November 13 – “Strange beasts”

Just for the record … it is 43 degrees with the wind out of the North Northwest at 24 mph, with the wind chill making it feel like it is 34 degrees.  That, folks, is beyond cold here in Galveston.  Only thing good about that is the fact that it wakes up the flounders.

I got word that three toilets and several sinks in the retreat center at church were either out of order or leaking.  I got word about the issue from the guy who had just taken it upon himself to fix them.  “Just wanted you to know, Pastor, so you wouldn’t worry about it.”  So … I actually got word that the out of order toilets were not out of order.  OK.  Thank you very much Mr. Bob.

Kel’s kids came over to hang out for a while so Mom and Dad could go on a date.  Never know for sure what they are going to want to do, but this time they endeared themselves to me, that’s for sure.  The three older boys, Jachin (15), Micah (12), and Josiah (8), and to a certain degree their little sister Noa (5), all gathered with me around the television set, and stayed enraptured for a long time?  Baby brother Ezra (2) was keeping Nana entertained.  And what production could possibly have done such a phenomenal job of keeping them entertained?  We watched not one but three Hallmark movies.  Yep.  Even the older boys were glued to the screen.  Especially the older boys.  Girly men?  I think not.  See, they are almost as good as I am at providing “alternate” captioning for sappy movies.  Oh, and predicting alternate endings as well.  Almost as good as me.  But then, I may or may not have been doing it for a year or two longer than they have. 

When they got all loaded up into the car to leave, Chris and I stood at the door as we usually do to wave goodbye.  The car light came on.  We heard the engine start.  But they didn’t leave.  The engine stopped.  Then started again.  Then stopped.  Then Kel and Christina switched places.  Same scenario.  Start.  Stop.  I finally grabbed a jacket and walked out to see what was going on.  Everything seemed to be working fine except … it did not want to come out of Park and into drive.  Stuck tighter than a drum.  I stood out in the very cold rain offering moral support for as long as I could stand it.  I invited them to stay the night or suggested that Chris and I could take them home and let Kel use the truck again for work.  And then I went inside.  Within just a minute or two we got a text that it had finally shifted and they were on their way home.  Guess my presence was jinxing them.  Cars are strange beasts.

Psalms 113:4 says, “The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.”

Father, thank you for watching over Kel and his family to get them home last night.  Amen.