Wisdom & God’s Will In Business Decisions, A Bittersweet Memory, & A Happy Easter Picture

Back on Friday, March 30^th, I wrote a long post about seeking God’s will concerning some medical stuff; this past week, I’ve used the same principles mentioned in that post to make two business decisions.

Recently two different companies approached me about publishing two of my local history books; Letters From Stacy and Crackers & Carpetbaggers (both available through my on-line catalog at www.bluefishbooks.info ).

I prayed for wisdom asking: “Lord, what would You have me to do”?

I looked at Scripture: “Of the making of may books, there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh”.

I consulted wise people: Ginny, Donald, Helen, and especially Eve.

I gathered information: Checked both companies with Better Business Bureau, Looked at their products, Checked on both in Library of Congress listings, Looked both up in Publishers Weekly and Books In Print, Talked with an author published by one of the companies, Read a sample contract, etc.

I listened to my own heart (deceitful above all things).

I reasoned about “What’s best for us for now”?

And I decided to continue following my own business plan and not go with either company.

This process is mind-numbing.

As Ginny and I talked about these specific business decisions and about wisdom in general, she told me:

Knowledge is knowing that this is a one-way street:
Wisdom is looking both ways before you cross it!

———

Yesterday was Maundy Thursday, a church holiday which commemorates the traditional day of Jesus’ arrest.

Our family did not observe the day this year as we have in the past.

Our granddaughter had this school event so some of the gang went to that. Patricia and Eve had to work. Jennifer was busy too. And Ginny and I felt too exhausted to attend either school event, church services, or to observe our own long-standing family custom.

Somehow or another God will manage to get along without us this year.

But I missed doing our little ceremonial thing.

It’s a bittersweet feeling.

Even now, Ginny and I almost always have family devotions, a Bible reading and prayer time after supper. But on Maundy Thursday when the kids were living at home, we’d focused on the events associated with the Last Supper. I’d would re-tell the Passion story with various visual aids. We’d celebrate a family communion.

And I’d wash the feet of my wife and my children.

Then they’d wash my feet and eachother’s.

Inevitably this solemn ceremony would turn into a sort of religious family water park with lots of foot-tickling, banter, splashing, and joke telling (Which disciple wore pantyhose?).

As Jesus said at the Last Supper, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet… If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”.

But, we did none of those things this year.

Maybe I’m turning into a religious formalist…

But I miss doing them.

———

I intend to take a break from this blog over the weekend so I thought it my duty to end today’s post with some profound observation about Easter.

I come up with nothing.

Not a thought I haven’t already said in previous posts.

Therefore instead, although I can’t remember where I found it on the net, I’ll share this inspiring picture: