Off to a start

3/8/10 Monday
We are off to a start. Learned we had much less cash available than we thought so I let the guys know that unless things change I couldn’t guarantee work for them next week. So now we will look at selling the stock we inherited and will get the truck on the market as soon as possible. I must use it tomorrow along with the trailer for the livestock shelter we are tearing down. Selling the truck and trailer has been part of the plan anyway, it just became more important.

Started our morning with a scripture reading and prayer, as we try to always do. Today I read from Luke 6 starting at verse 20. Here it is;

20. Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
21. Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
22. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake.
23. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
24. But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
25. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.
26. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27. "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28. bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

These are words we’ve read many times, but it doesn’t matter how much you read them as they still carry the same weight. I told the guys that I still haven’t gotten to the point I live these principles out in every aspect of my life but at least have the comfort of knowing I’m better at it than I was a year ago. I’ve been poor, I’ve gone hungry, and I certainly know what it’s like to have men exclude me, revile me, and cast my name as evil. It’s sad that some of those who exclude me and have little, or perhaps nothing, good to say about me wear the “Christian” label. Sad not just to me but I am sure to Jesus as well, who died for us all that we might be not only free but examples to all the world. So I will love them, pray for them, and try again to reach out to them and ask for forgiveness for whatever it is they hold against me.

Time to go, there’s work to do.