Satchel of Praises
June 12, 2008
Greetings, Prayer Team!
Today I come to you with good news about MiVoden: the Lakes Highway District voted to receive and send on with favorable comment to the county commissioners the MiVoden traffic study.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Although there are still more victories to be gained, we can rejoice at every bit of the victory He grants at every step of the journey. Surely He would not grant this blessing if He had no more to bestow in the future.
As Richard Parker, the camp’s director, said in an e-mail earlier this week, “We now have a positive response from the two most important agencies—DEQ (Dept. of environmental quality) and the Highway district. Now that we have these agency approvals our next step is to go to the county commissioners and request final CUP approval from them.”
This news, I believe, is good enough that I will pack it in my things to take with me to campmeeting here in College Place (June 20, 21). When I arrive, I will praise God for it there. I will praise Him for it ahead of time, too, but will make special room for it in my satchel of praises to bring before God as I worship Him with the gathered throng.
As I begin to pack my heart necessities for campmeeting, I see that I have some work to do. My satchel of praises—alas!—has some grumblings in it, some pride in place of humility before God. For all grumblings show my heart’s tendency to distrust my heavenly Father, to think that if I had control, things would turn out better. And what is that except blackest pride? My satchel (my heart itself) shall need a decided laundering right away, or there won’t be room enough in it for any thankfulness to find safe passage.
Where to begin?
“Pray three times a day, and, like Jacob, be importunate. At home is the place to find Jesus; then take Him with you to the meeting, and how precious will be the hours you spend there.” (Testimonies Vol. 5, p 164, chapter title “Our Campmeetings”)
I can count to three. I do that every day when I remember to eat my meals—and how much more precious is the food God delivers to our minds and hearts! Perhaps as I eat my physical meals, I can recall my spiritual hunger, come to my Savior’s table, and be fed. Convicted, laundered, nourished, changed.
I must confess that I have never encountered a packing plan like this one before. Will you join me in trying it out?
On behalf of Patsy Wagner,
Heidi C. Corder
Assistant, Office of Philanthropy