Today I started off doing my normal Monday stuff (since yesterday I did little work, but rather I enjoyed my daughters' day off from school) So I today put together the podcast. (a day later than normal) I was surprised I preached as long as I did. I guess I was on a roll...hopefully no one was too bored.
Later, I met with my surprise friend Matt. You see Matt and I met in an airport in Philadelphia. I was on my way home from my daughter Megan's and my trip to the East Coast to look at colleges for Meg. Our plane was delayed and so I started reading, "Have a Little Faith," by Mitch Albom. Which for those who really know me would be surprised. You see I am more of book on mp3 listener rather than paper reader. But we had lots of time and my voracious reading daughter Megan said, "You should read this book dad." So I did...what else are you going to do in a strange airport waiting for a plane? Well I am sitting there reading Albom's book and Matt (found out afterward is also from Sioux Falls) walks by and says to me a complete stranger, "So what do you think of the book?" That intro question led to a 45 minute conversation, which led to an exchange of business card, which led to a couple of emails, which led to a lunch date, which...you get the picture...which feels like it is leading to a lifelong friendship (I hope!) Well today was my second lunch date with Matt and he is a fascinating man with a wonderful curious, inquiring mind.
Hey God, I cannot thank you enough for all these God-incidences with Matt. And thanks today for another lunch with my new friend. God I am still surprised and amazed that you used a wonderfully uncharacteristic event of me reading a book in an airport in Philadelphia to lead me to a new friend. I guess it is almost poetic that we would meet in Philadelphia "the City of Brotherly Love."
Thanks for the surprises Lord...keep them coming! Give 'em Heaven!
2 comments:
It's a simple sentence:
"Stop and listen to God."
It's not so simple to do. Our lives seem to be nothing more than a blur, like one of those cartoon pictures that you find in the Sunday comics. They appear to be just an abstract mess, but if you focus hard enough, you're supposed to be able to make out a picture.
Do you focus hard enough on God's Word, blurry and fuzzy as it may seem at times, to actually make out a picture? If you have trouble doing this (and believe me, I do sometimes), I have a recommendation: try a Beth Moore bible study.
On Monday nights, a group of women take two solid hours out of their blurry, busy lives and focus soley on the Word of God. No one can make it more real and alive than Beth Moore. In today's study, Beth read a short story that she wrote about the birth of Christ. "God gave me these words to write down," she said. Then she told us about what she thought Mary was thinking and feeling after giving birth to the Prince of Peace...the Messaiah. The sights, the sounds, the feel of that soft baby flesh brushing against her cheek. The sound of a baby calf looking for its mother. The smell of a stable. The sound of Joseph sleeping nearby. The infant's gurgling as he tried to adjust to the cool night air and his newfound freedom from the womb. Mary wondering how she, a young, inexperienced mother, was going to raise a King.
What a lovely surprise to actually FEEL the timeless Christmas story and not not read it on the page. Thanks, God. Keep on surprising me.
This morning I was play racket ball with Brad and Jim and they had gotten a call from Helping Hands for Haiti to go help tonight. I was surprised and very happy that everything work out that I got the chance to go along. Another surprised once we got start making the meals some one ask if we want to sing some songs and everyone at my station start sing Jesus Loves me and Jesus Loves the little Children. Thank you God for all the people that came to help it was awesome.
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