Poured out like a Starbucks offering

It is the year A.D. 64, and the great apostle is lying on a damp Roman prison cell floor waiting for his final trial that will lead to his death, a crucifixion. Two charges are filed against him; one, taking part in the burning of Rome, which happened on July 19 of that year.; the other, treason, in attempting to change the established customs of society and weaken imperial authority. Of course, that's what he would have called preaching the Gospel. All his friends, except Luke, have deserted him, leaving him alone, he feels. He is building himself up for martyrdom, getting ready for the death he is sure is going to come. So, he writes a final farewell word to his student, Timothy. The letter begins "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge he living and the dead,  and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge!"

Later, he writes, "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me -- the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing."

Life poured out...
Death is near ...
The fight, a good one, is near the end ...
The race is finished ...
Faithfulness has continued ...
The prize for finishing awaits ...
Jesus will hand out the awards.

Last night we attended perhaps the final Tee-ball game we will ever attend. I watched a young boy dancing on and off second base before he knelt, took off his helmet, dug into the dusty ground, raised the helmet that held a pile of dirt then put the helmet back on his head, causing dirt to come cascading down his head and shoulders. Tee-ball, the best expression of the best game God ever allowed creation. At the end of the game, Carrie (our youngest daughter) handed out trophies to her team, a purple creation called the Tigers. When she handed her own daughter, Emma, a trophy, a tear clouded my eye as I remembered doing the same thing with Carrie all those years ago.

Wrapping up our time in Jefferson, I'm about the cut and weed-eat the grass. I will then give away the lawn mower and the weed-eater (thankfully). I've packed all things not attached to the rental house with the exception of items in the kitchen, including the Keurig coffee-maker. That will come very, very soon. Coffee-maker will go in a box last, without question. Then on Monday and Tuesday, it's Starbucks, baby.

Like the fight against Obamacare, we're about done. The list is a short one. We've got a dance recital tonight (with two grand children), we've got a late-night Jason Turner Band appearance tomorrow night at the House of Blues in New Orleans, and we've got a final worship service on the final Sunday of the New Church on South Carrollton.

Today is clean up the house, get ride of some garbage, wash the dogs, pamper the cats, rid ourselves of refrigerator teams that won't fit in the cooler on Tuesday morn.

In short, we are dancing on second base, about to bend, remove our helmets, dig in the dust, carefully pick up the helmet and pour dirt on our heads in remembrance of New Orleans and the Crescent City area. Like the old Peanuts character, Pig-Pen, we'll take that with us as we pour forth out of the area that has been home for all but two years of the past 24. A little bit of what passes for home will go dancing to the northern part of Louisiana.

After the trial, near the execution, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth. He closed it this way, "Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you."

I echo that to all the readers who have been with me, with us, through the daily blog that began in October 2009. Be joyful. Grow in maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. If you are able to do even a bit of that, with the help of God, then He, champion of love and giver of a peace that surpasses all understand, will be with you.

We begin again next Wednesday morning from a new residence in a new town in a new appointment.

Today, grass grows till it doesn't.
Then, life will be poured out again.
Death will be nearer by the day
The fight, a good hard fight will be near the end...
The race to fulfill the call of our Lord continues ...
Faithfulness, which has ebbed and flowed like anyone and every one's, will lead me homeward to Jesus ...
The prize, a crown of righteousness, will be out there ...

And then,
and then....
Jesus, who is polishing the ultimate trophy, will be up there, out there, everywhere, ready to hand it out, ready to give it to his own children, ready to come back and dish out the heavenly pizza and the shiny trophy that only he can give as the only judge of us all.

Till then,
Till we see each other again on the other side of this move ...

Come, Lord Jesus, come.