Sunday morning and it is quiet outside. The dew is heavy and there is a little fog still in the air. Hunting season starts tomorrow morning and I find myself not totally ready. I will be out there but the boat is not completely painted. My coffee this morning is helping me to get going. I am extremely tired as I battle with some allergy issues. The coffee pot brewed some Door County Apple Cobbler java this morning.
Philippians 1:21New King James Version (NKJV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Yesterday morning a small group from our church went out to a bike and hiking trail that is just East of our church. The trail runs North and South and goes for many miles. A lot of people use the trail for exercise. They either are biking, running, hiking or walking their dogs along the trail. This group set up at one of the intersections that crosses a main road. They sat in chairs and as the trail users passed by they would offer each of them an ice cold bottle of water as an act of kindness. I am not much good at things like this but tagged along and brought a couple cases of water. I like being outdoors and don't mind a nice chair on a scenic trail. Many of the trail users could not believe that the group was handing out bottled water for free. They wondered what the catch was? The group explained that they were just showing kindness and the love of Jesus. When asked where they came from the group directed the trail users to our church.
The trail users had no idea how much love was being shown yesterday. One of the men from the church group is a grandfather named Paul. Paul and his wife Tillie are a lovely couple who always are serving the Lord and others. I witness it week after week as they love on people and sing in the choir.
Paul showed up to hand out water in love and kindness yesterday. When I saw him arrive I was surprised to see him and yet I wasn't. Paul had committed to be there and there he was. What the trail users did not know is that Paul and Tillie had just lost a grand daughter to a beach accident the evening before. They lost a little nine year old who God called home. Of course we prayed with Paul and offered comfort. There isn't much one can say during times like this that even makes sense.
Paul went right to handing out water, serving our Lord despite his heartache. Paul loves our Lord and it is evident by his and Tillie's life. Other people would have stayed home and grieved and none of us would have thought anything of it. But Paul showed who his family serves during good times and bad. I believe it is this type of love and faith that will carry Paul and Tillie through this time of sorrow. Paul lives for the Lord and died to self sometime in his life. I am not writing this to build up Paul and Tillie but to show how much God loves us all and that our love and faithfulness in return gives us strength through the Holy Spirit to do the impossible with peace that surpasses all understanding. I saw the Holy Spirit at work through Paul yesterday. God had Paul right in the palm of His hand. No, Paul and Tillie are not made of stone and have no emotions. They are experiencing a time of sorrow and there are tears. They know where this little one is now with Jesus and they will see her again. But through the Holy Spirit they will make it through this storm. And they will comfort others during the next months. I will bet on that.
We will or have all faced trials and losses in this life. Can you say that you would be on the trail handing out water with the peace supplied by the Holy Spirit or lost in a world of grief? Would you have been on the trail at all even without experiencing a loss?
Something to ponder. God bless.
Marty
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