July 9 – “Just a …”

I had a meeting yesterday with the Galveston city attorney and the planning commission representative.  Seaside is leasing some land to a group that offers horseback riding.  Apparently the contractor that they hired has dropped the ball in his dealings with the city.  As a result Seaside received a notice that the city is filing a suit against us as the landowner that would result in some fines.  I think the lawyers are pretty much committed to getting the issue straightened out with as little fanfare as possible.  It will mean our tenants have to get a new contractor for one, and then start from scratch with all the reams of paperwork required to run that sort of business.  The city attorney seemed to come to a point of realization during the meeting.  She indicated that it would seem that they might have filed the suit against the wrong party.  Ah, well.  As landowners I suppose we are indirectly responsible for what we allow to happen on our property.  I’m sure glad we have some good lawyers in our camp, though.  All this legal stuff has always been way beyond my scope of understanding. 

Oh, I was taking notes during the meeting, and after we finished the city attorney asked if she could ask me a question.  It was tempting to say, “You mean beyond the one you just asked?” but I was behaving myself.  She wanted to know why I was taking notes on graph paper.  At first I thought it was some kind of trick question.  Was there something illegal about graph paper in a city facility?  Like I said, I’m not much of a dominating legal mind.  There were actually two answers to the question.  The one she received involved the fact that I take notes by printing and the smaller lines help me stay focused, which is definitely true.  The other answer was not as glamorous, though.  You can create some fascinating figures by coloring in those little squares when you get bored.  Didn’t think that would be very appropriate in that setting, though.  Her response to my explanation was interesting.  “Oh, I had an uncle who took notes on graph paper all the time.  But he was an engineer and you’re just a … pastor.”  Yep.  She really said that.  I think she realized how it sounded, though.  Hence the pause before completing the sentence.  I just chuckled and went with it.  “Yes.  Us just-a-pastors sometimes do the strangest things.” 

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Father, thank you for reminding me of my position in you – just a new creation.  Amazing.  Amen.