Be It Ever So Humble...

I made it home safely from Idaho to Kentucky -- 26-foot U-Haul full to the brim towing a car. It took just 3 1/2 days. Pretty good time.

Now my sister and brother-in-law will be living with us until he can find a job and earn enough money to afford an apartment. We have a big house, but suddenly doubling its occupancy is not without challenges.

On the drive home, I re-read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (https://pastorrick.com/). He writes about tests in our lives. God sometimes puts "challenging" people in our lives to test our willingness to love all.

"Courtesy is respecting our differences, being considerate of each other's feelings, and being patient with people who irritate us.... These people may have special emotional needs, deep insecurities, irritating mannerisms, or poor social skills. You might call them EGR people -- 'Extra Grace Required.'"

And in another chapter: "Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber."

So what does any of this have to do with drinking? Sharing close quarters with others, no matter how much we love them, can become a cause and and excuse for drinking. I have no such urges -- yet. I have to be on my guard and look to God for his strength and support. As always.