Here we are at the Motel 6. Keep in mind I am a bit of a hotel snob. I dearly love the folks we are traveling with but, their choice in overnight accommodations is a bit on the well... cheap side. Not even any soap in the tub, let alone shampoo or nice lotion. The beds are adequate, sheets fair, two small pillows. Alas, as always an opportunity to for grace to abound and me to die to my flesh. Oops, Drew just found the soap, so yes to soap, not to shampoo. 'Course I have shampoo in the bag.
Again, vacation, traveling all provide many chances to test our faith and our willingness to die to our own feeble flesh. Living with other folks in a big home in the middle of a big field can be challenging but traveling in a car or even two cars with friends or family, sharing a small home with almost no yard will really stretch ya. On vacation we all have our own preconceived ideas of what the holiday should provide for US...ourselves. I know I did. I guess I may have left my "serve my family" convictions at home. Jesus expects us to take Him and His rules of behavior with us even on vacation.
Understand, I/we all had a great time, most of the time. But my selfish heart did spend some of the time grumbling about silly disappointments and interrupted naps. Ha...I want to expound my my computer battery is low and the cord is stretched across the room only two thirds of the way up the bed, means my arms are uncomfortable to the point of cramping. Guess I will have to continue True Confessions tomorrow. Know that God does not allow us to walk long in selfishness if listen even from a distance. Thank you God for pulling me back and drawing me in.
5 comments:
Sounds like your vacation and the one I went on with my family last August taught us the same lesson... Watch those expectations, because they will get you in trouble every time. I went into my vacation thinking it would be wonderful, I would have a great attitude and serve my family... it turned out it was wonderful - in a different way - and I had many bad attitudes and didn't really serve my family like I should have. I am grateful that the Lord is so forgiving and that my family is also forgiving and even willing to vacation with me again! I learned a lot about my sin on that trip and it was good of the Lord to show me my sin...
Glad you are on your way home...
See you Sunday.
Vic
Well, speaking as someone who has pretty much overcome all of the sin in his life... oh, ha ha ha!
Dude! After more than a year, it's time for another Videogame-O-Rama! This Sunday, babies, and it's looking good! I'm kind of excited in a vicarious way... Bryan WIlkins, slowly losing his mind as Stephanie is still in Africa, will be joining us, as are some guys from the Altoona church! Whoo!
Speaking of Bryan Wilkins, care group was at his house, last night, as the Parks showed us their photos and movies from Liberia, and we all got up-close and personal with Korpo and Walter (now known as Koby). It was amazing to watch and hear, and it was just over a year ago that I was at the McCracken's, seeing the same thing (the kids came from the same place). Amazing. Depressing. Encouraging. But mostly amazing. It was in the 100's when they were there, and now they're back here, in the teens! But what lovely children, and what miracles God worked for them to be here!
But earlier in the week I heard this: Liberian Youth in U.S. Find Threat from New Violence and I don't know what to think. The feedback from the story, in the passing days, was also sad: people reporting how, when they came over as youths, how they were the victims of racial violence... from other African Americans! What a crazy world.
Anyway... I think I'm supposed to be doing something, so I'll close.
Oh, and Sandy: your explanation that the horses at Sea World (and I was expecting some kind of sea-horse joke) were there because Anheuser-Busch owns Sea World, was a let down, since your e-mail subject was "beer horses," which sparked interesting ideas before I read it.
Disappointing.
Fun at home:
One of my last stops, yesterday, included the purchase of a box of "Good and Plenty" candy... you know, the black licorice flavored stuff that come in mauve and white capsule form?
Well, so far today I've been walking around my apartment, grabbing a handful of those little capsules, cramming them clumsily in mouth while muttering, "Pills, pills... where are my pills?" and then laughing a weird laugh as a few fall out of the corners of my mouth.
I've also been trying to use some chopsticks I found in my suitcase, from a recent take-out while on the road adventure, but they don't work well for capsule candy or the burrito I made for lunch.
I crack myself up... or I'm cracking up.
Rob,
Are you using the chopsticks to eat the Good n Plenty? That would be sad. Just heading out of Charolotte NC. Still a long way to go home. Temps are dropping though, 42* burrr
PS as far as Bryan W. he has also been spending some time with Randall. Probably not helping the case for the crazies...
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