This shot was sent "tongue in cheek" from Canada this past week. It seems that some experiences of church camp are not what they're cracked up to be. The blessing isn't shown in the picture. There was no body home! This occurred during breakfast. The most amusing thing about the photo were the accompanying anecdotes and descriptions of people's thoughts on why things happen as they do. We never really know why things happen when they come from the "accidental" realm of our human existence. That is, unless we have a persistent tendency toward the spiritual unseen world that surrounds us at all times. I used to get a kick out of people that were always making something out of nothing. I do know now that there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to little things that just seem to happen in people's lives. Can you imagine the distress the angel holding that particular tree would have been in if the folks in the tent had decided to sleep late? Protection is afforded us in so many ways, and yet we don't really see it as such. Perhaps that has something to do with the need to avoid any pretense of superstitious leanings. We pick them up so quickly that we are really not aware of the baggage they bring into our lives that must accompany us for years. The thing about not walking under a ladder, or black cats crossing one's path, and heaven forbid I should ever break a mirror and be subjected to 7 years worth of misfortune. And it swings the other way, also. We ate out at a casino last evening for the simple reason that it was convenient(half way between us & them)for us to gather there for the absolutely wonderful quisine and the interesting atmosphere. Talk about a place where "luck" is in everyone's back pocket or carried on a key chain. I watched many of the games with a sense of wonder. In particular I was impressed with the manner in which one young man of about 24 years became irritated with a machine that he was feeding $20 bills into. It didn't want to take them all. I thought he was going to say something to the dealer who was an onscreen image, but he refrained. Amazing to watch! All in all it was a wonderful gathering and an opportunity to see a side of humanity that I don't get around much anymore. They're still the same, though. Just as willing as always to rid their pockets and purses of undesirable cash. Ya know, it makes me wonder if I'm not safer sticking to campgrounds! It's a pretty good bet that the tent will be safe from trees falling. Certainly a better way to bet than on a screen similar to this one where the odds of getting three trees in a row is astronomical. Maybe that's why folks refer to it as gambling. How about that eternal bet? I would wager that many folks have no clue if their tent is going to be secure in the next world, that one not made with human hands but existing eternally. The best way to do it is place your faith in the Lord you can know and trust, with your life. He will not desert you, or abandon you, or cause calamity to strike in your life. He is there only to help and preserve that which has been His since He created all of it. In Christ's Love(don't take any wooden nickels), Preacher
