July 24, 2012

Ahhh, we have three delightful days stretching before us, with a great room at a great hotel, on a great beach! We arrived about 2:30 and the wait for the room was very pleasant, as we watched a storm develop and chatted with new friends Charlie and Marla, United Methodists from here in St. Petersburg. We walked the beach, went for dinner, then sat on this back porch and watched the sunset as we read. We watched most of Forest Gump before lights out.

I am reading Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White by Adam Hamilton. Last night I read his essay about creation and evolution, and I agree with his position. I will address this topic on the second Sunday of August. Yesterday Russell went and got us three books by the famous eye surgeon James P Gills, which also deal with Darwinism and creation. Today I will work hard on the spring 2013 series on basic training, looking at Wesley, Luther and Bonhoeffer.

II Corinthians 5 (from the Upper Room)

What a great chapter! I am daily refreshed as I simply open the Upper Room, and whatever verse is referred to I read the whole chapter, and am constantly surprised and blessed by the eternal truth, the instruction, the encouragement, the faith building words contained therein.

Yesterday I read Colossians 3 and was reminded to set my mind, my affections on things above, which I pondered and implemented all day long. Today this theme is somewhat continued as the first verse of this chapter states: “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” What a great reminder that this 182 pounds of flesh and blood is but a temporary dwelling, a “tent” that will not exist forever, and that there is a building from God, eternal that I will occupy in heaven. Last week David and I were attempting to preserve the “house built with hands” that my father and I built in 1974, a 12’ x 16’ oak cabin. Our conclusion was that the cabin was too far deteriorated to preserve, and we will tear it down. This makes me a little sad because it was handmade and reminds me of my dad. But it is temporal, and just as his body no longer contains his soul, when I tear that cabin down it will be a vivid reminder to me that this earth is not my permanent home, and this body will not last forever.

Verse 10 reminds me “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Daily I must remember this truth that there is an eternal reward for deeds, actions, care and love expressed in this limited life. Verses 17-18 is the clear expression of the transforming power of the gospel – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”

This is the day that You have made, most holy Lord. I am your new creation, dwelling in this tent for a while. Guide my steps, my thoughts, my words, my writing, my thinking, my corresponding that this day may have eternal implications. Amen.