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OUR GREATEST RESOURCE

6/29/2017

On November 19, 1863, on a battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, then United States President Abraham Lincoln addressed the crowd with a short, concise, 272 word speech. It has since been acclaimed one of the greatest discourses ever given. Perhaps you are familiar with the words.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

94 years later, two simple words from this most famous speech, "under God", were added to the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America. The Pledge itself had earlier been adopted by the 79th Congress on December 28, 1945, as Public Law 287. But on June 14, 1954, a joint resolution of Congress, 243 (Public Law 83-396), added Lincoln’s succinctly eloquent acknowledgement to the sovereignty of God.

Thus, on June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the newly worded pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

As he did, he stated the following as a way of showing his support for this Congressional Act:

"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war."

Immediately thereafter, President Eisenhower stood on the steps of the Capitol Building and recited the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time with the phrase, "one nation under God".

Perhaps the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower deserves renewed consideration over this Independence Day weekend. For now, perhaps more than ever, America needs to strengthen those "spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war".

TIME OUT

6/25/2017

I love the old story about a man who had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep.

As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, sir," the jogger said, "do you have the time?" The man looked at the car clock and answered, "8:15". The jogger said thanks and left.

The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger. "Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?" "8:25!" The jogger said thanks and left.

Now the man could see other joggers passing by and he knew it was only a matter of time before another one disturbed him. To avoid the problem, he got out a pen and paper and put a sign in his window saying, "I do not know the time!"

Once again he settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window. "Sir, sir? It's 8:45!"

Our stress-filled modern lives are dominated by the clock. We get up with an alarm clock, go to work and clock in, put in our time, and then clock out and go back home. We tick off the seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the months, the years, and the decades. As we do, we fill out our allotted time here on earth.

But sometimes, it is good to find the time to get off the clock That is why I personally believe that vacation season is a good thing. Simply put: all of us need some periodic “down time”.

Jesus illustrated this. No one ever made better use of His time in this world than did Jesus Christ, Who was able, at the end of His life, to affirm in prayer to the Heavenly Father that He had fully completed the work He had been given to do in this world.

Yet, when we read the New Testament Gospels, we soon discover that, on numerous occasions, Jesus seems to have clocked out, as it were, and took some time off. He would regularly go off by Himself for private time alone with His Heavenly Father to rest and recuperate.

Could it be that this was His secret? Could it not be that the very reason He was able to be so productive was because He regularly took time to recharge?

And could this not also hold true for us? Could it not be that a vacation might be just what the Divine Physician would order for each of us? The answer should be obvious.

And so, my friend, if you have not yet had a summer vacation; then I hope you get one very soon. And I hope your “time off” translates into a little “time out” in the process. After all, there could hardly be a better use for a week or two of your time!

STORY: http://jokes.christiansunite.com/Travel/What_Time_Is_It.shtml.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gaultiere, of Soul Shepherding Ministries, documents nearly two dozen times in Scripture when Jesus went off by Himself. Cf.: http://www.soulshepherding.org/2013/02/jesus-solitude-and-silence/.

HOW TO HANDLE A STORM

6/22/2017

On the farm where I grew up, we would have been better described as animal husbandry workers than as crop farmers. My grandfather was the last in my ancestry to make a go of it raising crops. He transitioned to cattle and hog farming. By the time I came along, other than a large garden, the only crops we raised were corn and hay, each destined to feed animals.

Both my grandfather and my father always preferred Black Angus cattle. I personally thought Herefords were much better looking cows. Naturally, therefore, I once asked my father why we did not have Herefords. His answer was that the much thicker shoulders, neck, and head of Herefords made the birthing process much more difficult. Compared to Angus, far more Herefords than Angus cattle were lost in birth.

Given that we were raising cows for a living and not a hobby, one can see how the higher percentage loss of calves would soon affect the bottom line.

Years later, I read somewhere that Herefords were preferred more out west because of their build. Their bulky head, shoulder, and neck areas made it easier for them, like bison, to plow aside snow and hunt for grasses underneath during wintertime.

But I recently came across another reason why Herefords are preferred out west. It too has to do with wintertime, chiefly with snow drifts.

