"Shamelessness"

 "I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits:" (Ecclesiastes 2:5 KJV)

  "Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven's Armies: 'The time is coming when everything in your palace - all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now - will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,' says the LORD. 'Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king.'" Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "This message you gave me from the LORD is good." For the king was thinking, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime."" (Isaiah 39:5-8 NLT)

 Maybe this won't make much sense right away, but I believe it will sink in and penetrate some hearts; at least my own! You have probably heard the phrase, "You shall know them by their fruit," which comes from the passage in Matthew 7:15-20, as Jesus describes the good tree and bad tree, as they are only able to produce good or bad fruit, depending on what kind of tree they really are. 

 I tossed and turned in my bed most of the night; maybe because it really wasn't my bed, but a sofa-bed, that was not really all that comfortable. Regardless, it was a rather sleepless night! It could have been worse, but a doctor from the Hospital where my father-in-law was called, letting me know that he had opened him up, cleaned out a lot of issues, and was hopeful they might be taking his tube out soon.

 If none of that makes any sense, it really doesn't matter! I felt as though I had let him down; because when I had the chance to pray with him, I just sat there making small-talk and tried to keep him in good spirits. After the situation I witnessed on the 'Statis-Board' I felt I should have laid hands on him and really prayed hard that he would be protected. 

 Sometimes I am such a stupid idiot! When my wife was going into the operating room, I should have been more attentive to her and not so positive that everything was going to be alright. Several days before the procedure, she has shown me some papers that talked about Power of Attorney, and such; but I just blew it all off, telling her everything was going to be fine. 

 We must not ever let our guard down! You might think that all is well, but you really have no idea what the enemy can do, will do, or is planning to do; he will take you out, especially when you let him! "Oh what needless pain we bear!" 

 If there is anything good in this, it is that they opened him up, finding quite a few issues that needed to be corrected; issues that didn't show up in the x-rays, and where from his previous by-pass. Prayerfully, he will be brought back to a healthier condition; one where he can actually walk and work! 

 If your concerned about the title, "Shamelessness," it is a noun, specifically because it is a thing, like fruit is a thing that is produced! For the record, although it stinks to high heaven, it doesn't need to stay that way, and there is always hope...      

"At that time Jesus prayed this prayer, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! "My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."" (Matthew 11:25-30 NLT)