{"id":15262,"date":"2018-10-11T00:21:25","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T00:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/?p=15262"},"modified":"2018-10-11T00:21:25","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T00:21:25","slug":"collusion-lies-and-deceit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/collusion-lies-and-deceit\/","title":{"rendered":"Collusion, Lies, and Deceit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I recently became the unwitting victim of a vast conspiracy involving collusion at the highest levels. The plot against me involved lies and deception that stretched its nefarious tentacles even into my own church!<\/span><\/p>\n

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It all begin innocently enou<\/span>gh. I attended Bible Study and church on Sunday morning, which was wonderful, he<\/span>art-warming, a<\/span>nd fulfilling. This was not out of the ordinary at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another “ordinary” aspect of my Sundays is a trip to my in-laws where I ordinarily flop myself into a recliner and take a<\/span>\u00a0nap until late afternoon, after which we play a few hands of ordinary cards. After that, we ordinarily enjoy a lovely supper and maybe play another game of cards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It’s all very relaxing and I actually look forward to the rejuvenating effects of resting on the Sabbath just as the Lord told us to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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After church, my lovely wife (a.k.a MLW)<\/span>\u00a0informed me that our daughter (age 24) wanted to ride with us to her mom and dad’s place, but she couldn’t do so until 2:00 p.m. because she had to take a test\u00a0<\/span>for her online college class. There was nothing terribly out-of-the-ordinary about that, so I readily agreed as I enjoyed a bowl of left-over chili f<\/span>or lunch. After I finished my lunch, MLW said that her mom and dad’s Chihuahua (Rosie) had fleas, so our Chihuahua (Sophie, daughter of Rosie) would have\u00a0<\/span>to stay home. Again, not terribly out-of-the-ordinary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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After lunch, I settled into my recliner and valiantly fought the urge to nap, despite a belly fully of chili and decades of habituated snoozing. Soon, it was two o-clock and MLW informed me that she had left her glasses at church, so we really should stop and pick them up. “No problem,” I said. “I have a key.” The church was on our way, so again, nothing u<\/span>nusual or weird going on here.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we arrived at the church, I saw a young girl inside the church run past the door. I was not aware of any event going on at the church, but people frequently have events at the church that I have been told about but have forgotten were going to happen. Besides, it meant the door was probably already open.<\/span><\/p>\n

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MLW pulled up to the side door because the<\/span>re is construction going on at the front door and I found it unlocked, just as I\u00a0<\/span>had expected.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I walked down the short hall into t<\/span>he sanctuary and found about 50 people standing there, all of whom shouted “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” the moment they saw me.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Among them were my in-laws, my brother, many members of our congregation, and many of the staff of Kinship Christian Radio –and almost all of them were wearing plaid flannel.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Something very OUT of the ordin<\/span>ary w<\/span>as goi<\/span>ng on here.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I surveyed the situation, I found\u00a0there was red and black plaid flannel\u00a0everywhere<\/em>. The table cloths were plaid flannel. There was a table piled with gifts wrapped in flannel. There was even a cake decorated in red and black plaid flannel inscribed with “Happy 60th Birthday Dan.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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It was approximately at this point that I became seriously aware that I was not going to get a nap that Sunday afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Upon further examination, I found\u00a0a large piece of poster board with dozens of pictures of me throughout my life wearing plaid flannel and often holding fish I had caught. Some of the fish were fairly large and some were remarkably tiny. There were also some touching photos of me with my lovely wife and\/or beautiful daughter. None of the pictures will ever put me in danger of being considered a hipster fashion guy, even t<\/span>hough I was wearing plaid flannel a half-century before it finally became fashionable. Those in attendance had written birthday greetings and blessings around the margin of the photos.<\/span><\/p>\n

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My lovely wife and daughter along with many relatives and friends and brothers and sisters in Christ had conspired and colluded to deceive me. I later learned that the event required a full<\/span>\u00a0year of plotting and scheming to pull off.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And they were absolutely successful as I had no clue at all any of this was coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But, gradually, as I greeted those in attendance and opened gifts and accepted blessings and the occasional good-natured ribbing about being “over-the-hill” I did get a clue. All of this was don<\/span>e for me. All of this was because there are a whole lot of people in my life who actually and truly love me.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And that’s humbling because the whole time it was going on, I knew I didn’t earn it and I didn’t deserve it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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My daughter wasn’t taking on online test, my wife had left her glasses at church on purpose, and Rosie didn’t have fleas. But the conspiracy was\u00a0necessary<\/em>\u00a0because if I had known the truth, I would have tried to stop people who loved me from blessing\u00a0<\/span>me and that would have denied them the blessing of giving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the hardest lessons I have ever learned is to accept grace graciously and with gratitude. I still don’t do it very well. So, deepest thanks to all of you loving conspirators for your extraordinary love and skillfully-wrought plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thank you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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May the Lord bless you as you have blessed me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Today’s Praise<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Written by Dan Jones
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