If you’ve ever had the pleasure of stepping into a large wad of gum on the sidewalk that has been sufficiently warmed by the sun, you have a wealth of experience with today’s topic: Stickiness. Or perhaps, your sticky situations have come as a result of a dining experience including pancakes (even being conservative, the bottle of syrup and everything around it becomes sticky); or even an attempt to remove a price tag from the glass of a picture frame; regardless of how you learned the truth about Stickiness, you understand the concept.

In marketing classes, there are often discussions about stickiness, in the context related to how advertising influences our decisions. Even in my basic nutrition courses, the topic of Stickiness arises, so I quiz students in efforts to uncover which messages related to our food choices have Stickiness. We attempt to see which slogans or taglines we remember. If I say Eat More Chicken, what company comes to mind? Finger lickin’ good…Good to the last drop…Mm! Mm! Good? Don’t leave home without it…With a name like ___, it has to be good! So, what do these phrases all have in common: Stickiness.

Stickiness also comes to mind when considering the habits that are formed in our lives, particularly the Habits of a Flourishing Life—those patterns that cultivate growth and development, whether personally, professionally, or spiritually—that we repeatedly engage in on a regular basis. Being blessed with two parents who encouraged the development of spiritual disciplines like studying Scripture, my childhood included the reading from the devotional entitled Our Daily Bread. I even find my pattern of blog composition to be influenced by nearly half a century of reading these daily devotions! If you are unfamiliar with the ODB, the daily devotions focus practical applications to Scripture in a concise and meaningful way. The habit of reading these short, thoughtful insights from the ODB has continued to this current day—this practice has Stickiness.

At this point in my life, I should no longer be amazed when the morning reading has relevance and timeliness to what is happening in my life. So, on our 2022 Alpine Tour to visit the Passion Play at Oberammergau, I should not have been shocked when one of the readings, entitled Traveling Mercies, connected with content shared by Dr. Dub on a previous morning. Not only was the devotional about traveling, but it also mentions our home state of Tennessee. (God, I see you working)!

So, as we ponder where we are in life, whether it be in a particular season, a difficult struggle, or even a scenic geographical space like Bavaria, I just want to offer a gentle reminder that you serve a Savior who is sticky. He’s with us Through It All—not only when we are traveling, but even on Ordinary Days, and often even when we attempt to follow our own map instead of His. God’s Stickiness may come in the comforting presence of Blessed Assurance that we will not become lost; after all, He even places amazing people in our lives, like Karel and Rudolph in Germany, to remind us that if these two men can guide this Union group around the Alps, He will also do His best to make sure His little ducklings don’t get lost on their journey of life!

Today, I’m going to choose to stick my eyes on Jesus. Would you like to join me in finding my hope and assurance in a sticky Savior?

References:

Peterson, K. (2022, July 17). Traveling Mercies. Our Daily Bread. Retrieved from https://odb.org/US/2022/07/17/traveling-mercies