September 29 – “Remembering”

We took our car into the shop yesterday to get it inspected.  Last minute to get it done in September.  I know you’re supposed to be able to wait and do it the next month, but that has always seemed kind of, not right, to me.  So we raced down there when Mom fell asleep on the couch (that’s her usual morning routine).  We really don’t like leaving her alone, so the idea was to drop the car off and get back as quickly as possible.  We’d figure out the pickup schedule later.  When we got to the shop, it looked like they were having an extremely slow day.  In fact Dennis (the mechanic who is also a preacher sent out from Seaside) said he could get it done in about twenty minutes.  So Chris took the truck on home and I just stuck around.  She texted me when she arrived that Mom was still in the exact same position she was when we left.  That was a relief.

I spent most of the afternoon scanning more pictures from our albums into digital format.  The plan is to make everything easier for us to evacuate next time the need arises.  It will also make them more readily available for viewing.  With them on the computer we won’t have to pull them down from their flood-safety perch on the custom-built top shelf of Chris’ walk-in closet in our bedroom.  So far I’m up to 1985.  Nathan gets born, with all the accompanying baby showers.  We live in Mansfield.  I’m one of those strange creatures called a Minister of Education.  He’s the guy who pretty much does everything the pastor doesn’t want to do.  Along with whatever other specific jobs the church can come up with, like coordinating Sunday Schools or administering a church office or supervising employees or running children’s camps.  I had some great times as a Minister of Education.  Got to work with some great people.  Scanning photographs is a strange way to review memories, I guess.  But, hey, it helps me remember how little I do remember.

Speaking of remembering, we went to the Gideon’s pastor’s banquet last night. They treat the local pastors once a year to a great meal to say thanks for what we do all year in “an often thankless position.”  It’s usually pretty good food and we get an update on their world-wide ministry.  And, hey, who doesn’t like to feel appreciated?  The lady who sang right before the guest speaker was a member of the local Baptist church youth group … when I became a Christian as a high school senior back in 1971.  She could really sing back then, too. 

Psalms 33:1-3 says, “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”

Father, thank you for the remembering I did yesterday.  Amen.