I have learned, more than at any single time in my life, that God does take control if we let him. There are many things He gives everyone and the beautiful thing is – they are free, but also gifts. Free because they are either looked upon for a few precious moments, or heard joyfully or felt, tasted or smelled. These things – sight, hearing, touch, taste and sense of smell – are all of God given gifts. They don’t cost anything, yet when any one of those gifts are lost, the cost can be great, still God is in control and His love is everlasting.

Americans today are confused, So much is going on and we don’t know where to turn, It is our nature to trust in our government and the people in control and that is okay most of the time. But right now we find the people in Government are confused too. They make laws and break them. It seems difficult for us to understand. God is in control, we say. But America is still confused, and so are all of us.

It is always the best to trust God for anything, and trusting Him for the free things He has given us will free our confused mind. Things like a prayer, a friendly hand shake, a smile, a whisper, a beautiful sunset or a song and add to that, our wonderful memories are all things to dwell on more than what is going on in our government.

There are mountains of memories stored away in our minds. Memories of every kind and on every conceivable subject. When we are feeling a bit blue, we can bring them into our conscious minds again and savor every drop of happiness from them. Memories are also gifts that God has given to us. But, you say, some of the memories are unhappy, and these we often bury with no desire ever to recall them. These memories can be taken out, looked at objectively and gently put into the place where they can never haunt us. Maybe we can learn valuable lessons from them. Some of them may be something we have done. If that is true, we should tell God we are sorry and as far as God is concerned, the memory is gone. God says in his book, ” gone as far as the east is from the west.”

So, whenever confusion comes and the question in our minds ask “What is going on in our world now.” we just turn our thoughts on the free ones and our good memories will make us happy. The bad ones? well, we will ask ourselves if we can either learn from them or ask forgiveness from a loving God, who is always in control and will always love each one of us.

I remember when I was a young girl living in Northern Minnesota town, the town drunk was called “an old soak.” Maybe that was the term applied everywhere when a person was always saturated with strong drink. The term intrigues me because I believe that we, in today’s fast paced society, are truly in desperate need of becoming “old soaks” of another variety.

Water is the most obvious example of the benefits of soaking. It does us the most good when it is soaked into the soil to provide vegetation and life. We all realize this , but there are many other examples of being “old soaks.” When water is abundant, the earth cannot soak it all up, so the surplus gathers and forms streams and springs. Man is like that. When we soak up the good things in life, such as faith, friendships, hope and joy, we become saturated with them and the overflow spills over into the lives of those around us.

It’s easy to tell when someone has soaked up these good things in life. He (or she of course) is fun to be with, and his conversations sound something like the music of a meadow lark to our ears. (I put that in because I haven’t heard that sound since I lived in northern Minnesota.) He is so filled with faith, hope and love that he cannot hold it all, and the surplus spills over, refreshing the lives of others. Then, even his talking takes on a different sound, as does his life. He has turned over his life to Jesus.

There isn’t any other way, Jesus says he is the only way, truth and life to be an “Old Soak”. On the other hand, if we dwell on the bitterness of life, the bad news in our newspapers and television and the bad language of other people, we will dry up ourselves, and this too, can dry up and spill over into the thoughts and attitudes of those closest to us

How can we become followers of Jesus? It’s really easy. You just leave all the bitterness of life and tell Jesus how sorry you are for the many things you have done and want Him to come into your heart and life and really mean it. That’s all you have to do. Of course you will want to talk to someone who has become an old soak and learn about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Not only will we, then, be an old soak, but we will not be able to keep all these good things to ourselves. It is bound to overflow! Perhaps the first ones touched by your overflow will be your wife and little girl. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make good old soaks of many other people, giving them eternal life with Jesus. Wow! that’s one gift I hadn’t told you about! Just talk to that old soak you talked with before! He’ll be happy to fill you in!