March 29 – “Opportunity”

I have a lot to get done this week before the Easter services Sunday.  Today I was going to get a good start on that, because I'd kind of like to change some things around.  I had just about finished all my preliminary preparations for work – filing stuff from yesterday's service, checking email, typing a wedding service (yep.  I have a wedding this Saturday as part of our weekend), when Chris came up behind me and said, "OK.  It's time to go for a walk."  For one brief, tiny moment I thought about challenging her and saying I had too much to do.  Then sanity won out and I got up.    We walked around the neighborhood once - a mile.  It really looks different than it did before all the trees began disappearing.  It almost feels like we moved into a new development.  We talked to a few neighbors.  Even met one guy who has lived here on Sycamore for 35 years.    Oh, and the mystery bicycle was back again.  I emailed our officer before we left, and later on this afternoon a few of them showed up to check it out.  No one was inside, but this time they decided to put the bike on the front porch and see if any of the neighbors  could catch the guy when he comes back to get it.    And now to the opportunity.  I was on my way to firing up the computer when Chris came in again.  She said, "Well, I'm going out in the back yard.  I don't know if I'll be overwhelmed or if I'll be able to actually do anything."  Suddenly I was alert, guardedly optimistic.  I responded, "Do you mean you are going to go through the stuff ;left over from the storm?"  "I'm gonna try," she replied.  That was enough for me.  This was one opportunity I have been wanting for over year.  I decided that I needed to join her in the backyard.    I kicked into clean out and throw away mode.  She was not so sure.  So I had to slow way down.  Instead I did some cleaning of things that I knew we would be keeping in the garage.  Finally it came.  She actually said, "Look.  I emptied a box.  I'm done."  Well, I wasn't near done, but she did throw away some stuff.  And she let me throw away even more stuff.  It still doesn't look like we made much of a dent in the pile, but we know.  And we'll be back.   James 4:7-10 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."   Father, as much as this old body of mine hurts, it's yours.  Amen.