Eli, on John the Baptist (Wait...he ate WHAT??!!)

We were in the car after church, on our way to lunch and then to the airport for us to catch our flight back to Quito.  When asked what he had learned in Sunday School, our precocious 4-year-old grandson Eli started his brief narration about John  the Baptist, which included these "facts":
                                                                                                                                          

"John the Baptist lived in the desert and ate cockroaches and wild honey...and he bath-tized people in the Jordan River."

I don't think we were the only ones who were amused by his version.  I can just imagine God listening in with a twinkle in His eye and a grin on His face, and saying, "Close enough, buddy!  For now."

We have such a patient and understanding God!  When we try...but don't quite make it...He might say to us, "Close enough, Child!  For now."  He doesn't expect us to be perfect, so He encourages us, seeing that we sincerely strive to take steps toward the goal, and knowing that eventually we'll get it right.  On the other hand,  He DOES expect us to continue learning, and growing ever closer to "eventually getting it right".  "Close enough!" doesn't mean we've reached our eternal goal and can stop...that's why He adds, "For now".

When we earnestly seek to follow Him, He looks at us the way we look at Eli. Eli gave it his best...didn't quite get it all straight...but we've seen his potential and know that it won't be long before he tells us that "John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey and baptized people in the Jordan River."  He's growing and learning...he'll get there. God knows our potential, our sincerity, so He can look at us with a smile and say, "You'll get there!  You'll make it!"
                          *****************************************************

On a completely different note...I've been really sick!  In my last post, I mentioned that I was getting over whatever I had in San Antonio.  Then, after 2 or 3 days of feeling fairly well, I went downhill again. Maybe God gave me a special grace to be able to get through the days of traveling, and then do laundry and put stuff away...before ending up back in bed! (So, was it a continuation of what I had?)  Or maybe it's all the fault of the guy on the airplane!  I was in a window seat, and the man in the seat directly behind me coughed quite lustily...right up the space between our seats and the wall of the plane.  From what it sounded like, he didn't even cover his mouth.  So his germs came streaming their merry way up to me and I thought, "I hope we don't come down with something."  Well, I did.

Anyway, my chest was still congested, but my sparse coughing bouts didn't produce very much, so the junk just stayed there.  What with fever, weakness and feeling rotten (and having lost about 9 lbs. in 5 days), I finally went to the hospital emergency room.  We were actually attended right away! What I have is "tracheitis"; the congestion is clustered around my trachea - something I'd never heard of before. Thank God my lungs themselves were pretty clear.  So now, with an antibiotic and decongestant, and doing some nebulizer** sessions, I should be back to my normal pace in a few days.
                                                                                                                           

(**You know, that mask apparatus you put on your face that makes you look like someone from another planet, and you can just imagine someone yelling, "Alien!   Call the Men in Black!")

I know some of you  have been praying for me, and I thank you!!   
                                 *****************************************

During this next week, may we all continue our journey with our Lord uplifted by His encouraging voice telling us, "You'll get there!  You'll make it!"