Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.
I have appointments with the dentist twice a year,
my finance advisor, three times annually,
my barber once a month......
But each summer
it's me and the Big Guy for our once a year meeting.
Don't get me wrong......
I meet with Him everyday for conversation,
encouragement, guidance.
But once a year,
I see Him.
For the past 15 years,
on the first Tuesday of July
I have my annual trek to one of the local grocery stores
where I hang a banner for an annual church event.
On that morning,
I awake with an adrenaline rush,
as if I was going sky diving or cliff diving,
for I know I am going to see Jesus.
On that fateful day in early July,
I drive to the backside of the store
and gaze upward toward the roof
where I know I must go to hang the banner.
Occasionally a trucker who is dropping off cargo greets me,
and tries to talk me off the ledge,
but usually It is just me.....
me, the extension ladder, and a prayer.
For you see, to reach the roof,
I need to scale an imposing 20 foot wall
with my 14 foot extension ladder.
I'm not great at math,
but I know those figures don't add up.
I back my pickup truck to the wall,
lower my tailgate
set my ladder up on the tailgate,
grab the 6' by 10' banner & rope,
and yell to Jesus...."I'm coming!"
The first steps aren't too bad......
there's a little shimmy in the ladder
but I figure that is to get my head in the game.
Somewhere around steps seven and eight,
it has the feel of reaching the top of the opening climb of a roller coaster,
except that you are not strapped in,
and you remember that you forgot to renew your life insurance.
The ladder has a bit more shimmy to it,
and the 90 degree heat begins to make the rungs feel like the inside of a toaster.
Why don't I ever remember to bring gloves?
I think to myself.
It is usually somewhere between step eleven and twelve
that the banner begins to unfurl
but that gives me comfort,
for at least I now have a parachute.
By step fifteen and sixteen
I realize that I am at the top of the ladder.....
that would be no more ladder and four more feet of wall.
It's about that time that I see Him,
I throw the banner (my parachute) up to Him,
and I reach up and grab onto the edge of the roof.....
(that would be the roof which is being baked under a 90 degree sun)
and I pull myself up to meet Him.
Some would say it's like Peter stepping out of the boat
but I would contend that asphalt is a lot harder than H2O.
There is nothing like those moments when you are reminded of your mortality.....
a close call in your car,
waiting in the doctor's office for test results,
a graveside service.
Life is dotted with those moments when you acknowledge
that this life is fleeting,
and you place all your hope in that promise of Life after life.
Each of us needs to take that leap of faith,
I just happen to do it at the top of my ladder
on the first Tuesday of July.
Once I returned to the parking lot this year,
I was greeted by a butcher from the store who was taking a smoke break.
I was ready to explain to him what I was doing,
but before I could speak he said,
"Man, why don't you just use the stairwell inside the store that leads up to the roof?"
Not wanting to look foolish, I said,
"But then I wouldn't see Jesus."
"Beloved, now we are children of God,
and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.
We know that when He appears,
we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him just as He is."
I John 3:2
my finance advisor, three times annually,
my barber once a month......
But each summer
it's me and the Big Guy for our once a year meeting.
Don't get me wrong......
I meet with Him everyday for conversation,
encouragement, guidance.
But once a year,
I see Him.
For the past 15 years,
on the first Tuesday of July
I have my annual trek to one of the local grocery stores
where I hang a banner for an annual church event.
On that morning,
I awake with an adrenaline rush,
as if I was going sky diving or cliff diving,
for I know I am going to see Jesus.
On that fateful day in early July,
I drive to the backside of the store
and gaze upward toward the roof
where I know I must go to hang the banner.
Occasionally a trucker who is dropping off cargo greets me,
and tries to talk me off the ledge,
but usually It is just me.....
me, the extension ladder, and a prayer.
For you see, to reach the roof,
I need to scale an imposing 20 foot wall
with my 14 foot extension ladder.
I'm not great at math,
but I know those figures don't add up.
I back my pickup truck to the wall,
lower my tailgate
set my ladder up on the tailgate,
grab the 6' by 10' banner & rope,
and yell to Jesus...."I'm coming!"
The first steps aren't too bad......
there's a little shimmy in the ladder
but I figure that is to get my head in the game.
Somewhere around steps seven and eight,
it has the feel of reaching the top of the opening climb of a roller coaster,
except that you are not strapped in,
and you remember that you forgot to renew your life insurance.
The ladder has a bit more shimmy to it,
and the 90 degree heat begins to make the rungs feel like the inside of a toaster.
Why don't I ever remember to bring gloves?
I think to myself.
It is usually somewhere between step eleven and twelve
that the banner begins to unfurl
but that gives me comfort,
for at least I now have a parachute.
By step fifteen and sixteen
I realize that I am at the top of the ladder.....
that would be no more ladder and four more feet of wall.
It's about that time that I see Him,
I throw the banner (my parachute) up to Him,
and I reach up and grab onto the edge of the roof.....
(that would be the roof which is being baked under a 90 degree sun)
and I pull myself up to meet Him.
Some would say it's like Peter stepping out of the boat
but I would contend that asphalt is a lot harder than H2O.
There is nothing like those moments when you are reminded of your mortality.....
a close call in your car,
waiting in the doctor's office for test results,
a graveside service.
Life is dotted with those moments when you acknowledge
that this life is fleeting,
and you place all your hope in that promise of Life after life.
Each of us needs to take that leap of faith,
I just happen to do it at the top of my ladder
on the first Tuesday of July.
Once I returned to the parking lot this year,
I was greeted by a butcher from the store who was taking a smoke break.
I was ready to explain to him what I was doing,
but before I could speak he said,
"Man, why don't you just use the stairwell inside the store that leads up to the roof?"
Not wanting to look foolish, I said,
"But then I wouldn't see Jesus."
"Beloved, now we are children of God,
and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.
We know that when He appears,
we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him just as He is."
I John 3:2
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