Reports from Cities

What a crazy weekend it was inSheboygan,Wisconsinthis past weekend. Usually this weekend is one of my favorites during the year, perhaps my most or second favorite all year. However, this year seemed very tough. I was very, very tired the first day I arrived and the whole weekend seemed very heavy and out of kilter as we would say down on the farm in Indiana. It was very hard to find a flow in the Spirit all weekend. On the way driving home it seemed like the flow of the Spirit opened right back up again. I asked the Lord to show me what was going on and I got a few insights. 1) The two days at home before going I worked long days to get things done in the shop and office and then I had a hard seven hour drive through Chicago, so I was very tired when I arrived. 2) The first night there I ate my very most favorite pizza at my most favorite pizza place from around the whole country and my system is just not used to that, so I put heavy food in me the very first night. 3) The weather was the coldest on record for more than a decade, which significantly cut down the crowds at this usually large event which added a little stress. 4) The much lower product sales added a little stress. 5) They had cut down some trees between me and a music stage which allowed their music in inundate my area, which added a little stress. 6) They added a sound system to the grounds that piped music and announcements into my area, which added a little stress. 7) The show schedule is very heavy, keeping me tired, and 8) A wonderful family with four children, who I have been getting to know over the past few years came out every day! Their children are wonderful, but they were like a bee hive over everything, all the time. I could not rest between shows, or pray the way I usually do. It was very, very distracting. Bless their hearts, they were always wanting to go out on the fairgrounds or get something to eat. I think they were taking it on themselves to care for me, but it backfired. I felt very put upon.  All in all, the whole weekend was very draining rather than invigorating. It’s usually one of the best all year for me. I finally slept in the last two days and got some product sales going by cutting my prices, but I was not able to calm my spirit and sense his voice till after I left. I was very glad to leave and I don’t like that. I did walk through the city praying a couple of times. I could walk about a mile up through town, go up a hill and look back down on the city. It must have been a little like Jesus looking down onJerusalemweeping for them. All in all, the lesson is, when you are giving yourself to prayer you must seclude yourself. You must be rested. You must have uninterrupted time. You must control lots of little things that can come in and take a small bite out of God’s presence, but all put together robs the whole thing. I have to say it was actually a little scary for me. I am so used to worship and seeking him and sensing his presence. To seem to be without that was not fun at all! Oh, that the world would get a glimpse of hell, being totally without God. Oh, that the church would go back to some teaching about hell. Yes – God is good! But, there still is a hell to be shunned. We must warn the world that eternity without God, without his presence, without his help, even in taking a single breath, is something that is worth any price to be avoided.