To and From San Antonio

[Richard Myers]

Doing prison ministry is interesting in that we have a captive audience. So it is on a plane. Stuck in the seat for hours. Used to be there were movies, drinks, and food, but those days are long past for the common man or woman. Well...if one has some extra money, he may purchase an internet connection    I had opened five windows on my android so that I could at least read the Sabbath School lesson that I had not done during the week. It was going well until I touched the wrong thing and it closed all of my windows and said I did not have a connection.     No, I was not going to pay for the internet on the plane.

I think the phone has interrupted social activities to a great degree. I needed to do the lesson, but that would have limited my conversation with my neighbor. She was an elderly lady of Italian heritage. Her husband had died and she was headed to visit her sister in San Antonio where she had grown up. I said hello when I sat down, but she was quietly reading a magazine so I said nothing. After awhile, I said something else, she responded quietly and continued reading.  Five or so minutes later she spoke to me. The ice had been broken and we entered into conversation.  Too much has happened since my trip to San Antonio, so I cannot remember all that was said, but we eventually got to the all important matter, the love of God. She was a Catholic, but she had studied her Bible, or at least she understood what I was saying from a Biblical view point. There were no objections, just a very loving and interested Christian. Her eyes watered as I spoke of the great love evidenced in Scripture as all points to a God of immeasurable love. As a Catholic, I tried to find common ground that I might reach a point where I could emphasize our need to look to the Bible not man.  Our conversation lasted until the plane landed. There is no greater joy than sharing the love wherewith we have been loved....with someone who appreciates hearing.

[Richard Myers]

We stopped for lunch in L.A.  I was sitting in the dining area when a man of Mexican heritage sat down at my table. His wife was in a wheel chair, so I slid over and pulled a chair out of the way so she could wheel up to the table. I heard them talking about their children who were sitting at another table.  I took my computer case and offered that seat and moved over again for the rest of his family. The father was very appreciative and thanked me kindly. He was a gentleman, but large.    We exchanged information as to where we were headed. Then we began talking about Jesus. He was a Catholic. But, as with the elderly lady on the plane, he was not a typical Catholic. He understood there were problems in the church with the leaders. Before leaving them, I shared with his family the dangers in dairy. She works in the medical field in research and understood some of the problems. It was a blessing to meet this very Christian family.

The second leg of the trip to San Antonio was interesting in that when boarding the plane, another seat arrangements led to a blessing. This time for me in where I sat. It costs money to change seating. It appears that few are given window seats unless you pay for them.      All of mine were not window seats. But, after getting settled in my isle seat, a young mother with a child place her young daughter in the window seat next to me. I asked her if she was traveling alone with her daughter. She said yes. I offered to change seats with her so she could sit with her daughter. She thanked me and told me her seat number. She then placed another daughter alongside the other. She had two daughters who were seated far apart.  The airlines don't appear to be seating families together.  To my surprise it was a window seat. God is good. I enjoy looking at the topography from 30,000 feet. You can see the results of the great flood. When flying in a small plane, I am not high enough to see the huge expanse which reveals the fantastic amount of erosion which took place over 4,000 years ago.

The trip home was the best. Will share soon.

[Ed Sutton]

Proverbs 11:25  The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Isaiah 58:
6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 ¶  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10  And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12  And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 ¶  If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14  Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Whenever we follow God's delights here on Earth His switchboard lights up in Heaven - God delights in mercy. He sends mercy to those who give mercy to others. Sometimes rapidly.