| It was a rough weekend for my right shoulder … even though – or because – we were at the cottage for the entire time. First off, we forgot to pack the chairs we use to sit on the dock. So, instead of sitting on the dock facing northwest some of the time, I stood in the water leaning on the dock with my right shoulder facing the southwest the entire weekend. Net result: a sunburned right shoulder. Added to this was the fact that I had a “weekend project” up at the cottage – painting the inside of a new little pantry cut into a corner wall. The space was cramped … the angles awkward … and the project required three coats of paint. As right-handed as I am, my right shoulder took the bulk of the abuse. And oh, there is one more little part of the story. I mentioned that we forgot to bring along the deck chairs we use to sit on the dock. What I failed to tell you (or am reluctant to) is that we had two old ones in the shed, kept as backups (this is not the first time we have forgotten the chairs!). The problem is, one of them is “slightly” broken. Monica used the good one all weekend with no problem. At some point I decided to use the “slightly” broken one. All was well until it was time to return to the cottage. I put on my shoes and shirt, had my Tilley hat on top of my head, and proceeded to do a back-flip off the dock into the lake as the chair suddenly collapsed! I literally fell head over heels … no, heels over head … into 2-3 feet of water. This past Monday I shared a memory of a time about a dozen years ago when angels intervened on my behalf on Eight Mile road. In that story I twice was sliding sideways in my Chevy Aveo toward oncoming traffic in the pouring rain. Miraculously, both times I avoided the oncoming traffic and eventually reached my destination untouched. This time it must have been that same unseen angel who caught me as I hit the water and then the bottom of the lake. However, I surfaced unscathed – with my glasses and hat still in place. As I stood in the lake, drenched from head to toe, and assured Monica that I was fine, she began to laugh (and kept laughing the rest of the weekend) at how “athletic” I looked going head over heels … no, heels over head … into the lake The soreness I still have functions as a great reminder of how blessed I am … in spite of myself. We had wonderful weather all weekend, spending at least 5 hours on the lake each day. The new pantry is now all set to be filled upon our return. And I was – once again – mercifully protected by our gracious God. Yet, this thinking can be misleading. In the midst of this I have ministered to someone in hospice (the sister of a friend) the day before she was called home and am now helping another friend plan for his wife’s funeral. This just a week or so after our 49-year-old niece lost her 10-day battle with ovarian cancer. It misses the point because it gets dangerously close to saying that I am only blessed when things go the way I want them to go … which is not true whatsoever. In fact, this kind of thinking is dangerously close to idolatry! God is good – ALL THE TIME! His blessings NEVER END. The promise is clear: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ALL the days of my life … AND I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”(Psalm 23.6) This promise would have remained true even if I had broken my neck as I fell head over heels … no, heels over head … into the lake. While you and I are on this earth, God in Christ Jesus is good to us every single day … even in the midst of our suffering and pain. And don’t think for a moment that he is ever punishing you for your transgressions or lack of faith. The punishment for ALL sin was absorbed by Jesus on the cross. . Instead, I would suggest that every time you have an experiences like mine this past weekend, that you might be all the more reminded that you are blessed TO BE A BLESSING to others … and start wondering about the “who’s” and “what’s” that he had planned around the next corner. Guardian angels and protection … grief and pain … and new opportunities to serve our Lord and love our neighbors … whether we are talking about my life or yours … all illustrations of how blessed we are … and how Jesus is hells over head … no, head over heels … in love with you. |
Head over Heels
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