Week twenty one was similar to week twenty but on a lighter note. Monday I visited Doris alumni sister and her unsaved father in Yuen Long. There was nothing I could do because he was bent on unbelieving and arguing. Later I walked downtown to remember my earlier work days here.
Tuesday night emotions caught up to me. A good friend agreed to drive me along southern Californias coast when I return to USA in November so that I can get back to the trail that Doris and I took on our honeymoon and to lodge at Carmel. I will leave Nov 17 for three weeks.
The next morning I woke up to a dream of convincing Doris to eat food. She was always careful to eat food that is healthy, and I was trying to persuade her to eat what I bought her, saying it is frequented by lots of customers at a cleaner location.
On Wednesday there was no time to waste because Saturday sermon was round the corner and I was still behind by a day or two in work. I have to be very disciplined because I got three new sermons coming up in next four weeks, now I know how last minute people feels. Shoulder blade pain and a sprained neck also bothered me for two weeks in a row.
My sermon preparation was further compounded by a wedding rehearsal on Thursday. I was glad for coworkers help so that I just needed to practice and direct the vows. My preparation was harder than usual since the groom is from another church and I had switch to their Chinese names instead of the brides normal English name.
There was a lot to do on Friday, one day away from sermon delivery. I shared with a friend that today was a good week, but he quipped the week is not over. At night I had dinner with middle sister, bringing a bread I baked for two sisters.
On Saturday there were lots of tears. I woke up 5am to work on some missing pieces in the sermon.In the morning a kind friend asked me to join a retreat in China, so I told friend my plan to drive Pacific coast highway to our honeymoon destination, and in the process the tears returned. At the wedding the groom started crying when the bride entered, so that made me emotional. At night during the sermon in Luke 4 Jesus temptation, I questioned why Doris had cancer, suffered and died,in contrast to Psalm 91 where the Messiah was promised to be guarded and his foot not dashed: "because he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all your ways."The answer is in verse 14 "because" : *because*
he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, *because* he hath known my name. The devil said the "because" in verse 11 but left out other two important "because" in verse 14. I was comforted because, like the Son, Doris love for the Father never changed no matter the circumstances and results.
Sunday was a calmer day. We had a good marketplace study on passing the baton, from Paul to Ephesus elders in Acts 20.
Add a verse that inspired me Sunday: Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Oct 18
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