The Great American Journey

GAP WALK JOURNALS - III

Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, 2008
Day 71 & 72    0.0  miles

Total North Carolina miles - 111.0    Walking Days - 39

Accumulative miles 583.0

It was a really busy day Friday. Lois and I spent most of the day in the kitchen. I was baking desserts and making deviled eggs all day for Kitty’s party. In fact, most of my day was spent in one corner of the kitchen. Lois and Kitty were doing a lot of cleaning, and then just before the arrival of guests we were busy making sandwiches.

The guests arrived at 7 pm (it was a slumber party with a late night tea party - thus all the desserts and tea sandwiches). Throughout the evening we made different things at different “stations” set up in the house. Several made bead jewelry, while others made colored tissue flowers and attached them to small branches brought in from the yard. Still others made pillow cases or pajama bags out of pre-cut colorful fabric.

This was a fun evening for all, even 2-year old Owen, the only male at the party. He got lots of attention from all the girls and moms in attendance.  At midnight most of us adults headed for bed while the girls watched pre-selected movies. I think they ended up going to bed at about 2 am.

I was up on Saturday at about 6 am and had an awesome time with my Bible and prayer time.  I was reading in Psalm 81 and 82. God says to Israel, “I, the LORD, am your God!”  It breaks His heart to watch His people go off on their own little paths. He wants us to serve Him and Him alone.

God sees people defending the wicked, and ignoring their victims. We live in a topsy turvy world where evil is considered good, and where good is considered evil. God tells us to defend the orphans, the weak, the suffering and the helpless. Why do we walk in darkness when the Light is so readily available?

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn away from all their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, then will I forgive, then will I heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14

This walk, known as the GAP Walk, the name taken from Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man (or woman) who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

Those last words are so sad, and so heavy on my heart. I don’t want to be unwilling to stand in the gap that God calls me to stand in. And I pray that you will also not decline to stand in the gap that God calls you to stand in.

God is ever attentive, ready to listen when we call His name. Max Lucado says that as we pour out our hearts to Him, He honors our prayers as precious jewels. Our prayers rise as a delightful fragrance to our Lord. Our prayers activate God’s power in heaven. God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Our prayers - our sincere, honest prayers - move God to change the world. “Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!” Thoughts from “The Great House of God” by Max Lucado

Lois went to the Sweetwater High School graduation this morning, then after she came home, and  Kitty’s guests had gone home, Brenda and Owen, Lois, and Kitty left for an outing in Knoxville.

Alyce-Kay and I stayed behind to work on our own projects, and just have some time together. Part of the time while we worked we watched a couple of movies on DVD. We both said that we felt like we were playing hooky.

Then a little later we went to a couple of stores for some stuff. Then home to get things ready for tomorrow when we’ll have a big group for dinner. The girls called to say they were eating dinner at Cracker Barrel. They’ve had a fun outing. It’s been good for the three sisters to be together this week.

So now we’ll probably eat some of the leftovers from last night’s party, and we’re both hoping to get to bed early tonight after being up so late last night.