Canvassing Victories Won, Travels, Other Victories

Tomorrow the last canvassers will knock doors. It looks like the total sales for the four weeks will be about $77,000 (about 360 boxes). As always, this time of year, those planning to canvass for the summer are being attacked (with sickness, fear, prosperous offers, etc.) because Satan knows by long experience that if they canvass, they will be victorious. The victory is as good as won when the canvasser hits the field in faith.

So, as I say, the Devil is trying to negotiate a truce. He says "change your mind and I will let up." Cheap loser, that he is, hiding the obvious nature of his coming failure.

Heidi and I are just returned yesterday from four days backpacking along the beautiful Ouachita National Forrest Trail. We were hiking for 21 miles in the segments between the Hwy 7 and Hwy 9. Wild iris and other flowers, with happy birds and ideal spring weather made for a most enjoyable trip. We focused on Bible memory. I "roughed in" the book of Philippians (meaning that I memorized every part, but with very insufficient review to be able to retain or say it connectedly.) This morning I reviewed the first 91 of 104 verses but think I will have to almost start from scratch on half of the last 13.

Memorizing this portion of scripture has deepened my conviction that I am handicapped in my emotions. I guess that is OK. Some are blind, some are unable to walk. My problem is that I am unfeeling. I was pray-talking to my Father in Heaven yesterday about this. I said something like "I love you earnestly. I love you in the practical ways of doing your commandments. I recognize something of how much I am indebted to you. I wish, at times, that I felt it all." 

What I mean is that I wish that I felt as warm as Paul talks when he says "how greatly I long after you all" and as sympathetic as Epophriditus who was in "great heaviness" because friends had heard that he had been sick.

This handicap troubles me. But I have resolved that I can talk and act as if I feel. And that will have to do. For a long time I have talked and acted as if I didn't feel deeply and maybe this was inflicting an injury on myself. (I do not mean to become selfishly sensitive, but selflessly so, to mourn with those that mourn.)

It is time to write another mass email. This one will be hard to keep short. I waited a whole month and now there is too much to write. But I will get to it today.

Calls to travel have been coming rapidly. Maybe I will post an itinerary on this blog. May I have wisdom from heaven to know when to say "Study your Bibles and God will teach you as he teaches me. I can not come now." Or maybe I could say it as Paul did, "I trust in the Lord to send Timotheus to you shortly." In other words, "since I can not come myself at present, I will send a trusted person in my stead." I know several strong trusted young men who could go in my stead. Wisdom, I need wisdom.

Enough for now. It is almost time for breakfast.