So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-20
In response to reading Paul’s admonition to give
thanks for everything, I’m grateful to God for the life of my dear friend,
John, who graduated to the church triumphant this past week. I didn’t get to see John and his bride, Anne,
in person a whole lot because our homes are separated by a four-hour drive. We had just made plans to meet for lunch this
Saturday. Now I will have to wait for a
different meeting time and place of our Heavenly Father’s choosing. John’s passing to be in the presence of his
Lord is going to take some getting-used to.
I’m going to miss the banter-by-email we shared. He was a masterful pun-machine,
able to spin one of my thoughtlessly-dropped words like a coin turning on its
end. Conversation with John was laced
with joy and thoughtfulness. I always
marvelled how his rapid-fire quips rolled with such awesome humor and wisdom,
entwined like a well-crafted sermon in a phrase. I told John that if he came to visit in our
church he’d better belay the “wisdom in a word” around my church family; they’d
start a petition for sermons of his length.
His reply: Sensor-ship.
Admittedly, my mind takes a lot longer to respond than did
John’s. But I have no doubt his every answer
was much more than glib banter – rather a lifelong evidence of inquisitiveness
about human nature, and the Divine. An
avid reader, lover of locomotives, traveller, churchman, teacher of young
people’s confirmation classes, and classical music addict, JC, had interest in the
gift God gave him of life and time to use it well.
There is an art to this business of living
thoughtfully. It is purposeful
investment of the gift of that next breath, impervious to the mindlessness of
herd mentality, and ever vigilant to the leading of God’s Spirit. If pressed, I would characterize my friend John
as one who helped me in that direction.
Thank you, brother…may you rest in peace, and rise in
glory.
For You Today
There are many
people God brings into your life to help you think and live thoughtfully. Listen closely, drink deeply, and follow the
Spirit’s calling genuinely. There’s a
kingdom to gain.
[1] Images: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
