Dear Fellow Children of God,
The past week has been a whirlwind of activity, for Kathy
and me, and for our family and friends. See
if you can follow our activity, our saga for the week.
·
On Tuesday, May 12, my sister, Martha, and
brother-in-law, Mark, drove us from Gainesville, FL, to the Tampa Airport where
we boarded a flight to Anchorage.
·
We arrived home on Wednesday morning at
3:00 a.m. but shared a meal with daughter, Mary, and son, Andrew, and grandchildren,
Jackson and Kendall on Wednesday evening.
·
Thursday, along with Mary, we drove 325
miles to Fairbanks, where we watched grandson, Jacob, play baseball for Palmer
High School. We were also joined by our
daughter-in-law, Erin, and her brother, Matt, and sister in law, Kirsten, as we
cheered for Jake. (The team’s record for
3 games was 1-1-1. It’s a long story!)
·
Friday, during our time in Fairbanks, we
visited with friends, Dan and Cheryl Treakle, and later with Pastor Scott
Barkdull.
·
Saturday, after the last baseball games
we drove home to Palmer. In addition,
since Jake is graduating from Palmer High on Tuesday, May 20, his dad, Josh,
his sisters, Emma and Annie, and his brother, Henry also arrived from Seattle
while we were in Fairbanks.
·
We all worshiped together in our home congregation,
St. John Lutheran Church, on Sunday, May 17, along with Mary, and her
fiancee’, Brandon. Brandon currently
teaches in Kenney Lake, but will be teaching in Wasilla beginning in July.
·
Then on Monday, our son, Tim, came out
from Anchorage and joined the whole family at Senior Night for the Jake’s game
with the Palmer Baseball Team. At this
game, family also included Erins dad, Pastor Bruce Rowell, her mom, Polly, her
sister, Katie, and brothers Matt and Chris and their wives.
So, have I CONFUSED or OVERWHELMED you with all the
names of people, and all the places we have been in the last week? I do believe all this activity is a current-day
phenomenon. People could not have moved
around this much even a century ago. Our
interaction with all these people in all these places might also be called a
“first-world” issue.
However, the question is, “How do we as children of God
keep up with all the people we know and love and care about in so MANY
different places?” Yet, did you realize this
is not just a modern-day issue? God’s word speaks to that question from past
times.
Perhaps you remember Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, and
his father-in-law, Laban. Jacob was
known as a “deceiver.” Yet, Laban tried
to deceive or trick Jacob time and again.
After 20 years some resentment arose.
So, Jacob took his wives, Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, and
traveled toward the land God promised Abraham.
Laban pursued Jacob and his group.
When he finally caught up with them, Laban and Jacob had a frank
discussion. But, in spite of differences,
they were all family. Perhaps you remember
the monument which Laban and Jacob built. “48 Laban said, "This heap is
a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed. 49
It was also called Mizpah, because he said, "May the LORD keep watch
between you and me when we are away from each other.” (Genesis 31:48-49) They created a pile of stones and formed an
agreement, or a covenant, and trusted the Lord to watch over their loved ones,
even while separated by distance and time.
We are often separated from family and friends. This
separation can cause an ache in our hearts.
But God’s children trust the Lord to “keep watch over” our loved ones “when
we are away from each other.”
There are many other verses of Scripture which express
these emotions of longing for loved ones and also give us promises concerning
our Lord and those we care about. Among my favorite such verses are Psalm
121:8. “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time
forth and forevermore.” Comforting – “from this time AND forevermore!”
Paul wrote to many churches about his concern for them. Among those
expressions are his words of Christian love in Philippians 1. “3
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every
prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of
your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I
am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:3-6)
Paul continues to pray and to care about those in a far-away city. Also,
as He departs this world, Jesus promises His presence and blessings, “Surely,
I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) And, because
of the presence of the crucified and risen Savior, Paul assures the Corinthians
of God’s love and blessings. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the
love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
Modern day life does not have to be rushed, or hurried.
Yet we nevertheless live those kind of lives.
I confess! I am guilty!! Nevertheless, such busy-ness does not lessen
the love we have for our family and our friends. What a blessing to know our Lord takes care
of our people, even when we are separated.
Someday, because of the death and the rising of Jesus, all believers in
God’s Savior will be joined together before the throne of our Savior, FOREVER! "May
the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.”
A Child of God, Taking Comfort And Strength from God’s
Care for Loved One - FAR AWAY!
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I have
finished my service this year as assistant to Pastor Chris Kollmann at First
Lutheran Church, in Gainesville, FL.
On Monday, May 18, while family
watched Jake play baseball in Palmer, I attended my first Executive Leadership
Team meeting at Anchorage Lutheran Church in Anchorage. I will be serving as Vacancy Pastor at
Anchorage Lutheran.
Other Activities of Faith:
I have again started my two-year
journey with my Lord. On Tuesday, May 12, I read Joshua 22. What an interesting story of how
mis-understanding could have caused great harm, but did not!
You may also contact me at
907-841-4066 if you have any questions about these readings. Or send an
e-mail question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net
I have received questions and comments about the readings. It is always
good to consider our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some
things only God knows!
P.P.S. Family Fun and Fishing!
·
Alaska House – On Wednesday I walked
around our yard to see how things were at our Alaska home. There was a tree which the wind blew down
across some of our garden plot. Our
apple trees were nipped by moose, above the fencing we put up last year. A moose left his sign in our yard by our
neighbor’s fence. I have work to do on
our front flower garden because the wind blew away the mulch, and disturbed
some of our landscape fabric. Actually, all in all, not a bad winter. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/9cHuGNnGr29Z1Qy26
·
Baseball – Here are some pictures from
Jake’s baseball games
o Thursday,
May 14 – https://photos.app.goo.gl/WV4AFbAPhjpYmSHR8
o Friday,
May 15 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/yJTgLb1T8Epn6tXH7
o Saturday,
May 16 – https://photos.app.goo.gl/viG4jtdmjSoK9Wrp6
o Monday,
May 18 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/qrYMFmuP5hG2YFL18
·
Fishing – While in Fairbanks I did visit
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Office, and received a recommendation on
local lakes to fish. I didn’t have much
time so I dropped Kathy and Mary off at the hotel, and threw a few lures, and a
few flies onto Billaine Lake. I had no
bites. Unlike Florida, I had to cast
over and around the remaining ice. Here
are a few pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/8e75DBjvyjdbPWAF6
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of
August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John Lutheran Church
in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously entitled,
"Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired many asked me to
continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing.
However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior pastor
at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to
receive it. (I finished for now serving as Assistant to the Pastor for
First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL. I am serving Anchorage Lutheran
Church as Vacancy Pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving
these devotions and wondered why, now you understand. And, if you are now
receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive them, please let me know,
and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution list. My e-mail
address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these
devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Assistant to the Pastor , First Lutheran Church,
Gainesville, FL
Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1
a)
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