Orange

Wow two posts in one day! I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, but just haven’t had the time to put it down on paper. Today has been a rainy messy day, so I’ve spent a lot of time around the house and I’ve had time to think and also time to put my thoughts down. God has really been speaking to me about simplifying my life and slowing down. We spent last weekend with some friends of ours and it was just a slow weekend, we had lots of laughter, lots of time strengthening friendships, time creating new ones and time just putting things into perspective and all this was done around a camp fire, games were played with spoons, strings, sticks and a old ball and ropes. No special computer programs, no in depth rules, it didn’t matter who won or who lost, no scores were kept just plain and simple old fashion fun with friends.
I’m guilty of wanting all the newest, latest and greatest gadgets and wanting to stay in first class accommodations when I go somewhere. I say the newest, latest and greatest doesn’t matter but I catch my self letting it sometime.

I had an experience Wednesday night that just won’t leave my mind. It is just a small simple act from a child, but it has had a huge impact on me. As I said in some of my posts before I work with the boys of our church on Wednesday nights. This past Wednesday night one of the boys ran up to me and handed me an orange. He didn’t say much just here you go Mr. Barry and then off he went. I had always heard my Mom and Dad talk about just getting an orange and maybe an apple for Christmas and that they were proud of it. That has always been hard for me to put into perspective until now.

I must confess before I go any further though. I am eating the orange now as I’m typing this and yes it is good, very good and I must say this is the best orange I’ve ever eaten. It’s not the taste though that is making it so good. Like I said until now I have had it hard putting it into perspective that an orange could be such a good gift. You see the young man that gave the orange to me is very special to me, he always and I mean always speaks to me and says hi, no matter where we are at it doesn’t have to be at church, I’ve seen him in restaurants, down town and at ball games etc. and he always speaks to me. What he doesn’t know is that some of those times I have been having a bad day and I mean a really bad day and just his smile and the attention he gave me picked me up. I know this is in reverse I’m suppose to be the mentor/role model for him. He told me later on that night as we had a chance just to talk for a minute, that I was one of his three best buddies, I can’t remember the name of the other two, but I was one of his three best buddies. If I don’t get another gift this Christmas season it won’t matter I have already gotten the best gift I could and it was just a simple orange, but it was from my best buddy! God bless my little best buddy.

Mark 10:16 “And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”