We are in between raindrops in our neck of the woods and Carla is taking advantage of both that and her day off to spend time in her garden.  Currently she is working on the roses in preparation for the feeding and the adding of the bark dust.

We had a neighbor who lived just across the street from us.  He could never understand how she grew such beautiful roses with a bunch of kids playing in the yard and her feeding the roses with eggshells and banana peels. 

Every year he would buy his wife roses for their anniversary, one for every year.  One year they were very expensive – looking across the street he wondered ‘will she share?’  She did.  So he still had a rose for every year and they were beautiful, despite the kids, egg shells and banana peels!

Going to the gym the other day I decided to take some back roads to get there – every cop knows his town like the back of his hand and knows how to get around without using the normal routes, using some shortcuts that most citizens never have seen.

I hadn’t gone this way in a while, but as I passed a house I couldn’t help but chuckle.  There were three of us on, a PFC who was training a new officer and me.

We received word that there was a runaway girl in the house so the PFC went to see if it was true.  The house sits on a large piece of property and the family had some geese – more pets than food, but good guard animals.

The officers arrived.  I got a call that they needed some assistance, they couldn’t get out of the patrol car.

When I arrived, I saw a few geese on both sides of the car pecking at the wheels and when the officers tried to exit the car they were attacked by the geese.

If it had been a serious crime they would have done what was needed – but they didn’t want to hurt the geese and hoped that the arrival of another car would help divert them so the officers could get out.

It worked but I had a good laugh, at their expense.  No runaway was found.

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Corinthians 5:15-18  KJV  “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

¹⁶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

We sometimes forget that Jesus died for everyone, because everyone needs to be saved through His sacrifice.

We look at people and see only the outside.  It could be the drunk passed out in the alley or some doorway.  It could be the prostitute on the street corner.

It could be the thief that was just arrested, or the murderer, or rapist, or some other serious felon – and we probably look with aversion instead of with the love that God STILL has for this person, who is in need of a savior.

We look at the person that is successful in his chosen profession, or the rich person down the street and see someone with power and the ability to get what he wants and seems to have a very good living but denies that God has any involvement in his life – and forget to see him as God sees him, in God’s love, needing a savior.

Or it could be the neighbor or the co-worker or fellow hobbyist that we like to be around and spend time with them – and forget to see him as God sees him, in God’s love, needing a savior.

And that he died for all, is something I need to remember.  Because, I at one time, needed that salvation and person willing to share God’s grace with me; and because of that I am a new creature in Christ!

Later, Art (-: