In Such Times as These

We are planning to try a teen camp. Actually, it will be for the Junior High age, mostly. Someone once said that junior high camping trips are a present form of purgatory. Well, I don't rely on works righteousness, but if I did, junior high camping trips would probably earn 20,000 years off a stay in purgatory.

Anyway, we have learned that we need the day before the trip to organize and pack the truck, otherwise we will forget something important. So, yesterday, we started to pull out all the items for the trip and organized them on the porch. We only got started when the phone rang. The distraught voice on the other end said, "Dad isn't doing well, can you come?!" So, all our best efforts to be ready and relaxed for the camping trip was now changed.

Do you ever like to have a little control over your life? I am not asking for or expecting a lot of control. I would like just a little control, but even that is stripped away. To be truthful, I wasn't a happy camper.

I prayed a lot on the way to the grieving family. I was praying that my attitude would come in line with a servants heart, and be available to the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to those in need.
Of course, God answers prayer, and by the time we arrived, in the three minute trip, I was in a better frame of mind. I was still wondering how this would affect the camping trip.

The aged gentleman was laying on his bed, being attended most tenderly by his daughters and grand children. He was very weak and looked as though he would depart this world at any moment. We sang some songs and prayed with the family, and waited. After a few hours, he actually looked better than when we first arrived. Six hours later, and he was still going.

We excused ourselves and returned home to resume the work for the camping trip. I needed more spear shafts for the craft time since more guys were planing to come than I had expected. I selected three shafts from my stock of raw shafting, and went to work carefully reducing the diameter to that of a finger the whole six foot length. Then I went to stream them straight. One snapped like a pencil from dry rot. I left another on the stove to steam a few minutes, and then got distracted with some other important task at the truck. By the time I returned, that shaft was on fire. So, I worked three shafts, and lost two. Grrrrrr............

It is now 8:30 am, and it is the day of the camping trip. What will happen today? Will the old fellow pass on to his Maker? Will I need to spend time with the family? Will we get away on time with the kids? How many kids will actually come? Will I have enough shafts after all?

I don't know...but the day is engaged, and prayer is still an option.

PS~ minutes after posting the blog, "the egg hit the fan". People were knocking at the door, one was crying. I hadn't even had a chance to visit the "rest room" and needy people were in my life. My heart was at peace, though. I guess since i started the day without any expectation of control, I wasn't stressed out when that was experienced. Ha ha.... the phone is ringing, I wonder what is coming next...?