Wednesday - Lent 3

Another fantastic day at the Museum yesterday.    Our Museum is only open one day a week but with the amount of activity we have on the one day,  we could easily be opened a few more days.   But,  as the Curator says,  we are all volunteers and we don't want to burn out our Volunteers.      Good thinking.

Which lead me to think about burn out .... bad stress.... balance in life.      In my short lifetime,  I've discovered when someone has a passion for what they are doing,  then their tasks and jobs are a joy.  When one gets burdened down with frustration and sorrow,  then burn-out and bad stress occurs.

When we are joyful,  lifting our small burdens to God is easy.  But it takes discipline.  When we become sad and sorrowful and frustrated,  somehow we forget to lift our burdens to God and then we get bogged down even further into the mire of sorrow and burn out and bad stress.  While these two comparisons sound simplistic,  it really is that simple.    

And thinking of simple....  Old Son finally purchased his very first Lee Enfield No 1 Mk 3. The rifle was made in 1916.    It needs a lot of work and we still don't know if it will fire.  But in the meantime, this rifle is getting a good cleaning.   How symbolic to Lent and ourselves.... we all need times of good cleaning and tossing our burdens to God.    As simple as that. 

Devotional......

O Christ,  we get up this day and follow You.    Where we go today,  we know that we go in Your name.  Whatever we do today,  we do in Your name.  In our sitting and in our rising,  we give You thanks and praise.  Amen.

Read:  St. Matthew 9: 9 – 13

Matthew the Tax Collector is sitting in his booth.   Jesus comes up to him and says, “Follow me!”   Matthew gets up and follows Jesus.      Simple really.    Matthew got up and followed Jesus.   

Jesus then goes to Matthew’s  house for a meal (hospitality!).  Yet many of the dinner guests were unsavoury characters.  The Pharisees see this and asks the Disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with Tax Collectors and sinners?”  For the Pharisees, this was a new concept… that someone would actively seek out sinners.       Jesus hears what they are saying and answers, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.   I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”   Jesus is healing and forgiving sinners.   Jesus is lifting the burdens from their shoulders.      

As you go throughout this day,  say this statement over in your mind, “It’s  Simple Really.  I get up and follow Jesus”.    See where the day (and God) leads you!

Heavenly Father,  Your words are simple.   This day we will get up and follow Jesus.  We follow Jesus knowing that You bless us and keep us as we travel together.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Many blessings!