So I have been cleaning out boxes in the garage. When I left Woods Chapel, I probably had 30 boxes of books and sermons. By the time I left Cape Coral, I had ten boxes. When I was done with the interim work at Ft. Pierce First UMC, I was down to 4 boxes.
The other day I got it down to two boxes. One of the things that I came across in the purge was the "bad boy file" and the "good boy file."
The good boy file is a file, actually a series of files in which I saved hundreds of nice notes received over the years.
The bad boy file is a very small file, but it is filled with the most painful, hurtful notes that I received in 30 years as a pastor. As I read thru the bad boy file, I remembered every single incident and every single person who delivered the pain. It was really nice that I could just see them and read them and remember, and not feel the pain. Because at the time that they were delivered, they were very painful.
Anyway, I am keeping the good boy file. The bad boy file is going away. As an interesting point of irony, as I take the file into the garage for disposal, I have a choice of where to put it... in the recycle bin [it is after all only paper] or I can put it in the trash. I chose the trash. As some point in our lives, we need to release ourselves and move on from the memories of hurt and disappointment from the past.
No more bad boy file!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure
If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com
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