I went down to the Atlanta area this past week to see my mother. She had surgery on her eye. While there, I went by the cemetery to see the grave of my recently deceased grandmother. As I walked the cemetery, I was suddenly face to face with my past, encountering name after name now etched in stone of so many people who had once had such a powerful influence on my life.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this as I drove home. As I did, I was reminded of this story that I received some time ago from a Deacon in our church. It is a very powerful story. I hope you see the relevance of it as you read.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture. Jack stopped suddenly...
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said.
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.
The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was... my time!"
Jack held the watch for a few minutes; then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Even as I write this, I am reminded that there are countless young people whose lives I crisscross every day. The same is probably true for you. Why not take a moment to consider the power of the time you spend with them? Who knows? You may be making much more of an impact on them than you ever realize!
For several years, Dr. Brian L. Harbour has provided a digital newsletter for pastors and other church leaders that he has titled SeminaryPLUS. The March, 2012 edition contains the following story:
Her husband got a job in Savannah, Georgia, and she had to move from her hometown of Albany, Georgia. She said, "I thought it was the worst thing that ever happened. I thought my life was over. I woke up every day feeling hopeless. I spent two months in bed, crying. I got up for two reasons: to eat and to go to the bathroom."
Finally, she got up one day and said the Serenity Prayer - and decided to live by what the Serenity Prayer declares. So she began to develop her passion, which was cooking. She started a little business called The Bag Lady, where she made lunches and sent her children to sell them to people down the street.
A year later, she opened her own restaurant. And then she self-published a cookbook, which Random House discovered and republished. And now she has published 14 cookbooks, has her own clothing line, her own furniture line. And she is a famous cooking expert. Her name is Paula Deen.
Have you had something bad happen to you? A mistake that brought unwanted consequences? A forced move that took you to a place where you did not want to be? A misunderstanding that undermined your relationships? A bad decision that threatened your leadership?
What do we do in circumstances like that? We can stay in bed and cry, as Paula Deen did to begin with, or we can get up and do something about it, as Paula Deen later did when she discovered that her move to Savannah was in fact the best thing that ever happened to her. It might take some time, and it won't always be easy. But no failure need be final. As Paula Deen concludes, "You never know what God's got in store for you." *
I concur with the point of this story. Life is full of bad episodes. But we not let those define us. We must trust in God to do in us and through us and for us what we cannot do for ourselves. And the famed prayer of serenity is a good place to start. I conclude by posting it here:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.**
Notes:
* Dr. Harbour’s Website is: www.seminaryplus.org.
** The Prayer of Serenity itself is said to have originated with the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. It has been adopted and made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs. The full text of the prayer as originally written by Niebuhr is:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
The story is told of a sick who man turned to his doctor, as he was leaving the room after paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know." The man repiled, "You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And when the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness."
The Bible tells us about a wonderful place called Heaven. We are given lots of little glimpses of this wondeful place. But alas, in I Corinthinas 2:9, the Bible also ultimately affirms that: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
I don't know everything that lies beyond death's door; but I know Heaven will be a wonderful place. And not so much because it has streets of gold and gates of pearl; but because the Master is there and waiting for those who love Him.
I got quite a bit of positive feedback from my previous post. So I thought I would add one more short poem that speaks volumes to Christians. It is titled "Shoes in Church". I hope it speaks to you as much as it does to me.
SHOES IN CHURCH
I showered and shaved,
I adjusted my tie.
I got there and sat
In a pew just in time.
Bowing my head in prayer
As I closed my eyes.
I saw the shoe of the man next to me
Touching my own, and I sighed.
With plenty of room on either side
I thought, 'Why must our soles touch?'
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine,
But it didn't bother him much.
A prayer began: 'Our Father',
I thought, 'This man with the shoes, has no pride.
They're dusty, worn, and scratched.
Even worse, there are holes on the side!'
'Thank You for blessings,' the prayer went on.
The shoe man said a quiet 'Amen.'
I tried to focus on the prayer,
But my thoughts were on his shoes again.
Aren't we supposed to look our best
When walking through that door?
'Well, this certainly isn't it,' I thought,
Glancing toward the floor.
Then the prayer was ended,
And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud,
Sounding proud as he sang.
His voice lifted the rafters,
His hands were raised high.
The Lord could surely hear
The shoe man's voice, from the sky.
It was time for the offering,
And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man reached
Into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out,
What the shoe man put in.
Then I heard a soft 'clink'
As when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me
To tears, and that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man,
For tears fell from his eyes.
At the end of the service,
As is the custom here,
We must greet new visitors,
And show them all good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow,
And wanted to meet the shoe man.
So after the closing prayer,
I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark,
And his hair was truly a mess.
