More than a splinter!

The other day I was throwing out some wood and branches. As I was tossing some, I got a splinter the size of a small toothpick, jammed a few layers deep in the tip of my finger. Wow!, did it hurt! My finger now throbbing, I went to return my Dad's truck, and meet up with Krystal and my Mom to go run some more errands, taking comfort in knowing there was a first aid kit in our van.

With a safety pin and a crummy pair of tweezers, I began to operate. As originally predicted, it was a beauty all right. And no little surface splinter either. I dug, and dug. Slowly working away layer by layer, trying not to make things worse by splintering the splinter itself. Finally, after numerous attempts, and contorting my hand in such a way as to allow all the surgeons room to operate, my Mom got a grip on the splinter and ripped it out! "Owwwwwww! That hurt!!!", I exclaimed, now nursing my poor finger. "Think about what Jesus went through", my Mom replies.

We never really think about it like that do we. Don't get me wrong, we know what He suffered on our behalf, but do we know the pain He went through? Physically, Mentally? You could say He endured the "splinter of all splinters" so to speak for us, being nailed to a tree on our behalf.

So as I thought later about the comment my Mom had made, I really felt God laying this little lesson on my heart. Similar to the story of the Millionaire and the Penny, maybe we should apply the same type of thought each time we get a splinter. Let it remind us of the pain and sin festering deep inside us, and how Jesus Himself worked at it piece by piece, layer by layer, then reached in and plucked it out!

I just wanted to share this. This is true community! Let it sink in.

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’












The Lord led the holy man to two doors. 








 He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. 








In the middle of the room was a large round table. 









In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,









 which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.









 The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. 









They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.









 But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.









 The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.








 The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.’

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.








 There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.









 The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. 









The holy man said, 'I don't understand.









 'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill.









 You see, they have learned to feed each other.









 The greedy think only of themselves.’ 









When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.





I love my family!!!!!!
Most recent picture taken while down at White Fence Farm in Lakewood for a family gathering.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Welcome!

With a love for all things "techie", I am surprised I had not started one of these earlier. But as a good friend and mentor of mine told me as we sat discussing the changes in our world, "Some people just close their eyes and ignore it, and hope it goes away, or you can accept it, and use it to further ministry." I by no means turn away from it, I guess I have just been a bit slower getting around to it than I thought. But now that I am starting to pursue ministry again at a higher speed, I look forward to seeing how these tools of the times will enhance it.

I hope you all will welcome me to the wonderful world of blogging, as I welcome you to my first blog.

Thanks,

Brent