June 8, 2011
Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt
At one time not so very long ago in mining communities, the company owned everything and loaned the miners enough to just get by. But they never paid the workers enough to repay the debt. This way they kept the miners in something very close to slavery. As the song, “Sixteen Tons” said, “I owe my soul to the company store.” These miners never had a chance to break out of the cycle. As soon as they made a dollar, they had to pay it to the company, which forced them to borrow to meet their own needs and the cycle continued…
I have an awareness creeping in tonight that I am hopelessly in debt! Not to the company store, but in so many other ways. With our recent challenges, there are so many projects that have not been completed or even worked on, so many messages from friends and family who love me and my family asking how things are going. So many prayers and well wishes. So many who have leaned in to one degree or another. There is no way I could ever pay all of you back or even hope to catch up with all that I “should have” gotten done and what I’ll need to get done in the meantime…
Jesus once admonished a Pharisee that when he put on a party, he should not invite his rich friends, but instead invite people who could never repay him (Luke 14). I am the recipient of such generosity, but it is hard to accept such gifts no matter how freely they are given. That, of course, leaves me feeling that I am completely covered up… drowning in debt, so to speak. In a sense, we are actually covered up and drowning in gifts of grace, love, compassion, concern.
Thank you
Jimazing Thoughts 
Carey Rowland said,
June 9, 2011 at 4:13 am
Baptized by immersion in overwhelming need and overflowing grace at the same time. We will never fully fathom the depth of it. But we can be thankful for each new day’s torrent.
Dave Anderson said,
June 9, 2011 at 7:51 am
from the depths of the agony of your soul you have mined a diamond in the rough. You have touched the “fellowship of His sufferings”. Excellent analogy. I love you, NB.
Scott L. said,
June 9, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Jim,
The debt you feel is not debt. Rather it is the repayment of debt from those who’s lives you have touched.