Lessons From The Mailbox 11/10/2017

Good Morning,

Thank you Lord it's Friday again. I awoke to a heavy frost this morning and it is most welcome. My cup of Door County Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend Coffee it a perfect match for the cold morning air.

I want to use a mailbox analogy to make a point this morning. This mailbox blog has been on my mind all week. This is our mailbox. I took the photo last night. I can still remember digging the hole and mixing the concrete in 1994 to install the timbers that support the box.

Proverbs 22:2New International Version (NIV)

² Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.

But what can we learn from a mailbox? The mailbox is on duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It has always done it's job without complaining about the weather. It never gets a day off. It stays right there and waits for mail. Now the mail it accepts varies in content. On some days Mr. Mailbox accepts some birthday cards or Christmas greetings. Every now and then it receives letters from loved ones. It has to put up with advertisements that go right to the trash without anyone reading them. Then the guy has to accept bills which no one likes or notices for jury duty. Now and then it receives sad papers like death certificates or bank statements showing major losses. Now and then he gets to receive small gifts or catalogue orders which are happy days. The newspaper holder hangs with  the mailbox ,sponging off of the pole that was dedicated to him. He has to share with a freeloader.

But here's the lesson. Good news or bad news, riches or losses, happy letters or sad letters, the mailbox takes them all in and treats them all the same. He keeps them dry and protected from severe weather. He holds them together sometimes for an extra day or two. He doesn't reject the sad or bad. To him they are all important and they are treated with care and dignity. He doesn't see anything more special about one letter over another letter. He doesn't discriminate and treats each item that he touches the same. He doesn't hold a grudge against bills. He takes them all in despite the pain they bring.

James 2:2-4English Standard Version (ESV)

² For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, ³ and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” ⁴ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Do we show favoritism? Do we discriminate and walk away from those who need shelter, but just aren't our cup of tea? What kind of mailbox are you?

Food for thought on this fine Friday.

Marty