Grandpa's face

It wasn't a remarkable face,

To others...

It was lined with furrows like a field.

High cheeks, permanently ruddy

from a lifetime of laying brick outdoors.

Crystal blue eyes with a twinkle when grandkids came around...

A mouth that hummed more than it spoke,

But spoke wisdom when it did.

I can still smell that face

as he held me close to kiss...

Scratchy from whiskers that grew out since the morning shave

and the faint smell of lathered soap.

The face was always old to me,

But as it grew older I saw it perch

on a frame that grew smaller to mine.

I love everything about that face,

and one day long to hold him close again.

Psalm 145:4 

One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts. 

 

off the bench!

It's been fun and exciting to watch the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament over the past few weeks. The championship game last night turned out to be much closer down the stretch than the early part of the game before Kentucky prevailed over Kansas. Every team places five starters on the court but players are substituted liberally off the bench to provide rest and change of pace during the game. I'm sure that most players aspire to be starters...but at least half of the team learns to contribute when called on during the game. In the MiniBible College we have just started studying Philippians. One of the themes of this great, short letter is that Christianity is a "team sport" and the church is most effective when the entire body of believers is active in the advance of the Gospel. The Gospel is a wildfire that God has set ablaze through His church and it is meant to spread on all fronts. It seems that our participation in the church is often limited to the Sunday pew (or the "bench") and we watch the starters up front singing and preaching as we remain in a waiting position. Well, God is calling us to get off the bench and into the game. There are people in your experience that only you can reach for the Gospel...by the attitudes you hold, the words you share, the actions you demonstrate. Jesus is their only hope for a life of forever living and you may be their best chance to see, hear and find Him.

 

The Christian life is not a game but it is a "total participation" lifestyle and we signed up for outreach when we responded to His inreach to our hearts!

 

Philippians 2:2 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.