Amy's 'momentary trouble'

Today was my first day back, it was kind of weird at first, passing people in the halls, silently greeting them, but hearing the look in their eyes. Their eyes were loud, knowing, wanting to ask, but unsure how. I made it easier on them by flashing a quick smile and saying ‘Hi.’ I know and understand this will happen for a time, people care and honestly want to know how I am doing, but many be unsure if they should or how to approach me. As expected I had a ton of email, voice mail and snail mail to wade through. Add a meeting or two, my normal daily responsibilities and normal daily issues that crop up needing my immediate attention and the day went be rather quickly. It felt good to be back. Coming home was another matter all together. When Amy was alive, I would always call her on my way home and we’d chat for a few minutes, about my day, about what was for supper or what was in store for the evening. When I got home, I would always say, ‘Hello? I’m home.’ And Amy would always say, ‘Hi honey! I’m in here.’ I would search her out and we would hug and I would kiss her…always.
I had tried calling Trevor earlier (I gave him Amy’s cell phone) on his cell phone and was quite shocked to hear Amy’s voice still recorded for the voice mail and I actually called it twice more just to hear her voice…and while it crushed me to do it, I called and had it reset.

I’ve been reading in the book of James lately (one of my favorites!) when I came across the 22nd verse in chapter 1. I know that I’ve read this verse many many times before, but this time it practically jumped off the page (that’s what I like about reading the Bible; the fact that you can read and re-read a passage many different times and come away with new insights each time.) I digress, it says, ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.’ There’s a lot in these two sentences and what is said is so basic, so foundational that just like me, if you’re reading through and ‘blink’, you could miss it. ‘Do not merely listen…’ Don’t simply…don’t just…don’t only listen. This tells me that we are expected to do more than just sit in a pew each Sunday and listen to the message or just read our daily devotions, there is an implication of action to be taken. And along with this is a warning that we do not deceive ourselves. We do this by listening to the Word of God, but fail to turn to it for honest counsel and guidance or by reading it and failing to apply what you’ve read to your own life. By merely ‘listening’ to the Word, we fail to ‘live’ the Word and we can only do that through study and application. Try approaching each passage by asking yourself, ‘What difference should this passage make in my life? How should it make me want to think or act?’ and then purposefully press yourself to enact these changes in your life. John 15:1-5 points out that we can not do what the Word says unless we are living intimately with Christ and drawing on His wisdom and power. Lastly, the second sentence says, ‘Do what it says.’ That’s pretty straight forward and really leaves no wiggle room for exceptions or exclusions.

For the love of Amy - V