Malaise, oops, encouraging a friend

For the past week or so I have been feeling less than my best. Some days it is more obvious than others but there has been a constant sense of not particularly feeling well. Headaches and overall weariness are the most persistent symptoms; dizziness is the most troubling. This too shall pass; sometime.

Last night at church we had someone fill in at the last minute on the piano. He and I worked out the song service. I had to select a different song for the invitation so he would be comfortable playing for me that evening. As we sang through the first two songs I did okay but on the last song my eyes skipped over the selected song and went straight to the one we had eliminated from the list and I announced it as our next song.

He and the organist hung in there with me and we sang through it. He did fine and the congregation really liked the song – even though it was a new one for them. After the service I still did not realize I had made the mistake. It was on the way home that it dawned on me what I had done. I will see the young man that played the piano on night at RU – I will get to apologize and get the egg off my face then.

I am not inferring too much into the lapse of memory, i.e forgetting the conversation we just had about the music selections for the service, but there may be something there worth considering. This one I will chalk up to the fact that I get nervous when I am up at the pulpit to lead the singing. I will have to give permission to the musicians to correct me if I go off track that badly in the future. I would be far more comfortable with that – and take care of my mistakes in the moment. All is well. It just leaves me feeling a little foolish.

We did get rain yesterday – finally. It was not much, only .3 inches but it was enough to puddle on the ground in places and settle the dust. For Mama it was a mess. With the three dogs having to go in and out of the apartment – which is now surrounded by wet dirt – she was constantly having to clean them up before letting them back inside. I don’t think she really minds all that much but for me it would be a chore. Actually, they would have to find a place to stay outside if I were the one having to wipe dirty paws all day.

Mama is going to visit her friend Kim Cantrell this afternoon. She lives a little less than an hour from the farm. She and her husband have been going through some really rough times of late and she really needs the encouragement. It is one of those time that cause a believer to question where they are and what they are doing because nothing seems to be adding up right.

Those are the time when faith kicks in and we just keep doing right (because it is always right to do right) and stay where we are until the Lord opens up our vision so we can see how He is ordering things concerning our work and witness. I spoke to a friend yesterday at work and he confessed that he is having trouble keeping his walk where his talk is – trusting God to lead him and having the faith to obediently follow.

He and I agreed that in retrospect, regardless of the situation, God has never led us wrong or caused us to suffer any loss that was not for our benefit and His glory. Keeping our faith tuned into that truth is the most difficult thing we do on a daily basis.

Remembering that not only is God able to lead you and keep you from falling, but that He is willing would give us some much needed respite.