Thursday does it!

Thursday

We got something of a late start during the morning when we were to go door-to-door. When we got there, the W girls said that they probably wouldn't stay the entire time there, Beth might not be able to last in the sun the whole period. Evelyn said that she could but there wasn't enough seats in Brad's car to hold all the guys and an extra person, so she was to be going home with the girls if it came to that. Each guy went off to a different section and the three girls stuck together. David and I were across the street from one another as we worked our way down the blocks.

The first guy I came to was an elderly, stooped man, I started off with
"Good morning! I'm from the Reformed Presbyterian church....."
"No."
"Well wouldn't you be able to help me with a short survey..."
"No!"
I smiled.
"Well, have a nice day"
"Yeah, you too."
as he shut the door. I doubt he really meant it though. I had another lady who also wouldn't look me in the eye and emphatically said "no" when I was asking if I could do the survey or speak with her. Oh well, I do pray that their hearts and minds would be open to discussing spiritual matters.

There was a black gentleman who seemed nice enough but almost afraid of me in another way, he almost cringed and told me that he had been to our church before on Saturday evenings. I said it was the "REFORMED" Presbyterian and he says "Oh, isn't that the one on Maine street?" I said no, that was the First Presbyterian. He seemed a bit er.... "high" on something, but I could have been mistaken. He was just slow and slurred his words, and almost afraid of me because he hadn't been to the church in a while.

There was one older lady who said she was too busy to answer the questions, she had a sick husband she was taking care of. I asked what church she went to (First Baptist I believe) and asked to give her information but she said that any information she needed she could find in the Bible. Which is true, yes, but that doesn't discount those who try to preach the Bible. I told her that I hoped her husband would get better but she said "he won't." He must have had some kind of terminal illness. As soon as the door closed I knew I should have offered to pray with her on the matter. That is an area where I failed yesterday because I should have always been ready to pray with someone over a sick loved one, a lost soul, or anything really.

We finished our neighbourhood and met up with the three girls, who were moving back towards the cars as well. On the way we picked up the last street of houses on this side of the main road. David and I just paired up and one guy who answered the door had a cross on his (rather large) t-shirt with a purple sash on it. We asked if he could answer our questions and he said that he already had a church. To which David replied that it was okay, we were still interested in hearing what he had to say. But when he got to the question about "To you, who is Jesus." They guy said "you know what boys, I'm a minister and you should just move along, I don't want to answer these." It made me want to punch his fat face (forgive the language) because of all the people who should be willing to give an answer, he should! He should be willing to listen to what we believe, to discuss, to tell us and tell everyone about what God has done for him. Him above all people out there should realize that. I pity his congregation very much.

We headed across the road and took a few more houses. Clay and Nathaniel were somewhere back in there but we took a little side street that curved around. David got involved in a conversation with a guy and spent about 20 minutes with him. I continued on and then came back to lend a bit of support, even if it was just standing there with him. The guy he was speaking to was a former Catholic, had studied at seminary and was very argumentative. He got quite vehement at various points, though never nasty. Apparently David got him to retract on a few points but he still believed essentially in living a good life to get one to heaven. David is much better than I am at carrying on a conversation like that. I wouldn't have been able to get a word in edgewise, I would have waited for a pause, which he didn't really give, David had to make points to get into the "conversation."

Then we headed back to the Wagners. Brad offered everyone a drink at Sonic, I just had a large water, which was 3/4 filled with ice but which "hit the spot." When we got home, we ate lunch and prepared for going to the YMCA. There were some children already there waiting for us. I had to pull a couple of boys to my side during the singing and story time because they were being a bit disruptive. They respected me after that though and actually came and sat by me later, instead of thinking I was "Mr Mean Man." A lot of these kids just need a firm hand to guide them. And they certainly will test you out when you tell them not to do something. I scanned the crowd periodically to see where the troublemakers were and motioned for Clay and Brad and David if they were available.

