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All week, I've been trying to organize my upstairs closet, (you know...the one I reserve for my BSF materials), to get some kind of "system" back to order since we broke for the summer. After our last class day, I just sort of threw things in the closet and hurried off to help my mom pack and make arramgements to move here to San Antonio. This last month and a half have been focused on getting her settled. I looked in the closet over the weekend and almost died! I couldn't believe what a mess it was! You know me and my feelings about organization...for some reason...I get this wonderful feeling of accomplishment, security, pride and WHATEVER when things are in their place and lined up. Well....my closet was NOT! Not only was the closet a mess, but even the materials inside boxes were a mess. I knew it was time to begin some minor preperations for our class "kick off" in September, but organization HAD to start first!

After getting everything in it's place and running through all my 2009-2010 files on the computer, I began making 20010-2011 computer files and making church maps, leaders' name tags, adding registrants to the data base and so on. I also remembered an item with instructions I usually gave each leader toward the beginning of the year. I wanted to be sure to make them to hand out early this next year. The item was a business card with the leader's zip code on it. As the leader sat in the leader's circle at leaders' meeting next to someone with their same zip code, she could see who lived near her in case of an absence and she would need someone close by to bring an item to class for her.

I pulled up a Bexar County zip code map to help me in finding the different locations for the 23 different zip codes represented in our leadership. Looking at the map, the area codes appeared to be divided into three very distinctive areas...those inside Loop 410, those between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 and those outside Loop 1604. There only 4 zip codes inside Loop 410. The majority of zip codes are between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 - 11 in all. And there are 6 outside of Loop 1604. Yet, our class location is located INSIDE Loop 410. Hmmmm...very interesting.

Looking closely at zip code map brought to mind man's relationship with the Lord. We all are to have our Father as the center of our lives - just as our class meeting location is really in the center of this map. Yet there are only a few who are centered around Him (as those inside Loop 410). These are the people who truly love Him, walk with Him daily, hold Him as their standard for living, have Him as their hope, trust Him alone and accept His will in all things.

Then, there are those like the ones who live between Loop 410 and Loop 1604. These are the ones who know Him as Lord and Savior, but only saved by fire. Still continue to live in their own way. When trouble comes, forget to call on the One who can help, comfort and hold us up. Forget to thank the One who gives us all good things but takes the glory for themselves. They are the ones who do believe, but that's the extent. These are the majority of people.

Lastly, there are those who do not know Him at all. Those on the outside (those outside Loop 1604). Those who do not belong to Him. Those who have rejected Him, refuse to believe He exists, refuse to call on His name, believes only in themselves. How lonely they are on the outside.

What a picture the zip code map tells. And what's even more amazing...All the roads on the map lead to the center of the map - to Him. WOW!

So today, I'm thankful for my map. For the picture God gave me in this map. For the desire to be "inside" the loop with Him at the center. For the wisdom to see that all roads lead to Him.

HMMMM....with our zip code, I wonder if Jimmy and I need to move....naaaaaa....I think He knows my heart! What's your zip?