siege, arrived late last night and has spent the day with us. He came to church, where his pew-mate asked him the usual -- name, where he was from, etc. All very friendly. The pew-mate asked him what brought him to town, and siege replied that he was visiting his parents. Oh, who are your parents? he was asked. To which he simply pointed toward the chancel. D'oh.Sassafras was overjoyed to see him again. This is the first time our son has visited us here. Sassy has only seen him once in the year we've been here, when we all met out at the holler around New Year's.
siege just went upstairs to take a brief nap before returning to Moores Hill, where he's living these days. Sassy gazed longingly up the stairs after him. "See, he came back," I told her.There's a parable there.
We have been touched by the love of God in Jesus Christ. Faith means believing his promise when he says, "I'm coming back." That has both day-to-day and eternal applications. It means believing in joy when you're sad, believing there's help on the way when you're in trouble, and ultimately trusting that when we lie down for the last time that he will be there to meet us when we pass beyond this life.
It had been a long time since Sassy had seen
siege. But she didn't forget. And her wait was rewarded. (Well done, thou good and faithful dog.) Blessed are those who continue to hope, even when hope seems gone. They will be rewarded, too. 