We were supposed to climb a climbing wall that day, but they were only taking ten at a time. I took a bunch of the younger kids into a raquetball court to play some dodge ball (which was just pretty much throwing balls at everyone). We were in there for the whole hour David said, and I was drenched by the end of the time. A lot of kids kept on asking when they were going to get to climb the wall but I had to tell them when Mr Brad came and took them. Well, it never happened because they didn't have enough time to put them all through. I was soaked and when I sat down I left a wet spot on the floor.

Poor Evelyn apparently had to deal with a lot of parents who were upset that their child had not climbed the wall. I didn't know that was happening at the time or I would have offered at least to stand out there and help, I was inside cleaning up and playing Duck-Duck-Goose.

We came home and practised our song a little bit for the talent show that night. I sat on the steps and briefly thought of what I was going to do for the "voice impressions" that I was to be doing. What I had was okay, I wish I could have incorporated more voices but many people there wouldn't have recognized them if I had. The boys drove in one car and the girls in another, we went to Stillwater and to the Community Center. It was a fun evening, I'm sure F.B. will have a very nice description on her blog, so I'll just talk about a couple I really remember. Laura's piano piece, by Beethoven, was beautiful, I wouldn't mind having that in my music collection. The Wagner girls did a skit with some "health foods" which would supposedly transform a person, change hair colour, grow taller, shorter, more muscular, etc. Nathaniel and I held a sheet where everyone was hiding behind.

The Fisher kids (Dani, Ben, and Greg) did a "Stevie Blue and his Roadkill Band" thing, with beanie baby dolls on a bench. Playing the guitar, singing, and rockin' on the drums. It was really, really clever and very funny.

David got up and sang a song with a guitar, which likewise was funny, he had a long introduction where he told about how he was walking and wanted to see Bald Eagle and finally he did see one and as it swooped down he was sure he heard a distinct cry, so he composed a song based upon that experience and then played it for us. He strummed the guitar and squawked three times, then bowed. He also recited some bad poems, it was a good act. He's such a ham, so are the Wagner girls.

The Wagners and Clay did "Leader of the Pack" where they just mouthed the words. The funniest thing though was when the dropped the sheet and Clay was sitting on a little red tricycle, had a leather jacket, dark sunglasses, and his hat backwards. He looked like the motorcycle type and played it well as he "revved his engine."

There were many more very talented acts and entertaining shows. Our song went well (the one we've been practising for that is still stuck in my head) and everyone enjoyed themselves, except poor Nathaniel who was trying to burn a CD and ended up not finishing it and not getting to say goodbye to everyone. But at least he was trying, you can't really regret something like that for too long or you'll never make your way through life.

I had some quotes I wanted to share from what I've been reading in Schaff's history (yes, I have had a bit of time to read thankfully, but not much!) The first is a quote a really appreciated one that I thought made an excellent distinction when speaking about the life of Paul, and in my own life. Both are from volume one.

Pg 343
Paul was inflexible in resisting the demands of false brethren, but always willing to accomodate himself to weak brethren.

Which can't really be commented on, lest it should detract from the simple beauty.

The next is a poem that was in the footnotes, about Paul, and one I appreciated especially as we went out door to door these past few weeks.

Pg 294
Christ! I am Christ's! and let the name suffice you;
Aye, for me, too, He greatly hath sufficed;
Lo, with no winning words I would entice you;
Paul has no honor and no friend but Christ.

Yes, without cheer of sister or of dauther-
Yes, without stay of father or of son,
Lone on the land, and homeless on the water,
Pass I in patience till the work be done.

Yet not in solitude, if Christ anear me
Waketh Him workers for the great employ;
Oh, not in solitude, if souls that hear me
Catch from my joyance the surprise of joy.

Hearts I have won of sister or of brother
Quick on the earth or hidden in the sod;
Lo, every heart awaiteth me, another
Friend in the blameless family of God.