World renowned communicator Chad Hymas shares the following story about Hereford cattle.

An old cowboy once told a story of how he had worked all his life on ranches where each year winter storms took heavy tolls among the cattle. Temperatures often dipped quickly below zero and freezing rains whipped across the prairies, driving flying ice cutting into the flesh. Howling, bitter winds piled swirling snow into enormous drifts so that any error in a person's step could send him plunging into a mountain of freezing white powder.

In this maelstrom of nature's violence, most cattle would turn their backs to the ice blasts and slowly drift downwind until, intercepted by a boundary fence, they would huddle together against the snow-covered barrier. Standing motionless and helpless against nature's fury, the herd would slowly become covered by blowing snow and cattle would die by the scores.

But the Hereford breed reacted much differently. These cattle would instinctively head toward the windward end of the range where they would stand shoulder to shoulder with bowed heads, facing the storm's icy onslaught.

"You almost always found the Herefords alive and well," the old cowboy said. "I guess that's the greatest lesson I ever learned on the prairie -- just to meet adversity head-on and face life's storms."

Here, we see the importance of facing the storms of life. True, whenever storms come our way, be they physical, financial, relational, or whatever, the tendency is to turn away from them and allow them to push us along.

But the best thing to do when one faces a storm is just that: turn into that storm and face it! At the very least, this allows us to have more control over the outcome of this unwelcome outside force. More importantly, it helps to keep us from being pushed into some corner where we do not need to be.

I leave you with a famous quote from Louisa May Alcott, who once said, “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship!”

STORY SOURCE:
http://www.chadhymas.com/facing-the-storms/.

Chad Hymas has been described by the Wall Street Journal as “one of the 10 most inspirational people in the world!” He uses his God-given talent to inspire, motivate, and move audiences, creating “an experience that touches hearts for a lifetime”.

When Chad was 27 years old, his life changed in a split second. He was crushed by a 2,000-pound bale of hay that shattered his neck and left him paralyzed from the waist down. As tragic as this was, Chad nonetheless chose not to become bitter, but better, by making the best of the worst situation. He reinvented himself, becoming a best-selling author, president of his own communications company, and recognized world-class wheelchair athlete.

He travels up to 300,000 miles a year challenging people around the world, and has been utilized by such corporations as Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T, American Express, Prudential, and Merrill Lynch, to name but a few.

QUOTE SOURCE:
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/louisamaya104679.html.

For Dad

6/19/2017

David Wallechinsky is an American author from an accomplished literary family. Among his many publications is one titled The Complete Book of the Olympics. This 1300 page tome is often described as the “Bible” of Olympic records and information.

In this book, he recounts the story of American sprinter Carl Lewis back in the 1980’s.

At his father's funeral, American Carl Lewis placed his 100-meter gold medal from the 1984 Olympics in his father's hands. "Don't worry," he told his surprised mother. "I'll get another one."

A year later, in the 100-meter final at the 1988 games, Lewis was competing against Canadian world-record-holder Ben Johnson. Halfway through the race Johnson was five feet in front. Lewis was convinced he could catch him. But at 80 meters, he was still five feet behind. It's over, Dad, Lewis thought. As Johnson crossed the finish, he stared back at Lewis and thrust his right arm in the air, index finger extended.

Lewis was exasperated. He had noticed Johnson's bulging muscles and yellow-tinged eyes, both indications of steroid use. "I didn't have the medal, but I could still give to my father by acting with class and dignity," Lewis said later. He shook Johnson's hand and left the track.

But then came the announcement that Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was stripped of his medal. The gold went to Lewis, a replacement for the medal he had given his father.

I share this with you, of course, because yesterday was Father’s Day, 2017. And I think that what Carl Lewis did at his own father’s casket was quite appropriate. You see, the rest of the story is that Carl’s parents ran a local athletics club. His mother had been a hurdler on the 1951 Pan-Am team. And his father was his coach until he got to college.

So, when he placed that medal in his father’s casket, it was his way of saying thank you and of acknowledging his debt of gratitude for the investment his parents had poured into him.

In so doing, he serves as an example for a great many of us. It is a worthwhile endeavor to ask oneself just where he or she might (or might not) be today without the love, support, and sacrifice of one’s parents.

