TIME FOR REFLECTION

The big news the past few weeks has been the weather. Winter has come in a big way here in N.E. Kentucky the past few weeks. It seems that every weather forecast we listen to has that ugly four letter word "snow" in it somewhere. Having survived ten winters in N.E. Ohio I have seen enough snow to last me a lifetime. Every time I am in the barn and see my little aluminum fishing boat I get such a "hankering" for Spring I can hardly contain myself!

All of this bad weather does offer a person one benefit, it gives us time to reflect on things we don't normally have time for. For instance when I step back into my warm house after being out of doors for some reason I wonder how my ancestors survived these harsh winters. I lived in a house the first five full winters of my life where we heated with a grated fireplace and a Warm Morning stove. We burned coal. I can remember mornings when my Mom would tell my sister and me to stay in our beds until she could get the fire going again and then for it to burn long enough to take the harsh chill out of the air. I was to little to bust the coal or to carry it into the house. My Dad did all of that without me ever giving a thought as to how that all got taken care of. Of course that was true of all the other things I enjoyed as well. When it was time to eat I went to a table that was always filled with delicious food. When it was time to bathe I had a tub of good warm water in which to bathe. I never thought about where my clothes and shoes came from. They were just always there. Daddy worked at ARMCO Steel and everything I needed was provided to me.I am sure most everyone who might read this blog grew up pretty much the same as I did. We all have been guilty of taking a lot of good things for granted.

With time to reflect on such things recently I have been made aware that I have been guilty of taking a lot of things in my spiritual life for granted as well. For instance there has never been a time in my life when God didn't love me. There has never been a time in my life when someone wasn't praying for me. There has never been a time in my life when God didn't have a higher purpose for my life than I dreamed of for myself.

God has always been there for me. His Church has always been there for me too. I don't know about you but I never want to take God, nor His Church, for granted. He is to important for me to take for granted. I need Him every minute of every day. I don't just need Him on Sundays but I need Him every single day and all day long. I need God's people eveyday. I shudder to think where I might be if I did not have people praying for me everyday. I still have people from the very first congregation I pastored who tell me they pray for me everyday. That is a special treasure in my life that can never be replaced.

So in closing let me encourage you to do something for yourself: on these cold snowy days when you can't get out and do the things you normally do take a few minuites to reflect upon God and how good He has been to you. We have all received better than we deserve

Just something to think about.

Pastor Jordan