The Lifeguard On Duty

What book are you reading? This question reminds me that we all must fill our reservoirs or we run out of what keeps us writing.
I don’t get to them as I would like to—but I have several groups that I enjoy following, even if it’s a rare occasion that I actually get them read. Today I read the short message sent from Seth Godin. He’s almost always short, as in a line or two short.
Not quite as short as a Hiku but close to it. The message went like this, some days you may not be the best prepared in the world, but if someone is drowning and you’re the lifeguard on duty you’re the one that goes in.
At Thanksgiving dinner, this year I was retelling a story told to me about an old preacher friend. It seems Mr. Nolan was in the hospital for some reason or other, and as was Mr. Nolan’s habit he was practicing a sermon he had prepared.
One of the nurses complimented him on his lesson, but wondered why he was preaching to someone when no one was there listening.
The old preacher’s response was, ‘Oh, well no one listens to me anyway.’
But one thing that could be said is that he never gave up. This reminds me of my morning Bible reading in Ezekiel:
“Ezekiel 37:
1) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2) And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3) And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
4) Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5) Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:”
We live in a beautiful world full of good…it can also be said we live in a dark world full of evil. Both are flowing around us. We here in the middle of nowhere read or hear on the news the reports of those who are shot and live in fear in the inner city but…
We live in a world where at times even the living of this world are also the dry bones—they aren’t listening. Like the lifeguard on duty and Mr. Nolan, we go in anyway.
“2Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
Like the old gospel preacher used to say, ‘That means we preach it (the Word of God) when they like it and when they don’t.’