From time to time, Gene and I will have conversations that are spiritual in nature, as we both follow Jesus.
Whatever you do, please do not lump us in with the group that somehow believed God wanted them to storm the capitol down in Washington. That was and always will be a wrong thing to do. I can guarantee God wasn’t a fan. Christians definitely got even more of a bad rap after that.
Anyway, one night Gene and I were having a conversation about something along those lines, when Gene blurts out “you should be a preacher!” To which I would say, “I don’t have what it takes.” I know a lot of awesome preachers. I’m related to several. Gene is also a preacher. I’ve seen what it takes from different angles. There’s a lot of driving involved, which I’m not allowed to do because of my poor eyesight. After this Gene would pull out his classic line “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called!” Gene is absolutely right. You never know what God will do to anyone in the future, but right now I don’t feel that calling. Especially after what Gene typically does next. He will initiate what is known in Sunday School circles as a “Sword Drill.” This term comes from Ephesians 6:17 where the Bible, the word of God, is referred to as the Sword of the Spirit. Part of the armor of God that we use to fight against Satan and his crazy schemes. The point of a sword drill is to know your Bible. Gene would enthusiastically shout out groups of Bible verses by their reference and I’m supposed to automatically know what they are from the reference. like “John 3:16!” “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The problem with this method of trying to get me to memorize is that because I read the Bible straight through as a novel I don’t always look at the little verse numbers, because they are so tiny. Gene was camping out in Romans and
1 Corinthians. Meanwhile I was reading through Jeremiah and hadn’t been in those books for a while. “Ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to mind!” Gene would say enthusiastically. Eventually Gene would have to give me cues of how the particular set of verses started. At this point I could finish them, I just struggle with remembering what numbers are associated with some of them. There were some that I got right off, but in the end Gene would look at me disapprovingly and say “You need to spend more time in the Word. You are too distracted by worldly things.” Gene is absolutely right. No matter what the Lord decides to do with me.
I’m glad God hasn’t given up on any of us who might be reading this silly series of mine.