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Together, We Journey Forward ...
Years ago, when our children were young, they looked forward to visits from Cheryl. She was a young girl, unsighted, and would always bring her seeing-eye dog along. The kids were intrigued and wanted to know all about the dog. Once they asked Cheryl "What is the most difficult thing for you to teach your companion dog"? She replied something like this - "It's hard to get my dog to lift its head and look upward".
When I think about it the image I have of such a dog is being seemingly preoccupied with what is directly in front on ground level - looking down or straight ahead. But there may be other dangers too - like overhead signs or branches or even the weather. Hence the dog must learn to look up as well.
A week ago our first lesson was a passage which included these words "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are HIGHER than the earth, so are my ways HIGHER than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8,9)
Even as the seeing-eye dog is encouraged to lift its head so too are WE invited to lift our minds and hearts HIGHER and to make our response a matter of prayer and discernment. Together, we journey forward - beginning with Celebration week-end April 3 and 4!
- Luther Olson, for the Spiritual Emphasis Team
for our Capital Funds Campaign
As we approach the end of the Lenten season, I pray your journey has been meaningful. We also are nearing the finish for the second building fund appeal. One difficult question may be, when we give of our talents and gifts, do we give to God off the top or what is left over? Jesus, in Luke 21:1-4, has challenged us with the following: as he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Please do prayerfully consider your pledge.