I Got Lots

The name of my blog, "I Got Nothing", is not a comment on my physical possessions.  As you followers have read of late I have way too many possessions, especially for the square footage in which we have chosen to live.  The title came from, as stated before, Husband always asking things like, 'What would you like": to eat?;  to go do?;  to go see?  ad infinitum.  I never really had an answer that suited him.  Finally I started saying, "I got nothing".  I had no input, just whatever he chose was fine with me.

As I reflect on that beginning title, I know that a part of the reason I had no input was my input had been used up on other projects.  Over the last few months as we worked toward relocating from Missouri to Texas, I migrated responsibilities.  That migration was done slowly as I trained folks to do the projects I worked on at church.  I am certain the works that continue will be greater than anything I did.  The works that end will have lived their season.  That is probably the greatest lesson that a 66 year and 51 week life has taught me.  Do not yearn for a past season, live in the season spread before you.

Reading a devotional, saying a prayer for different groups of people and reading some inspirational blogs is one way I have of beginning most days.  This is all done using online access, not typical of my demographics I am told by Son.  Next I usually read my emails.  Many of the emails are from companies with offers for % off deals.   Those are usually just deleted without 'opening'.  One frequent mailing is from my church denomination's international communications group.  I read the headline.  When the lead touches something in my mind I click to read the full story .

One such mind touching story was about a pastor getting caught up in the African mall siege of recent months.  He was simply going to meet a friend at a coffee shop to discuss getting tablet computers for the seminary students.  The students did no even have full Bibles to study, just pages photocopied from one Bible.  A seemingly simple, ordinary day.  The pastor, who was from the US, was caught up in the crossfire.  He was not injured and was able to lead many groups of people to a safe location outside the mall.  So many aspects of the news story resonated with me.  Things like right place, right time to save lives.  And even the fact that there are seminary students in 2013 that do not have access to Bibles!  I have been giving away Bibles from my 'bounty!

Today one email news story from the United Methodist News Service is about a man in jail.  It is the usual (here my cynicism shows through) of a person finding faith because they are down and out.  A formerly successful, award winning newscaster turned business man that lost his job at 60 years old.  As I read the story my cynicism faded.  The story was not just about a man that fell on hard times but about the folks that lived the gospel.  An older congregation that took a homeless, convicted man into their church and their hearts.  The story is about what love, true love can do in another person's life.

Bernard Addison is the name of the man that fell from an honored life into the arms of grace and love.  The members of the Lincoln Park United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN, are the arms of love into which he fell.  Now incarcerated in an Atlanta federal prison camp for a minimum of 3 years for his part in mail fraud, Bernard writes a blog, Behind The Wall.  This blog will probably become a part of my reading on line.

I have lots.  I know the Creator calls me to action on many levels.  I know I am blessed with Bibles and ways to read the Bible on line, 24/7 as long as I have a wifi connection.  I know I am blessed with friends, family and strangers that pray for me daily.  I am loved by and love others.  I have friends spread across the world that I will never touch physically.  Those friends have touched me spiritually and I pray I do the same for them.  What a glorious life I am so richly blessed to live.  Yes, surely I have lots!  But I still really do not care what we eat tonight so long as I do not have to cook it!