Daily Lesson for August 16, 2017

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 10 verses 28 through 31:

28 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ 29Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ 

I want you to know that I have been on the receiving end a hundred times over among that special fellowship of people we call church. 

I have brothers who are closer than blood, with whom I have shared the deepest of laughter and who have been my support during the most difficult of times. I have sisters -- some I call "sister-friends" because of, well, Oprah and Maya -- who have been my Athenas, offering wisdom sublime. I have "rope holders", male and female, holding me tight lest the storm take me overboard. I have mothers, tender and always, always for me. And I have fathers, patient and proud. I have fields, vacation homes, light-keeper's houses, shared with love by those with gifts of hospitality and generosity.

Persecutions?  Yes.  Hard times and bitter struggles. Some big and important and some small and petty. As we say at Second B, this ain't heaven, it's church.

But at the end of the day, Jesus was right. Following Him has brought me family and blessings a hundredfold over.  With persecutions, struggles, and trials?  Yes. And in the end eternal life. 

In the end, a hundred times a hundredfold, forever. 

And the word that comes to mind is "Gratitude".