Father, this day did not turn out that way I anticipated but You have not let me down whatsoever. May You guide me as my fingers type in our time together. Amen.

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As I said, today had a lot of twists to it. Five minutes before starting our online worship service, I discovered something wasn’t right. The problem was big enough that there was no way to “go live”. It took us out completely!

We were able to record our service another way but by the time it all came together, and we could post online, it was after noon. We’ve been touching so many lives each week since broadcasting online. Both of my churches together run between 30 and 40 each week. Estimated attendance on our virtual services has averaged almost 70! Last week we actually recorded 86 people that stepped into “church! That is awesome! I’ve never been a “numbers” pastor, but I’ve been so excited about how many lives that God is touching through our services! …and then today’s debacle.

We got word today that one of our cousin’s daughters, who is a medic in the Army Reserves is being called into active duty at a nursing home in Pennsylvania. This particular facility is dealing with an 85% COVID-19 infection rate of staff and residents. She’ll be there for at least two weeks and then will have to quarantine herself after that for two weeks. (Pray for Kara’s protection, please!)

I don’t normally watch much TV but today I caught a couple of old episodes of Elementary. It is set in current-day New York City with characters loosely based on Sherlock Holmes. A big part of the last episode I saw had characters dealing with heroin addiction – somewhere in the middle of their addiction and some were in the middle of recovery. Just the squalor portrayed… the devastation of those dealing with it all… the pain… the death …the relapse of healing people unable to stop themselves. It was heart-wrenching…

I think we have a rogue and destructive bandit around our house. I’m almost sure that a resident raccoon has raided the suet in my bird feeders three times now – and my feeder holds two whole suet cakes! They are there the night before and totally gone the next morning!

Yesterday I put a small bungee cord around the suet cake compartment. It tried to get them out (bending the metal grid around them!) but was unsuccessful in getting much of the suet cakes at all! (I’m sure it wasn’t pleased!)

Now again, I’m not 100% positive – because I can’t see in the dark and haven’t caught our “friend” red-handed -but I think it has also been digging for grubs or worms or something in the mulch around the house. A good part of the front flower bed has had all the mulch pulled away from the foundation into the flower bed – some of the back, as well! The booger!

In life – especially our spiritual life – we must be very careful when things begin to dig away at our “foundation”. We are in the middle of an unprecedented time in history. We are confined, way more than normal, to our homes. Yesterday we got my in-laws out of their house and got some carry-out food and went to a local greenhouse (all with proper distancing and face masks, of course!) For the most part; they have been nowhere except a couple of medical-related trips for 6 weeks! We all know, at this point, that it wears on you!

Things like plans that don’t come together as we think they should, loved ones being called to honorably serve in harm’s way, seeing the “seedy” side of life vividly portrayed and realizing is not just fiction but reality! It all impacts us!

Those things, along with the “raccoons” in our lives can erode our ability to remain in an upright position! They can knock our feet out from under us! But…

We have a God who is not distant but who is there for us! If we abide in Him we can stand firm! Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) tells us,

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand your ground. And after you’ve done everything…stand!

Lord, help us to put on the full armor that we can find only in your arsenal! (Read Ephesians 6:10-18) May we stand firm in You! Amen

May 10th, 2020, Sun, 8:13 pm