Let’s Roll

By: Marcy Barthelette

Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good. II Timothy 3:16-17 CEB

It was the ordinary Tuesday morning that turned our world upside-down. United Flight 93 was a regular non-stop originating from Newark, NJ and traveling to San Francisco, CA. It was scheduled to depart at 8:00 AM, but left forty-two minutes late and, in another forty-six minutes the plane had been overtaken by hijackers. The late departure and the delay by hijackers to initiate their mission allowed time for passengers to be made aware, through calls from families, friends, and employers, of three other hijacked flights that had successfully targeted the world Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC.

When the purpose of the hijacking was realized, Todd Beamer, a New Jersey resident traveling west for a business meeting, and a group of passengers met in the rear of the plane and put together an emergency plan to storm the cockpit, hoping to stabilize the plane but knowing that a crash was likely imminent. Beamer placed a call on the airphone & was eventually routed to GTE airphone supervisor, Lisa Jefferson. He provided details of the events to that point and then the plane made an abrupt course change and he shouted, “We’re going down!” 

God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you…..God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life….he guards you now, he guards you always. Psalm 121:5-8 MSG

Passengers quickly agreed to initiate their plan. Beamer informed Jefferson and then recited The Lord’s Prayer and the twenty-third Psalm. He asked Jefferson to call his family and tell them he loved them. Amid muffled sounds, Beamer clearly said, “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” Those were his last words spoken to Jefferson.

Those two words, “Let’s roll,” quickly became a battle cry of sorts. We hope that no one has to face the terror of another Flight 93 experience, but we, as Christians, have our marching orders as well. And I believe that we can claim that battle cry as our own. Todd Beamer, with the knowledge that everyone in that plane was about to die, reflected his faith with those remembered words of scripture that have brought peace to generations of believers. And we have been commissioned to take the living words of Jesus to people everywhere, in all walks of life, whatever language they speak, whatever background they claim as their heritage. We are all God’s children and He wants so much for every one of us to feel His constant presence.

Then Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20

The passengers of Flight 93 plunged to their deaths knowing that others would live because of their actions. Aren’t we, in fact, asked to save others from spiritual death? Aren’t we asked to be Jesus’ hands and feet, with boots on the ground and all of our spiritual armor intact? Pastor Sarah asked us Sunday what we will do with our training, our faith, our absolute belief that God is the supreme sovereign. I say we pick up the mantra. Are we ready? Okay. Let’s roll!

Christ promises adventure, hardship and reward, the likes of which we can’t ever imagine. Bear Grylls, Soul Fuel


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Friendship Is….

By: Marcy Barhelette

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:10

I was blessed by a short visit this past Sunday with two special friends and it occurred to me that I just don’t express often enough my deep gratitude for the friendships I’ve enjoyed and treasured over the years. We first met George a number of years ago when he and Ken, along with another ten “disciples” sat down to dinner in the “upper room” at a Maundy Thursday service written and directed by Pastor Sarah. It was one of my most meaningful experiences leading into the final days of Holy Week.

Soon after, George joined Ken and a few other guys who formed the Handymen Crew at Aldersgate. They quietly went about addressing maintenance chores and keeping the smaller repairs from having to be hired out. Did I say quietly? In reality, they were often a pretty rowdy bunch and George was always at the center of the laughter. At that time, I was creating announcement slides for the Sunday morning worship services and worked every Thursday afternoon in the church office where the guys gathered to plan their afternoon. I learned early on that I was no match for George when it came to slinging zingers. He is a master! And he always has something to say to everyone. During those years of volunteering, we met the wives of the other handymen, all of whom have become good friends. Linda always welcomed us with arms open wide, ready to enfold us in her love and generous spirit.   

When I began writing these weekly thoughts, George often greeted me with a question or a zinger about something I had written, and Linda was again generous with her kind words. They let me know they paid attention and supported my contribution. Of course, George has always kept me thinking about where my focus should be.

The thing is, those of us who are privileged to know and appreciate his fun-loving side also know that there is another side to George, one that is dedicated to the work of the Lord. He’s always helped friends and strangers with tasks they may not be able to do for themselves. He’s always volunteered for any duty at the church, no matter how large or small, how simple or difficult. He has lots of grandkids and between himself and his wonderful other half, those kids always made it to whatever activity was happening on any given day and they’ve always been assured that their grandparents have their backs. Their dedication to one another and to family is a thing of beauty.

And George will be quick to give Linda all the credit for being the proverbial “wind beneath his wings.”

There are people in our lives who just naturally inspire us to be better. These two epitomize the path I would aspire to. Their love for God, for their family, and for all God’s people just naturally spills over on everyone around them. They live their faith every day by example and their friendship is a gift without measure.

