Welcome back and I do appreciate you taking the time for our short visit today. It is
Monday, July 14, 2014, and I'm glad to report the wife made it back safe and sound. (The teenagers rubbed off on her. She slept about 12 hours straight after getting home.) The camp experience is nothing new to her but she always returns bubbling over because of her bonding with the kids she was privileged to be with. This relationship building stuff is very much a feature of her God given giftedness. We all learn how to do things. We can become skillful. But, we believe and teach that believers are provided with abilities that or ordained and given by God. They are above and beyond our acquired expertise. Through these gifts God is honored and people are ministered to. That's how He chose to accomplish His purposes. I've talked with so many people over the years who seemed to be unsettled and searching to understand the gift that God had given to them. I always remind them that whatever He has provided to us, it is not for our fulfillment but rather for the building up of others and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. This doesn't mean we will not have a sense of fellowship with Him as we give ourselves to Him and His calling, but when we gain a right perspective regarding the purpose we will more readily find His will. I wasn't trying to turn this into a mini sermon but that's what came out. (Verses: Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-8; 1st Corinthians Chapter 12; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2nd Timothy 1:6-7; and 1st Peter 4: 10-11)
While I enjoyed the quiet week at home, in many ways it was also somewhat lonesome. It made me think of all those who do live alone. All the little things that needed to be done had to be done by me. Or, put off by me. I threw that in because she thinks that is one of my gifts, but not necessarily given to me from God. Needless to say, I was glad to know that she is home and things can get back to our version of normal. My guess is that our normal would be quite different from your normal. I think that's how normal works. The old joke said: "Normal in our home is only a setting on the dryer." I don't even know if they still have normal as a setting on dryers, but I get it. We all develop our set of operating procedures that define our lives. I will say this about that. Coming to grips with our constant need for God's provision and direction along with recognizing our need for frequent interaction with God's people will go a long way in helping to shape our routines. Or, at least that's how it has worked in our home. This doesn't mean we end up being cookie cutter patterns. Just look at me. I read one little ditty that said this: "I tried being normal. It was the most boring two minutes of my life." Enough said.
This year will be the 50th commemoration of my high school graduation. I read this little story and I thought I would share it. It's the report from a man who accompanied his wife to her graduation reunion. "My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table. I asked her, 'Do you know him?' 'Yes' she signed, 'He's my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn't been sober since.' 'Oh my!' I said, 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?' And then the fight started...." If you didn't think it was funny that's okay. I heard a sports commentator saying the other day that he didn't find female comedians to be very funny. He said it had nothing to do with them being female, he just doesn't laugh when they are supposedly trying to make people laugh. The other guy on the program said he didn't think he could say that, you know, it's not acceptable to say things like that. Really? You can't say what makes you laugh and what doesn't make you laugh? He must not have ever watched Carol Burnett. Right? It's time for me to say have a blessed day and I hope to see you again real soon. May God bless us all is my prayer.
Amen. .....More later.
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