I know I have personally been reminded this Father’s Day weekend of just how big a role my own father played in my life, and also of just how indebted to him I am for who I and what I have accomplished in life.

My father has now passed on to his eternal reward. For this reason, I can no longer thank him personally for what all he did for me. But I can find ways to honor his name and his memory by the way I choose to live my life today. I pray that I will always be faithful to do this. I pray the same for you.

SOURCE:
BOOK: David Wallechinsky, The Complete Book of the Olympics (London: Aurum Press, 2012 Edition).
NOTE: This book has more than one edition. Given that the Olympic Games role around every four years, it is to be expected that revisions and updates are released.
INTERNET: This illustration is also available on the internet. Cf.: https://bible.org/illustration/gold-medalist-0.
SEE ALSO: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31415/12-olympians-who-dont-keep-their-medals-sock-drawer.

CALL OF DUTY

6/15/2017

In his book titled Awakened to Destiny, Terry Crist shares the following story:

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery.

"Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king."

"I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you."

"Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient."

When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us, and when he returns, we'll rule together with him.

As this story well illustrates, not everyone is called to full-time vocational ministry. Nonetheless, everyone is still called by God to serve in some capacity.

The great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther once said that Christians all share the same vocation, but not the same avocation. Our shared vocation is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We do this, in part, by fulfilling our various avocations – which might be anything from (as the old jingle goes) that of a butcher, to a baker, to even a candlestick maker.

The important thing is to know that whatever our respective avocation might be, we should join with all fellow believers in seeing it as an opportunity to exalt God. As we do, we thereby fulfill our common vocation of serving and glorifying Jesus Christ.

In light of this, may be each be faithful, in our own way, to the call we have received.

SOURCE: Crist, Terry. Awakened to Destiny (Lake Mary, Florida: Charisma House, 2002), p. 131.
Cf.: https://books.google.com/books?id=7xxz-mCocB4C&pg=PT151&lpg=PT
151&dq=king+henry+iii+of+bavaria+pryor+richard&source=bl&ots=tsJiimfkki
&sig=QNNbljofRFB3liIxif-MV0DUX18&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ9PLA0
77UAhXKQSYKHZ73CpwQ6AEIUzAM#v=onepage&q=king%20henry%20iii
%20of%20bavaria%20pryor%20richard&f=false.
Available widely on the internet as well. See, for instance: http://aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com/2010/11/ruling-by-being-obedient.
html.

WHO’S THERE?!

6/12/2017

The newspapers carried the headline this week that former United States President Jimmy Carter had flown a commercial flight from Atlanta to Washington. After it had been revealed that he was on board, and before he departed, he walked the aisle and personally shook hands with everyone aboard. While this delayed the flight a bit, no one seems to have minded as most everyone aboard was apparently thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet a former President face to face.

As I read this, I was reminded of an earlier story from this spring wherein it had been confirmed that for the last twenty one years, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has been secretly serving as a co-pilot for twice weekly domestic flights for KLM airlines. This announcement confirmed the suspicions of many Dutch passengers who had thought that the person speaking to them and giving them regular updates on weather and arrival times over the intercom sounded very familiar.

But each of these incidents barely compares with the experiences of so many of Jordan’s citizens. According to various sources, on several occasions, over the past couple of decades, their king, Abdullah II, has made a habit of disguising himself and mingling with his subjects unannounced. His rationale for this rather unorthodox approach is said to be that he wishes to better understand and serve his people.

Accordingly, he has shown up in disguise on numerous occasions. These include taking the character of an ordinary old Arab man, with a fake white beard, wearing the traditional Jordanian kufiah, and the Arabic white dress. In this guise, the king walked around a couple of government buildings without security and was not even noticed. He spent much of the time engaging people in conversation and listening to their point of view.

In a similar stunt, he had previously disguised himself as a different old man while visiting a hospital. Yet another time, he circulated around the capital city of Amman posing as a taxicab driver. And once, he even passed himself off as a television reporter trying to cover a story at a duty-free shop.

According to news reports, when asked about his exploits, he responded by saying, "I think that being in disguise and going around as a normal civilian to listen to their problems and know more about their needs is a good thing."

