January 6 – “Hostage”

Chris kept me away from working at the house again today.  I didn't fight too hard, though.  It was cold and rainy outside, so it would have been miserable again.  I spent the morning working on the sermon for Sunday and just reading.  I haven't done that in … I don't remember.   After lunch we finally did head into Galveston, though.  We had several errands to run.  The bank.  Mail a really important thank you note.  Pick up my prescriptions from Randalls.  Ouch!  Our deductible started over again on New Year's Day.  Top off our gas tank with gas.  Gotta be ready to head to Mansfield at a moment's notice.  And gas is suddenly getting expensive again.  What happened?  Yesterday it was $1.45.  This afternoon was $1.49.  Tonight it was $1.59.  Slow down!  Go by Kel and Christina's to pick up a toy sword to use in the sermon Sunday.  Jachin said I could borrow it "because I have an extra one."  We also got some Starbucks coffee beans.  We are getting really low.  Stop by Dennis' shop to see if he could give away some of the clothes we have over on Bolivar.  Actually, we were headed to a church we had heard might be accepting donations when Chris had the idea to stop.  He wasn't sure he would have time to go through them.  But then a lady there getting her car inspected said she would be happy to take them, and what she couldn't give away to family and friends, she would take over to her church.  Talk about a divine appointment.  Thanks for listening to God, Chris!  Oh, and we stopped by our house to check on the mail.   The mail hadn't come yet, but there was a FedEx letter from our mortgage company.  We hoped it would be the flood checks we sent in to get endorsed.  We are anxious to get started.  Our contractor called this morning and said he could start this week some time.  It was the checks.  They were not endorsed.  We got the dreaded letter explaining that we had to endorse them first.  They were planning to hold the all the money hostage.  Then they would be in control of handing out the money as they saw fit – who gets what and when.  They did say we would be responsible for seeing that we had quality work done.  At least until it was time for them to send their own inspector down here to make sure we were doing what they had "assigned" to us.  I'm a bit confused here.  Just who lives in this house, anyway?  I know they have a financial stake in it, but we own just as much of it as they do.  And we have to live in it.  Who cares more – the one who stakes his money on something or the one who stakes his life on it?   Made me think about Acts 8:18-24 – "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'"  He got something, all right, but not what he expected.  More like a tongue lashing.  "Peter answered: 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.'" To his credit, at least he responded to the rebuke well: "Then Simon answered, 'Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.'"   Father, help me to have the right attitude about money.  Mine and my mortgage company's.  Amen.