Happy How-did-Monday-get-here-so-fast, friends!
Both Saturday and Sunday were crazy busy this weekend, with early starts and late finishes.
That doesn’t mean that I didn’t do any pondering; just that my pondering happened in the middle of a lot of activities.
I helped cook breakfast Saturday morning for a couple of hundred guys at FBC Amarillo and then zipped home to put on my cowboy hat to go to the 82nd annual (my first) Boys Ranch Rodeo with my favorite daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters.
Sunday morning started in Hereford helping my friends at Avenue Baptist Church celebrate their 80th anniversary and finished in Lubbock representing Texans on Mission at the annual gathering of Lubbock Area Baptist Association.
Actually, I guess it finished after my two hour drive home from Lubbock, when I kissed Mrs. Sweetie and headed for bed.
When I look back over these past few days, I really resonate with today’s verse from 1 Peter.
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Peter 1:2).
Grace and peace are everywhere; we’re just not always paying attention.
The word translated “grace” can be understood as kindness and favor that cannot be earned.
The word translated “peace” can be understood as harmony and reconciliation.
For my purpose today, I’m just going with kindness and reconciliation.
The kindness we receive from God is to be extended to those around us so that both we and they can experience reconciliation with God and each other.
Love God. Love people.
But it doesn’t happen automatically or accidentally.
We must choose to live in His Grace and peace.
My hymn text for today is a reminder of who God is and our choice to extol Him.
And my weekly prayer is a reminder to constantly be realigned with Him.
And if we are constantly and consistently being realigned with Him, we cannot live in enmity with those around us.
Love God. Love people.
Simple.
Not complicated.
Not easy.
Simple in its complexity.
Or complex in its simplicity.
Love God. Love people.
Be amazing today, my friend.
