From the Helm – Friday, March 05, 2010
6:30 PM – It’s been a mellow day. Had breakfast and lunch with Luiza and Pedro at their home. Luiza referred me to a salon where I was able to work in a haircut, beard cut, manicure, pedicure and massage before returning to the Beatriz this afternoon. The pampering was refreshing. It cost little more than a good steak dinner back home. The result of the pampering will far outlast the benefits of the steak…
The RBBI begins tonight with an opening ceremony at 7:30. I look forward to seeing everyone. The pastors have been arriving all day today. We now have three of their vessels docked alongside us for the duration. To my knowledge, the only ones not yet here are the group from the Trombetas River region. Storms through the night have slowed things down a bit for them. They should arrive some time in the night.
I am excited about the days to come. Ricky is a blessing to me, personally, and I feel the pastors will bond with him in short order. I’m grateful to his church back home for not only making this RBBI possible but also giving up their pastor to come teach it. The resulting effect of it all will become clear as the days unfold. I look forward to it all.
- I am grateful for this day. God’s grace and comfort have been uniquely apparent to me; His presence, more tangible than often times. Frequently, “Boyd” can intrude on perfect peace with his own ideas, dreams, plans and solutions. This is a lesson “profoundly” learned yet quickly forgotten, time and time again – a lesson once again “profoundly” learned this day…
In the unfolding of each day I always have the choice of how I will participate in it. This choice rarely varies. Either I surrender to follow or I determine to go it alone. Most days, I surrender. On those rare occasions I determine my intuitive skills to be particularly keen, I declare myself “worthy”. It’s laughable how it invariably turns out…
Looking forward to the service tonight. I just messed up on trimming what’s left of my beard. So, it is no more…