House That Contains Great Treasure!

Dear Readers,

Sometimes I feel unsatisfied, like I am missing something important in my life. I wonder when my ship will come in, or if I will ever own a business that I have long desired.

My dissatisfaction seems like a great chasm that can never be traversed. It is not dissatisfaction with people, or even things. I have long known that things can never bring happiness to a person.

It is more a general feeling of loss of direction and focus. When I was a young Christian I was constantly trying to think of ways to share God’s love with others. Now, besides an occasional devotional writing on this blog, Mission to Amish Persons discussion board, or Facebook, my sharing of God’s love with unsaved persons seems somewhat stagnant.

What can I do? Does anyone have the answer?

I recently came across the verse that I think has at least a partial answer. It is found in Proverbs 15:6. It states, “The house of the righteous contains great treasure,…”

When I married Dee and became Joseph’s stepfather I moved into a house that was originally purchased by Jim Brown, Dee’s late husband and Joseph’s late father. Little did I know the blessing that this house, or household, would be in my life.

You see, my wife has the gift of hospitality. With her as the gracious hostess we have had many family and friend gatherings in this house. The work seems difficult at the time to get the house ready for the gathering, and I sometimes complain about getting everything “just right” for our guests. But to see the guests and listen to their comments about how welcoming our home is makes it all worthwhile.

Just last week a Public Broadcasting Station crew from Boston came to our home to film part of a documentary about Amish because we host a Bible study with former Amish young persons . Callie Taintor Wiser, a well known PBS documentary filmmaker commented to my wife and I what a welcoming, nice home she thought we have.

So while I wait for my ship to arrive and my long lost business to materialize, I can take great pleasure, and “treasure”, from our house which God has graciously given us.

See you next time,
Arlen

Royal Wedding

Dear Readers,

William and Kate are now married. The wedding was spectacular and the cathedral majestic. No expense was spared. The total cost was $60 million dollars with over one half of that for security. An $80,000 cake and an $800,000 flower and greenery bill seemed lush and extravagant.

The wedding was a fairytale come true. We might wonder why we were not born to be the grandson of a queen, or to meet a prince to sweep us off our feet.

But wait! There is hope for each one of us. Royalty is not just meant for a certain few. There is a Prince ready and willing to sweep us off our feet, to lavish us with lush and extravagant gifts in this life and at a wedding to come.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” I Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

See you next time,
Arlen