Proverbs 16:6; 17:9, Covered by Love and Snow in Alaska

Just returned from Alaska as you can see from the photos...what an amazingly beautiful frontier. So diverse yet in many ways still maintains that old fashioned hospitality, work ethic, and family values. One of the things I learned there was the emphasis on neighbors helping neighbors or even complete strangers. In Alaska, people are still helping each other...it may be the last frontier.

In Proverbs 16:6 Solomon writes, "By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is covered/atoned, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil."

In Proverbs 17:9, "Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends."

In I Peter 4:7, 8, Peter writes, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

In order to love earnestly and bring redemption to broken relationships, we must exercise self-control in order to be effective in prayer. Wesley wrote:

But the end of all things - And so of their wrongs, and your sufferings. Is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer - Temperance helps watchfulness, and both of them help prayer. Watch (or stay awake, be attentive, stay focused), that ye may pray; and pray, that ye may watch (or stay awake, be attentive, stay focused).

Peter continues by helping his readers know exactly how to apply this “covered love” in their lives: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God (this means, that those who have the gift of speaking need to speak as if he was conveying God’s Words directly to man, as if God was speaking Himself); whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

So, whether we are speaking or serving, we need to do it in a way that brings heaven down to earth; to do it in a way that you know that you just experienced a little bit of the divine nature of God. Well, this weekend I experienced this. When I arrived in Alaska, the family that I stayed with (I know I will spell this wrong), the Maakestad’s, opened up their home, their heart, their family, and their refrigerator! At midnight, we started with Salmon spread on toasted bagels…after speaking for four days and flying to Alaska that evening, this was such a treat. Not only was the Salmon treat special at such a late hour, but when I slipped under the covers I found that they had arranged my bed with so many blankets and comforters, I thought I was sleeping in a cloud. I share this because this is exactly what Peter is talking about. This family served me in such a way that I sensed the presence of God…a little taste of heaven. Maybe when the Scriptures say, “taste and see that the Lord is good,” that this is what it is referring to. And breakfast! I can still taste it! I can’t imagine how unfathomable our lives are going to be on the new earth.

Well, it didn’t stop there. Then there were two special ladies, Wendy and Pauline. They set the book tables up, worked tirelessly, took them down, set them up again in another location and again worked tirelessly. Lamplighter has always been blessed with reps who work for the Lord and not man. I have seen the same with Nicole, Beth, Jennifer, Mary, Kathy, Lane, Sherry, Char, Millie, Tina, Kathy, Brooke, the Olson’s, Ally, Rosalie, and Mandy—they certainly aren’t doing this for the money and the amount of work that they do and how utterly exhausted they are after they serve cannot be described. But again, this reflects what Peter is talking about—when you serve, serve by the strength that God supplies. He will renew our strength when we are serving him and others for Kingdom purposes. There just isn’t anything like serving the King!

My experience in Alaska didn’t stop there. The next family, the Swanson’s blessed me once again. I woke up to literally the most beautiful vista I have ever seen. And then breakfast with the family, and then driving me here and there; setting up the flight simulator (everyone has an airplane in Alaska!) so I could practice my landings—I crashed. Then a phone call from Terry who made arrangements for me to take a flight lesson so I could experience Alaska from the air. The number of blessings that came to me way were really more than I could handle…and this is what Peter is talking about. And it didn’t stop there…my time with Joe and Janelle, and the precious time with all the families on Sunday afternoon with all the children; the fellowship, the Scriptures, the beautiful piano selections (that should be on an album!), the children, Doug’s arrangement for the shooting of the machine gun!...yes, I am now officially in the Rambo club as you can see in the picture. Well, I know I am leaving a host of people and blessings out of this letter, but I know that they didn’t serve this weekend to be recognized…in fact they probably wished I didn’t mention their names.

This has grown too long...the experience at church was only one more blessing I wish I could share...we serve an awesome God; may we also continue to serve one another to show the world a little bit of heaven on earth!