Dear Friends,
Well it is good to be back in South Africa and especially back at CMM. I bring you greetings from Luther Seminary and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Minnesota as well as Central United Methodist and Wells United Methodist Church in Mississippi. I have missed being among you. Thank you for all your prayers! Over time I look forward to sharing with you some of the lessons I have learnt from my trip.
One of the lessons I learnt was that I need to re-learn old lessons! For example I have learnt many times before that I should not pack too much luggage, knowing how often I have returned with clothes un-worn and items un-used. Yet I made the same mistake again! I took too much! I could have managed on half the amount of pants and shirts, by doing a little washing and ironing here and there. Yet, in the back of my mind, while I was packing my suitcase, I had a recurring mantra: “but what if you need this” and “take this just in case”.
The fear of not having enough drove me to take too much. And this had its consequences—first I nearly put my back out lugging it all around!
Kinky Boots film And second I was more anxious than ever waiting at the airport baggage turntables dreading that all my luggage may have gone missing. Although I was not fined for my bags being overweight I did witness many who were and the check-in clerk would issue a minimum fine of $90!
Hudson Hawk divx Seventh Moon …and on the 7th Day, God Rocked film
I wonder if this may not be a parable for our time? That the fear of not having enough drives us to take too much and this may not only be detrimental to our health (and the health of those around us) but also cause us to have difficulty passing through the check-in counter into the Kingdom of God—as difficult as a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle! The only cure I know is to live more simply and generously.
Troubled, Alan Hell Night buy
Sunday, 27 September 2009
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