"Stagger....................."

This weekend another opportunity to minister to the kids at the Detention Center is there for me, only because of an invitation from a friend, the fellow who holds a place on the schedule with his own group. Whether there will be an opening for me to share anything depends on his discretion and the leading of the Holy Ghost. That means a few minutes toward the end of the service and no need for me to concern myself with possibly having to fill a half hour or so. One of the girls last Sunday wanted to hear “Just As I Am” again. That will probably come to pass. Picking up my Bible the other night, though, a verse in Jeremiah came to me and, in looking at that one, it lead me to another a couple of chapters back. “Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man to direct his steps” the prophet declares in 10:23. Then, as if extending the fact of our inability to walk a straight path, in 13:23, he adds: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.” We’ll see. If the Spirit should so appoint space, it seems to me that such thought can tie into the lyrics of my song, pointing well to our need of Christ and His grace, especially with an illustration. It was not a great moment for me yesterday at school. A co-worker and I took two of our children, by bus, over to acquaint them with the surroundings where they’ll be going to school next year. The old man managed to miss packing extra clothing for the fellow I took, and then, upon our return, discovered he had left his ball-cap and some important papers at the other facility. No big deal. We go back again this coming Tuesday. Some might point to my age; but I’m inclined to think it’s just who humanity is as a whole, missing the mark from beginning to end, some days worse than others……