Praise
the Lord for this wonderful Spring season the Lord lavishes upon us
every year and everywhere in His beautiful earth. I drove to the
Triple Cities yesterday to meet with some friends. It was a beautiful and
gorgeous day. I stopped by our house in Binghamton. The fruit trees
are blooming. The pear trees are in full bloom. The tulips and
the hyacinths are both fragrant and colorful and are in full bloom.
The spring birds and water fowl have returned back to their natural habitat are
in mirthful and jubilant spirit joining in continued unending chorus, offering
praise to the Lord of Creation and Redemption. Praise the Lord for the
way He fills our souls. I heard from our friends who are serving as short
term missionaries in the Philippines. They said that it is "My kind
of weather, very hot and extremely humid". I have also been
talking to my friends and family back in Orissa, India, where the temperature
has been reaching between 105 and 117 in the area where I was born
and raised. I was looking at the long range forecast in that region,
which will be reaching 115 in the first part of May. The schools in the
entire state of Orissa are closed on account of extreme heat.
I praise the Lord for the life and witness of those who loved the Lord and served Him are are in His presence now, having entered the Church Triumphant. I praise the Lord for Boyd, who was the organist in one of the first churches I served during the late seventies of the last century. He was a farmer by vocation. His wife was a school teacher. They both served the Lord with grateful hearts and joyful spirits. Boyd was blessed with a contagious smile and exuberant laughter.
I learned about the passing of a colleague and fellow servant, a priest in the Episcopal church, serving three parishes. He was a dedicated and committed servant. Along with his shepherding and serving he loved to work out doors with his hands. He was on a ladder, trimming some trees with a chain saw. He fell from the ladder with the chain saw still running. It fell on his leg severing it. He was a in place with no one present nearby. He bled to death. He was planning to retire on the May 1 this year. Ironically, his son is the head local EMT.
Thank you for praying for our grandson who had a fall and suffered a head injury a couple of weeks ago. The Lord has blessed him, and he will be back to school after their Spring break this week. Schools in Boston are in Spring break this week. Our Church will be hosting a community wide dinner this evening starting at 4:30 PM. We are excited to come together to share the meal together.
There are times in life when we feel like we make no difference, that if we had never lived or done whatever we have done, things would be the same. There are times where we wonder, “what if,” what if I had done this or not done that? Then we realize that if that “what if” had taken place, everything else about our life would also change: our spouses, our kids, our friends, our jobs , everything. Whatever we have done with our lives “so far,” could be better or far, far worse. That’s why it’s important to live the life we have, not the one we wish we had.
No life is ever unimportant or meaningless, even when it seems so. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?” said Jesus our Lord. “Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12: 6 – 7)
In his Letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul put it like this: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6: 7 – 9)
I’ve recently heard about a film that portrays some of the rubrics of American culture which are good and beautiful. It is simply about ordinary people who discover that living each ordinary day honorably, with faith in Jesus Christ and selfless concern for His Kingdom and for others, makes for a truly wonderful life, We never have to give up.
“It will seem like all hell has broken loose — sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. And then – then – they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style — a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”
Jesus told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. (Any tree for that matter.) When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here — when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too — these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out. But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21: 25 – 36, The Message)
The day of struggle is the day of grace.
In His Grace,
Brown
https://youtu.be/ZuZX2e493r8?list=PLcHqC9YNzSaAaAu19bKe9ERIjUfUSVf31
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