Last December our one-year-old grandson, Mason, made a trip to the pediatrician for his first annual checkup. During this visit, he was checked to see how he was developing physically and cognitively. But something the doctor said in that visit really hit home with me. He said: “As long as we exist, we are constantly developing.” And that’s a great lesson for so many aspects of our lives. I’m sure we all agree that it’s good to get annual physical checkups, whether we’re a child or an adult. But when was the last time you did an annual checkup on your fourth day? Is your walk with Christ stronger today than it was a year ago? Have you spent more time in His Word? In serving Him? In essence, how healthy is your fourth day? When I came back from my original weekend, I was on fire for Christ! I went from being a pew sitter to:

• Helping start a new ministry in our church,
• Participating in a mission trip to Kenya,
• Chairing a $5.6 million church building program,
• Heading the Staff, Pastor, Parish Relations Committee,
• Serving on the church council,
• And I’m now assisting my wife in implementing a Spiritual Gifts Program in our church,
• And this doesn’t include my serving in various capacities within Tres Dias.

So, I’m busy doing the serving part, good for me! But what about my relationship with Jesus and time set aside to learn more about Him? That’s where the reunion groups I am part of come in. We support one another and hold each other accountable. We get into the Word to learn more about Christ, and we challenge one another to carve out that quiet time to be with Him. It’s true that when we accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit filled us with spiritual gifts. But remember, He expects us to use these gifts to serve Him, not to advance our own interests, or to be idle. But that’s not the whole picture. As Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He wants ALL of us because it’s all about our relationship with Him. So, I strongly encourage you to take some quiet time and evaluate your fourth day. Here’s my challenge: Are you closer to Christ today than you were a year ago? If not, what are you going to do about it? DeColores Denny Farkas, President Tres Dias International Secretariat