"I'm really looking forward to tonight!" Steve enthused as we were getting ready for the day.
"Why? What's tonight?"
"The Reformation Conference!"
Oh, yeah...Derek Thomas is coming to Dyersburg, and will be speaking tonight and tomorrow on Romans 8. "How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home." This is going to be awesome, people.
But me...I'll be at Wal-Mart, bagging up groceries for frazzled shoppers. Blech. Seems here lately I've been missing so many good times of teaching and fellowship. Instead of gathering around a bonfire with family and friends, instead of sitting under the teaching of Derek Thomas, I spend my evenings in the tiny box of a cash register. Blip, beep, beep, blip... "Your total is fifty-seven dollars and fourteen cents."
This morning, I was thinking, "What a lousy trade!" And, yes, I was feeling a tad bit sorry for myself.
Then, I spent an hour on-line, helping three students register for spring classes at UT Martin. Everyone got the classes they wanted, at the times they wanted...no small feat. Yay! Once everyone was officially registered, we clicked over to check out the fee summaries. Wowzer!
Okay, NOW I remember why I'll be standing at a register at Wal-Mart tonight, instead of sitting in a pew at Dyersburg First Presbyterian Church. And, as much as I hate missing Derek Thomas, this is a trade I'm willing to make. This is only a season - a short season in my life and in the lives of my children. Very soon, college fees will be behind us, and, hopefully, this late-night job will be behind me, too. And when this season is past, maybe I'll have another opportunity to hear Derek Thomas.
If not, we'll have forever in Glory together, and I'll just have catch up with him then.
(If you're not scheduled to be on the clock tonight, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy excellent teaching and sweet fellowship. Tonight - 6:30. Saturday - 10:30 a.m. Click here for details.)
like a stone in your throat
1 year ago
1 comment:
A good dose of the Lutheran doctrine of vocation is advisable here. What you are doing is as much a spiritual experience, as much of a good work, as much of a witness as attending the Reformation Conference. We will miss you, but those of us who understand vocation will applaud you.
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