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Who Are You Spending Time With?

All I wanted was a deep-fried candy bar.

I took my 12-year old to the county fair last night. The teenagers were with friends, and so I was able to give 100% focus to one child. But let me be clear. I hate the fair. If other people did not exist in my life, I would have absolutely no reason to ever go to the fair.

But by going to the fair, you realize just how many people do exist. Seriously, where do some of these people, and their corresponding senses of style,come from? Because it’s like someone said people of Walmart couldn’t get any stranger and the county fair said, “Hold my beer.”

I digress. I am at the fair with my daughter. She wants to ride some rides. I am avoiding eye contact with the barkers wanting me to prove myself by squirting water into a tiny hole or toss a quarter on to a cooking-sprayed dish. All I want is a deep-fried candy bar.

We buy some tickets for my daughter to ride the rides. Let me pause again and tell you I have been quite clear with friends about my disdain for country fair rides.

Oh, you took these rides apart and put them together again? Oh you do this every week of the summer? Yes, I do beliveve you were the lowest bidder when winning this job. 

My daughter is old enough to have heard my thoughts on the fair. She is smart enough to realize I’m only there because I love her. She says, ‘You don’t really like the fair rides, do you?’

I reply honestly, but remind her that the activity, for me, is not as important as who I am with, doing the activity. So we ride some rides. We decide she likes the spinning ride where gravity forces her to crash into my side. She does not like the swings. And even though it feel very sketchy on the inside, she loves what used to be called the Gravitron, where you are unable to move because gravity pins you to the wall.

My stomach does not appreciate that I’m abandoning my principles of not riding fair rides. But my heart is happy. Because I enjoy being with my daughter.

I never found any deep fried candy bars. They had deep fried Oreos, Twinkies, green beans, Mac-n-cheese and even deep fried watermelon. But no deep fried candy bars. I’m not surprised. It’s just one more way the fair can disappoint me. I settled for ice cream.

But it doesn’t matter. I spent time with loved ones. For anyone who needs it spiritualized, let me point you to Colossians 3:23, where Paul reminds us to do everything to the glory of God. He tells us it is Jesus whom we’re serving. It’s about who we are with.

The first thing I do each morning is to spend some time with God. It’s not the only thing I will do each day. But the time I spend with God will direct everything else I do today.

I’d encourage it for you as well. Who you spend time with makes all the difference in how you feel about every activity. Who are you spending time with?

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