But I thanked him for coming,
For being our guest.
He said, 'My names' Charlie.
I'm glad to meet you, my friend.'
There were tears in his eyes.
But he had a large, wide grin.
'Let me explain,' he said,
Wiping tears from his eyes.
'I've been coming here for months
And you're the first to say 'Hi.''
'I know that my appearance
Is not like all the rest.
But I really do try
To always look my best.'
'I always clean and polish my shoes
Before my very long walk.
But by the time I get here,
They're dirty and dusty, like chalk.'
My heart filled with pain.
And I swallowed to hide my tears.
As he continued to apologize,
For daring to sit so near.
He said, 'When I get here,
I know I must look a sight.
But I thought if I could touch you,
Then maybe our souls might unite.'
I was silent for a moment,
Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison.
I spoke from my heart, not my head.
'Oh, you've touched me,' I said,
'And taught me, in part,
That the best of any man
Is what is found in his heart.'
The rest, I thought,
This shoe man will never know.
Like just how thankful I really am
That his dirty old shoe touched my soul.
As I was walking down life's highway
Many years ago,
I came upon a sign that read
Heaven’s Grocery Store.
When I got a little closer
The doors swung open wide,
And when I came to myself
I was standing inside.
I saw a host of Angels.
They were standing everywhere,
One handed me a basket
And said 'My Child, shop with care.'
Everything a human needed
Was in that grocery store,
And what you could not carry
You could come back for more.
First I got some patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was understanding,
You need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of wisdom
And faith a bag or two.
And charity of course
I would need some of that too.
And then some strength
And courage to help me run this race.
My basket was getting full
But I remembered I needed grace.
And then I chose salvation,
For salvation was for free.
I tried to get enough of that
To do for you and me.
Then I started to the counter
To pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything
To do the Master’s will.
As I went up the aisle
I saw prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside
I would run into sin.
Peace and joy were plentiful,
The last things on the shelf.
Song and praise were hanging near,
So I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel,
'Now how much do I owe?'
He smiled and said,
'Just take them everywhere you go.'
Again I asked 'Really now,
How much do I owe?'
'My child' he said, 'God paid your bill
A long, long time ago.'
In his work, The Life of Andrew Jackson, Marquis James tells us of a Sunday morning in 1818 when Andrew Jackson, not yet President, but a General at that point in time, traveled from his home, the Hermitage, into downtown Nashville, Tennessee, to attend a Church conference. The famous circuit riding Methodist preacher, Peter Cartwright, was to speak that day.
The Pastor of the Church had invited Cartwright with some misgivings, because the evangelist was known to be a little unpredictable. However, interest had been high, and it seemed as if everyone in Nashville had come to church that Sunday to see the eccentric Cartwright. His text was Matthew 16:26: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?”
Cartwright had just read his text, and had paused for effect to let the words sink in, when General Andrew Jackson himself entered the church and slowly walked down the aisle. Every seat was taken; and he stood for a moment leaning against a pillar. Cartwright suddenly felt a tug at the tail of his coat. “General Jackson has come in,” the Nashville pastor whispered excitedly, “General Jackson has come in!”
The whisper was audible to most of the church. Cartwright’s jaw tightened, and he gave the pastor a look of scorn. “Who is General Jackson?” Cartwright suddenly thundered. “If he does not repent and have his soul converted, God will damn his soul to hell as quickly as any other unconverted pagan.”
After the sermon, because Jackson was known for his fiery temper and his deadly duels, Cartwright was advised by several people to leave town immediately. Cartwright shrugged them off and remained. Far from being angry, however, Jackson waited patiently outside to meet Cartwright. When they finally did meet, Jackson is reported to have said, "Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world!"
He then invited the evangelist to dinner; and thereafter asked him to stay and continue preaching at a church near to the Hermitage so he could hear more.
Because of these events and what followed, we have hope that Andrew Jackson did indeed repent of his sins, and receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. But if Peter Cartwright had not had the courage to take a stand and speak what he knew was the truth, then General Jackson certainly would not have had that opportunity, at least not on that particular day and at that particularly opportune time.
Sometimes, we must be willing to speak the truth - sweetented perhaps with a bit of love, but nonetheless the plain truth.
The story is told about a certain well-known speaker who started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In a room of 200 people, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" As anticipated, hands started going up all over the room. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, "Who still wants it...?" Still the hands went up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
"Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHOSE WE ARE. You are Special to God! So much so that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross in order that you might be saved - don't EVER forget that."
How right he was! For God tells us in the Bible just how much He loves us. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And that proves just how much God loves us!
Last Friday was a tough day. We had known it was coming for some time. We had been told to expect it. Our server at the church was on its last leg. It had to mercifully be put down! At the same time, my old Dell Inspiron Laptop was on life support and the decision was made to end its suffering at the same time!