They’re dealing with serious illness now and can’t be in the midst of all the goings on at Aldersgate but last Sunday another friend, who, incidentally, was celebrating his 80th birthday, reaffirmed his baptism, so George and Linda made a special effort to come and be a part of that beautiful event. It was so good to see them. After getting one of Linda’s famous warm hugs and catching up a bit, I walked over to their car where George was already loaded up and ready to go. He flashed me that always-ready smile and came up with some new zingers. That amazing sense of humor never fails to fill my heart with real joy. These two don’t seek praise or want people to fuss over them, but sometimes it’s just necessary to make a little fuss.

So, George and Linda, I want to say thank you for being such a blessing in my life. Your faith gives me hope to keep on trying to reach out to others who might need a little help. I know where your strength comes from and it’s a never-ending well. Pastor Dennis encouraged us on Sunday to know our life agenda. Trust me, my friends, you are living yours well. Thanks guys….your friendship and living example of faith are a bright light in this crazy world of ours. I love you both!

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8


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Door of Humility

By: Marcy Barthelette

I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. Romans 16:19b

You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, “Get off your high horse.” As a matter of fact, if you’re anything like me, it may have been directed your way at one time or another, perhaps recently. Of course, in our day, it means to stop thinking so highly of ourselves, that our ideas are better than someone else’s, or that we do more for the church and our community and, likewise, we have difficulty understanding why others may see our ideas as arrogant.

There was a time, however, when it meant exactly what it says. You see, the Church of the Nativity, located in Bethlehem, on the west bank of Palestine, was built over the cave where Jesus was reputedly born. It was likely built originally by Constantine I sometime in the fourth century and is thought to have been destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the sixth century. Until around the fifteenth century, entrance to the church was accessed through a very large opening, so large, in fact, that soldiers and dignitaries rode right in on their horses, while others brought carts for looting treasures from the church. 

So a decision was made to fill in the original large entrance and create a smaller opening through which visitors had to bend in order to enter. It has come to be known as the Door of Humility as it causes everyone to bow low before entering the place where God humbled himself to become human. To humble oneself when entering this Holy place is an outward sign of respect and worship.

The theme, “Get off your high horse” seemed to follow Pastor Dennis’ sermon from Sunday morning. He spoke about our tendency to find fault with one thing and another that the church is doing, simple things like which time is appropriate for each service, the kinds of music that are chosen, and what people wear to church. These fault-finding comments tend to divide us at a time when, more than ever, we need to unite.

my dear brothers and sisters, watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught… Romans 16:17

Let’s face it, God accepts us just as we are, warts and all. He isn’t concerned about when we worship.

Rather He treasures any time we spend praising Him. Any song that honors His name is certainly lovely music to His ears. And as for what we wear, He knows that it’s the love in our hearts that matters, not how we look on the outside.

God of Grace, when we start thinking too highly of ourselves, remind us again that every breath we take is a gift from you. Ray Pritchard, Why He Came  

So the next time we make a statement that sounds a little like gossip or a complaint about the way business is being conducted and somebody gives us that “get off your high horse” look, we’d do well to bow low and walk through that door of humility because, as every Christian should know, we are strongest when we’re on our knees and a little humility goes a long way toward uniting people.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20b


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You May Not Always Be Liked

By: Marcy Barthelette

If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. Proverbs 15:31

My phone interrupted the silence with a text notification and it was about the time of day that my granddaughter usually drops me a message. Sure enough, it was Rachel and she was excited. She’d finally gotten the SIM card she’d been waiting for.  

It’s the conversation every parent wrestles with and the answer is not an easy one to discern; When should my child get a phone? In her case, Rachel’s iPad had been acting up, as computers do. It was older and had quite a few miles on it. She was also wanting a camera at the time. So about a year ago, she bought a phone with her own money, but with the condition that she could only use it on WiFi and a parent had to approve any apps she wanted to download. When they felt she had reached the appropriate level of maturity, she could get the SIM card and make it what she calls “a real phone.”

She’s heading into seventh grade this year and her parents had obviously reached the decision to let her make this pivotal change in her life. And trust me, it is pivotal. Of course, as in almost any life change, along with the joy and privilege of having a phone comes much responsibility. I had to wonder if she really understood that a phone, with all of its vulnerability to scammers, criminals, and a thousand ways to land in trouble, can be a real hassle at times. For now, it’s just the excitement of having it that matters to her.

And wouldn’t you know, a couple of days later, she sent her grandpa a chain letter. The content was offensive because it tried to convince the reader that if the instructions were not followed to the letter, not only would the reader have bad luck but they would also not be loved. And it suggested that if the reader were killed by another person, the sender would be in jail for having killed the person who killed the supposed friend, a kind of live together, die together pledge. But the thing that really bothered me most was that our granddaughter said she didn’t want to send it but her friend pressured her and she went along. Peer pressure reared its ugly head a mere two days after her phone was activated.

We know that love is not measured by the number of chain letters that come back to us. Nor is it measured by the number of likes we have on social media accounts or the number of friends who gather around us cheering us on when we’ve behaved in the way they want us to. Our culture is caught up in the belief that following the crowd is a normal way of life. All the young people in our life relish staging selfies, each competing with another to be prettiest, have the strongest abs, or the best hair. We’re so busy “posting” positive shots to make our lives look wonderful that we forget the things that really matter. And too many times those perfect lives depicted online are just a sham. Yet we measure ourselves by the way others appear on their social media pages and we continually fall short. We will always fall short of human expectations.

