woke up way too early for a Saturday morning. While thunderstorms rolled by outside I was able to see all of the events as they happened. For days the news of Jennifer's disappearance troubled the down of Duluth, Georgia. Many manhours were spent searching and re-searching the areas in a 5 mile radius. Then about 1:00 this morning she called. She's safe. Kidnapped ... but she escaped. The handsome happy groom was thrilled. Up all night, the family and friends and pastor proclaimed a miracle from God. I even drifted into a happy sleep, knowing that somtimes things just turn out right. The FBI newsconference was on when I awoke from my nap. It turns out that Jennifer was not kidnapped ... she just had to have some time alone. So she went to Vegas, and ultimately to Albequerque. This family has a lot to deal with, and I know that their faith in Christ will help them as they struggle with it. Jennifer is not alone in following her impulse to escape. The Bible is full of characters who did impulsive things that later brought them sorrow. One laughed at angels. Another exchanged his birthright for lunch. Yet another swore around a fire. I intimately know a certain blogger who has done some impulsive things before, and lived to regret them. There are times when the pressures of life make us desperate and we can easily being to move on impulse. Impulsive words, thoughts, and actions usually get us into trouble. There have been times when getting on board a bus and heading to Vegas seemed like an excellent stress buster. But most of us think through the consequences of such actions and we are content to daydream a bit and then start to deal with the reality of our lives moment by moment. Does God ever do something impulively? I think in a way he does. He impulsively moves toward love, grace, and mercy. He seeks salvation and abundant life for his creation. The difference between God's impulses and ours is that His are eternally pure. Ours generally revolve aoround our own selfishness. If we are going to go on impulse, let's let it be God's impulses ... the fruit of His Spirit in our live moving us closer to His heart. Heads Carolina, tails California Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer Up in the mountains, down by the ocean Where it don't matter, long as we're goin' Somewhere together, I've got a quarter Heads Carolina, tails California -- Jo Dee Messina,