Trick or treat

I pulled a trick on a friend yesterday and I suppose I should be ashamed, but I’m really not. I had an appointment to go to the periodontist yesterday and it wasn’t gonna be any fun, because my gums and teeth are in horrid shape. As luck would have it, my appointment was at 1 PM and I had 2:30 on my calendar and I missed it. I loudly berated my wife for messing me up and giving me the wrong time, (a fact which she vehemently denied), but I was secretly extremely happy that I got so lucky that I could reschedule for a date way out in December and thereby avoid the painful visit.

I told my friend yesterday that I was going under the knife at the periodontist, and having undergone the same severe treatment that I am facing he was sympathetic and very concerned about my well being. In fact he was so sympathetic that he called and left me a voice mail and sent several e-mails checking up on me. One even included some Scripture to cheer me up.

For some sadistic strange reason I wrote him back last night late and told him that I was in severe pain and bleeding profusely. He knows that I am an early riser and he was so concerned with my well being that he called me at 5 AM this morning to check on me. When I recognized his phone number on my caller ID, I answered the phone with a long sorrowful moan and then I managed a whimpering faint hello. I tried my utmost to talk as though my mouth was swollen and hurting for a few minutes and then I simply could not contain myself anymore and I broke out laughing like a hyena.

When he finally understood that nothing was really wrong with me and I had been pulling his leg, he was stunned for a moment and then he called me a name. One minute he was full of brotherly Christian love and the next he was vilely berating me. What is up with that?

He may be miffed about it, but I still think it is rather humorous. At any rate the verse he sent me was a good one and for any of you out there who really may be suffering today, I have included it below to cheer YOU up. My friend should rest easy in knowing that even though his verse was not all of that useful to me today, Lord willing, somewhere, somehow, this verse is going to brighten someone’s life today. If it does, please let me know so I can cheer his day

1 Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.