Angels in the slips

Often when I arrive home from work I get greeted at the door by our dog, Pixie and my son, Matthew (now 11). They really do a number on me, a kinda one, two combo. First of all as I unlock and open our front door Pixie will come running up to me. She doesn’t just wag her tail she wags her whole body. I’m always so overwhelmed by her greeting and then Matthew who is hiding behind the door will jump out and shout as loud as he can at me. Talk about a defib machine, my heart (ab) normally jumps up into my throat and stays there pulsating at a supersonic rate for at least five minutes. I fall for this trick as regular as clockwork.

Of course Matthew wants me to play ‘something’ with him. It might be cricket, soccer, rugby, chess, a board game or any other game that we have cooked up amongst the two of us. So after I have been ‘woken up’ from the rigors of my work day and then have slipped into something more comfortable we go out and put in some playtime with each other.

One evening while playing cricket in the parking lot of the restaurant opposite our house I happened to notice the statues behind the fence in the nursery. The restaurant is on the premises of the nursery. They were statues of large angels and it was almost as though they were set out as slip fielders behind Matthew while he batted. Oh how my heart longed to see the real angels that I know are all around us. I looked up at the palm trees whose branches were swaying in the wind and I drifted off for a while in my imagination trying to think what heaven is like and what it would be like to meet and see Jesus for the first time…….oh I can only imagine.

Of course then Matthew shouted to me, “When are you gonna throw the ball?” I came out of my reverie. I often feel like leaving all this pain and suffering behind and just be with Jesus but then I see all those around me whom I love and I wanna be there for them as much as I possibly can and most of all I want to do God’s will.

The apostle Paul put it so well in his letter to the Philippians;
21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. (Philippians 1:21-26)

That night while saying goodnight to Matt I asked him if he really enjoys playing cricket with his klutzy dad. I seriously lack talent in the bat and ball department of sport. He kinda gave me this funny look as if to say, “Now what kinda question is that?” When he replied he just said, “Of course I do dad!” He just then asked me to pray for him and there oftentimes wells up within me so many emotions and such a feeling of gratitude that God has given me this opportunity of getting to know and love Matthew as a father. God teaches me so many times through the relationship I have with my son as to how He feels about me as His son. For now I can only imagine what it will be like when one day in His time all His promises will be fulfilled.

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus]

I can only imagine [x2]

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine




LoCTY!!

Dog Day Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Late Evening

Precious Saints !!!!!!

It must have been roughly about seven months ago one Saturday morning when Allie bought home a little ‘bundle of joy’. The bundle of joy in question was a four month old female puppy who is a cross between a dachshund and some kinda terrier. I was not impressed! This really put a major damper on my weekend, my sinusitis had been playing up again and I was not a happy chappie. Of course I loved animals……as long as they did not permanently live in MY home.

I had on numerous prior occasions laid out a very careful and thoughtful explanation as to why we couldn’t get a dog. It went something like this. Allie would ask, “Do you think we could get a dog for Matthew?” I would answer, “No!” Allie again, “Why not?” I would answer, “Don’t want to!” This would go on for a little while until Allie would give up. See a perfectly logical argument from me. Fellow men you would understand and agree to this line of reasoning.

This puppy then totally baffled me with her self promotion/marketing strategy. She proceeded to poo and wee all over the place and chew up our telephone cable, slippers and anything else that was within reach of her jaws. She also howled right throughout the night and kept us all awake. At one stage I tossed her in the bathroom and closed the bathroom door. She then proceeded to tear up the bath mat into shreds while howling even louder then before. I mean didn’t she know that she had to impress me and win me over. Eventually Allie put her in the bed with us. I was horrified, but at least she stopped howling and we could all get some much needed sleep. The next day Allie was in tears ‘cause no one wanted this little puppy. She was going to take her back to the Animal Welfare. I thought GREAAAAT! Now we can get rid of her and life will return to normal. But when I opened my mouth to speak these words came out, “Just give her a chance, let’s just keep her for a little longer and see what happens.” Aaaaargh what was I saying? Then Matthew who had not shown much interest in the little doggy also asked his mom to keep her.

Well we kept her and Allie named her Pixie and then I woke up to the fact that our Lord was teaching me a huge lesson through this little puppy. She seemed to ‘scratch’ in the areas of my life which I try to keep hidden. Through her I had to take another look at who I am, my selfishness and my heart condition (no not the physical but the emotional) and my relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and my relationships with everyone else. You know when you take a long hard look deep inside your soul you find a whole lotta garbage there. The thing is God already knows exactly who you are but He wants you to have the courage to tell Him, honestly and openly. So He will continuously work in your life refining you and making you more available and more teachable so that you can be used by Him which ultimately gives Him glory.

So as I type this Pixie is sitting at my feet, all content as she gives me her unconditional love. And boy you must see the welcome I get whenever I walk in through the front door, her tail knocks against the skirting board and sounds like a machine gun going off, she is so excited she shakes all over. I tell you something I feel like a king when I get a greeting like that. And ja at some time in the early hours of the morning she climbs into bed with us and crawls down to sleep at our feet.

So how is God teaching you in your life at the moment? Mebbe you haven’t even noticed. Mebbe He’s using that crabby neighbour of yours, possibly that irritating work colleague, your financial situation which currently stinks, Eskom(!!!!???), a relationship that has fallen apart………there are a myriad of ways…..just open the eyes of your heart! The eyes of your heart are your spiritual eyes.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5)

My Desire Lyrics
Artist(Band):Jeremy Camp

You want to be real, you want to be empty inside
You want to be someone laying down your pride
You want to be someone someday
Then lay it all down before the king

You want to be whole, you want to have purpose inside
You want to have virtue and purify your mind

You want to be set free today
Then lay it all down before the King

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire to be used by You

You want to be real, you want to be empty inside
And I know my heart is to feel You near
And I know my life
It's to do Your will
It's to do Your will

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire, to be used by You
Oo yea
This is my desire, this is my desire
To be used by You

All my life I have seen
Where You've taken me
Beyond all I have hoped
And there's more left unseen

There's not much I can do to repay all You've done
So I give my hands to use

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire, to be used by You
Oo yea
This is my desire, this is my desire
To be used by You

LoCTY!!!!!

NB. Thank you all so much for your prayers, support and encouragement in response to my last email ‘God’s Hug’. Adam is doing well now and appears to be fully recovered. What a blessing it is to be part of the Body of Christ!