Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you can look back at your week and identify a few ways in which you see God working in your life and in the lives of people around you. It often escapes our notice, but God is always at work. He is seeking to help those that trust Christ to become more like Him. In reality, there isn’t much room in a Christian’s life for complacency and/or coasting. It doesn’t mean that you have to lock yourself in a room and study the nuances of every word contained in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. I mean, you can if you want to. In fact, I have one I will loan to you. What it does mean is that we have a desire to grow in our faith, maturing in the fruit of the Spirit, reflecting a bit more of Jesus and a little less of our old self on a fairly consistent basis. Step by step, a little by little, poco a poco, and at some point we can look back and discern we have moved forward in our walk with Christ.
Speaking of walking, and on perhaps a less serious note, Michelle and I went out to the Mill Creek Trail one day after a period of heavy rains. What we discovered is that it had rained so much that it had flooded portions of the trial. When we got there, the water had subsided, but it was evident where the water had rushed through. There was debris, limbs and even trees strewn about. It was amazing to consider the depth and the power of the water where it crossed the walking path. On that day, the water was still very high in the creek and it was moving very swiftly. And like a kid, I couldn’t resist throwing a few sticks into the raging water just to see how quickly they flowed downstream and out of sight. It reminded me of when I was a kid. I had the good fortune of growing up across from a creek that fed into Turkey Creek in Merriam. We spent a lot of time playing in and around that creek. Throwing things into the water when it was at flood stage was just something we did. In this day and age, there is probably a video game that seeks to replicate that experience. However, until you have heard the sound of the water and observed its awesome power, you might not fully understand how incredible it really is. Of course, all of that fun came to an end in 1977 when the Plaza flooded. It didn’t make the news but our house and the few around it also flooded. We ended up losing most of our possessions, dad lost a ton of money since insurance didn’t cover it and there weren’t FEMA gold cards handed out like candy back then. Sadly, we moved from there into a “normal” neighborhood. No more creek, forest, gravel road, tree house, and acres to roam around in. The cool thing is that the Turkey Creek Trail actually goes through the area where our house used to stand. They tore the houses down and built a park there a long time ago. For me, it is special to still be able to walk along the creek and see the woods where we played as a kid. Anyway, back to Michelle and I’s adventure on the Mill Creek. One thing that was also left from the floodwaters on that day was a thin layer of mud across the trail and even on the bridges. We discovered it in a low area after walking for about half a mile. When we saw it, we stopped and thought about turning back. But then our inner child came to life. We thought, “Why not?” So, we pressed on, slipping and sliding in the mud through the low spots on the trial. For the most part, it was ½” thick or less. But we did find some areas that had over 1”. Nevertheless, like a couple of kids playing in the mud, we continued our journey until we got to an area that was impassable. We had just crossed one of the bridges that was covered with mud. It was like walking on ice. We literally had to hold onto the railing on the side of the bridge to keep from falling down. It was hilarious. Finally, on the other side of the bridge, the mud was too deep so we had to turn around. On our way back, we encountered another couple that was considering what to do. When they saw us covered with mud they decided to turn back. Pity. They could have had some fun playing in the mud. When we finally got to the car we had to take our shoes off and try not to get mud all over everything.
Anyway, what is the point of me telling you this? Maybe to validate what you have already been thinking, “Pastor Larry has lost his mind.” Well, kind of. Actually, perhaps it is to get you to enjoy some of the simpler things in life. Go throw a stick or a rock in a creek, play in the mud, go for a walk, look at the clouds and find shapes and characters, watch the sun set, drive through the park and look for the deer. Just do something besides playing on your phone and posting to Facebook. There is a whole world to explore out there. Enjoy it while you can.
Psalm 93
1 The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
2 Your throne has been established
from the beginning; you are from eternity.
3 The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their pounding waves.
4 Greater than the roar of a huge torrent—
the mighty breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is majestic.
5 Lord, your testimonies are completely reliable;
holiness adorns your house for all the days to come.
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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