Afternoon Lord. Here we are again, Monday afternoon, just you and me. Thank you for this new day and for the way you are working in our lives. Thank you for the blessings of yesterday and for a mostly good time at church. I really enjoyed Daniel’s sermon on James 2. There’s a lot to learn in this chapter but the two things that stood out for me are not showing favouritism (always a challenge when one child is angelic and the other an untameable force of nature) and the concept that faith without deeds is dead.
On the subject of untameable forces of nature, there seemed plenty of wildfires brewing at church yesterday. Diana coming storming out in the middle of the service, dangling a screaming Christian by the scruff of his neck was certainly a sight to behold. Both of them seemed to have complexions coloured with some hue of purple (Diana’s from fury, Christian’s from partial asphyxiation) so there was a ruckus while that got sorted out. Caroline ended up leaving with Christian, while Logan waited and looked immensely uncomfortable until after the service so he could collect the girls.
So right when I was feeling sorry for Caroline, while congratulating myself that for once it wasn’t Nathan being frogmarched out of Sunday School, out come Nathan and Trinity from said Sunday School arguing at the top of their voices about Christian. Apparently Nathan said that Christian was a mental case and that he needed to be in a mental institution so Trinity countered that Nathan was a four-headed baboon and that he needed to be locked up in the zoo. After that it was all on for man and beast alike.
As you know I called Caroline this morning and we’ve arranged to take the boys to Wonderworld on Wednesday so hopefully that will give us a chance to catch up, and maybe I’ll finally get an opportunity to find out what is really going on. If nothing else it might be a nice chance to take Nathan there for one last play before the school holidays start and the whole place turns into a lunatic asylum. (Friday, Lord! I can’t believe another term is nearly over!)
Another small cloud on the horizon is Jess and Madison. Jess called yesterday to see if there was any way I could start having Madison come home here after school every day starting next term as things are not going well for them financially. If I agree Jess can give notice to the place where Madison regularly goes. What a prospect! Every day, after school! But then I heard what you said, Lord. Faith without works is dead. So, against my better judgement, and possibly to my detriment, I have agreed. I’m not sure Emily quite knew what to make of it, and I could see Andrew was surprised in that, “Was that wise?” kind of way, but how can I say no when they’re in need? Emily asked if that meant she could no longer go and play and other people’s houses after school and then cried when I said that maybe she might have to forgo that for a bit.
Anyway, all of these things seem to be situations where much wisdom is required, and in what is becoming a regular prayer for me, I pray that the wisdom I need would come from you.
I pray in the name of Jesus…Amen