Saturday, November 2, 2013
Hi Everyone,
Today it is special. Today it is Coffee with Jesus and Jim (and Kathy, too). I am down in West Virginia for a couple of weeks with Jim and Kathy. Today is special because they are both home this am while I am having my coffee with Jesus. Kathy, while I have asked her not to wait on me, does it anyway. She has brought my coffee and raisin bread toast in to me where I am sitting with Jim. She takes such wonderful care of me. I thank Jesus for her again today as I do every day. Today is Saturday and Jim has a day to stay in bed in the morning. Every other day they both get up and go off early to the school where Jim does his administrating and Kathy does her teaching. Sunday, of course, is up early and go to church to worship and do more teaching. I go to church with them but other days I stay home with the dogs until they get back. On those days, it is Jesus who is with me, as I ask Him to be even down here in West Virginia.
This morning it was even more special because as I read my Bible, I now can read it aloud and have Jim to tell me more about the culture and historical times of the Scripture that I am reading. I am reading in Isaiah and it can be tough going. I can’t be sure about the era of history to which Isaiah is referring or whether he is telling me what is happening in the world now. It is probably both. Also, it is hard to sort out in just casual reading. In a regular Bible study, I would have resources to go to, but this is my regular Scripture reading every a.m. that I like to do as a morning routine with Jesus. Maybe that is the wrong way to go about Scripture reading; but the Word says that all Scripture is profitable for edification and I really enjoy going through the Bible that way, so I continue. This morning though, I have my interpreter in Jim so I am just loving having “coffee with Jesus and Jim.” I praise the Lord every day for my Kathy and Jim.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Today I went to church with Jim and Kathy. Their church was celebrating “Orphan’s Day.” Many of the people in their church have adopted children who have very little hope of a family to call their own. It was a very touching service as several of those families gave testimony of the blessing they have received from the little ones who have come into their homes. They spoke of their blessings from the kids; not the blessings given to the kids. I was very impressed at the sincerity and truth with which they spoke. No one talked about the hardships involved in taking on more responsibilities, no one complained about the stretching of the budget, no one said they felt their adopted children took time away from their biological children. They didn’t deny that this was true, only that the joy far outdistanced the hardships. They talked about the difficulties the adopted children had with language, discipline and psychological problems, but these challenges were turned into joy when the children reacted to the love they had never known in a family. None of these concerns seemed to compare with the joy those children brought into their lives.
Some of these people purposely chose the hard to place children who would never be adopted by others. One family deliberately asked for older children because so many of the adopters stipulated only babies or children under two or three. One family who already had a severely handicapped child, took two more brothers into their home to be part of the family. The love of Jesus and His way shone through in the lives of the people in that church and I am so glad to be able to go there and that Jim and Kathy are a part of it.
Today I will dwell on the blessings and joy that come with encouraging others and helping them in any way possible. Getting new things and possessions is fun but short lived. Real joy is in living and doing what Jesus asks us to do: love others as we would be loved. That joy lasts and never wears out.
Today I will pray to follow Jesus and be a better person.
God bless and keep all of you and I send my love to all.
Irma Jane Fritz-Zager
My Coffee with Jesus 