After being out of town at conferences Tuesday through Thursday I just had Friday to prepare for a very busy weekend. However, Friday also included meeting with a family and a Mel Ott ballgame. Saturday morning I led a three-hour workshop and then joined a funeral already in progress as a person in the nave. Sunday morning I preached, made a funeral home visit and ended the day with a social engagement. Monday was a funeral for which I could not be late. Monday night I slept well.
And then Tuesday I found myself “breathing easy”. I Made eight stops during the course of the day, but each one was a delight. I brought the sacrament, along with the Good News of the resurrection, to six individuals. Three places were simple words of encouragement and support – one of them focused upon celebrating a 99th birthday! One could truly sense that my presence was appreciated at each stop. Yes, by the end of this day I was tired again, but there was not a single time during the day where I felt pressure or rushed (as I had numerous times over the weekend).
Wednesday morning I was back on the road again – Men’s Bible group, dry cleaners, and mentoring session. Then a quick stop at home and three more visits where I felt even more appreciated than the day before. I believe I even saw tears of appreciation (more for the Gospel than for the messenger) on two occasions. Talk about “breathing easy”!
This all brought to mind some words “of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” that I read on Monday afternoon. The words come from the same chapter in which we are told “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3.1) I am thinking that perhaps the message is that our God desires that we would be “breathing easy” all the time!
Here are the words that rang in my noggin: “I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God had done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.” (Ecclesiastes 3.10-13)
Of course, in the different seasons of our lives our “toil” changes, we are all blessed with the ability and opportunity “to do good as long as we live.” I, for one, am extremely thankful for all the opportunities God is placing in front of me in these early years of retirement … family, friends, neighbors, church … And I continue to pray that this is the beginning of a long run. While we never know, I anticipate there is yet another season to follow this one – one with the possibility of a slower pace and a great deal of time to focus upon prayer.
“Breathing easy” all the way, simply because, by God’s grace and mercy, “there is nothing better than to be joyful and to do good as long as we live.” Have a great day, my friends.
And, by the way and just in case you are curious, here is the word of encouragement I have been sharing: “The Lord himself with descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will be raised. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words,” (1 Thessalonians 4.16-18)
