This past week I have been in Indianapolis. I went there for the Southern Baptist Convention. I am not a big convention kind of guy, but I have been attending since 2021. We had some things happen in 2019 that I did not approve of or think were in line with our Convention’s Doctrine/ Policy, so I started attending (no convention in 2020 due to Covid). It is basically one big business meeting with preaching in the midst of it all and wonderful music.
The SBC is also a time when I see some old friends and get to catch up on what is going on in life. There are lots of exhibits of things the SBC promotes. Along with that there are also lots of free things you can pick up as you go through the exhibit hall (t-shirts, pens, candy, stickers, pins, book, notebooks, coffee cups and info packs…stuff like that). I usually bring a small carry bag or backpack home with me.
On Wednesday of the convention (last day) Jill and I are having lunch with some friends. As we get back to the convention hall, I look and see I have missed a call from a pastor friend from Stigler. “Hmmmm, wonder what he wanted..,” I thought. He left a message, says to please call him back.
“Hey Damen, this is Tim, what’s up?” “Are you still at the convention? If yes, I have a favor to ask.” “Sure, I’m here ‘til the end. What can I do for you?” His response…”My wife left her purse at a restaurant where we ate lunch, and we are 2 ½ hours out on our way home. Could you pick it up and bring it back to Oklahoma with you?” “Well of course, send me the restaurant’s name and address.” This is how the conversation went.
What you can’t sense is the desperation in his voice and relief when I told him I would get it. After the convention, Jill and I drove to the restaurant, got the purse and put it in a secure location. (We also noticed a Carrabba’s, our most favorite restaurant in the whole wide world and proceeded to have a delicious supper!…BONUS) Driving home I thought about all that would go through my mind if it was my purse (well, I’m a guy so wallet), so if it was Jill’s purse that was lost. There would be driver’s license, credit cards, debit card, cash, checkbook, house, car and church keys, possibly a cell phone, appointment book, medicine, make-up, brush…well, basically your whole life. You would spend hours on the phone or computer contacting people about financial stuff just for starters. Ever had to get a new driver’s license? It can be painful. Then you will always feel uneasy with car and house keys being… somewhere.
I can understand the relief in his voice when I told him I had the purse in my possession, and it was safe. We will bring it to you Friday. My guess is that she will not be able to live this one down and will probably always keep her purse in close proximity.
This got me to thinking about how we treat Jesus. Do we not do the same thing? You know, we leave the house on Sunday and take Him with us. We are at church and we have Him close by us. We go through the whole day and Jesus is right by us. Monday comes and we leave the house and remember that He is always with us. Maybe we listen to some Christian music on the way to work or to a pod cast by a preacher, maybe a Sunday sermon from some other church. Good day. Tuesday we oversleep, we rush to get ready and run out the door, speeding off to work, no prayer time, devotional or music. Lunch time we read a devotional and then listen to K-LOVE on the way home.
Wednesday comes, the kids have to be at school early or a crisis at work takes us in early. No devotional, prayer or music, we have to work through lunch and straight up ‘til 5:00. Kids have to be at different places and then it’s time for church. A little reprieve anyway for my spirit.
Thursday and running kids again, off to work for meetings that go past lunch. Grab something to eat from the convenience store. Back to work to get a project finished that is due by quitting time. Ball games tonight, so you eat a hotdog at the game. Get home, help with homework, get kids to bed, and you are so tired you go to bed and collapse.
Friday means field trip at school. Again, no time for prayer, devotional and you pass on music just to try to get some peace and quiet. At least the weekend is coming up and … nope not happening. You have five places to be all at the same time.
Sunday comes and you can’t find Jesus. What happened? Where did He go? Well, nowhere. He is in the last place you left Him. Like the purse, you casually walk off and leave Him. Not on purpose, you just get caught up in what you are doing and walk away. But when you look for Him and realize He is not there, sudden fear consumes you.
But, remember, He will be in the last place you left Him and waiting for you come back. Maybe you even have a friend to help you when you find yourself in these situations and bring you back to Jesus.
John 10:28-29 Bro. Tim
