I loved this one too, Pat.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Ferguson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 6:14 AM
Subject: Purpose Driven Life Devotional for 7/26/2004


> []
> [][][][][]
> THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN=AE LIFE Daily Devotional
> July 26, 2004
>
> Together Forever
> by John Fischer
>
> A friend of mine has written a tongue-in-cheek song about a certain=20
> reluctance to go home for Christmas due to the strained relationships
that=
> =20
> always seem to characterize these once-a-year family get-togethers. I
have=
> =20
> witnessed his performance of this song numerous times, and every time
it=20
> receives a boisterous response from the audience. If the perfect family=20
> exists somewhere, I haven=92t found it yet, and I would venture to guess
you=
> =20
> haven=92t either. It stands to reason, therefore, that our spiritual=
>  families=20
> will be plagued by the same limitations that characterize our physical=20
> families. There is no perfect small group, no perfect church, no
perfect=20
> community.
>
> The issue for our fellowship, therefore, is not to be free of problems,
but=
> =20
> to be free of pretense. Conflict, disagreements or differences of
opinion=20
> are not the enemy of good relationships=97dishonesty is. We can go
through=
> =20
> anything together if we are committed to two things=97the truth about=20
> ourselves, and the permanency of our relationships in the Body of Christ.
>
> These two things are absolutely necessary for a good relationship:
telling=
> =20
> the truth, and a tenacious refusal to walk away. My wife and I have a
joke=
> =20
> about this. We tell people that we have simply decided that divorce is
out=
> =20
> of the question as a solution to our problems: =93Murder maybe, but not=20
> divorce!=94
>
> Imagine if we had the same tenacity towards each other in the Body of=20
> Christ What would happen if the ending or the avoidance of any
relationship=
> =20
> in Christ were simply not an option.
>
> If you think about it, even if we make it an option, it has to be only=20
> temporary, because we are all headed to our eternal home in heaven
where=20
> all differences, factions and grudges will be erased forever. Like we
used=
> =20
> to say in the Jesus movement: We=92re going to be together forever, so
we=20
> might as well start getting used to each other now. There are no exit
doors=
> =20
> in the family of God.
>
> PDL
>
> John Fischer is an author, speaker, and song writer based in Southern=20
> California. His latest book, Love Him in the Morning has been released
by=20
> Revell Publishing.
>
>
> []
>
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