A Trip to Seymour

 I needed to make a trip to my company's northern-most store - Seymour.  The tech couldn't get a tractor's electronics to calibrate.

Turns out, he was looking at the wrong address for the sensor.  She's working now.

On the way through town, I found a nice park where I could set up shop for a few minutes and answer emails.  The day was beautiful!

After a long day, I came home and did some stretching.  If you've never tried legs-up-the-wall, you should.  Find an empty wall, and place something comfortable on the floor to lay on (unless you have carpet).  Place your legs straight up the wall with your back flat on the floor so that your body is in the shape of an "L."  If this is too intense, you can bend your knees a bit.

Why do this?  It improves circulation and helps relax you.  It's also a good stretch for the back of the legs.  If you stretch your arms straight over your head, you can get a bonus stretch for your upper back and shoulders.

John 5:5-8

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

You know the story.  In Jerusalem there was a pool called Bethesda.  This was a special place, because every so often, God miraculously moved the water by an angel.  Anyone who had any kind of disease was instantly cured if he or she could make it into the pool when this happened.

This man couldn't fight the crowds.  He couldn't walk.  He didn't have a helper to pick him up and carry him into the water.  Can you imagine the people fighting to get into that water!

The Lord finds this man, and He heals him.  This man is an interesting character.  The Bible doesn't have much to say about him, so I can't draw any definite conclusions; however, the Bible doesn't mention that ... 

... he thanked Jesus.

... he repented when Jesus found him in the temple later on and told him not to sin any more lest something worse happen to him.

... he followed Christ after his healing.

The Bible does say that he found the Pharisees and told them that Jesus had healed him.

I like to contrast this man with the blind man in chapter 9.  We are given more facts about that guy.  He boldly stood against the bad doctrine of the Pharisees.  He worshipped Jesus when Jesus found him a second time.  He believed on Jesus as Messiah.

The guy in chapter 5 always leaves me wondering a bit.  Was he happy to be healed but unwilling to change?  Did he view Christ as a powerful prophet but not the Messiah?  I don't know.

I want to be grateful for how Jesus has healed me spiritually by forgiving me of my sins.  I don't want people to read the story of my life and have insufficient information to know whether or not I loved God.  I want to be more like the blind man in chapter 9.