Uncle Floyd woke up in the middle of the night.  We’ll have to pretend it is very dark here.  At first he couldn’t remember where he was.  It didn’t feel like home.  He opened one eye and peeked out and looked around.  Then he saw the cross. 

Have you ever gone to a cousin’s house or to your grandparents and stayed overnight?  A sleepover is lots of fun.  That is kind of what the men at Pastor Ed’s church have done this weekend.  Instead of calling it a pajama party, they have called it a Renewal Weekend.  In our church, for real, the men are having a Renewal Weekend right now. They are sitting in the back, here to worship with us. They have cots and air mattresses to sleep on in one of the SCS rooms.  In Pastor Ed’s church they decided to sleep on the floor, right in front of the cross!  And that is what Uncle Floyd is now looking at.

“I reckon I might just as well get up and use the bathroom, as long as I’m awake.” Uncle Floyd thought to himself.  When he tiptoed back into the sleeping area, he could hear Mr. Potato Head snoring.  There was Pastor Ed.  He’s standing up to sleep.  Horses can do that you know.  Sometimes they lie down and sometimes they stand up to sleep.  Mr. Konde, Sam’s father, and Mr. Gym Teacher are here and so is Mr. Mawakasunga, Elizabeth’s father.  It looked kind of funny, seeing them all asleep on the floor.  

As he snuggled back under his blanket, Uncle Floyd thought about everything the men had been talking about on their Renewal Weekend.  He thought about the different ways that God has helped him in difficult times throughout his life, like when his brother had that terrible car accident and then his brother’s son, Barabas, came to live with him.  And what a blessing that has been, to have his nephew Barabas come live with him.

And Uncle Floyd thought about how all the men prayed for each other and how they encouraged each other.  And he thought about how God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins.

Just as Uncle Floyd was falling back asleep, he heard someone else moving about.  It was Mr. Mawakasunga.  “I reckon he’s going to the bathroom too!” thought Uncle Floyd.  And then he fell back to sleep.

Mr. Mawakasunga tiptoed back to his sleeping place.  He could hear Mr. Potato Head snoring.  It looked kind of funny to see all the men asleep on the floor in front of the cross.  As Mr. Mawakasunga covered up again he thought about all the different talents God has given each of the men on this Renewal Weekend.  And he thought about how God expects us to use our talents to do God’s work.  Mr. Mawakasunga told the men how good it was to build that new water system in Tanzania this past summer.  It was good to help that village have a better water supply.  Mr. Mawakasunga felt he had used his talents to do God’s work.

And soon Mr. Mawakasunga fell back to sleep.

1 Thessalonians says “God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”

And Mr. Potato Head snored on.

THE END

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