THE BIBLE IN MY LIFE August 22, 2005 Issue

BOOKS THAT KEEP ME GROUNDED

EVAN MEHLENBACHER

I WAS PLAYING on a merry-go-round with my two young children. My head started to swirl. Dizziness took over. "I need to get off," I hollered to my wife. Jumping to the ground, I stood still and focused until I regained my balance.

Life can get like a merry-go-round, spinning out of control. Rapid-fire demands on our time, a fast-paced workplace, mouths to feed, health issues, and bills to pay can clamor for attention. When life starts feeling out of balance, I try to get off that merry-go-round of strain and stress. Frequently I turn to the Bible for help—and inevitably find within its pages a spiritual perspective that calms the troubled thought and restores peace of mind.

Years ago, when I first went to work full time, I was frustrated by the lack of control I felt over my schedule. As a busy farm manager, I found the days were filled with endless challenges, each demanding special attention. And I developed a discipline that kept me centered in spiritual truth. Whenever I started to tense, worry, or slump into a mental fog, I'd stop what I was doing, often pulling my copy of the Bible out from under the seat in my pickup and leafing through its pages until I found an idea that helped me feel connected to God once again.

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