Tears for Tue's Salvation

 Father God, because Jesus told me to pray "Our Father," I wanted to "put a pin" in today's experience, which I believe came from You.  

The Journey had baptisms today. And I bawled. Even right now, tears have come to my eyes. I had an overwhelming "vision" that someday I would see Tue's baptism.  

Father, time is so short. I know that You are patient, not wanting any to perish but wanting all to come to repentance. (Where is that verse? I can remember what You say but not always where You say it.)

Got it!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)

Please, Father God,  I am one of the "some" who see slowness in Your patience, but I cannot wish for You to be less slow when it comes to bringing Tue "to repentance." And thank you for the class today with the first through third graders and the wonderful questions and discussion that the baptism service provoked. So no, I won't be impatient.

But could You hurry, just a little, with Tue and these kids? Time is so short.

Grace All Around

My year of GRACE is winding down, but it is far from over yet.  By the notes on my phone's calendar, it is late in the 46th week of this 52-week year.  There have been several themes of grace that have caught my attention this year:

• Sufficient grace
• Amazing grace
• Grace and peace
• The grace of God
• Grace and knowledge (of our Lord Jesus Christ)
• Grace that is greater than all our sin
• Grace and truth
• Saving grace
• Abounding grace
• Glorious grace....

...and so on.  Lots of grace, especially in Paul's writings--and experience.  There were also more than a few times where "grace" was a verb, implying an action of grace.  I like that.

I am at the Toyota dealership for maintenance, and I admit to a lot of distraction, Lord.  Thank You for being gracious to me.

Good, Better, and Best

 Hi and good morning, God.  Not to become too familiar with You--but to become SO familiar with You, in another sense of the word!--I never want to lose the sense of awe and worship of Your greatness, holiness, and grace.  That's when I recede into the background and don't feel worthy of taking up Your time and attention.  But that is the grace; You welcome me into that place of familiarity with Royalty.  You.  And there are tears, always tears.  Even mow.

Thank You for sparing Amy and Chris on that turbulent flight through a tornado zone last night.  Thank You for guiding Tue's surgeons as they repair his ankle and sustaining Julie through hunger, waiting, and serving Tue.  Thank You for the slow and incremental progress in keeping my sarcastic snarkiness from my words to DH.  I have not yet refrained from them all, but I have noticed some slight improvement.

As I have puttered around the house this morning, doing little things here and there and finding more little and not-so-little things here and there (and everywhere), I found myself stuck on figuring out how to choose what is most important for the moment.  That is when I realized that my time to be with You in this place was slipping away from me.  DH is at the Men's Breakfast at church and will probably be coming home in 20-30 minutes.  The dog is outside hunting chipmunks; he and I have had breakfast; I have made some progress on cleaning off a horizontal desk surface in Julie's room (not total, but noticeable).  I am thinking ahead to -- gasp! -- less than three weeks until Thanksgiving!  It will be harder to plan for unknowable arrangements since Tue's recovery has just started; he and Julie may or may not be able to get here for the holiday.  But we will do everything in our power and ask for Your power to get them to NYC for Julie's birthday!

In the meantime, sweet God, what is most important for me to do to serve You today?

• I have a client at 11:30 a.m.
• I need to prepare to teach the PreK-K class (the ones I call the "Littles") tomorrow.
• I need to ... this might be less important for today but important soon--clean out or consolidate one more box and/or area in the Basement for a guest area.
• I need to do my nails.  

👋

Looking forward to worshipping You tomorrow, both with the congregation and in the classroom!  Love You so very much.  I am worried for the future, but You have it and You have me.  In Jesus's name~~Amen.