| It is so much fun living in a metropolitan area. The other morning I made stops/appointments at a Lutheran Church, a center for international Christian ministry to the Arabic community, a physical rehab center, an assisted living facility, and a hospital. Each of the five stops was in a different city, yet I was still home in time to eat lunch at 12:30. Somedays I really get around! The previous day I was able to book four of my six daytime appointments in the same city. And, as I look back one more day, I see that Monday again had me in five different zip codes. My goal has been that I get around to all my regular visits that got pushed back by our trip. And I think, with the two booked for later today, my goal will be reached. We start the weekend off with Thursday’s Family Time, followed by a quick trip to rake leaves at the cottage before returning home for Halloween. And then end it up falling backwards into Bethlehem and Brooklyn. However, you likely need to be an insider to know what I am getting around to there. Matthew, in reporting how Jesus got around, packed a lot into the final verses of chapter nine. “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”(Matthew 9.35-38) Three little things I would like you to consider as you get around this weekend. One, how many people you encounter these days who are “harassed and helpless”. Two, how much healing you can offer as look upon them with “compassion” and share with them “the good news of the kingdom”. And three, as you pray “to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” conclude with the words “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6.8) And if by chance you find that your getting-around has you feeling “harassed and helpless, like a sheep without a shepherd” (because we all are likely to get around there every once in a while), open your Bible App to Psalm 23 and listen to what your Good Shepherd has to say to you … In fact, you might want to listen to him even on days when you do not get around there. After all, it is his goal to be around you all the time (which, by the way, he is, even when we cannot see that he is around). As a closing, I just got around to looking at the chorus recorded by the Beach Boys way back tin 1964: “Round, round get around I get around, yeah (Get around round round I get around, ooh-ooh). I get around from town to town (get around round round I get around). I’m a real cool head (get around round round I get around). I’m making real good bread (get around round round I get around).” Now, I wonder if you will be able to get around to getting this melody out of your head! |
