Very superstitious...writing's on the wall

The VOICE of Inspiration

By Don Lindsey

For those that know me, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of different types of music. While some will have one or two kinds of music they love, I have several. Anything from blues, to all types of rock, classic country, Motown and others mean that on any given day, I’ll have a song stuck in my head from any of those genres. On Friday, it was Superstition by Stevie Wonder.

The reason for that particular song being played in my mind throughout the day is obvious enough. It was Friday the 13th, a day that a lot of folks associate with bad luck or horror movies. I’ve never been a horror movie buff, and I don’t believe in superstition, but when I think of Wonders’ epic song, I think back to a gentleman that I used to work with named George.

George was a bit of a mentor for me. He was an older fellow who was brutally honest and one of the happiest, and wisest folks I can remember ever meeting. George had some experience from being on the wrong side of the law and used his past to speak to people in jail and prison about turning towards Christ when in times of peril. These were things that I wasn’t aware of for most of the time that I knew him, however, I did see the depth of his wisdom based off something he had said to me one time after I had asked him a question about superstition.

To set the scene, a lady we worked with had a horrible fear of anything superstitious. I do not make fun of or mock her fear. I feel that everyone is as entitled to their beliefs as I am to mine and on this day her belief in a superstition led her into a panic attack. I remember watching this and feeling horrible for her. She eventually calmed down, and it was time for me to take one of my designated breaks. As I went outside to get some fresh air, I saw George who was outside doing the same thing. I walked up to him and sat down beside him. He had seen the incident with the lady, and we talked a bit about it and hoped that she would be okay. Not long before my break was over, I asked a question, and the answer he gave me will always stick with me.

“George, do you believe in superstition?” I asked. “No, Donnie I don’t.” He answered, “I believe in God.”

This was before I had accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, but his words struck a chord somewhere deep in my soul, and I understood what he meant right away. If God is with me, nothing can stand against me. I can remember as a kid putting stock in things like 13 being an unlucky number and other things that were baseball-related as I played a lot of the sport and it’s chock-full of superstitions. Speaking from those experiences, I can say that this mindset took away some of the fun of the sport and it was when I didn’t have these fears when I realized that I enjoyed the game more.

In my opinion, and in my life, superstitions have done nothing but weigh me down in situations when I fed into them. On the other side of that, I seem to be lifted up emotionally and spiritually when I focus on my relationship with God. With that in mind, I can’t help but think of the immortal words of Stevie Wonder when he said; “superstition ain’t the way”. God bless and have a wonderful week.

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.