February 3 – “Can someone help me?”

I started the day working on next week's sermon.  I thought I would just put a few ideas down, but ended up typing and reading and thinking and praying for almost three hours.  Sometimes it works like that.  Sometimes not so much.   We did go into Galveston to take Mom to Luby's.  Christina joined us with two two-year-olds and a five-year-old.  That was an interesting experience.  The eating part was very quiet.  But when they got done, they wanted to get down and play.  Marching in a circle.  Driving a transformer around the table.  Crawling up in DadDad's lap and begging to be tickled.  That was a fun lunch.   The weather was beautiful today, so this afternoon we went to get bait.  At least I thought that's where we were going.  We ended up at Lowes and Home Depot pricing cabinets.  We found some that look like they will work for main bathroom.  We also found some for our create-a-hutch wall in the family room to go with the glass cabinets we already have.  Now we're waiting for prices.  And we have an appointment Friday with the Amish guys about their kitchen cabinets bid.  We also went by the house to check the mail.  No plumbers yet.   Something unusual happened when we were at the house yesterday.  The lady who lives a few doors down came over.  Now that wouldn't be so unusual, except that she is pretty old, and walks with a cane – barely walks.  We were doing some cleaning inside.  We looked up and there she stood, hanging on to her cane and the door and faintly saying, "Can someone help me."  Chris heard her right away and jumped into action.   She got her to sit down and tell us what happened.  It seems she had just been telephoned by her niece's alarm company, and was in a panic trying to get there to check things out.  The niece was out of town and the cab was taking too long to get there and the house might be burning down.  Chris got her into the truck.  As they drove off, I called Nathan to see if he could find out what was happening through the fire department.  To make a long story short, the fire fighters had already been on scene and checked everything out.  They offered to return or to talk to the lady on the phone.  She was just relieved that they had come.  And she was especially glad that Chris had been the one to bring her.  She thanked her profusely, and even gave her a quick tour of her house when they got back.   Our neighbor needed to know that someone had been there before her.  Someone had walked where she was walking.  Someone who was trained and had the right equipment to deal with whatever problems might exist.  Someone she could trust.  Someone she could talk to on the phone if she needed reassurance.  She also needed someone to be there with her in the flesh.  Someone to tell her that everything was going to be all right.  Someone who had a relationship with the experts.  Someone who knew what they could do and that they would do it.   Wow.  She is a great picture of us.  We need Jesus and the spiritual salvation and solace he gives.  We need Christians and the physical reassurance and calming touch that they can give.      Colossians 1:18-19 says about Jesus, "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."   Father, thank you for going through it all first.  Amen.