Thursday, April 5, 2012

This would solve so many problems...

In the spirit of full disclosure I must admit that when an estimated lottery jackpot goes over $300million I am tempted to play. Are you? I spent some time Friday (that was the day of the estimated jackpot of $640 Million) as I was waiting for Barbara to have some tests, reading through the Wi-Fi at St. Joe’s Hospital about what to do if you are the winner. The first was tell no one. That is counter intuitive. Jesus healed many people and told them to tell no one. They didn’t do it so how is a lottery winner going to keep their mouth shut? I mean really? The second was go slow, assemble your team of accountants, lawyers and get experts who have handled those amounts of resources before. The same articles were full of ominous facts. The first being 9 or 10 lottery winners go through their money in less than 5 years and you never knew how many “friends” and “relatives” you had with their hands out. That’s not good. So, I was ready.

I had my facts and the thoughts ran wide how I would be ready and how I might use the money etc. You know how crazy thoughts can be. But the day went on with errands and tasks. Those errands continued into the early evening with a run to Guyton for gas (I needed the lottery win to fill my tank) for both the truck and lawn equipment. As I was putting the tank back into the bed of the truck gas spilled from the vent cap on my hands. FYI the hand sanitizer at the pump does not get the gas off. I was left with a sanitized hand that smelled of gasoline. I needed soap and water. I had to go in and wash my hands.

Going in, now that was a problem. They sell those lottery tickets in there and for once I had $10 not earmarked for anything else and if I won I could do so many good things with that money. I had the rationalization thing going in my head. I am free to do all things; this money is blow money anyway. On and on my mind went while walking to the front door. With gasoline smelling one hand and $10 bill in the other hand I went in straight to the bathroom. I got the smell off finally with real soap and water (the BEST sanitizer). I don’t know exactly when in this process, that on the outside looked like nothing at all but on the inside oh my, the Spirit spoke and said to the effect “when has God provided like this before?” My answer, “never.” “Has he provided every time?” My answer, “always.” So I walked back out to the truck with wet (no towels) and clean smelling hands with my $10 bucks. I still have that today. I am glad Easter has followed that.

As much as we tell ourselves “this would solve all of my problems.” Money will never solve problems in fact several of those articles said this would create a whole new set of problems trying to manage the money, keeping what you’ve got. The winners could quit their existing job because managing their money is a full-time job. That is why I am glad Easter is following that experience. Only the perfect sacrifice by the spotless Lamb of God can solve all our problems. Only Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection can fix our nature of sin. This Easter I ask, "What can you do or say in response to Jesus of Easter?"

Our worship band practiced Sunday’s music and the last song had a hiccup between musical sections. We tried several times and could not make it fit rhythm, mood and text. We finally got something to kind of work but not “fit.” As I was driving home I thought about the “problem” and did so by reciting the text (the two sections have different thoughts)

So what can I say And what can I do, But offer this heart O God completely to you.

I thought about this collection of words merely from a mechanical, how-do-I-connect-these-sections-together kind of way until it hit me. That is a question and following a question we need a pause until the answer comes. The answer for all of the problems in your life is Jesus because of Easter. So what can you say and what can you do? Here it is in the next section:

So I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, In awe of the ONE who gave it all. I’ll stand my soul LORD to you surrendered All I am is Yours!                        

He is Risen….He is Risen Indeed!

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev
P.S. Rock Chalk Jayhawk Thanks for the amazing season!

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