From the Pastor's Desk

Reverend David Kaul

Dear friends in Christ,

God's work is often hidden. Seen only with eyes of faith. We left Sandwich late on Sunday with plans to deal with the tree broken cottage in Rhinelander, WI and to see Mom in Stillwater, MN. We planned to meet with contractors concerning the needed cottage repairs or tear down. We descended the lane and parked around 12 :15 a.m.

When Joan checked messages around 6 a.m. One was urgent. Megan's water broke (our wonderful daughter-in-law) on Monday at 5 a.m. in Carmel, Indiana! A baby was on the way. We were the grandchild care providers for Audrey and Samuel. We were ten hours away! Jonah Evan Kaul was born around 12 noon! The delivery was super. He is a healthy baby boy! He arrived two weeks ahead of schedule! Did you ever tell God your plans? People wiser than myself tell me that God laughs!

Auntie Jamie became our subsitutue. They read stories, visited the hospital, took naps, and played for three days! Joan and I stayed in Rhinelander. We spent the next mosquito filled days meeting with contractors and setting buckets in strategic places to catch the rain water dripping through the tree branch holes poked in the roof.

We didn't drive to Stillwater. Mom is doing fine. In fact, the doctor tells us that she has rallied. She has her good days and some that are not. That is what Alzeimers and being 86 does. We left Rhinelander early Saturday morning to drive to Carmel to rejoice in the birth of our grandson and to ease the family's new beginnings. Jonah is a beautiful 7 pounds 7 ounces. He has blue eyes. His sister and brother and Glacier the Golden Retriver love him. He wakes his parents every 2 hours. He likes to eat. He quietly slept while I held him in reflectively happy grandpa hands. I bought Sunday's donuts and led family worship. We cut dowels for the bunk bed, walked the dog, played kick ball in the back yard and took the grandchildren swimming.

M. Luther wrote in his Lectures on Isaiah, "If you will sit down and be quiet, you shall be saved. Do not lose heart and do not lose your temper. Wait till the storm blows over and keep still." Now that is a marvelous victory, to conquer by sitting and waiting! Meanwhile the flesh runs and toils and looks for help.

Trust in God, be patient, commit everything to Him. In a wonderful way you will see God as your protector. This passage is an outstanding, golden, magnificent promise: "In sitting quietly, you will be saved. Be calm, wait, wait, commit your cause to God. He will make it succeed. Look for Him a little at a time, wait, wait. But since this waiting seems long to the flesh and appears like death, the flesh waivers. But keep faith. Patience will overcome wickedness."

I wish I had read more of M. Luther as we anxiously worked our way through the past week. May your challenges drive you to prayer and to quietly depend upon the Lord. Let's seek some rest and quiet in this last month of summer.

See you at worship. The bbq is straight ahead.

In His love,
P. Dave