Best Day Ever

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Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Just when you think you have walked through about everything that you can walk through in life, something else comes up. Just a few weeks ago we found out the virus had hit our church family. Bro. Allen Snapp and his wife, Jan tested positive. Bro. Allen even ended up in the hospital in Dallas.

But then God turned things around. Bro. Allen made a turnaround, was dismissed and got to come back to Pampa. Then after another period of quarantine, he and Jan were able to be back in church this past Sunday. He even stepped up and led the singing for the service. It was so great to have them back!

Yet it has now hit closer to home. My son, Joshua, tested positive this past week. He lost his taste and smell which caused him to be tested. Danielle got tested but she was negative. Since Vicki had been with Joshua she was tested and she was negative.

I hadn’t been around him so I was doing fine. But I decided that I would eat jalapeno’s each day just to make sure! Most everything is going well and things are moving along well. I know the struggle isn’t over, but for now our lives are moving forward.

But there has been another issue. This past Saturday, Sutton, turned 6 years old! There was a big party planned but that wasn’t going to happen. Vicki decided that we would still go to their house and take Sutton’s gifts for him to open in the afternoon.

Since the weather was nice, we took chairs and sat in the driveway and watched him open his gifts. He was just so excited that he was getting to open his gifts nothing else mattered. He opened each of them barely taking notice of the shirts and pants Memaw got for him.

Then came the big surprise. Memaw got the last bag out of the car and he was so excited to see the Playmobil Ghostbusters Lego’s that he got. He jumped up and down then took them inside and started doing his thing. Lego’s are just something that Sutton loves add a car to it and he is great.

After he finished opening the last present he said – “This is the best birthday ever!” He wasn’t bothered that he couldn’t be with friends. He wasn’t sad that he couldn’t give us a hug. He was just so happy that he had more Lego’s to play with along with some fire trucks that he got.

With all that is going on in his world right now, Sutton was so excited about his presents that nothing else mattered. His focus was on all the good that had come into his life that he forgot about the bad things that were going on.

I know there’s a lot going on right now, but the truth is that if we will focus on the ‘gift’ God has given us in Christ nothing else will matter. It doesn’t mean that everything is going to go just right, but Jesus will bring us peace in the midst of all that is taking place.

Paul wrote in Phil. 4:12-13 – “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

The Apostle Paul faced many issues in his life, but was determined to live for Christ. In Phil. 1:21 he wrote – “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” For Paul, each day with Christ was the best day ever.

When Jesus walks with us through life things may not be the way we thought they would be -- they will be better. The truth is that we will be able to say – “This is the best day ever!”

Happy 6th Birthday Sutton! Papa and Memaw love you! Remember ----

JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!!

Christ only, always,

Bro. Paul

Brother Paul Nachtigall is the preacher at Highland Baptist Church. He can be reached at bropaul@centramedia.net.