psalm 30

Argos the yellow lab has cataracts. He never did like precipitation of any sort. Even though he is a Lab, he was born in Arizona and didn't experience water except in his dish until we got him at age <2 .="." a="a" and="and" at="at" back="back" be="be" been="been" behind="behind" but="but" called="called" cold="cold" comes="comes" could="could" covered="covered" darkness="darkness" dog.="dog." door="door" drifts="drifts" excavating.="excavating." feels="feels" fills="fills" finally="finally" garden="garden" gave="gave" get="get" got="got" gotten="gotten" guy="guy" had="had" happy="happy" has="has" he="he" heaved="heaved" hid="hid" himself="himself" his="his" house="house" i="i" in="in" into="into" joy="joy" like="like" lost="lost" morning="morning" my="my" nandi="nandi" night="night" no="no" nose="nose" now="now" on="on" out.="out." p="p" panicked="panicked" pee="pee" ran="ran" rock="rock" sadness="sadness" saw="saw" smelled="smelled" snow="snow" so="so" soil="soil" stayed="stayed" t="t" the="the" then="then" there.="there." things.="things." think="think" thinking="thinking" this="this" to="to" toward="toward" up="up" us="us" voice.="voice." walks="walks" wandered="wandered" wants="wants" was="was" wasn="wasn" went="went" wet.="wet." wet="wet" when="when" where="where" wish="wish">

IS Jesus your personal savior?

Will Christ save us, or will he be the entrance to our salvation?

Today I heard someone say, “Get ready to be saved. Christ our savior will save us from our sins!” But Jesus said “I am the Way.” And he said “Unless you follow me, you cannot enter the Kingdom.” When asked if he was King by a soldier/governor, Jesus responded, “YOU said it.” And “My kingdom is not of this world.”

 

I believe that Jesus came to be flesh not to rescue me as a maiden is rescued from the ogre’s tower, but as a teacher and leader to point the way to salvation that God provides. Using images, I believe Jesus does not scoop the drowning man out of the water, but instead throws a lifeline. The drowning man still has to pull himself up.  Is Jesus my personal savior? Will he rescue me? To the drowning man, the one who throws the rope is his savior.

 

Yet another image arises:  Jesus is the gate. He will not carry me into the sheepfold; I must go in on my own feet.  What does that mean? Knowing that my salvation is assured; knowing that I am forgiven, I must act as one who is saved. Not “fake it ‘til you make it;” not “earning one’s salvation.”  I must take on the mindset of a saved person. I must act as a member of Christ’s body. I do not ask ‘what would Jesus do?” I ask what a saved person would do.

 

I do not have to do anything to be saved or to be a member of the Church Universal. It is there like a ripe fruit on a tree, waiting to be picked and eaten and be nutritious. It is up to me to make the decision, to pick it, to eat it. But, having eaten it, it becomes a part of me. By nourishing me, it has become me. I am changed into “that person who ate that fruit.”  Most importantly, I cannot, nor can anyone, divide what was once apart and is now together. If I sin, if I give up, if I fail, that fruit is with me in that failure. If I grow, if I love, if I shine, that fruit is with me in my joy.

 

Those who do not eat, those who refuse to grasp the rope; they will continue to be offered the rope, offered more fruit. God continues to wait for us to accept His salvation. Jesus continues to hold open the gate.

We just finished the Star Bake Sale. Sadly it was a poor turnout. But it was fun meeting our long-term customers, and we gave some food to our shut-in, "L". The security guard got a banana bread, as well. Lots of love and nutrition too.

My Chapter of Order of Eastern Star, Corinthian Fellowship #322 has a bake sale every second Saturday. I made fifteen banana breads, 16 mac and cheese, 5 baked beans, 5 scalloped potatoes and 5 herbal stuffings. This month, one of the ladies made roast chicken, stuffing and a teeny tiny packet of cranberry sauce, One lady made 12 mini meatloaves, someone made single serving chicken parm over ziti. We each try to do something different as well as the staples. Peanut butter cookies, still warm, and brownies. One lady made molasses cookies and her 36 year-old son came to visit and ate all 24. We also had brownies and some sugar cookies, some chicken rice and spirals with mini meat balls.

This is a ministry of presence and visitation. The customers get to see us, talk to a "vendor" and give us their orders for next month, we also patronize their breakfast before we "open shop" and the members of the Chapter get to contribute to the project. The customers get good home style food at a bargain rate, the Chapter gets money to help with the rent and we all have a great time.

I love the work of making the food the night before. My oven gets a workout, my mixer gets used and my home smells of banana bread for a couple of days. The dogs don't like being sequestered, but they enjoy the activity. Best of all, there is one night a month I can't collapse into my easy chair. It's good for me, body mind and soul!