Sometimes I forget

There is no homeschool today. Lorena and the kids are running up to Portland today. Lorena is going to go out shopping on her own while Kelly and Christian are going to go shopping with Grandpa Milo and Grandma Sarah. This evening, they are all going to the airport to pick up Grandpa Lauro and Grandma Conchita. They will stay in Portland tonight, then come home tomorrow morning. We can hardly wait for them to get here!

Lorena and I had a long talk last night. It was very, very good. Then, this morning in my read through the bible, I read Deuteronomy 8. God spoke with the children of Israel telling them that he led them through the desert and fed them manna for forty years to humble them and to help them to remember it was Him who was taking them into the promised land. It was Him who chastened them as a man chaseneth his son. In previous chapters, God warned the people not to listen to those who would have them follow false gods and turn away from the one true God. When I think of some of the advise and chastening I have received over the last few years, I am the more thankful for my father, Grandpa Milo, who was an elder for many, many years. While he is not perfect, he has always had my best interests at heart. When issues came up, he always pointed to God. He did not point to other men or the traditions of men, but to God. My mother, Grandma Sarah’s advise came in the form of a model of compassion and loyalty. Lorena’s parents, Grandpa Lauro and Grandma Conchita have all those same qualities. The hallmark of their stewardship is humility, love, and honesty. Those models provide a great contrast with advise based on pride, tradition, and personal agendas. We have every reason to be thankful for the true elders in our midsts who have our best interests, the interests of the church, and especially the interests of “the least of these” at heart. I never want to forget that it is God I serve and none other.