What a gift!

I was talking to a really good friend from Boston last night and was reminded of the New Testament passage that talks about debt: collecting it, being fair about it and consequences when we're not fair in return. There are a few passages that come to mind actually. The one I was thinking of in particular talked about how there was a man who owed some money and went to his debtor, pleaded with him to not be thrown into jail for it and was forgiven. The worst part was that he then turned around and sought out a man who owed him a much smaller sum and demanded that he be punished for the very same thing that he had just been forgiven of.

I have been thinking about that because I have a debt that was forgiven. That very good friend I was talking to bought a laptop with printer for me almost a year ago and it has been a blessing beyond any and all explanation. It has opened up so many doors and made so many things possible that would have been difficult if possible in the first place. The two main things that having the laptop has helped with is my ministry job and my hopes to obtain my masters in counseling in the future. Anyhow, the agreement was to pay her back as I could and I have been doing so for awhile now. She told me that she would like me to stop making payments and try to put that same money that I was using for payments into a savings to help Paul and I become as debt free as possible to be freed up for ministry. I think I was in shock for a good hour. What an incredible wedding gift!!

Church Sign

I was driving past a church the other night and saw this on their sign out front:

"We can see more of God with our eyes closed than with them open."

I thought about that the WHOLE way home. I was trying to determine if I agreed with it. I think it is a very vague statement at best. I think that I know what the author was getting at, but I don't know, I think if we only look at God with our eyes closed we would miss so much. While there is a lot of pain and suffering in the world there is a lot of beauty within God's creation. There is so much that can be learned in every way every day. Some might see death as a loss and while it is, for the Christian it is a beautiful thing or for the person who has had many trials, much pain and suffering it is relief. Some might look at what is missing but I think its better to look at what one had.

I have found that I have learned as much from the 'don't ' pictures in my life as I have the 'do' pictures. I realize that I have deviated from the original intent of this statement but my point is simply this....to close your eyes to see God in one sense can help us to focus more on Him but it is also possible to close them to those He has put in our path to help along our way and to teach us what He wills.