August 2017 -

LossLoss

August 9, 2017| SGIUMC| 0 Comment| 9:00 am

A neighbor stopped by this morning with the sad news that there was a drowning yesterday on the island. High winds and rip tides made the gulf water dangerous. Apparently one person was in trouble, and another went out to assist but he was pulled into the waves and vanished. How terribly sad! What was obviously intended as a wonderful day of laughter and fun, of a picnic lunch and swimming turned into a day of tragedy and loss. In the midst of life we are in death—suddenly the hours are robbed of their joy, only grief and sadness left in their wake. We live in a broken world, a world where our human frailty Is most evident. I think of this family whose lives will change because of this day; I think too of God who grieves with them, whose love for the lost individual exceeds their own. My prayer, Lord, is for peace, comfort and strength in the days ahead. May those who mourn feel your presence; may they, even in the midst of their loss, find reasons to celebrate a life filled with joyful times. Only you, dear Lord, can bring them your peace and courage for the hours to come. Amen.

Sand EverywhereSand Everywhere

August 8, 2017| SGIUMC| 0 Comment| 2:26 pm

Sand! There is sand everywhere in my house! When I walk on the beach wearing shoes and socks, the sand finds its way to my bare feet, nestles between my toes, and sticks to my ankles. If I’m barefooted, I try to wash off the sand before entering the house, but the stairs have their own sandy coating, so I replace one layer of sand with another. My carpet sometimes looks pale beige, so evenly does a sand layer coat it. I’m reminded of the Psalmist who found God everywhere he looked—in the deepest chasm or the highest clouds. I can better appreciate that sense of omnipresence when I think of sand—blowing, filming adhering, and surrounding me–inescapable. I thank you, Lord for your ability to penetrate my life at every level—wherever I look and touch, you are there. Amen.

StolenStolen

August 8, 2017| SGIUMC| 0 Comment| 2:18 pm

I spoke with a woman in the store this morning. During our conversation, she said she’d once been in a church with a large congregation, and when she went to the altar for Communion, she returned to her pew and discovered her purse had been taken. How sad that during a time of communion, someone had chosen to rob rather than share. I thought of how things are sometimes stolen from me when my mind is elsewhere. I walk on the beach wrestling with other people’s problems or with situations over which I have no control, and I’m robbed of the day’s beauty and the ocean’s gifts. I let myself feel apart from God, and my faith begins to erode, just as the water bites at the shore. Forgive me, Lord, for letting you go too easily, for letting situations rob me of your presence. Yes, bad things happen, even in the church where there are more avowed sinners than anyplace else. Please help me to approach you always knowing there is nothing more important than my closeness to you. Amen.

Friend and FoeFriend and Foe

August 8, 2017| SGIUMC| 0 Comment| 4:10 am

When we moved to FL from MI, we were given weird tales of flora and fauna. Gators that lurked everywhere, dining each evening on cats and dogs. Snakes, all poisonous, hiding under each leaf, eager to puncture and inject their venom. Poisonous plants and trees, scorpions and centipedes, millipedes and giant cockroaches—creeping, crawling, and flying horrors that seemed overwhelming. I’ve lived here now for 24 years, and my life is one of peaceful détente. Yes, there are poisonous creatures, but their poison is chiefly a defensive mechanism; if left alone, they tend to hurry away. Should such a creature be more persistent, the hose usually does the job. There are, it’s true, some unwelcome creatures here that bite with unpleasant consequences, but similar creatures exist in most other places as well. All in all, I am in awe of the world around me. Live and let live is our general philosophy since we are the newcomers. To see the beauty and variety of the world around me is to see God in all of His creative energy.

When Serving The Salvation Church Isn’t FunWhen Serving The Salvation Church Isn’t Fun

August 3, 2017 | SGIUMC | 0 Comment | 12:44 pm

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