February 19th 2016
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
– Romans 12:1But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
– Galatians 5:22-23
My Day, My Way?
My day was planned. I had allowed devotional time before I was scheduled to leave the house. In that time I had re-upped for doing God’s work.
My plan: Attend a morning church committee meeting at the home of one of the members, return a small Christmas tree to another church member who lived nearby and go to town to the “bigger” grocery store to restock the larder after the holidays.
A result of the meeting meant using the church photocopier and buying stamps in Millville to get reminder letters in tomorrow’s mail. I would do that after returning the tree and getting groceries. As I reached the main road the “need fuel” icon flashed on the dash. Okay, get groceries first, accumulate points to reduce the gas price per gallon.
At the checkout aisle, a paper bag ripped and scattered several items on the floor. The bagger needed some instruction regarding how heavy each bag should be.
Got gas at a big discount because of coupons. Headed back to return the Christmas tree. Visited for a while. The phone rang, my friend was to drive a non-driving church member on an errand. She asked if I could fill in because she needed the time to prep for her weekly Bible study. Quick thinking told me that I could rearrange my plans if the errand didn’t take too long. I pick up my charge and head to the dollar store. Drop him off. Head back to the church to photocopy. The copier says “paper jam”. In desperation, I open and close everything I can. The copier gives me the green light.
By now I’m starving. Walking to the post office, I pass the convenience store and buy a bag of nuts. At the Post Office the door is locked—“Out to lunch;”10 minutes to go. Back to the church. Eat my snack and use the bathroom. Get stamps. Back to the dollar store, deliver my charge and head home to unpack groceries (hope the produce didn’t freeze in the 20-degree weather.) and get letters addressed. While unbagging, it appeared some groceries were missing. Darn. I called the store to speak with the manager, thinking that some of the groceries were still on the floor where the paper bag had ripped. Just at that moment, Dan came in with a bag I had overlooked. No groceries missing.
I still had time to get the letters addressed before making supper and getting ready for an evening meeting.
God’s plan: Totally different form mine. (It appears the devil was at work as well.) I felt like a “living sacrifice” as Paul says in Romans. I was just praying the fruit of my spirit hadn’t spoiled.
– Janet Grecsek
