3-24-13 MN Sunday

Who is missing?????!!!!!

We enjoyed a blessed day of worship and fellowship with our church family in Morris. It was good to meet loved ones who we hadn’t seen in many years, but I missed many who I used to enjoy visiting there. We also appreciated hearing the Truth read and preached just the same as at home.

A couple of TakeAways, both from Joshua 1~~~

First, verse 18: Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage. Today’s society that says “expect kids to rebel once they turn 12 – or 15 – or 18 – or whenever” - - - obviously doesn’t know what God says about rebellion. The context of this verse is the Israelites rebelling against Joshua, but the concept of obedience applies today just as then: God does not expect rebellion. Neither should we. Sadly, it does happen at times, but it certainly should not be expected; there is a lot of truth to the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Second, verses 6, 7, 9, and 10 all say some form of be strong and courageous, or be of good courage. I don’t know when I learned that something repeated in scripture is of extra importance to God, but since that is so, this encouragement is extra extra important because it is repeated four times in one chapter. And why is it so important? Because, I think, God knows we will get discouraged, downtrodden, defeated, and feel like giving up. Just like we’d encourage someone to hang in there, you can do it, come on, don’t quit, and we need others to encourage us too, God knows we need encouragement, and He gives it liberally throughout scripture – four times in this chapter!

Which reminds me of a story that was shared at our monthly All Church Sunday School a month or two ago. Two frogs had fallen into a well. Their friends up top, seeing the futility of their predicament, yelled at them, “Just give up and die!” After hearing this repeatedly, the one frog did just that. The other frog, in spite of his friends’ words, kept trying to jump out, and eventually he did just that. When his friends asked him why he didn’t just give up and die like they were telling him to, he responded, “I’m hard of hearing, and I thought you were telling me to just get up and try!” Truly there is tremendous power in words of encouragement or discouragement. Which will we use?

 

We were on the road a little before 3:00. I wish I could report an uneventful trip, but alas, I cannot. Our trip was quite eventful.

The first event was when we were about an hour on the road (just onto interstate, picked up a little more speed, you know??) when we happened to be glancing back and saw a bag fly out of the topper – then a mitten – Oh no!! NO ONE LATCHED THE TOPPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We pulled off and tried to decide what to do. Go back and pick up the stuff? We were pretty sure it was a single mitten from an untied Walmart bag, and a black garbage bag which contained one (1) pair of snow pants (Kate’s). We remembered those were put in near the end of our massive morning pack, and whoever latched the topper there on interstate found the Walmart bag that contained the other mitten and a few other intact pairs. So after considering our limited options (turn around? back up? find an exit and go back on the side road???) we decided our best choice was to drive on, so drive on we did! Monday morning as we unpacked and unpacked and unpacked and …okay, you get the picture…sure enough, the only things missing were one black mitten and one pair of black snow pants, which indeed happened to be Kate’s and which I remembered buying on clearance for about $10. Whew! That event had a happy ending!

The second event lasted for about half of the trip and too had a happy ending - - - but it was a lot more stressful. Yeah, driving through that storm was considerably more stressful than our topper emptying itself across the plains of MN  - - - which it didn’t, but it could’ve, you know, had we not been looking back at just the right time. Another coincidence? Oh no, I don’t think so. God was again answering prayers for a safe trip. Clothes and bags flying around interstate doesn’t sound exactly safe for anyone involved, does it? I don’t recall praying for an uneventful trip, but I know Dad and I (and others, I’m sure) prayed several times for a safe trip. I’m glad I’m serving a God who is able to answer prayers.

Anyway.

Snow started in northern IA and continued off and on through the entire state. Driving was a little more tense than normal, but visibility was good, roads were wet but not icy (although Tim drove like they might be, because the temp was close to freezing which was cause for more than a little concern), and we continued to make good time, about 55 mph or so. When we hit IL it got a little worse (snow picked up, more snow on road, hardly any traffic to keep snow melted); by the time we got to Galesburg, just before 1:00 or so (???) it was downright ugly. Cars in ditches right and left, these huge 18-wheelers passing us waaayyy close (and FAST!!), snowpacked lanes, windy, very little traffic either way. And did I mention we saw a lot of cars in the ditch ?????  Tim drove 45 mph, give or take, and it was a tense hour and a half home, but that’s ok because

WE

GOT

HOME

SAFELY!!!!!!!

Our God did it again; He answered our prayers for a safe trip. What an awesome God we serve!!!!!

 

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Romans 11:36