Lenten Daily Devotional - Day 2 - 2/14/13

Devotional Scripture:  John 1:35-50

Devotional Thought:

"Can anything good come from there?" - John 1:46

Happy Valentines Day!  This daily devotional doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Valentines.  However, you may need a reminder in case you forgot!

I remember serving as pastor at the UMC in Godley, TX.   Our girls where in school, part of the marching and concert bands, and in theater arts.

Our chief football rivals were from the high school in Rio Vista, a few miles south.  Our chief rivals for basketball were from the little high school in Peaster, a few miles north.

Just mention how the football team from Rio Vista was doing . . . and you would be met with scowls.

In the winter, mention anything about the Peaster basketball team . . . and people would start telling you how awful that town and school were.

Funny . . . how we treat certain rivals as if they have no redeeming qualities or character at all.

Granted, I used to feel that way about the Washington Redskins back in the 1960's and 1970's, and later the Philedephia Eagles and those "dreaded" New York Giants.  I guess once a Cowboy's fan, always a Cowboy's fan. 

Funny, I just now became very sad . . .

It was so bad one particular year when the team from Rio Vista came to Godley for our annual district football game with them, that the Methodist preacher from Rio Vista (who is actually taller than I - go figure) and I walked along the sidelines on both sides of the field.  We cheered for every good play that both teams made.  On that day, the Godley Wildcats actually upset the Indians from Rio Vista on the 2nd to the last play of the game (for the only win against them in the 4 years we were there.)

Later in the week, members of my church and people in the community I was assigned by the Bishop to live and work in approached me . . . reminding me with various stories and "personal information" about how terrible the community and people of Rio Vista were. 

My response, "funny, they must not be as bad as you believe, because my "friend" lives and works there." 

Nathaniel, on his first introduction to the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah . . . judged him without first meeting him . . . all because Jesus was from Nazareth.

In Ecclesiates 3, we read "God has made everything beautiful in it's time."  As we travel through the season of Lent, let's all work on getting rid of blind judgements based on fiction, rumor or "supposed" fact.  It's something we all need to work out in our own hearts and lives before we get to Easter.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>