sunny monday...
It is Monday morning and things have dulled down to a slow pace. My mom is much, much better and at home resting and regaining strength. She read my blog and asked me yesterday why I wrote a post that sounded like she was going to die…I tried to explain I did it in the midst of medical questions that were going unanswered and drugs that were not working, while in a state of fear of the unknown. But in the end she received the right treatment and is on the road to recovery and I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
She has to take antibiotics intravenously up until Friday, finishing the treatment in time for us to leave for vacation on Saturday. Needless to say, our entire family is ready for and needing a vacation. We are heading to Osage Beach in the Lake of the Ozarks, this will be our 5th year vacationing there. The husband and I were talking about how enjoyable it is to go to the same place every year on vacation – you can be excited about visiting and revisiting constants and anticipate any new changes. We look forward to our nightly rivalry on the Pirate's putt-putt course, dinners on the lake at the Duck and JB Hooks, lazy days at the pool and for the boys, all their favorite golf courses with the certain holes that they talk about all year and plan out execution of months in advance. But most of all, we look forward to just being and relaxing with family.
On a side note, my thoughts this past weekend have been centered around a confrontation that we had with our youth minister and his wife last week. They don’t really support or have respect for the leadership of the church and the youth minister took it upon himself to tell one of his teens that he thinks that my husband doesn’t live what he preaches because he preached about evangelism one week and then, the next week, failed to show up to a youth event that had been planned. There were other things that were said that we have been mulling over (and I don’t feel like rehashing) but this thought of evangelism has been on my mind.
When my mom came home from the hospital last week, her neighbors brought dinner for she and my dad for two nights and then the other neighbors said that they would bring dinner this week. These people are not church-goers, but they were driven to do what Christians fail to do so often – reach out to others. I feel embarrassed when the rest of the world acts better than those who claim to follow Jesus. The husband said that this is what the church doesn’t get – that evangelism isn’t going to youth events or church sponsored events but more importantly, providing for people’s needs when they can’t take care of themselves. Giving of our time, money and resources to help people where they are and help them despite reasons of why we shouldn’t or instead of thinking why they are where they are and trying to place blame. I feel challenged to be more intent on meeting people where they are, rather than where I think they should be.
She has to take antibiotics intravenously up until Friday, finishing the treatment in time for us to leave for vacation on Saturday. Needless to say, our entire family is ready for and needing a vacation. We are heading to Osage Beach in the Lake of the Ozarks, this will be our 5th year vacationing there. The husband and I were talking about how enjoyable it is to go to the same place every year on vacation – you can be excited about visiting and revisiting constants and anticipate any new changes. We look forward to our nightly rivalry on the Pirate's putt-putt course, dinners on the lake at the Duck and JB Hooks, lazy days at the pool and for the boys, all their favorite golf courses with the certain holes that they talk about all year and plan out execution of months in advance. But most of all, we look forward to just being and relaxing with family.
On a side note, my thoughts this past weekend have been centered around a confrontation that we had with our youth minister and his wife last week. They don’t really support or have respect for the leadership of the church and the youth minister took it upon himself to tell one of his teens that he thinks that my husband doesn’t live what he preaches because he preached about evangelism one week and then, the next week, failed to show up to a youth event that had been planned. There were other things that were said that we have been mulling over (and I don’t feel like rehashing) but this thought of evangelism has been on my mind.
When my mom came home from the hospital last week, her neighbors brought dinner for she and my dad for two nights and then the other neighbors said that they would bring dinner this week. These people are not church-goers, but they were driven to do what Christians fail to do so often – reach out to others. I feel embarrassed when the rest of the world acts better than those who claim to follow Jesus. The husband said that this is what the church doesn’t get – that evangelism isn’t going to youth events or church sponsored events but more importantly, providing for people’s needs when they can’t take care of themselves. Giving of our time, money and resources to help people where they are and help them despite reasons of why we shouldn’t or instead of thinking why they are where they are and trying to place blame. I feel challenged to be more intent on meeting people where they are, rather than where I think they should be.
posted by Anna at
9:30 AM
2 Comments:
Glad to hear there is more hope and joy in your tone.
Glad to hear about your mother's status.
For the youth pastor, "My hypocrisy knows no bounds..."
By
Anonymous, at 1:56 PM, June 19, 2006
Due to the hectic last week, I never got back to you regarding my reading. I am working on a fiction piece called “Chasing Cézanne” it is alright, not really a page turner. I feel like I have been reading it forever. I don’t have anything lined up next, that is actually my project this week because I have to get my vacation reading stack going. I do know that it will include Freakonomics which I have failed to finish. My book club has been on hiatus for a month and the first week of July we are meeting to pick next year’s books…I think that my suggestion shall be “A Severe Mercy”. Drew gave it to us as a wedding gift and I have never cried over a book until I read it…good stuff.
By
Anna, at 2:51 PM, June 19, 2006
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