These last few weeks have been marked by different sounds in the Fitch household. "Buzz," I am not
referring to the great pollinator, the honeybee that we have certainly seen while we are outside enjoy the warmth of summer. This buzzing is a bit more annoying and coming from the underside of my car. I have noticed it when driving with the windows down at certain country road cruising RPMs. I think I have identified the problem, so I am sitting in the lobby of a professional as I write this. "Crunch" was the sound of a deer striking Kerry's car just a few minutes into our drive home from a visit with Ryan, Amber, and Rowen. So, that vehicle is in a body shop being repaired. "Psst" was the sound of a tire on Emilee's car going flat while we weren't noticing. I was about to borrow it to go on a visit.
The inspirational connection for me was that I noticed a sense of "never-the-less joy." I noticed that I wasn't upset or grumpy about any of the issues. Things break. We all know that. We are also in a pandemic, which makes everyone a bit jumpy and sensitive at times. I was honestly a little surprised. Considering everything that was going on, I found myself wondering where the joy was coming from. It wasn't sleep--I hadn't been getting decent night's sleep lately. It diet or exercise. I could tell that it was from my spiritual discipline. More than just daily Bible readings, journaling and prayer, I have been working harder and listening more intently to God's hints and guidings. Siblings in Christ, we are not called to live as those who whine and complain, lash out or become bitter. Joy and peace is to be our way of life. It is not as hard to come by as you might think. I encourage you to pray and listen for God's noises and sounds that can overpower any of the distracting and frustrating ones that we might meet in our daily life!
1 Thessalonians 2:10-20
You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe. For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people, because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.
But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person. For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us. For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you? For you are our glory and joy!
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