So, I suddenly found myself without a computer. But not only with no computer, but also with no access to the internet, and no e-mail either. It was a dark day indeed! I must admit that I was a pitiful thing all weekend long. I even found myself feeling somewhat awkward as I preached on Sunday morning, with limited power points and no visuals to use for my illustrations.
Of course, it is no small coincidence that this all happened on Good Friday. It also no small coincidence that three days later my world was turned upside down! I suddenly find myself up and running again. We have a brand new Exchange Server at the church office. This means I now have the Internet back! Only twice as fast! And I have access to my e-mail! And I can blog again! Yes!
These things that are so essential to my life and that had been taken from me have now been given back. And that’s not all! I now have a brand new computer: a powerful new Dell Vostro that has a 750GB hard drive that is literally lightning fast, processing a second generation Intel Core i5-2450M at 2.50GHz with 6GB of memory! What does that mean? Just that it virtually runs circles around my old machine! Ah, Life is good!
And when did all this come to me? Three days later! Headed into Good Friday I was all but bummed out. But immediately after Easter Sunday, I am on top of the world! Maybe God had me go through this when I did as a subtle reminder of what makes Easter so special! The disciples were all bummed out on Good Friday. They lost all that was dear to them. It was hard for them to carry on.
But, oh what a difference Easter Sunday made! Everything they treasured was suddenly restored to them. And they suddenly found themselves imbued with more power than they had ever dreamed. They could now run circles around what they could do before! Why? Because their Lord proved His power when He rose from the dead. And in so doing, He changed their lives forever.
And their Lord is our Lord! And what He did for them, He has also done for us! Praise God for the difference three short days has made! Praise God for new life and new power! Praise God for Easter!
Joel Pankow, Pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas has a wonderful communication style. He speaks about the gospel in ways that common people, just like me, can easily understand. I love the following story he tells in reference to what Christ has done at Easter.
I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!”
But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid.
The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave - we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb! Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" This is the message that we need to hear this Easter: Jesus is risen!
Amen, brother! Well said! Tomorrow is Good Friday: the day we commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. Ours would be a sad lot indeed if all we knew was the death of Jesus. Our faith would be no more hopreful than that of any other people who have followed a religious leader only to see him succomb to the power of death.
But, alas, there is more! We look forward to the celebration of Easter this coming Sunday morning, as we know that our Savior not only went down into the tomb, but He also came right back out! And because of this, we do not fear the grave!
Perhaps Bill Gaither said it best:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!
When I was a younger man, one of the highlights of my day was listening to legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey (1918-2009) each day at lunch. He would report the latest national and international news and often add running commentary.
He was extremely popular, known best for his broadcast titled News and Comment, that aired in an abbreviated version on weekday mornings and in full at mid-days, and again at noon on Saturdays. He also had a popular program called The Rest of the Story. The latter programs, consisting of short, often surprising segments of historical trivia, were later collected and sold in two very popular books.
At his peak, he was heard on 1,200 radio stations, 400 Armed Forces Network stations and carried in 300 newspapers. In fact, we are told that his broadcasts and newspaper columns have been reprinted in the Congressional Record more than those of any other commentator. An estimated 24 million people a week tuned in for his broadcasts.
Today, I thought I would post one of his more notable broadcasts. This particular speech was first broadcast on ABC Radio by Paul Harvey back on April 3, 1965:
If I were the Devil . . . I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness, I would of course, want to engulf the whole earth in darkness. I would have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, so I should set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.” “Do as you please.” To the young, I would whisper, “The Bible is a myth.” I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is “square”. In the ears of the young marrieds, I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to be extreme in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct. And the old, I would teach to pray. I would teach them to say after me: “Our Father, which art in Washington” . . .
If I were the devil, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten T.V. with dirtier movies and vice versa. And then, if I were the devil, I’d get organized. I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing and less work, because idle hands usually work for me. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. And I’d tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions . . . let those run wild.
I would designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts in the land and I would get preachers to say “she’s right.” With flattery and promises of power, I could get the courts to rule what I construe as against God and in favor of pornography, and thus, I would evict God from the courthouse, and then from the school house, and then from the houses of Congress and then, in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons but not wise enough to control them.
If I were Satan, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas, a bottle. If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And then, my police state would force everybody back to work. Then, I could separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines, and objectors in slave camps. In other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.
Paul Harvey, Good Day.
How prophetic! How true! How sad!
Source: http://nation.foxnews.com/paul-harvey/2012/03/21/1965-if-i-were-devil-warning-nation-paul-harveyNote: A version is available on YouTube with Paul Harvey's actual voice recording at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Az0okaHig
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