Of course, it goes without saying that Jordanian government employees are taking few chances these days. It is reported that they have started to spend a good deal of time looking at people's faces, fearing they could meet the king in disguise.

All of this reminds me of a book that was required reading back when I was in seminary. First published in 1896, Charles Sheldon’s classic work titled In his Steps: What would Jesus Do? has sold over thirty million copies.

Wikipedia succinctly summarizes the plot of this famous, though never copyrighted book:

The novel begins on a Friday morning when a man out of work (later identified as Jack Manning) appears at the front door of Rev. Henry Maxwell while the latter is preparing for that Sunday’s upcoming sermon. Maxwell listens to the man’s helpless plea briefly before brushing him away and closing the door. The same man appears in church at the end of the Sunday sermon, walks up to “the open space in front of the pulpit,” and faces the people. No one stops him. He quietly but frankly confronts the congregation—“I’m not complaining; just stating facts.”—about their compassion, or apathetic lack thereof, for the jobless like him in Raymond. Upon finishing his address to the congregation, he collapses, and dies a few days later.

That next Sunday, Rev. Henry Maxwell, deeply moved by the events of the past week, presents a challenge to his congregation: “Do not do anything without first asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’” This challenge is the theme of the novel and is the driving force of the plot. From this point on, the rest of the novel consists of certain episodes that focus on individual characters as their lives are transformed by the challenge.

Few of us may ever meet earthly kings or presidents. But in the New Testament Book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 2, the Bible does contain this caution: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

More to the point, as is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 25, verse 31-46), Jesus once shared the following admonition with His disciples:

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Sheldon was right. We would do well to ask ourselves in each and every situation: “Just what would Jesus do?!” For we never really know just who is there when we meet a stranger!

SOURCES:
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/06/12/former-president-jimmy-carter-shakes-passengers-hands-aboard-atlanta-flight.html.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/05/18/dutch-king-reveals-his-secret-life-as-airline-pilot.html.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/aug99/jordan9.htm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_His_Steps.
http://biblehub.com/hebrews/13-4.htm.
http://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/25.htm.

READ THIS!

6/8/2017

Mark Twain is reputed to have once said: "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why." How right he was! Few things are as important in life as discovering one’s true purpose for being here.

As stories so often speak louder than words, here is one that aptly illustrates the importance of knowing why one has been put here. According to James Montgomery Boice…

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves.

The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other.

As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark."

Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read."

Any way you look at it, "Hammerin’ Hank" knew his purpose. And he would not be distracted from it by the most cunning and determined of opponents.

The Bible is full of people discovering their purpose. Joseph found his in a prison cell in Egypt. Moses discovered his in a burning bush. David stumbled upon his in the valley of Elah where he saw a giant taunting God’s people. The Apostle Peter found his when he was challenged to become a fisher of men. The Paul discovered his on the Damascus road. Many more such examples could be cited.

Each of these and many more found their true purpose. To their credit, once they did, they embraced it and were not dissuaded from pursuing it.

And they are not meant to be alone. God has purpose for each and every one of us. As A Pastor, my purpose in life is to serve as an under-shepherd of God’s flock, nurturing and admonishing the Lords’ people in their spiritual and moral well-being. I will not be dissuaded form that task.

I hope you know what your purpose in life is. If not, I hope you will soon discover what that is. And once you discover it, I hope you will pursue it with passion. You will be glad you did. And the Kingdom of God will be richer for it.

SOURCES:
ORIGINAL STORY: J. M. Boice, Nehemiah: Learning to Lead (Fleming H. Revell, 1990), p. 38.
NOW AVAILABLE WIDELY ON THE INTERNET. See for instance: https://bible.org/illustration/yogi-berra-0.
SEE ALSO: http://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/the-day-hank-aaron-outwitted-yogi-berra/30qkYQHiAxapanoSvFZObK/. Here the essential elements of this story from the 1957 Major League Baseball World Series are verified.

TEAMING UP

6/5/2017

I recently completed a small group class at our church. Each of the last few years, I have sought out several young men and invited them to participate in a Leadership 101 small group at our church. Its purpose is to recruit and develop strong lay leaders for the future. I will tell you that God has blessed this undertaking tremendously. To date, we have had right at thirty young men go through this course with me.

