It's March again, and it is the height of my stressful and demanding time for my business managing sports officials. Too little time + too much to do + my too little brain puts me in a 'can't see the trees from the forest' mode. It's crazy busy even without trying to do any Back Pew cartooning. So easy for me to forget the blessings of this life and focus on the stress of the moment feeling like it will last forever even though in reality it is just a couple bad weeks. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? The more things change, the more they stay the same.. Remember the stories from the book of Exodus where the children of Israel after God miraculously delivered his people from slavery in Egypt concluding with them crossing the Red Sea on dry land. Their 'exodus' from Egypt filled with miracles, signs, and wonders by the very hand of God was lost on them as they wind up whining in the wilderness. Their faces were long, and their memories were short. Oh sure God parted the Red Sea so we would not be killed, BUT what has he done for them lately? I WANNA GO BACK TO EGYPT! was the cry throughout the land. When I was younger reading this story of God's deliverance I sometimes shook my head thinking how sad they had such little faith, and such short memories. I would NEVER be so ungrateful..BUT.. upon further review.. I think I would fit right in. While I would like to say I would be Moses right hand man, I more likely would have been the guy crossing the Red Sea wearing water wings, and a floatation device nabbed back at the Nile YMCA. I can't do it.. I don't want to do it. Where is God? Can't he see I am unhappy? Can't he see my pouty face? Those are my complaints even though my plight is very mild and short when compared to fleeing from men chasing me in chariots wanting to kill me. WRITE IT ON A ROCK.. Years ago I heard a sermon at church where our pastor gave the instruction.. To take note of when God answers your prayers in both big and small ways... and WRITE IT ON A ROCK. Meaning make a permanent record of God's providence in our lives to remind us when we are in 'trees from forest mode.' Again, by comparison my temporary March Madness pales with the Exodus story, but the same promise of God holds true both in the day of Moses and today. His providence in grand and small ways are equally significant. I pray that we do not lose sight of this truth when the going gets tough and we want to get going. Blessings, Jeff 3/9/2015 Spring is .. springing!Here in Minnesota we have endured a very long winter. It started this year early in November with snow and cold and never let up UNTIL.. just this week. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.. praise him MORE without the SNOW? Anyways, the snow is melting, temps are in the 50s and my cabin fever attitude is melting too. Soon I will be firing up the grill cooking burgers as my body acclimates to springtime. I must confess my cabin fever.. was very bad this year, as winter kept right on freezing with temps abnormally low from Valentines Day early March. But,, that was then and this is now. This week the forecast continues to be good with highs near 60 so soon and very soon ALL the snow will be a distant memory. March arrived like a FROZEN lion and hopefully leaves like a gentle lamb. I imagine even the mosquito population is putting away it's winter gear as they ready themselves for their 2015 blood sucking buffet. I am so sick of winter I welcome heat with humidity and mosquitoes! Ok, scratch that.. I got carried away with my spring rant. Instead I am dreaming of a summer daytime temp of 75 degrees, sunny, light breeze in the air, and low humidity. <insert reflective pause> Too bad I cannot order weather like this from a menu. So may God bless you where you are with a Spring and Summer to follow that makes this past winter a distant BAD memory. May your attitude remain sunny and warm even when you have cabin fever sheltered this time inside an unbearable stretch of HEAT n HUMIDITY that looks like it will never end.Blessings, Jeff
3/7/2015 Grace.. it is always amazingGrace is the one word that should resound inside and outside churches around the world. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. These are the lyrics are of course from one of the most powerful and well known hymns of the Christian church history. If I recall correctly, Amazing Grace was written by a former slave trader who repented of his wicked ways to recieve God's Amazing Grace. Now, while most of us will fall short of the egregious sins against God and man of a slave trader.. but still our goodness is a relative term when comparing with others and especially when compared to Almighty God. So we all need God's Grace in our lives to make right what is wrong. Another great story of God's Grace is presented in the telling of the prodigal son. The prodigal son was rebellious, disobedient and wanted nothing to do with the father.. UNTIL LIFE HIT BOTTOM. Then with a repentant heart he returned to the Father and was not meant with a disapproving look and a scolding I TOLD YOU SO speech. Instead the Prodigal Son was met by his father with open arms and a feast. My son was lost (by choice) and now is found. This is the story of God and each of our various levels of 'prodigal-ness'. So if the only Grace to be found in your church is the woman named Grace who plays the church organ, then maybe it is time to discover God's Amazing Grace for your relative wretchedness. |
AuthorThe mutterings on life and faith by cartoonist Jeff Larson Archives
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Back Pew - Draw Close to God
116 pages of cartoons of 'Clean Humor & God's Truth' CRITICS ARE SAYING..
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3/11/2015
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