July 7 – “Overcoming the groggies”

I received a text at 2:49 … A.M. … the other night.  That is rarely a good sign around the house of a pastor.  I shook off the groggies and managed to locate my phone to check it out.  There on the text was … a picture of what appeared to be what was left of someone’s fried fish dinner.  No, really.  It was a picture of a fish on a plate. I hastened to see if there was a caption that could possibly explain this unusual intrusion into my slumber.  And there it was,  The text was from Josh, who is currently in Denia, Spain with a mission trip group.  And Denia is approximately seven hours ahead of where are time-wise.  That placed the time there at around ten in the morning.  Josh was simply blessing me and Nathan, who was included in the text as well, with the fruit of his mealtime fare.  Here is the interchange:

Josh: “They serve mullet for dinner!”

Me: “Hey, you can eat anything if it’s fried right.  We’ll be thinking of you when we sit down to our speckled trout fish fry on Friday.”

Josh: “I told them that the fish I eat, eat the fish that they served!”

Me: “Lol.  Nothing but the best for us.  Everything’s bigger in Texas.  And a certain small republic off the coast of Texas!”

Josh: “That’s right!”

Never had any input from Nathan.  I suppose he was comfortably enjoying his sleep, totally oblivious to the earth-shattering seafood news from the Mediterranean. 

We talked to Josh later that morning when he Facetimed his family.  He explained further that the mullet with the heads still on were his favorite.  I told him it was all those brain juices mingling into the batter that gave it extra flavor.  Not sure he bought that one.  Also not sure fried mullet with heads on would be something he would order at Gaido’s, either.  For me, I think I’ll stick with speckled trout at our fish fry tomorrow.

Romans 12:20-21 says, “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Father, please continue watching over the group from Waco as they minister in Denia.  Amen.