This morning I was playing trains with Esther. In a mammoth clear-out yesterday I unearthed an old train set that the boys had when they were small. Esther was delighted with it and we enjoyed building the track and getting the little magnetic trains going round. However there was always one place where the trains fell off the rails.

The smallest imperfection in one of the tracks meant that the wheels veered off it every time. I changed the train formation and the order of carriages to see if that would help.

No.
The trains still came off.
Sometimes the SMALLEST thing in our lives can be the biggest stumbling block. Perhaps it is an attitude we hold about ourselves, or someone close to us – maybe it is a fear we have or a regret we rehearse in our minds. No amount of re-ordering the train or changing the nature of what runs over the tracks will help us.

What we need to do is examine the track properly and see what needs to be repaired or, in my case, thrown away.

May God bless you today as you examine your lives. Ask Him today if there is any small thing in you that displeases Him; any tiny reference point that shuts Him out or any seemingly harmless belief that is blighting your journey.

Father God, thank you that You care so much about how we travel through life. Thank you that Your love for us does not depend on us getting things right. Thank you that even when we mess up, deliberately or accidentally, You are there and You know what we need. Father if we need to stop and repair something, or stop and renew our minds today, give us the grace to see our blind spots and our broken tracks. In Jesus’ name and for His sake.
Amen