Sunday, September 29, 2013

September 8


Dear Friends and Family,
Today finds me in Psalm 51. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgression.”

It seems that the student Roger talked to had been giving his teacher and his dorm dad problems all week, and he felt the need to be forgiven and to restore a relationship. In his third grade scrawl, he wrote a note to his teacher saying: “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time today.”  He went further and fashioned a cross with toothpicks and mounted it on lined paper as a symbol of his repentance.

“Aw, how sweet,” you say.

And now, the rest of the story. The student composed this note during an art lesson, in which he refused to participate, on paper that is kept behind the teacher’s desk (where he is not allowed to go) with toothpicks (plural) of which he had been instructed to take only one for the art project, and stuck it together with sticky tack, from the back of who knows which poster on the classroom wall.  :)

 Sigh. But look at verse 17. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

We will trust that this little boy is taking his first, faltering steps toward recognizing he is a sinner and longing to be restored to fellowship. Pray that he takes many more steps toward home as Jesus comes running to meet Him.

Roger


And this from Sara:
I like to feel secure, to have all my ducks in a row, so I don’t have to rely on the daily manna. Today I discovered that my computer back-up disk did not survive the move. So, all the photos and music and lesson plans that I had so carefully saved are in data heaven.  And Jesus is saying to me, “Don’t create your own back-up plan. Don’t collect manna for tomorrow. Trust me for each day.”

Thank you for your prayers for us and our boys and girls.

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