Funerals and Speeding Tickets

Today I'm late.....at least at posting an entry in this blog. Yesterday was busy with the Fourth of July service perparation and acutuality. It was a wonderful time when we gathered with people from different churches for the purpose of praising God for our freedom of citizenship in both country and His kingdom. We were priviledged to have great musicians aboard for that service which made the evening so moving and beautiful.

Today was a horse of a different color. I got up about five thirty and was outdoors soon after choosing the foliage and flowers I would use to fill twenty bud vases for the luncheon tables following the funeral of a fifty five year old friend from our church. She struggled with various illnesses and finally gave in to death; I think virtually longed for death at the end. Marlene was without doubt the best Bible teacher ever for new Christians. She was passionate about her faith and in her healthy years participated with vigor all the events of church life. Later, I think she became dissillioned and fell out of participation for the most part. I don't think her faith in Christ ever waivered, but I think she may have gotten discouraged with members of the body of Christ. Several years ago, our church went through a seperation of church and pastor. As I look back now, I feel so sorry about all that went on then. Not only was damage done to the ousted pastor and family but there was fall out on many fronts. A woman who was a member of our church in that turbulent time asked if she could sit with me at the funeral today because her husband couldn't attend. As we visited, I told her that I still think of the two of them as part of our fellowship. She said that was nice to hear. Then she told me through tears that when everything came down at that time, her husband who was clerk of our council had to tell his best friend, the preacher, that he know longer had a job. She said, it was never the same after that. They floundered from church to church for several years after that. God forgive us for the events of that time in church life and for the hurt inflicted onto so many. I have mentioned only two of the families affected. There were several others. Some were on one side of the issue, some were on the other. Some stayed and others left. Having experienced that painful time and having watched members of my extended family go through times of dissention in their churches, I have a disdain for that type of trouble. I have difficulty with a pastor falling out of favor in his church but I have more difficulty with pastors that divide the body of Christ. God has strong words of warning to pastors that split the body of Christ. What I find so troubling is that those pastors seem not to notice the division they find themselves heading. I have to work at not being resentful and holding a grudge. God forgive that which is in my heart that keeps me from loving them as I should. Help me to remember my own frailties, Father.

One of those frailtes is that I have always had a heavy foot behind the wheel. Age has tempered that some but I can be going over the limit just simply because my mind is on other things. On my way home from the funeral, I was on a back road that leads to our church. Part of the road is an open rural drive with corn fields and a few houses, the other end has a small bedroom community. As I drove home, I slowly went through the bedroom community well within the speed limit. As I got out in the rural area, my speed increased without my noticing the speedometer. About that time, I noticed a county sherrif headed my way. I looked at the speedometer and saw I was over fifty. I thought the limit was forty so there was a gasp of hope. Not so, the sherrif turned his rig around in a driveway, followed me for a mile and then stopped me. I kept my head about me and had my license and registration out before he got to my window. He told me he clocked me at fifty two and that the limit was thirty five. I told him I knew it was thirty five in the midst of all the homes at the other end but that I was under the impression that the country road end was had a higher limit. Nope, thirty five all the way. Okay, then, I'm sorry but I didn't realize that. He went back to his car to do his law enforcement thing. I decided that even if he wrote me a ticket, I WOULD NOT get upset over this. It was an innocent mistake and I was not in any way putting any one in danger. He came back to my car with a written warning (for which I was very grateful). BUT, I initiated a conversation about speed limits in the area. I found they are ridiculously low in Newton county. I told him I respected the law but felt some of those limits were not called for. His twenty five year old face broke into a grin and he said, "I don't make the law, I just enforce it". Likely story. Grrrrrrrr. I know, I know, the very attitude is another of my frailties.