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Live from Fernandina Beach
Having just finished the setup of our sound system in a church in Georgia recently, I trekked off to our green room, where I have fifty glorious minutes to dress, relax, eat a little bit of fruit, drink some water and prepare to meet the audience du jour. The time is normally ample and without constraints…except on those occasions when nature calls. Oh, shoot, let me not be coy. In other words, when I’ve got to go to the bathroom.
This involves finding the restroom in a church, which normally, like salvation, can be a five-step process, still ending with a bit of uncertainty. I don’t like to use the bathroom in churches because I don’t want my first encounter with someone coming into the restroom to be my particular fragrance as I sheepishly walk out of the stall and mumble something about how I wish there was room spray.
But as I said–there was a beckoning.
So I found the enclosure, it was fortunately unoccupied and I slid into the stall and sat down and began my business. (I know it’s not good to talk about what we do in that room in those private moments, but we all know it’s very important–perhaps even essential to our emotions, spirituality, mental health and certainly our physical lucidity. So I rather enjoy the private time and–pardon the expression–cheer on the results.)
As I was sitting there, I looked to my right and there was a poster on the wall, seemingly purposefully set at eye level for those involved in the procedure. It was a beautiful poster with a scripture from Galatians inscribed upon it, emblazoned in gorgeous calligraphy. It read, “Do not grow tired in doing well, for very soon you will bear fruit if you do not give up.”
I was a bit startled. I did not know whether it was an attempt at humor (which, by the way, I found out later from meeting the people that such was probably impossible) or if somebody had discovered this poster and did not deem it worthy of either bulletin board or vestibule, but rather than throwing it away, wanted to give it some position of recognition. I found it extremely funny, because even though I had no intentions of throwing in the towel (or the toilet paper, for that matter) on this particular excursion, just knowing that God was behind me, so to speak, and was fully aware that I might lose heart helped me complete my task with much more fervor.
They say if you travel enough, you eventually see everything. Scriptural devotions in toilet rooms is new to me. But as I was finishing up, I thought that even though the Galatians passage encouraging us not to give up was very good, I think I would have opted for one from the book of Revelation.
“Surely come quickly, Lord Jesus.”
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Here comes Christmas! For your listening pleasure, below is Manger Medley, Jonathan’s arrangement of Away in the Manger, which closes with him singing his gorgeous song, Messiah. Looking forward to the holidays with you!
Jonathots Daily Blog 