Category: Mysteries

Serious Sunday

This morning, the pastor said these things: If we follow our money trail, it reveals what we are obsessed about. When you look at your bank statement, it will clearly show your obsession or obsessions. It tells us something. It always has and it always will.

Is it clothing? Gym memberships? Restaurants? Boat payment? Strictly bill-paying and no fun at all? Giving to the needy?

About what are we obsessed? Our lives usually make that revelation.

How obsessed are we about prayer?

God hears all prayers. How often we feel the need to pray for the poor people in Nicaragua or the orphans in Guinea or the young girls in forced prostitution in India. And Lord knows, they certainly need our prayers.

But we all need prayers. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg need prayers. Justin Timberlake, Kim Kardashian and Will Smith need prayers. Billy Graham, Joel Osteen and Brian Tome need prayers.

And so do you. And so do I. From the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich and the meanest of the mean and the nicest of the nice. WE ALL NEED PRAYERS.

What we learned in church today is that those above mentioned in Nicaragua and Africa and India actually WANT to pray for US! We sometimes forget that people consider it an honor and a privilege to pray, even for strangers. What a sweet thought.

Today we took ‘selfies’ and attached that photo to a page that included our names and a request for a specific thing. Those will be sent to thousands of people in Africa, India and Nicaragua. They will look at our photos and pray. They will look at ME and pray for me EVERY DAY. How amazing is that?

I believe that prayer is a mystery. Yet, I believe in that mystery. I believe in that power. I have seen it change things. One of those things is me. I know that I know that I know there is a higher power who hears me and intervenes and intercedes and gives me grace and patience and words.

I have heard it said that one of the biggest benefits of prayer is that it connects us to God. I believe that is true. But I also know (that I know that I know) that it is powerful enough to change outcomes and change hearts and change directions.

And those things change futures, which is something I am unable to do (dang it).

 

Mice and Men

I do online banking and online bill-paying but I still write a few checks and do traditional drop-offs at the post office.

Today I was preparing those mailings. One of them was for our pest control service. I am on a quarterly plan. We occasionally have eight-legged, hairy little visitors and once in a while, a few hungry mice find their way into my house. I really hate mice, though I do love Stuart Little.

Does anyone else remember thinking it was odd that Stuart was actually BORN into the Little family? I was probably around 10 years old when I read the book, but even at that tender age I knew something was not right. I remember hoping that I would have real babies some day. In the movie that was released in 1999, Stuart was adopted into the Little family. Hollywood editing, I suppose. It certainly allays questions from 10 year-olds. But there is something about the mystery of the original story that intrigues me. There is a gritty depth to it.

I recently re-read Stuart Little. It is a sweet little (no pun intended) story. It is simple and not completely politically correct and has sad, crushing moments. The end is not neatly tied up, either. However, the last paragraph is a beautiful analog of reality and moxie. Well done, E.B. White.

About the mailings. I cannot bring myself to lick the envelope for the pest control company. I am sure it is as clean as the American Express one, but there is just something…

And for the record, I am very thankful that I had three healthy, strapping boys and no mice.