Happy in spite of....

Yesterday, I went to my old church, or perhaps I should say that we went. Kim went in her car, but I had to follow later, due to a problem associated with old age and the meds that the doctors prescribe. I got there toward the end of song service. They were singing my favorite current song complete with my favorite set of lyrics. This song, I have been told, has over 30 different versions of one line. I have only heard three versions. But today was the youth service. Why does this old guy love the youth services more than the stodgy, opps that should say standard, services. Anyway, I'll leave you to answer that one for me. The line that singing was about my dream or faith, as it were about heaven meeting earth. I have never been drawn to "pie in the sky, by and by," theology. The line goes if my memory serves me well this mooring, "When heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss." I had missed the part I love the most. That is the worship.

The message was delivered by the youth leader. It was good and made me think, and cry. But, that is a different story.

After the service, one of my friends, Mark, asked me why I was so happy, given my circumstances. for those of you that haven't heard, let me fill you in. About two months ago, Kimberly, my wife said that if I stayed in the house that she would leave. As the various possibilities were considered, we put off the separation for awhile. (I don't remember why.) One day as I was driving around, the devil said to me, "You are going to hell." Now I thought about this for some days, and kept praying. The whole purpose of Jesus going to the cross was so that I, and you too, can and will always have access to Father God. Now I am persuaded that nothing can separate me from the love of God. Except, perhaps, my own sovereign choice. Which for me is no longer a choice. Then one day I responded to the devil. "I am a child of God."

Later the thought came to go to the Slabs. The Slabs are just north of the USA and Mexican Border in the desert. During the Second Wold War the US military built a base there. It was mostly Quonset huts. When the military shut the base down they tore down the huts but left the concrete slabs. Hence, the name that exists today. Now my dad when he retired, the third time went to live there during the winter. He had a thirty foot RV. One of the beauties of the Slabs for dad, and for me was the prospect, of free rent. One of the draw backs at least for me was the summer, and early fall heat. When I was there in September it was up to 104 to 106. Some of the year round guys, most people stay only in the winter, told me that, the summer had been up to 120. Well, that is like hell to me. Although The Slabs have free rent, there is no water, sewer, or trash pick up. So today it is different than twenty or thirty years ago. Back then, there were still no services, but at least there was not trash litter in many places. Also back in the day there were thirty thousand people there in the winter. Today about one tenth of that many. To me the slabs are hell on earth.

On the way down there, I remember thinking, Well, maybe when I go down there, I bring some back with me. After all Jesus descended into Hell and brought captivity captive.

All though this is some background of recent events, it still does not explain why I should have joy while being separated from my wife and family. I think that the most sucient way to put it is that I am doing what I am called to do. See my blog that was posted on 5-5-09, coming revival. Things weren't getting done at the house like they were supposed. I was trying to be a house dad, but failing miserably. The family fired me as cook. Kim did not like me to shop. I was not good at dealing with my kids, whom I dearly love. But some time, some years ago, it had been my heart to write. Kim and I wrote the first part, and then spoke at a meeting we called at a local library. Although we had success at the meeting. We had three people come up and make appointments to talk with us later. One accepted the Lord and went home to his wife and reset his marriage. (Before he was talking about divorce.) Eeven with this success, although I did not know about it until over a year later, we got into a rut of daily living. Brother Tucker used to say that a rut was just a grave with both ends kicked out.

Some how, I quit writing and We quit talking about what the Lord has done. It also seemed as if I was always getting caught up in the cares of living and I had only rare times of joy. Notably when I would touch someones life for Jesus. I only rarely did this. After we decided to separate, it seems as though God was using a 2 by 4 to get my attention. When I headed to California, I decided to take the slow route, stopping at almost every rest stop along the way, I found many interesting people to talk to about their lives and Jesus. Even at The Slabs the interaction was outstanding. Since I've come back to the NW, I've stayed in a weekly hotel for a short time, but soon I have been privileged to stay at a cabin on the lake front of Lake Bosworth. The picture at the top of this page if from the back porch of the cabin at a little before seven am on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. While here I continue to have great encounters for the Lord, and with the Lord!

I have been writing again. What is really interesting is, for the first time, I have enjoyed writing.

28 Then Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”
29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel30 who will not receive a hundred times as much here in this world—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecutions—as well as eternal life in the age to come.31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”