Aches and Praise Three Hundred & Thirty

Dear friends,   
 

Have you thought about how much time you spend waiting? As a boy, I found it hard to wait for Christmas morning to open presents (maybe that’s why people in some countries open gifts on Christmas Eve). As I got older, I found it hard to wait to find out how I did on final exams at university. I rode the bus and subway for nearly an hour in order to check a list of grades posted in the Norris building of Concordia. Now, students can quickly find out their marks online. 

While technology has helped reduce waiting times in some areas, there are still some occasions where we need to be patient. This week I decided to do something unusual while on hold on the telephone. I took a shower and shaved before returning to my desk at home and waiting for a customer service representative to take my call. I was glad that the estimated waiting time proved to be accurate and I was very pleased that the young man on the phone was polite and cheerful. His disposition got me thinking: are Christians as positive and helpful as we should be? 

My wife and family could tell you that I am not always positive. I even bought myself a chocolate bar with “GROUCHY” on the label a couple of weeks ago! Over the holidays, I read parts of two autobiographies that helped me realize what a difference one person can make in the world. Cal Ripken Jr. shares principles that he learned while starring for the Baltimore Orioles for more than twenty years in “Get in the Game” (to see him, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nit1wQi81cc) and David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, tells how God has blessed him and his family in “Giving It All Away … and Getting It All Back Again” (to see an interview with him and his granddaughter, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBNdwfEmzG4). Have you ever said to yourself “I can’t wait to finish reading this book”? That’s how I feel about both of the books that I began reading last week. 

That eagerness to finish reading those books didn’t stop me from starting to read another book that I received last week. In “A Godward Heart,” Dr. John Piper has written fifty meditations from the Word of God that will be a blessing to anyone who desires to live for the Lord. It may also help those who have yet to repent of their sins and turn to God in faith. Here is an excerpt: “The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. ‘If you seek Him, he will be found by you’ (1 Chronicles 28:9). And when he is found, there is great reward. ‘Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). God himself is our greatest reward. And when we have him, we have everything.” 

Scripture for the weekend: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” Psalm 105:4 (ESV)   

Thought for the weekend: “Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.” – Billy Graham (quoted in “Giving It All Away … and Getting It All Back Again” by David Green with Bill High)
 
 
By His grace, 
 

Steve


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