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July
2006
My
Vacation
I
am never doing this again if I can help it!!! I mean Never!! That is
at least not until I get married…
This
is the very thought that ran through my head as we walked into what seemed like
the eightieth gift shop on my vacation in Estus Park, Colorado. I hate
going to a bunch of gift shops like that and my parents love them, and my
brother as well. Me? Why I would rather have a spanking than go in
shop after shop after shop like that. You got to put yourself into my
position to understand. Here we are in these shops. I am blind as a
bat, so I cannot see anything and the rooms are crowded as can be. I
am hanging on to my dad’s elbow taking extreme caution with every step to stay
very close to him so I don’t trip on something and break it. Which I
guess would mean buying it. Almost every shop is tiny and my parents look
and look and I stand and stand bored with nothing to do but wish I was back at
camp. Why did I not stay at camp? Well reason number one food!! You
see Usually on the days that we go to town for shopping, we also eat out and
have a really good meal. So I sure can’t miss that! Not only that,
but reason number 2, I figure the walking is good exercise, that is something I
know I do not get enough of, and thirdly, I
would not want my folks to
hurry back, or come back a bit sooner than they wish, because I was sitting at
camp with nothing to do, so I tag along, and by the Lord’s grace, I did not
grumble nor complain once that I recall. However, after going in to what
seemed like tons of shops I did grumble to myself and say silently the words you
read above.
“I’m
never doing this again if I can help it until I get married!...” Now is
it possible to have a dialog with ones own self? I’m not sure but if it
is here is the dialog that Mark and Mark had.
“But
some women don’t like shopping like this either, so you may not even have to
do this when you get married!”
“Yes,
that’s true, but it seems to me that most women like shopping, and well, if
the Lord gives me a woman someday who loves and cherishes me, I don’t intend
to be some selfish stick in the mud that will only do what I want and never does
the things she wants to do just because I don’t like it. I have seen a
lot of guys that way and it drives me up the wall. When they got some
beauty by their side that loves them and they won’t do certain things for her
simply because they don’t like to. But if I do find a woman that
doesn’t like to shop then I guess, well, praise the Lord!”
And
so my thoughts continued on.
“What
would it be like to have a woman, a wife, a help mate and be walking by her side
in these stores? Well not quite as bad, cause I’d ask her about what she
was looking at and learning of her interests. Hopefully, She would be
delighted because I cared enough to ask and be interested for her sake and,
well, what a pair we would make. Now I would have to pray to God to give me
grace to be the type of man I want to be to whom ever the Lord sees fit to send. For
it would be just like me to
Do
every thing with her at first, you know going into stores and stuff. But
then, get to where I just sit in the car or whatever and wait on her. Now
in a secure relationship, I would think a little of that would be fine. However,
if one isn’t careful, and if they take it to far, well they begin to get a
little selfish and it’s all about me sets in. The husband does his thing,
the wife does her thing, and they live in two separate worlds. Like to
separate lives in the same house. Don’t get me wrong as I said some
separate tasks and all is okay, but one needs to watch it. After all the
husband and wife are to be best friends are they not? O help me God prepare
my heart I prayed.”
Well
it was somewhere during my thoughts about all of this that I realized I wasn’t
bored any more. I had a lot to think about, a lot to pray about. For
surely I will have a woman some day, or will I? For you see I have given my
all to God and, well, I told my Lord that I wanted to do whatever I can in life
to bring the most glory to Him possible no matter what. I must admit that
it is pretty cool to not have any one right now, because I can give my all to
God and to ministry. It is true I do not have a church right now. But
I do stay busy in ministry. Had I a wife, though in many ways she could add
to the ministry by helping me do so much more, she would also take part of my
time and I would need to take the time to care for her. (I Peter 3:7) It is cool
to be only concerned with God. Don’t misunderstand. If I could find
her, I’d take a helpmate in a split second, and be exceedingly grateful for
her. However, the closer I get to the Lord, the more and more content I am
with the way things are right now, and well, if the Lord so desired for me to
just be His alone for the rest of my life, living as Jesus lived when He walked on the earth and not having that mate, I would be
completely okay with that to. (I Corinthians 7:27-33) But, if it were just
up to Mark alone, yes I would find someone, and fairly soon. However I
would be willing to live this way all my life if the Lord so willed.
Anyway
back to what I was saying, I was not bored any longer. Then I listened to
the conversations of other people in the stores as they talked with each other
and on phones. Yes perhaps it was eavesdropping but in a good way if you
know what I mean. For I listen and if they were talking about decisions
that were going to have to be made, I silently prayed for them. If they
were happy and laughing, I thanked God for them.
One
of the best moments of all in the store was when we walked inside one
little room. They had a certain song playing and there was a bright light
shining that even I could see. But wait a minute, that’s another post. You
will have to read that in the post called “Heaven.” It will come soon. Any
way, I found a lot to think about, a lot to pray about, and the Lord blessed me
in the stores when I get to thinking about it. Walking with care so as not
to break something, well that reminds me of how I should walk with care in life. Listening
in on peoples conversations showed me what to pray about, and just wait till you
read my “heaven post! I suppose it wasn’t as bad as I first thought,
maybe I will go shopping with my parents again…
Thanks
for your interest in me if you took the time to read this post, and remember I
would love to hear from you any time if you read.
You
can email us at placeoffreedom@gmail.com
Have
a blessed day, and may you recognize all the blessings the Lord sends your way. Remember
this is the day the Lord has made. Be glad and rejoice will you? tis good
for the soul…(Psalms 118:24)
Mark
Rotramel