And may my face shine

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Matthew 10:41-42

Sometimes, like most every time, that I pick up a paper and read about 2 millions Syrians refugees or Arizona’s overflowing foster-care system or impoverished teachers and poor schools in Nicaragua, I fret about not going into all the world, particularly if I am folding stacks of two-shirts-and-he-has-none laundry or rearranging cans on my pantry shelf just to squeeze in a few more granola bars and leftover pita chips.  

And here I am at 220 South Country Club Road, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, The United States of America.  Forever, most likely, until they drive up the rolling cart to wheel away my donated-to-science body. How then am I to number my days, that I might gain the heart of wisdom that Jon talked about in devotions yesterday? For a man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

And yet. Monday afternoon I received a couple of dust-encrusted prophets straight from the playa, and hosed them down and made a quick pop out to Food City for icy dark Bohemias, because that is what they liked. Tonight a beautiful young lady is going to join me on the back porch and hope for an-almost-autumn evening breeze and talk about what does it mean to live rightly.  And I sure pass out a lot of cold water smiles and specific positive feedbacks and splashes of experienced counsel just to make school and that which follows a little easier than one could possibly count.

So today let me receive with joy the reward of life, life abundant, God’s gift to those who lose theirs for His sake.  

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.