When I first started delivering, it took me awhile to get used to the GPS on my phone. I hadn't used it much before then, but I also was not familiar with the area I was delivering to. I had one situation where the restaurant was in the same parking lot I was in, but hidden behind another building - and the Google maps based GPS devices are worthless once you get in a parking lot.

Since then, I've gone from "never heard of it," to "I know where that is," to "....Why are you taking me that way ... I want to go THIS way!" With time and repetition, when one puts effort into it, things become easier.

It's that way living the Christian life as well. When one first starts, there are pitfalls that are harder to avoid. Mistakes will be made. They need time to become mature Christians, and that doesn't happen overnight.

In the same way that no one could fault me for not knowing where places were when I first began, we should be careful not to come down too hard on a new Christian who stumbles in the Way.  Better to pick them up, than to stomp on them when they are down there. James 5:16 tells us to "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." We are to confess the sins SO THAT we can pray for one another - not so that we can use that to throw in someone's face later, to be suspicious of them, or belittle them.

Now, I still make mistakes sometimes in directions, and likewise, a mature Christian will still make mistakes as well.  The same principle applies - there is no expiration date by which we must have made all mistakes, and can no longer make any after that time.

John said he wrote what we call his first epistle to Christians, "So that you may not sin". But, even so, he knew folks would, so he added, "But if anyone does sin, we (interesting he chooses "we" ... John includes himself as part of this) have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)  Note that John says we have an advocate .... not a prosecutor, not a foe, not an accuser - that position is already taken by our adversary, Satan.  Let's not be Satan's legal aides, shall we?  Let's work with the Advocate.  

Searching

Time was passing by as I drove up and down Providence Rd., through side streets, and around in circles in parking lots, futilely seeking the restaurant I was supposed to pick up from. GPS had brought me into a parking lot, in front of a market, and then declared, "You have arrived at your destination!"

This prompted an, "I've arrived?  Where??" from me, since I was not supposed to be at a Whole Foods market. For the next 20 minutes - probably longer - I drove, searched every building, looked at a directory in a parking lot, questioned people in the parking lot, and finally even called the customer ... she didn't answer.  In a final bid, I got out of the car and asked at what must have been a very high end diamond store - one that was locked when I first walked up to it.

They knew where this restaurant was, and it turned out to be in an inner area, no view to the street, no signage, and didn't even have their name on the directory.  I questioned them on this as I picked up the order (late), commenting that nobody knew where they were. The food service worker simply pointed at the order and said, "Somebody know!" Well - can't argue with logic like that.

Jesus spoke of searching as well. He told a parable about the Kingdom, in which a merchant searched all his career for a perfect pearl (Matt. 13:45-46). He found one, and was willing to give up everything else he had to buy that one perfect pearl, because nothing else would be better. He could stop searching.

There are many out there searching for meaning in their lives. In the Old Testament, wise Solomon also searched for meaning, and had the means to try everything the world offers.  He found that wine, sex, money, power, fame, knowledge, and strength were not the key - and in the end he said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: fear God, and keep his commands, for this is the whole of man." (Ecc. 12:13)  Man can not be whole until he follows God.  When this "pearl" - symbolizing God's Kingdom - is shown to man, if he truly understands he will be willing to give all he has to gain it. 

"You're 'Emily'?? .....Okay"

It was my first day on the job, my very first "Dash". I was instructed by the app to get 4 Starbucks coffees, and take them to Value City, delivering to an "Emily". I received a very cursory training (we watched a video) and no riding with anyone else to get the idea first, so I was on my own on just what to do.

This turned out to be a more in-depth order than usual. Not only was I still getting used to how the app worked, and still getting used to using the route-finder, but I had to stand in line and order the coffees, rather than just pick up the order.  This involved reading the order closely for the choices, and just winging it on some things that were not marked.

The route finder proved to be interesting during delivery, leading me in by some back way with alleys and one-way streets. When I found it, and went in with the coffees, a large guard by the front door said to me, "Are they already paid for?  Yeah - that's me."

I looked at him and said, "You're 'Emily'??"   The only thing *I* had instructions to do at that point was "deliver" them, so I shrugged and said, "Okay..."  and started to set them on his desk.  Fortunately, he laughed at that point and told me where the customer service desk was at - where I could find the real Emily.

Sometimes, we are too ready to accept an impostor. We see a satirical news story or a hoax, and it sounds so good that we forward it without doing due diligence to check the facts first. We hear someone is sick or hurt, and we jump right to praying for them - or more - before we find out the whole story is faked or outdated.

But the worst thing we can end up accepting is a false gospel. Paul stated in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul expressed concern that the Corinthian Christians could be so easily led astray ... that when someone brought them a teaching that was different from that which they received, they easily went along with it (vs. 4). I fear that many go away from "crusades for Christ" and tent meetings and modern day churches with an idea that they have the truth, when what they are actually clinging to is a complete falsehood.

I never want people to believe what I say simply because I am the preacher.  I want them to be like the Bereans of Acts 17 ... Luke said they were "more noble" than those in Thessalonica, because they searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul was telling them was really the truth (Acts 17:11).  Don't believe something is true just because it sounds good .... look into the scriptures for yourself, and see if their teaching really is true. 

Introduction

From the title, you might think this blog would be about sermon delivery or some such thing. If you assumed that, you would be incorrect. I suggest if you spend some time reading, you will get enjoyment and knowledge from what I write here.

My name is Vincent Eagan. I am a Christian preacher and have been thus for over 20 years. My lifestyle and way of doing things has led to me having the opportunity to guest speak in over 100 churches across 30 states, do foreign mission work in Lima, Peru, and be the local preacher for congregations in 6 states. It has also however led to me seeing more than my fair share of unusual circumstances - and it has been the case that I have, at times, had to take up secular work to support myself.

This leads to the subject of this blog.  Most recently I landed in a contracting position I rather enjoy. I contract with a company called "Doordash", which will allow a person, through an app, to choose food from a wide variety of different merchants. The order is then sent to a Dasher - that's me - who will pick it up and deliver it to the customer. All those involved benefit from such an arrangement ... the customer gets food delivered from virtually anywhere in the city, the merchant gets an order they would not have had if they have no delivery service, and the business and Dasher earn a fee.

It works well for me because I have always enjoyed driving, I have complete control over my schedule (allowing me to travel for preaching engagements), and I don't have anyone watching me work over my shoulder - I never have worked well in that position.

From the beginning I have had interesting adventures. Someone once told me she loved when I came back from traveling because adventures always happened to me that didn't happen to other folks.  Frankly, I believe adventure can happen to anyone - it's just in how you perceive and tell about what happened, and whether you pick up on opportunities that become known.

Many of my adventures - an addition to being entertaining - have spiritual application. That is what you will read about here.