聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Why was the chicken looking forward to heaven?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Because he could finally cross the road without anyone questioning his motives.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Are we really looking forward to heaven? The closer I get to that time, the more concerned I become about what I have not finished doing in this world. Don鈥檛 get me wrong. I pray with confidence, but it鈥檚 just that there is so much more to do and pray for.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I pray for family members and parishioners I love, but who have lost interest in Sunday worship. To them I extend the invitation: what are you waiting for?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What are we waiting for? I鈥檓 a sinner like the rest of you, and I鈥檓 better at it than some. But I pray with confidence. The thing about prayer is to keep showing up. And be committed. Make up your mind to follow Jesus.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The world promises so much and creates such tempting distractions 鈥� like a big, juicy, garlic sausage. Money and pleasure! Success!
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Like St. Peter, I deny the Lord when the devil tempts me. Of course I鈥檒l never do it again. And the Lord takes me back, just as he took Peter back, as well as Thomas the doubter and the disciples who ran away from him. And Jesus chooses us sinners.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Vote with your feet. Come back to the Lord again and again. Jesus is still asking us, 鈥淒o you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?鈥� (John 21:17). Make the choice now. You鈥檒l want to in the end. It will take practice to get it right, so get started. I know. I鈥檓 still trying.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Go back to the Lord on Sunday morning. Don鈥檛 even wait for Sunday. Say thanks today. Start with a thank you before meals. Start with a morning thank you. Every day alive is a gift and a blessing. And if you have good health, give an extra bound of thanks.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Take a deep breath! Smell the roses. See the blue sky and the glorious rays of the sun. And say thank you for your eyes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And come back to the Lord. I know, I have to do that as often as I fail. I cross myself three times, a habit I learned from the Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholics. And then I walk the walk on the path that follows Jesus.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥h, sinnerman where you gonna run to?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥h, sinnerman where you gonna run to?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪innerman where you gonna run to?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎ll on that day鈥︹��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Well, the rock wouldn鈥檛 hide him, the river wouldn鈥檛 hide him, and the sea wouldn鈥檛 hide him, so in the end he ran to the Lord and said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 you know I need you Lord?鈥� The good news is that the Lord is waiting for us. The Lord is always open to help us.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the end, grace will prevail. Know it! 鈥淚 have read the last page of the Bible. It is going to turn out all right,鈥� Billy Graham said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he great mystery of life is not unanswered prayer; it鈥檚 unfinished prayer.鈥� We need to keep showing up. We are an unfinished work, a form on canvas. It is almost an embarrassment to look at now, but give the artist a chance. Keep showing up.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淕od uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him,鈥� said Hudson Taylor. God reaches out to us, as He did to Peter trying to walk on the water, and says, 鈥淲hy did you doubt?鈥� (Matthew 14: 22)
