I am holding her tightly now. Her terrified eyes look at me, then the ceiling, then back at me. Her breathing is coming in short and irregular. I try to hold her here, but she is leaving. Her body is jerking, trying to break free. I want to talk to her. I want to tell her to stay. I want her to breathe. Every part of my being is willing her to live. Tears stream down my face as her breathing becomes even more irregular. Her muscles tighten. She arches her back, her eyes growing wider. I hold even tighter. This is the end. I pull her head towards mine and put my mouth to her ear. "Oh baby...I love you!" One last spasm. Her eyes are vacant. The breath squeezes from her body. She is gone. I wake up.Fortunately this was only a dream. Jenn is still alive and our lives are continuing "normally". The dream reminded me how much our society takes death for granted. We often think about tomorrow, next year, even ten years from now, but we fail to realize that all our planning ends the same. We all end up dead.
And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick-no food, no traveler's bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. (emphasis added by me) So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people.Upon reading this passage I noticed that Jesus sent them out without anything but the clothes on their backs, a pair of sandals and a walking stick. They couldn't carry money, extra clothes or food. They were literally leaving unprepared by the worlds standards. My initial thought when reading this passage was, "Yeah right! I would take all of that and more." Then it hit me. God wasn't telling his disciples to travel unprepared. He was telling them that he would prepare the way for them. He wanted them to put their faith in God, not in themselves. On this point God and I don't see eye to eye, and I will have to alter my ways. You see, I like being a self sufficient person. I don't like to ask of others, and feel out of place when generosity is being bestowed upon me. For a long time I thought that is how I was wired and God would understand my ways. The reality is God calls each of us to find sufficiency in him, not ourselves. Self sufficiency, if taken to an extreme, is actually a sin! Let me explain what I mean when I say, "taken to an extreme". I don't advocate welfare policies. We should pull our own weight with regard to getting a job and paying our own way when possible. As this is not always possible God makes provision in his word for the Church to minister to the needs of the congregation and the community. What I am talking about here is when you plan for all contingencies without regard to God's plan. Without regard to putting faith in God's love for his children. When I say, "taken to an extreme" I am talking about making decisions without God's guidance, and more importantly, following your own heart instead of God's direction. Powerful stuff... - Sean
"Shortly after that, the album track 'Her Morning Elegance' was chosen to feature on a US Chevrolet TV commercial. The aforementioned author, who has never owned a car in his life, and who has diligently ignored the invention of Television, could not stop giggling for days. With a song in his heart he continues to take the bus."What do you think of the 'Her Morning Elegance' video? Leave your answer in the comments. - Sean
