Thriftiness

 

I lead the music at my church.  For the invitation song, I wait and pick a song that goes with the message.  I keep a marker in my coat pocket and write the number of the song in big numbers on a sheet of paper to show to the pianist and organist as they walk by.  But my wife has been going to thrift stores looking for antique serving pieces, and while she is looking for her glass, I am sorting through men’s clothing.  two months ago, I found a nice brown herringbone jacket for $8.  And two weeks later, I found a light blue jacket for $6.  And last week, I found a black coat for $8.  But now I have to keep five markers in five coat pockets!  I suppose I could keep one marker on my dresser to use in whatever coat I have chosen to wear.  But I am afraid of forgetting the marker.  So, for now, I’ll just try to keep five markers.  That is until I buy another cheap jacket.  I am the victim of my own thriftiness.  Oh well …  Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”  Is Solomon talking about my abundance of jackets or my abundance of markers?  I do have some silver ...

Unusual Odor

 

Yesterday, I walked outside of the back door of our house, and I smelled that same unusual smell again.  For the last few days, there has been a smell that I just couldn’t seem to identify.  It wasn’t an unpleasant smell: it was a kind of woodsy fragrance.  I used an old painted metal tank last week to fire a pottery project, and I thought that the burning enamel might have given off an odor, but that wasn’t it.  I smelled the red concrete bricks that I had used to make my home-made kiln, but it wasn’t the bricks.  But early this morning, just after taking my shower, I discovered the source of the smell: it was me!  I used a new cedarwood deodorant that I got last Saturday – right about the time that I started noticing the unusual smell.  Duh!  Hey, do you have trouble with the boss at work?  Are you crossways with your spouse at home?  Do you have trouble with your children, or their teachers at school?  It could be that all of these folk aren’t the problem.  The stink could be you!  Paul admonished the church members at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:2&3, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Hey, work at getting along with others today.  Unity isn’t easy because it involves several people.  But work at unity … work on your end.  You may find that others get along much better with you when you work at getting along with them.

Problems

 

I hand out “Order of Service” sheets at church so that the piano and organ players and pastor Jamie can be informed.  After the service, these papers become trash and accumulate on the front pew at church.  So, last Sunday morning I picked them up and went to the men’s restroom to throw them away.  But the trash can in the men’s restroom was full.  So, I picked up the trash can and carried it into the fellowship hall to empty it into a bigger trash can.  But the big trash can didn’t have a plastic liner in it.  So, I had to go to the kitchen to get a trash bag, but the kitchen was locked.  So, I was holding the papers in one hand, the small trash can in the other hand, and trying to get my keys out of my pocket.  So I put the small trash can down, got the key, opened the door, turned on the light, got the trash can liner, put it in the trash can, turned off the light, emptied the small trash can into the big trash can and, finally, threw away the papers.  Then I went back into the auditorium where I was late for the service.  Oh well … Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might …”  Don’t be weary; finish the job; and do it right.