“Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” - Luke 14:15 The squirrels love to climb the hickory tree looking for the hickory nuts. One can only imagine the skip in their step and the glee on their face when they find a nut and settle in to feast on this delicacy. There certainly is an abundance of nuts in the tree, and a mess on our patio! Besides the whole nuts that slip through their paws, there are the husks and shells that are discarded en route to the meat of the nut. A feast day indeed! So much bounty and so much joy. It is unimaginable to our temporal minds. Much like Heaven, and the banquet that awaits us there. God, our Father, open wide the gates of the New Jerusalem so that all may enter in as we ready ourselves for your triumphant feast. Amen. "The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great banquet on the day of the child’s weaning." - Genesis 21:8 The boy and his sister played in the creek, yelled and screamed, ran through the trees, swung on the swing, looked for bugs. They were kids being kids. I walked past their house the other day. As I approached, a car pulled in the driveway. A young man got out and went in the house. As the garage door went down, I heard him say, "Hey, Dad.". Oh my. Just "yesterday" he was the boy playing in the creek. Now he is driving a car. Where did the years go? How many memories and events occurred in his life between then and now? And his sister ... she is a varsity cheerleader this year. Oh my. I was sure there was a cricket in the basement. That constant chirping, off and on, off and on. It drove me crazy. I was able to pinpoint it to a spot in the ceiling. I moved the ceiling tile to the side and got the can of Raid. I checked with a flashlight, but saw nothing. Nonetheless, I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. The next day it was still chirping, off and on, off and on. I sprayed some more and continued spraying until I emptied the can of Raid. But the chirping did not stop. Then someone asked me: "Did you change the batteries in the smoke detector?" I was embarrassed, but the problem was solved. "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are safe." - Proverbs 28:26 Thank you, Lord, for giving me wisdom in spite of myself, for even fools believe. Amen. I pulled out a mushroom that was growing in the yard. As I looked at it, I noticed what a perfect specimen it was. The underside of the cap was so beautifully symmetrical and ornate. Only God could create something so perfect. While we all strive for perfection, we know that we will never achieve it. But yet this mushroom, living though inanimate, seemed to have no visible flaws without any effort on its part. O God, help me to see your hand in everything and to work toward the "perfection" that you hope for me to be. Give me balance and shape so that I am formed according to your will. Amen. |
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