Scripture

 If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!

~Numbers 11:15, NLT

Quote

There can be life without pain, but no pain without some kind of life.

~Augustine

Every now and then I turn to Psalm 55 and read David’s prayer…My heart is in anguish within me. Stark fear overpowers me. Trembling and horror overwhelm me. Oh, for wings like a dove, to fly away and rest!  I am sure Moses felt the same thing as he dealt with the ungrateful and pig headed Israelites. Matter of fact, we find a similar prayer in Numbers eleven. Moses overheard the Israelites whining about their condition, they had no meat. Moses got very aggravated and began to pray…LORD, Why are you treating me, Your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did You tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land You swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how You intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!

Spare me the misery, isn’t this the bottom line. We all loathe misery. We all want to avoid pain. We prefer pleasant conditions and happy surroundings. The last place we want to spend a day off is in a nursing home, hospital, rescue mission, or drug rehab facility. I have known family members that refused to visit a sick and dying relatives because they did not want to see the unpleasantness of cancer or some other debilitating disease. I have heard them say, “I don’t want to see them like this, I want to remember them as they were.” Ok, let me ask you one question, what if everyone was this selfish? The results would be that people would die alone because we did not have the stomach to see them suffer. As I was thinking about this during my prayer time yesterday, I thought of Mother Teressa who ran a mission in Calcutta, India for 45 years. She ministered to the hurting and dying day in and day out. I’ve never been to India but our DOM has and some years back DBC sent two young men to do short term work in India. Every form of misery you can imagine is found in Calcutta and Mother Teresa labored under these horrible conditions for four and a half decades. She never complained and to my knowledge, never asks for another more pleasant assignment. What does this say for preachers who are looking for a bigger, better church?

What brought on this train of thought? Me, longing for peace and pleasant surroundings. I was doing the same thing Moses did, I was feeling sorry for myself. Sure, we are tempted to avoid the unpleasant, the difficult, the heartbreaking but this is where our ministry lies, we are here to help the hurting. The well folks don’t need our help, and don’t won’t it. We must be willing to leave our comfort zone and share the burden of suffering.

Extra

For those who know Charles Sanford of West Hartselle and long time trustee to MBA. Charles was 84 yesterday. He and Delois now live at Riverside in Decatur. It is an old facility but I like it. I have told my kids that it is where I want to go if they put me in a home. Mrs. Edith Bennich fell last Monday. She has some bruises but no broken bones. Mrs. Leona and I played games for an hour yesterday but she was not herself. She didn’t say five words. I don’t think she feels good. She is a sweet heart and everyone loves her. She usually wins at least one game while I am there but we didn’t win yesterday. She did have on her Auburn sweater. Pray for all these people. They all need and covet our prayers.

I have a ton of things that need doing; I am just waiting for a wave of energy to hit me. My get up and go has got up and went. The only problem with over seeding the yard with rye grass is that it grows an inch a day this time of year. I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.