Did I Mention Vacation?
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The sun is shining and it is in the 80s. What a beautiful day with the wind blowing the curtains around in my office. Praise the Lord. Vacation is just around the corner. Canadohta Lake is about 30 minutes from Conneaut Lake in northwestern PA. It is a quaint location with a small lake full of fish surrounded by quaint cottages that have wooden screen doors with springs that squeak when you open them and as the doors slam shut. I love that sound. Feeding the ducks, fishing, swimmiing, minnie golf, eating, and a little bit of shopping at flea markets is what I look forward to. Of course what really recharges my batteries is not what there is to do at the lake as much as it is what is not at the lake. There is no 'drama' in the quiet, laidback, rustic countryside surrounding the lake. Ahhhh. Peaceful. Drama can really be stressful and drain our batteries spiritually and emotionally. And we are surrounded by drama aren't we? It is all through the news in the form of politics, war, violence, disease, tragedies, and more. It is the basis for much of our entertainment in our music and movies. Boy, can we talk about the drama queens that are in our lives? There are people who get upset about the color of the carpet, the way we drive, what people wear and say, whether or not you cut the grass on time, sitting in their seat, and people who get upset because it is Monday, you get my drift, right? Lots of drama is all around us and can affect how we treat others or even how we view the world. Sooo, vacation is coming and the drama is going away for a little bit.....well, of course there will be who is cooking, driving, cleaning, choosing where to eat or go shopping, taking care of the grandkids, etc, etc. Somehow I don't see those things as a problem because they are labors of love to me. I love my family and am patient with them and I want them to be happy. It is always a good time when our families get together because we all want to make sacrifices for each other and be the servant. Loving each other brings joy into our lives and is refreshing.
That is why I have never met a stranger even when I am not on vacation. I love everyone just as Jesus loved me. As far as I am concerned we are all family and we want to make each other happy so we are servants to each other. Oh, I know, the drama queens and kings can make this very difficult at times but hang in there and keep loving them because God's love will get through to them. Always remember that one day you will be going on vacation to a place where there is no more drama and everything is peaceful. You will be able to hear the screen doors squeaking and slamming shut, feed the ducks, relax, and have fun and fellowship without ever having to worry about going back to work. Just ask Jesus into your heart in this life so that in the life to come you can go to live with Him (ok, it is not Canadohta Lake but Heaven is so much better I am sure}. One of my favorite phrases is "we are not human beings having a temporary spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a temporary human experience". Kinda puts things into perspective for me. I use that saying often. You know that God loves you, right? Give God all of your drama and the drama of others and rest in His arms. 1 Peter 5:7.
God loves you and so do I,
Pastor Bruce
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