Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.” -Luke 14:16-19 ...
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. -Psalm 139:14-16 One lazy summer day a couple of years ago, I was playing with my nephews, Cameron and Dillon. They were taking turns doing tricks on Cameron’s new scooter. It looked easy to ride (famous last words), so I said, “Let me give it a try.” It took about twenty seconds for me to flip over the thing, careening into the mud. Afterward, I noticed that I had a fairly large cut on my leg from my wipeout. I cleaned it up and forgot about it. ...
...to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ...