I Corinthians 15:53
"For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal
with immortality..."
Twenty years have passed since I last attended.
Walking through the gate brought back many memories. Much had remained the same
but some things had changed.
In 2011, the Orangeburg County Fair in Orangeburg,
South Carolina, USA, celebrated 100 years of operation though my memories only
reach back forty plus years. Eating fair food and walking through livestock
barns were my favorite activities, so my wife and I set out to do just that.
Entering the livestock barn I immediately noticed the
number of farmers had obviously decreased. Four or five solitary bovines
circulated about, and only one sow lay with her litter of pigs.
The bleachers attached to the Exhibit Building where
my grandfather would patiently wait while my grandmother played bingo next door
were gone. So was the bingo stand.
But one thing has remained constant since 1938: Fiske
French Fries. Two booths in the same place they had always been. Same fries,
same containers, and still offering vinegar for those who want it. So we bought
a bucketful, sat on the picnic tables where the bleachers once were, and enjoyed
the memories.
I enjoy some changes but others make me balk. One I’m
looking forward to concerns my body; an area many seem to be dissatisfied with.
Otherwise those who produce diet foods and exercise equipment and who major in
plastic surgery and own gyms would be bankrupt. Mine is replete with flaws which
seem to grow with age.
Paul agrees when he says
"the
body is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is
raised in power"
(1 Corinthians 15:43 NIV). Our bodies may die, decay and presently disappoint
us, but after the resurrection they will be what God always intended they would
be and what we try diligently to make them: perfect.
Physical health is good but spiritual health is more
beneficial. Thankfully the day is coming when both will reach their full
potential. In the meantime, we are responsible for enhancing the first and
growing in the second.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, remind us our bodies are Your
creations. While not perfect in our sight, they are in Yours.
Martin Wiles
mandmwiles@homesc.com
Harleyville, South Carolina, USA
www.morningliteministry.com
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