THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

September 14, 2022

LIFE IN THE FOLD

This past Saturday, I attended my aunts graveside service. I'd like to share just a bit of her story with you.

The brother, just younger than my mom, was Joe. Joe married young, and he and his wife had four children together. When the youngest was just a baby, his wife died. Mama tried to help him out by taking care of his kids, while he worked, while taking care of the 4 kids that she had at that time. She talked with him and told him that he needed to find another wife to help out with his children and be a mother to them. She suggested a young women that she knew, so Joe went to see her.

Violet had felt the call of God upon her life when she was just 14 years old, and began helping out ministering in a church in Kansas when she was 18. She became sick and came home to her family in Missouri to recuperate. While there, Joe came to see her. The two began dating and married just a short time later. Violet adopted his four kids, and then the two of them had three children together. Throughout their married life, Violet pastored a church and later was youth pastor at a church that one of my brothers-in-law was pastoring.

When Joe was in his late 50's he suffered a stroke. He lived for five years, before passing away at the age of 63. That was about 24 years ago.

A few years later, Violet became reacquainted with a man whom she had known when she was a young lady. He was also a preacher, and his wife had passed away. The two of them had never had children. After a while, he and Violet got married and remained married until her recent death. She was probably in her low to mid 60's and he was probably late 60's to early 70's at the time. I'm guessing that they were probably married somewhere between 15 to 20 years.

My brother-in-law helped with Violet's graveside service. A couple days beforehand, he had gone out to visit with her husband. As the two men were visiting, he told my brother-in-law that when he and Violet had gotten married that they didn't love each other, but had married out of need for one another. But as the years passed, they did fall in love. That initial need to have someone for companionship had grown into a real love for each other.

No matter the age, when a couple first meets and begins dating, they don't generally feel an immediate love for one another. There may be an attraction or common interests or a friendship that initially pulls them together, but love comes with them spending time together and getting to know one another. Granted, most do wait until they fall in love before making the decision to marry. But even then, as a couple is married and gets to know one another even better and their relationship grows, that love and commitment deepens.

When a person first comes to Jesus, they come because they have need of Him, not necessarily because they love Him. They recognize that their life is a mess and they need a Savior and someone to love them, so repent of their sins and ask Jesus to come into their heart.

But the more we get to know Jesus and spend time with Him, the more we grow to love Him. As time goes by, that relationship and loves grows deep roots. We go through difficulties and tough life situations, but that love keeps us connected to Jesus and we can have assurance that He will stand beside us and go through it with us. We rejoice together when we experience times of blessing. We know that Jesus is always with us and loves us unconditionally.

Truly, as a child of God, we are the bride of Christ. We are the bride and Jesus is the bridegroom. So our relationship should be one of love and devotion and commitment. The truth is that Jesus has always loved us! But what begins as a need for Him on our part, can and should grow into something lasting and filled with love.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Most of us have experienced a lopsided relationship. One where we feel head-over-heels, deep, passionate love for someone who likes us as a friend. It can be excruciating. I'm not honestly sure if it's worse when the other person doesn't know how we feel, or if they do know.

Jesus loves each of us, saints, sinners, everyone, before we even get to know Him. He knows our hearts, our desires, hopes, dreams, and even our souls. And yet, He loves us anyway. He loves us with a head-over-heels, deep, passionate (brotherly) love before we even get to know Him. And He wants us to feel the same kind of love for Him. Fortunately, He is also very patient.

ON THE MENEWE:

Awesome Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350.

Do not follow the directions on the back of the boxes.

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Spray a bundt pan or 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until done. If using a 9x13 pan, check after 35 minutes and make sure you don't over-bake. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then flip on a rack and allow to fully cool.

Open a can of chocolate fudge frosting; place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Drizzle (slowly pour) over the cake.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Church ladies with typewriters.... before spell checkers were available. These sentences (with all the bloopers) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

*The fasting and prayer conference includes meals.

*The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

*Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

*The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

*Potluck supper at 5:00 PM -- prayer and medication to follow.

*The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

Sometimes spell check doesn't fix mistakes like the ones above, but causes them. I (Jon) personally saw an ad in a Utah newspaper, but when I searched for it, all I could find was a Canadian paper with the same mistake. It encouraged parents to bring their children to the mall to sit on Satan's lap and tell Satan what they wanted for Christmas. Satan would be there all day with his helpers. Kids could explore Satan's cottage, and much more.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

You can't shack up with the devil and expect God to pay the rent. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org