March 16 – “Bless your mission”

Today we did a family day.  Josh and Christi, Nathan and April, and Christina, along with all their kids, met Chris and Mom and I at NASA.  Well, I guess they call it Space Center Houston now.  We got the half price tickets by ordering online, and spent a few hours roaming around and watching the kids play.  It's not the same place that it was back when you drove up to the big Saturn rocket in the yard.  Now it is a major tourist attraction with a giant slide and climbing  complex, all kinds of hands on stuff, exhibits galore, and of course a huge gift shop.  Not to mention a food court.  One could definitely spend the better part of several days in order to see everything.  We didn't.  Two hours was about all our little guys could handle.   My favorite part of the day was standing out front waiting for everyone to arrive.  I got to do some people watching like I haven't done since Christmas Eve at WalMart.  They had a security checkpoint, so I got to listen to, "Do you have any personal weapons, knives, guns, or weapons of mass destruction?" hundreds of times.  OK, they didn't really say weapons of mass destruction, but I think I would have just to break the monotony and have a little fun.   At one point just before Nathan and April arrived, I saw two guys with beards dressed in long black robes.  As they got closer I could see that were also wearing really cool knitted hats that hung down like long hair.  And they each had a large necklace around their necks with a cross hanging from it.  One cross was really large and ornate, and the other was a simple wooden one.  I wondered where they were from, and my initial guess was that they must be some kind of monk, maybe from the Coptic church in Egypt.  They seemed to have Middle Eastern features.  I saw them again just a little while later and said a Texan "hi."  That would be a nod and a smile.  The third time we nearly collided as I was coming out of the bathroom.  This time I spoke, "Where are you from?"  He answered, "We are Christian priests from Egypt."  Outstanding.  I guessed right.  I answered, "That's great.  I'm a Christian pastor from America."  He immediately said, "God bless your mission."  So I replied, "And yours."  We talked briefly about the space center, and we developed a little ritual.  He said "Bless your mission" three or four times, and I replied, "And yours" every time.  I don't think his English extended much farther than that.  It was exciting to meet a  brother pastor from the other side of the ocean.  And as I walked away he said, of course, "Bless your mission."  And I replied over my shoulder, "And yours."   Romans 12:14-16 says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."   Father, bless the mission of the two Egyptian pastors.  Amen.