As I sit here on a sun drenched Saturday afternoon after days of dull, dank snow clouds, I really feel the sun will always lifts my spirit. I lived in the tiny country of Luxembourg for several years and that country was known for the few days of sunshine annually of any country in Europe. The personalities of the everyday Luxembourger reflected that same dismal, downtrodden, woe is me attitude. I was always puzzled by that having grown up in the South and had sun seems like most of the year. So today's sun is a welcome change and even though still cold, it feels good just to feel good. Thank you God, for the sunshine!
But let me shift to another Son for the warmth of that Son far outshines the sun in so many ways. I was reminded all over again during two chapel services last night at a local county jail of the power of song and powerfully delivered sermons bathed in Scripture. Scripture means they are the words God sanctioned to be written to tell His story to Man. When you get to see hardened criminals soften and melt into tears through a song, a pat of the shoulder, a moment to just listen, your very core is affected in a Godly way. When those times come, as they did last night, I am reminded that there is no sun that can warm a life like the basking heat of the Son! Seeing those men last night humbled as they came forward for prayer was touching enough. But seeing those men pull together with arms around each other, feeling gentle taps on shoulders agreeing with the words of the prayer, seeing tears and hearing the gentle sobs of conviction and contrition; wow!
There are times I question why the jail work continues to be so vital to me personally and it is in those experiences like last night that affirms that anyone that is a part of such a process receives an abundant blessing. That is, frankly, unexplainable for even after these nearly ten years, I still cannot accurately explain to people why I keep doing it and find myself loving the work more and more. It is a thankless work and you are exposed to the lowest level of culture via harsh talk, profanity and major doses of tattoos and gang signs marking these men and women's bodies. But still they come seeking something outside their iron cages and I must believe, evidenced again last night, they are seeking a greater power than even they can grasp; I still cannot grasp it!
I have wondered and pondered why my decision to take off from teaching at Kent State this semester came so clearly and so quickly to me even though I did not know what lay ahead when the new year launched. But as we view into February, March and beyond, my calendar continues to fill up with wonderful things; things I could not begin to see just six weeks ago. Singing in a quartet and a trio with men that love the Lord and sing for His Glory is such a blessing to me. Seeing how God is bringing the two groups together in sound and blend is a joy but seeing how God is melting our hearts closer together is simply amazing. The opportunities to sing are increasing and that is a special blessing to me.
Those that know me know I love to get my hands into organizational improvement and restructuring facilitation and planning. So in the midst of an already busy calendar, I have been asked to do some corporate level work for a global company in Houston, TX for a great friend I worked closely with during my Goodyear days. My mind is already aflutter with thoughts and ideas on how to go about this project even in the backdrop of an already crowded calendar. But here is what I believe! I believe if God inspires and creates, He will show the pathway so I am not going to worry or frustrate about how but I will just let Him handle the When and the How and knowing that, I know it will all turn out for the good! I think I realize this is all part of Christian maturity. I love the sense of not worrying about how things will happen knowing, for His Glory, they will happen at His timing; you know, the Son!
As as the sun begins to ebb for the evening, I am just feeling warmed by the fire of the Son. As the song says so rightly; I don't know about tomorrow but I know who holds my hand! I hope this finds each of you in great spirits. Our quartet, The Pathway Quartet, is singing a great, uptempo song tomorrow in worship service entitled, I Am Blessed. What a great song! What a great truth!
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