The Water Closet Diaries

"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits."
---Satchel Paige

My periodic visits to the water closet give me an opportunity read, I have several books in each closet, or as Satchel puts it, "I sits and thinks."
As I looked out the door this morning I noticed that the squirrels are munching away on the hedge apples that I tossed along the tree line. Every year in the fall I have to pick those things up and get them out of the yard. On one occasion I noticed all the hedge apples had fallen with the exception of a few that were hanging on. As I eyeballed those remaining
apples hanging on to to the bitter end, I thought about the things we sometimes hold on to and just can't seem to let go of, those things that, "so easily beset us". I think from time to time we all struggle

with forgiveness, bad habits.....something that breaks our fellowship with Jesus and those whom we say we love. We have to remember we are in a spiritual battle. The Deceiver uses every means at his disposal, people and circumstances, to disrupt our lives in such ways  that the things we do will not bring honor to God. Picture this:
It's Sunday morning, the church is packed. The devil decides to pay a visit. The door burst open, and a rolling black cloud rolls in with the devil in its midst. People jump out of the pews and run outdoors,screaming, all except two. One was the pastor, and the other is an elderly farmer.
Satan is a bit perplexed. He points to the pastor and says, "You! I can understand why you didn't run away, you are in your Lord's house, you preach against me everyday and you aren't afraid of me. But you, pointing to the farmer, why are didn't you run out scared like everyone else?"
The farmer crosses one leg over the other and drawls, "Why, I'm surprised you don't recognize me...I've been married to your sister for 36 years!"

Wouldn't it be nice if we could start the year with a clean slate, so to speak. I don't think it can be done with resolution, aim, striving or proposal. I believe it come when we understand we can't do the difficult things in life with yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Most of the easy stuff, we seem to handle just fine:

• Loving: It's fairly easy to love those who love us. The bump in the road is loving those who don't love us.
• Anger: Calm seem to prevail when things are going well, but what happens when the coarse of events don't go as we'd like.
• Are we infinitely patient; disposed to suffer long; give without expectation; serve without recognition; forgive, bless, pray for those who give hate in return? Is it possible to rejoice in the valley of despair caused by disease, job loss, rebellious children?

It takes the love for and of God to pull this off.  With the fuel of God's love burning in our hearts, our

love is patient and kind, not ill-mannered, selfish, or irritable. With God, our love is eternal, it is filled with hope and faith. It is easy to forgive an offense because we have been greatly forgiven. We have someone residing in us that has already overcome this world and enables us to live triumphantly regardless of external circumstances

I believe that the coming year will be an extraordinary one. Beginning this year, 1.1.11, we will as a church, read the bible through in a year. Think of it. Everyone looking into the mirror of God's word and allowing His Spirit to teach us all things. I hope we will entrust this coming year to God and pray that He orders our steps, gives light to our pathways, and shields our hearts.
I pray that we will be like the tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever we attempt, may God cause it to prosper.
     
                                                    jim