Thursday, September 2, 2021                       (today’s lectionary)
Boxfuls of Jasper and rainbow cheesecake too
From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Jasper spent the day with us. With Margaret in the kitchen he stirred the batter, licked the beater blades and maneuvered his favorite set of tongs back and forth, back and forth. He made me a lunch plate full of delicacies like buttered asparagus, roasted chicken and fried polenta, although he didn’t eat much himself until we pulled out the blueberries. But he really enjoyed serving us.
Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing and in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of the Lord.
After his nap Jasper drank apple juice, and we poured more apple juice into popsicle molds that Margaret brought out of our walk-in closet. A few days ago we rescued a Zinus mattress box from outside our recycling dumpster, and we fixed it up today. I wondered if he would take some snack food into his new box home, with its two peepholes and walls that a wolf could blow down, but that are otherwise pretty solid. But he didn’t.
The Father strengthens us for all endurance and patience, in accord with his glorious might, and we give up joyful thanks to him, who has made us fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones.
Now in our Austin apartment we have two places to sleep if you’re smaller than me: the one we made months ago from a freezer box that we call The Castle, and this newer, smaller one that we might call The Cottage. I don’t suppose the apartment manager would charge us more rent for these two new bedrooms. And anyway, Miles and Jasper haven’t spent the night with us yet.
Lord, you deliver us from the power of darkness and move us into the Kingdom of your beloved Son, who has brought us forgiveness of all our sins. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
This is a joy for me, to weave stories of our grandkids into the waterfalls of worship penned by Paul. And I know I’m not alone. In the 131 (or so) generations since Paul wrote his words, grandchildren have charmed their parents’ parents day after day, month after month, year after year. And then they grew up to be moms and dads and at last, for many of them, their time came to be grandparents themselves.
Jesus borrowed Simon’s boat to speak to the crowd, and then said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” But all night they had caught nothing.
Simon, however, was a respecter of persons.
“At your command I will lower the nets,” he said … and they caught so many fish their nets were tearing. They and their friends filled both boats so the boats were in danger of sinking.
What would Simon do now? Perhaps Jesus knew, perhaps he didn’t. But Simon, who had grandparents of his own and had played at their feet, who probably built houses to hide in along with his brother and giggled and stuck out his fingers, “Peek-a-boo! I see you!” … Simon fell at Jesus feet.
Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!
Of course Jesus, just like grandparents, would do nothing of the sort. We get irritated by Miles and Jasper, especially when they don’t clean up the multitudes of mess they make. The irritation fades quickly. It was the same with Jack and Aly when we spent days and nights with them as they were growing up. How can we not quickly forgive, when they are even quicker to forget? To be loved by our four grandkids, in all their sometimes careless but always sincere ways, is a big part of what we live for.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
Memories mark the baptismal anniversaries of Chris, Marc and Andi, our three kids. And those memories continue into the lives of Jack, Aly, Miles and Jasper.
One day at a time, as we enter the Kingdom of heaven.
(Colossians 1, Psalm 98, Matthew 4, Luke 5)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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