It was so embarrassing.  I couldn’t believe it.  I was sharing with a client how someone else, who remained anonymous, had done so well in the stock market because they didn’t know how to stop their monthly bank authorization of $20.  Every month for years and years, $20 mysteriously flew from their bank account into their unfathomable mutual fund account with our company. These folks were now wealthy, but didn’t have a clue.  A financial planner with our company hadn’t been to see them in decades.  They couldn’t even make heads-or-tails of their quarterly statements, which were dense and arcane.

As a brand new planner in their area, I went to see them.  Very quickly it was obvious that this was an uninformed  couple– now worth quite a bit of money!   I asked them why they continued putting hard-earned money into something they did not understand.  Their answer was priceless–‘we didn’t know how to stop it!’  As it turned out, they sure were glad that ignorance was bliss, with a lot of shekels thrown in for good measure!

Now this wasn’t embarrassing for me, it was joy and happiness for them.  What was, though, was that when I was sharing this story with someone else, they finished my punch line for me because I had told them this same inspirational story before.  I was repeating myself… and they let me know it.  Red in the face!  Where’s the door, let me out!  I still cringe at the thought.

Maybe I’m just getting older(who said there’s no ‘maybe’ about it?!), repeating myself over and over.  Here’s a helpful thought, though.  Psalm 124 repeats a thought unashamedly!  Verses 1 and 2–‘if it had not been for the Lord who was on our side…’  Stated and then restated in the next verse.  Why repeat the idea that without God, we’re toast?  Wiped out, ruined, come to nothing and no good?  Well, I guess it’s repeated because we need to keep reminding ourselves of where and from whom all of life and its blessings truly come from–the Lord and He alone!

Keep repeating it even when you don’t feel like it.  Especially then.  Over and over.  Would you please repeat that– ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth'(verse 8). Keeps us humble and grateful.  For if He made all creation, He can and will take care of us.  He’s on our side.  He loves us.  Really!  That’s worth repeating all day long!  I’ll say it again…’if it had not been the Lord who was on our side…’

Prayer:  Oh Lord, how easy it is for us to forget that all of our life is from you.  Thank you, over and over, for everything.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.