While there are literally hundreds of possible texts to base such a course upon, my choice for the study is short book written by Paul Powell titled Getting the Lead Out of Leadership. At approximately 120 pages, the book is not long at all. Nevertheless, it is an excellent resource that is chock full of insightful advice.

In twelve short chapters, Dr. Powell’s book covers all the basics required for effective leadership in the local church: Faith, Thinking, Goal-setting, Planning, Having Courage, Motivating, Decision Making, Having Determination, Relationship Building, Team Building, Willingness to Work Hard, and The Desire to Keep Growing.

Powell’s expertise was gleaned over decades of pastoral leadership. His principles are rock solid. But what makes the book so enjoyable are his illustrations. Many of these are personal ones taken directly from a lifetime of experience. But he also sprinkles in a great many from the lives of other leaders as well.

I want to share one such illustration here today. Powell outlines his chapter on Team Building as follows. A good Executive will do four things effectively: Recognize (all available talent), Organize (all appropriate tasks), Galvanize (all effective team members), and then Mobilize (all the forces).

To illustrate point three on galvanization, Dr. Powell shares a leadership insight offered by legendary University of Alabama head football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant. He writes:

If anyone ever knew how to build a team it was the late Paul “Bear” Bryant, head football coach at the University of Alabama. He once said, “I’m just a farm hand from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together, how to lift someone up, how to calm down others, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together, a team. There’re just three things I’d ever say:

• If anything goes bad, I did it.
• If anything goes semi-good, then we did it.
• If anything goes real good, then you did it.

That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you.”

At the end of the day, as Dr. Powell observes, leadership is little more than the ability to influence others. And Bear Bryant was right, a good football coach is able to influence every member of a team to be better in order to achieve victory together.

Granted, not everyone is called to be a football coach. Nor is everyone called to be a leader within God’s church. But sooner or later, all of us have some leadership role or roles to fulfill in life, be that in our families, our jobs, our community activities, or any of a dozen other such areas.

For this reason, I highly recommend Dr. Powell’s book. It is a short read; but the principles it contains will no doubt be applicable in a multitude of areas in the life of the reader.

SOURCE:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146512, p. 98.
SEE ALSO:
http://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/a-fallen-giant
AND ALSO:
https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=
story&story=176068.

HELP WANTED

6/1/2017

It has happened once again here in the beautiful east Tennessee. Another round of strong storms blew through over Memorial Day Weekend. Before they were over, trees were down all over the county. And so were power poles. At last count, forty such poles had been stricken throughout our community. And one of these poles was on the frontage road adjacent to where we live.

As I road by and viewed the damage, I could not help but see a picture of how life so often works. Here was a power pole that had likely stood for decades. Down through the years, through thousands of days and nights, through hundreds of changing seasons, and through countless storms and environmental pressures, it stood tall and quietly bore the weight of multiple utility lines.

As a result of its anonymous stress and strain, entire communities of people benefitted from electricity and all its wonders – heat, air conditioning, cooking, entertainment, etc… In short, it stood tall and quietly bore a substantial load all for the benefit of others.

But now, abruptly, unexpectedly, out of nowhere, things had changed. One of the storms that it had been accustomed to facing finally took its toll. And now, that which had been strong was suddenly weak, that which had seemed invincible was suddenly shown to be vulnerable.

And yet, even though the pole was broken, it did not fall. It did not go down. Why? Because of the very load it was accustomed to bearing. You see, that load had been a shared load. The broken pole was not alone in its burden. Other poles had been there as well – to the right and to the left. And now, not only were they holding up their share of the load, but through the lines that connected them, they were also holding up their fallen comrade as well.

The result was not only a broken pole that was still standing; but also a supply of electricity that was still flowing.

A popular song from a generation ago contained these lyrics: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” I like this line. The truth is that sooner or later, we all need others.

So let us bear the burdens of life with joy, knowing that we are serving as a blessing to others as we do. Let us also be comforted in the knowledge that should we ever need the support of others, they will be there for us as well.

And above all, let us remember what the Apostle Paul told the Galatian Christians (chapter 6, verse 2): “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: http://biblehub.com/galatians/6-2.htm.