Scripture
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
~James 5:16, NIV
Quote
Righteousness is on the side of the LORD our God but sin and shame belong to us.
~Baruch
They say that confession is good for the soul and that may be but confession alone does not solve the problem. I got up at 3:45 am yesterday and headed for Fort Benning. It was going to be a relaxing day on the road. I intended to listen to a lot of sermons and some good edifying music. Well, I should have left at least 30 minutes earlier because I barely made it to Jake’s graduation [which I thoroughly enjoyed] but toward the end, I was pushing it and the traffic was not light. Phenix City and Columbus are a lot like Hartselle, only more red lights, hundreds more and none of them in sinc. By the time I left [9:30 their time], traffic was as thick as flies on a bulls butt or rear end if you prefer. I said to myself, “You are not going to go back 280 through B’town,” and so I came up 231 which would have been fine had everyone gotten off the road. I had already psyched myself up, “No matter what Jack, you are not in a hurry so be patient with people.” I ran out of patience before I got to Pell City.
Before I finish my confession let me bear witness to the truth: only a moron comes to a dead stop on a highway before turning. I can do a 180* doing 20 MPH. People who poke and drive slow on busy highways need to stay at home until Sunday morning during church time because that’s the only time there is no traffic. The top three causes of automobile wrecks are drunks, folks on cell phones, and slow pokes. To make bad matter worse: I got really tired about half way home and this side of Blountsville, I passed a man having car trouble and I did not check up. I’m sorry, I know all of you think I am better than this but all I could think about was getting home and getting a shower. The LORD began dealing with me and all I did was make excuses. So I am not the good Samaritan, I’m the back sliding preacher who passed the hurting man and kept right on going, to the Temple of all places. My mission yesterday was to help and to encourage and I failed miserably.
When I got home, got my shower and a couple of hours rest, I went to my building to read and prayer. We are supposed to start our prayers with the focus on the FATHER and give Him praise: I felt so much shame, I had to begin with a confession. I don’t want to get better, I want this crap [pardon my French] executed and buried–I am sick of it.
During my prayer time, I became overwhelmed with the need and even more ashamed of my selfishness. Our sympathy to Jerry Segars and his family. His brother Charles passed away from an apparent heart attack. This family has been hit with sorrow and tragedy a lot in the last few years. Thursday night I saw my good friend Derek Shelton and his family has been hit hard with the loss of his sister Allison. Then this is the week when our great niece was killed a tragic in Ardmore three years ago. In this life there is always happiness and hurt–While some are celebrating, some are grieving. I long for the day when there will be no more grief and sorrow.
Just send me a bill if you actually read the blog. I try not to do this often because you would stop reading it all together.