Hello everyone. I
hope you are having a good week, a much better week than last week. Only a week ago last night did we all have a “nightmare”
figuratively speaking reach down from the sky to wreak havoc on us up in the
country and around about Vilonia, Mayflower, Saltillo, and in other parts of
the area then make its way east and north as far as North Carolina. I was speaking to my brother who lives along
the gulf coast a few days ago and heard that the same storm brought 12 inches
of rain to the Mobile area of Alabama.
My parents in rural northwest Alabama took cover in their storm shelter
but thankfully did not get the terrible tornadoes we did in Arkansas. Last Wednesday night the church of Christ met
at Enola to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs honoring God with the fruit
of our lips and pray for every family who was impacted by such terror. I led “Farther Along.” Farther along we’ll know all about it. Farther along we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother. Live in the sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and by. We sang, “In the dark of the midnight, I have
oft hid my face while the storms roll around me and there’s no hiding
place. Mid the clash of the thunder,
precious Lord, hear my cry. Keep me safe,
til the storm passes by.” There were
many other hymns like these lead and sung by a group of Christians who were
teary eyed, sore of heart, and soul tired.
May our Lord help us during these troublesome times with strength,
perseverance, and His much needed provision.
Maybe you have been working alongside your family, friends,
and neighbors over the past few days to help them make sense of what is left of
their lives. Thank you. The work may seem endless and the progress
slight but keep on keeping on. Do you remember
the old song, “One day at a time, dear Jesus,
that’s all I’m asking from you?”
Well, the longest journey begins with just one step one day, then
another, then another, and eventually because we are committed to God, to one
another, and to what is needed we will turn a nightmare into a dream come true. We live and move and have our very being in
God. And to Him we turn now to
provide. If you are reading this blog,
open your heart to God. Know that He
takes no delight in storms and destruction.
He weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice and He
asks us to do the same. Paul wrote in
Romans 8:28 a promise that should stick with every one of us every day. “Now we know that ALL THINGS work together
for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to
His purpose.” I do not always know His
purpose, but I do know that He can and will work everything out for our
good. I trust Him to do so. He always has in my life.
Remember what Jesus said about treasures. Our family, friends, and neighbors are our
treasures, not “stuff.” We must not “lay
up for ourselves treasures on earth” because as Jesus told us in the Bible,
worldly things always erode, rust away, are sometimes stolen, and maybe eaten
up. As many of you know, I am the
richest man in the world because of my treasures; my wife, children, and
grandchildren are my precious treasures.
My faith, hope, love, and my salvation in Christ Jesus is my greatest
treasure. My Christian brothers and
sisters here at Enola and all around the world are truly treasures to me. Worldly things are necessary to my life here
on earth. I do not “treasure” worldly
things.
May God bless you and yours this week!
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