Learnings from Job

As a result of an unwelcomed work assignment this summer, I’m now blessed to be on Pastor Wayne Cordeiro’s Life Plan reading schedule currently in Job from the OT & a couple of books in the NT. Job is the great sufferer of all time and his friends are there throughout to firstly encourage & console, then later accuse & judge. Nothing new there, but a couple of new learnings for me. First, since the focus of the book is Job’s calamity, suffering and God’s blessing, I have always missed these first few lines of Job:
4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.

I don’t know the cultural meaning behind some of that, but it’s clear that Job regularly honored God in a big way and desired the same for his children. Imagine being so burdened for your teenagers, 20somethings, etc., that you would regularly sacrifice to God each time they had the opportunity to party. My parents would’ve had to quit their jobs. And don’t forget the sister part – that’s just wrong. Job was really a good guy! Anyway, even with all that goodness, Job’s buddies eventually rip him to shreds.

Secondly, from the first speaker/friend, Eliphaz, comes a great honest approach for friends who are going through rough times. Eliphaz basically says something like this, “Job, do you mind if I talk to you? But what friend could keep silent at a time like this watching you go through so much!” Then he follows with gentle encouragement, treads lightly, compliments Job, suggests that he turn to God and predicts good things for the future.

Unfortunately, later in the book, Eliphaz becomes hurtful displaying a judgmental human nature familiar to us all. But thankfully God is perfect, just, merciful & full of grace. And in the end, He saves the day! Yaaah!

Before We Go

It dawned on me this wknd that I have about a week left here. I have great memories of Daytona Beach. As kids, my dad would wake my brother & me at 4am & with our pillows we would pile into the car for the long ride south from middle TN. It's unheard of now, but we always went to church somewhere in GA and inevitably were asked to go home for lunch with strangers who loved the Lord. Life has sure changed! I loved the boardwalk at night, putt putt, the Drive-In Church and in particular staying at the Thunderbird (now Seaside). As a 6yr old I remember watching a car get carried out to sea by a high tide. I decided to drive there at lunchtime today. I haven't been there in years, but things are never as you remember them. I almost cried coming home. I think I just missed my mom & dad :).

Sunday, I visited the Drive-In Church, which oddly is more relevant than ever. The greeters are incredible, there's a fellowship hall to get coffee and have a little community, message, worship, communion, offering & out. All car windows are open, (smoking allowed) so you can pull right up next to someone if you really want community. They took a special offering for their sister Galveston Church as we drove out the exit, so I know they collected a lot since you couldn't get past them. The homeless, crippled & disenfranchised were serving with so much joy, I was ashamed to be sitting in the car! God has shown me so much since April & I'm thankful!

Hooray for Fall

OMG, it's fall!! Okay first OMG means oh my goodness in my world; in fact I shouldn't even type it. It's like freakin' - we all know where it comes from. Prohibited in our house was darn, shoot, crap, f-rt - junior cuss words, I still can't say that last one. Anyway I just love Oct and I'm a little glad we're going back to O-town for the 'holidays' even though I still think God was clear with me about selling our house and I'll roll with it either way.

Next week is Catalyst, and you can follow it at Backstage which is currently Ben Arment's under-construction site. Ben exploded with The White Board Sessions, an awesome one-day conference outside of DC back in May. After that, Ben had many choices, and settled on a good one :-)!

Later in Oct I get to go home to Nashville! I cut a deal with AG that if I go now, we can have the holidays in FL. Something cool there in November is the Blvd Bolt, a 5-mile run in Belle Meade every Thanksgiving morning and I'll hate missing the time there with my cousin, bro & sissy.

But my like-a-sister friend, Suzanne, is going with me and we'll both visit our fams & go to APSU's homecoming & reunion, and maybe a bluegrass place or 2! My college beau, Randy & his 2 brothers all QB'd at APSU in the 70s and now the oldest, Rick, is the coach and everyone is all a-buzz. At 0 and 3, I'm not sure how long the buzz will last!