(You are not confused. I posted this Thursday evening instead of Friday morning. Have a great weekend.)

ADDING IT UP

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:19

(To the church in Thyatira) I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

ADDING IT UP

As I write this, it is a very dreary day. Rain. A little foggy. Cold and damp. I wonder where spring is, but we have not had extreme, devastating weather conditions so I am not going to complain. I cannot imagine what it is like to see your home blown away, washed away, reduced to rubble from an earthquake or covered with volcanic ash. My prayers go out to each person that, in an instant, now faces unexpected challenges in their future.

When I started to write, I could not think of anything. Then I looked over and saw my adding machine. Don't know what I would do without that machine. I use it for our office work, keeping books balanced, and I use it at auctions, keeping track of how much bidders have spent. I enter numbers. The numbers are printed on the tape and then, when I press that total key, the adding machine gives me a balance. Just like that, I can see if the balance is good or bad. If it is a positive balance or a negative balance.

Little bit like our faith life. Can you picture one of God's office workers adding up your deeds? Your love? Your faith? Your service? Your perseverance?

As I look at the adding machine, I wonder how my faith tape will look. What will show when the total key is pressed?

I can almost hear the office worker telling God about my week, "She was doing pretty good. As you can see, we added in a few good deeds, some love and service. Then she fell behind in her Bible Study and I had to subtract one. I did add in one for faith because she believed your word instead of what a newspaper article was saying. But then she lost her temper, again, and I subtracted three. Yes, God, she is asleep now, so I will keep a sharp eye on her tomorrow. And I will say a prayer for her. She needs it."

My favorite part of today's scripture is "and that you are now doing more than you did at first." Faith is like that. As faith grows, you do more. You just want to!

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Think about this last week. How do your deeds add up? Your love? Faith? Service? Perseverance? When you add all your positive actions and subtract all the oh-my-gosh-I-cannot-believe-I-did-that actions, what will your balance for the week be?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Hello God, I come before you with a grateful heart. Grateful that I have opportunities to do good deeds, in your name. The opportunity to show love to others. The opportunity to stand firm in my faith. I will persevere. I will do more as my faith continues to grow. ……………… Amen