Ray's and my dinner last night would have been fully paid...
We ate out because I was too exhausted to prepare anything and takeout would have incurred some sort of clean up, the only option was to allow someone else to do all of it.
It was (and still is) a good tired. Let me add that I was not the only one worn out. A few very dear people were just as busy as I was. All are in agreement that it was very well worthwhile.
Twenty-one of my friends from the rehab wore twenty-one smiles from start to finish.
A day off.
A break from the rules and responsibilities of their present residence.
An opportunity to experience some good, clean, sober fun...
Horseshoes
Frisbee
Cards
Water balloons (A really BIG hit-in more ways than one!)
Ball games of sorts
An opportunity to enjoy picking and choosing from the banquet before them...
A variety of meat
Side dishes in abundance (Thanks to the ladies of my church)
Brownies and ice cream (Contributed by more kindhearted friends)
Many other goodies
and
Clothing for all!
An opportunity to hear from Papa though His messengers...
Tony, the young man who should have lost his life in the car accident eight years ago
and
Dennis, a down-to-earth man, whose message was heaven sent.
Time to...
Enjoy live music with a message of hope and music that was just plain fun
Laugh
Lie in the sun
Run
Jump
Interact with some good men that came solely to hang out with them
and
Be reminded that they are of immeasurable worth!
Yes, it was a very satisfying day.
Why was it so satisfying?
Was it a sense of satisfaction because a plan came together?
In a way.
What truly was satisfying to me was that His plan came together. It was satisfying to see His fingerprints all over the day and to know that He was at work in lives and hearts.
You know, anyone could have put the day together successfully. It might have taken a little more effort to bring all the details together. In this case, every time I would start to chew my lower lip over a detail, Papa would remind me with the words, "I've got this. This is my idea and I am bringing it together."
And He did.
Every day people do amazing things, pulling together events much more complicated than my little barbecue. Whether they make an eternal difference depends upon who's in charge.
I jotted something down the other day and do not know if it was a thought that came to me or something I read. I learn towards a thought, as I usually note the author, but I am not positive.
This is what it says,
"A person who is moral apart from faith in God is simply reflecting what his Creator placed within him."So when we do good things, it is because we were designed to do so. Of course, we need to choose whether we follow the inclination or not. However, when we do the good or right thing what matters is the motive behind it. Apart from God I doubt that much is done solely from a pure motive.
Even with God I know much of what I do has mixed motives. It is hard not to think about what others are thinking, how we appear to them.
I am learning though.
My last posting spoke of being like minded with God. That comes from learning to trust Him. Then though we may not understand what He is up to or how something will work out or....
Whatever (fill in the blank)...
We can rest in Who He is..
Faithful
Kind
Wise
Good
Powerful
The list is endless...
David Jeremiah reflected on wisdom in one of my daily readings today. As I meditated on what I read I thought to myself...
Wisdom is knowing you know very little, that God knows everything and then following His leading.
As we grow in wisdom we not only realize how true the words of Jesus are:
"Apart from Me, you can do nothing."...we also accept them.
No more striving, no more fussing, no more seeking to be validated.
We desire significance that can only be found in Jesus.
That is what I hope my friends caught a glimpse of yesterday.
I know that Papa was among us speaking His love to each heart.
I will continue to confidently trust Him to continue to call them to His side.
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