"The mail don't run on Sunday"

I suppose every family has quotes from family members that stick with everyone through the years.  For years I was told of the story when I was very small and my mother had given me my meal and forgot to give me a spoon. The story goes that after a few minutes, I said, “bless my heart I need a poon”. How cute is that!  Occasionally, when I am with my mother or my Aunt Bonnie and someone forgets the spoon, it’s not uncommon for one of them to say,”Bless my heart I need a poon”.  Another memorable quote in our family was when my cousin, Jerry, when told by his father to pick up his toys and go his room replied, “I will when I’m ready” only to quickly add to everyone’s relief “and I’m ready”.

Ginny, ready to hunt Easter
eggs at the Hugoton 
Baptist parsonage, our home
for 7 wonderful years. 

Years later Jerry’s niece, Bonnie, was living with Stephen and I and provided another favorite family quote, “the mail don’t run on Sunday”. The occasion was Easter Sunday. It was in the afternoon and we were hiding & hunting eggs. She was 13 but was being a good sport about hunting eggs with our daughter Ginny who was only 7. (I’m pretty sure she was actually enjoying it.)  Anyway, most of the eggs had been found and Stephen was giving hints to hurry the hunt along. So he suggested to the girls that someone check the mail and Bonnie responded, “Uncle Stephen, the mail don’t run on Sunday.”   I don’t remember which one made it to the mailbox to retrieve the hidden eggs, but we’ve never forgot the line.  Anytime someone misses the obvious, one of us will say “the mail don’t run on Sunday”

Ironically, Bonnie is not the only one that missed something that should have been obvious on Easter. I am always amazed at the how surprised the disciples seemed when they heard Jesus was not in the tomb. Granted that his words about tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in 3 days seems more like a hint than his obvious words in Mark, chapter 9.  “He said to them, ’The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but 3 days later he will rise from the dead.’”.  

It can’t get much, more clear than that! And yet, verse 32 says they didn’t understand what he was saying.  And when the women came on the third day after his death at the hands of his enemies to report he had risen, scripture says the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. Even when Peter ran to the tomb and confirmed it was empty, he left wondering what had happened. (Luke 24:11&12 NLT)

So what about us? Do we sometimes miss the obvious in Jesus words?    

Here’s another thing Jesus told his disciples just before they began what would be the very difficult week, we refer to as Holy Week.

 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3 NLT)

Recently, I’ve heard many people say it’s obvious that Christ return is near. I pray they are right, but I'll be honest I wonder if we really know everything we think we do. Things did not happen as the disciples thought they would at his first coming.

But this much is obvious, when everything is ready, he will come and get us!  Sounds a little like my Cousin Jerry’s famous line, I will when I’m ready.  And I’m waiting for the next part, when Jesus says and I’m ready.

Thanks for listening

See you next Sunday

Ronda

Bonnie & I years before she
discovered the mail didn't run
on Sunday.

P.S. Another of Bonnie’s favorite lines was “I’m special” and that she is! Special to me & special to God!