God sees us as He created us, as His perfect children. It causes Him pain when we try to change His own creation into something that will please other humans.

Wisdom isn’t learned overnight—it comes through curiosity to learn, the ability to admit wrongdoings,

and the capacity to ask for forgiveness. The Daily Proverbs Devotional

Hopefully, with age comes wisdom….our kids need a guiding hand to fortify them when times are tough and society demands behaviors that contradict their immerging faith. Ask yourself, “Who am I when no one is looking?” Living a Christian life will not always make us popular. In fact, most of the time we’ll be flying solo. The temptation to follow the crowd will always be there and it will be strong, but if we’re asked to do something that just doesn’t feel quite right, it probably isn’t. I’ll borrow an old slogan from the anti-drug campaigns of yesteryear, “Just say NO.”

Wisdom is doing now what you are going to be happy with later on. Joyce Meyer


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Survival Mode

By: Marcy Barthelette

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they will help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. Romans 5:3-4

As our quiet Sunday was winding down, I’d just finished writing and Ken was enjoying his current read, our phones began a series of notifications that heavy storms would threaten the area within a short time. I began to collect the things I always take with us to the safe room. It’s supplied with a battery-powered radio and a wind-up version should the batteries die. There’s water, a few non-perishable snacks, a first aid kit, and the usual collection of disaster-related needs. I only need to collect devices and chargers, wallets, and prescription meds so we’re good to go on a moment’s notice.

Our sirens never sounded but our local TV stations were pretty sure danger lurked in the clouds and we tended to agree so we stationed ourselves in the safe room with both battery and electric lighting on. The wind was relentless but only for a short while and then our world went dark except for one battery-powered lantern. Clearly, the storm had settled but we had no idea how long we would be without power. It was 11:30 PM on Sunday, July 30.

Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:24

We looked outside to assess the damage, but it was so dark we couldn’t see a thing. Our best choice seemed to be a good night’s sleep if that was even possible. At about four AM, I awoke to a bright light on my face, the light I’d left on before racing to the shelter. I said a grateful thank you to God for restoring the power and made the rounds of the house to be sure all was well. My head barely hit the pillow again when darkness reappeared. The respite may have been all of four minutes.

The next sound I heard was chain saws and generators. The top had been ripped from a large tree across the street and was blocking it. Two hard-working ladies were aggressively removing debris. I went for Ken and he immediately joined the clean-up crew. There was another crew attacking a tree down the street. All the yards were filled with leaf clusters and smaller limbs, but most were gone by the end of the day. That was when we were told it would be another twenty-four hours before power could be restored, which prompted a trip to the library to email last week’s devotion. It’s tough without WiFi these days.

Our brick home had stayed reasonably cool but by late afternoon, we clearly needed to open windows, most of which did not have their screens installed. Once collected and brushed clean, they were placed in the windows and we had a breeze flowing through the house, a warm breeze but at least the air was stirring. It was also time to remove some of the perishable items from our frig. Ken opened one of the five cartons of ice cream he’d just bought on sale. The mint chocolate chip was just the right consistency for milkshakes, so we poured our liquid treat into glasses and enjoyed cool milkshakes on the deck. We then delivered the remaining ice cream containers to neighbors for their enjoyment. One of those neighbors offered us space in his freezer where he had packed eighty pounds of ice hoping to create a giant insulating ice pack. Of course, we accepted the offer and quickly transferred everything that was hard frozen to his freezer.

We ate most of the fresh produce left in the frig and spent the evening on the deck enjoying the rise of a sub-super moon. We fell asleep to the hum of cicadas, every window in the house open.  

The following day, I woke to kids laughing outdoors. I walked to the window to see what changes may have occurred overnight. It was then that my nose was assaulted by the leftover scent of a wandering skunk. Next, there was a slight sprinkling sound on the roof, and I found myself once again on the deck, listening to the sounds of falling rain and rolling thunder. The rain-cooled air was a balm to my skin. After grabbing some fruits and nuts for breakfast, I took the opportunity to clean the interior of our frig while it was basically empty and the air was cool.

Our neighborhood is a swath of homes about two blocks wide and six or so blocks long that is supplied by one power source. The rest of our town relies on another source. There were a few spotty outages in the larger area of town, but most homes and businesses had power. The street that is back-to-back with us had power except for a few hours in the beginning. It felt as if we were on our own little island, the world was whizzing past and all was normal for many of our neighbors.

At 10:30 on Tuesday morning, the power came on, not tentatively, but strong and sooner than expected. We gave it ten minutes to be sure and then began turning on ceiling fans, then the AC. And we said a very large THANK YOU!

A big blessing during our time without power was that our water towers remained operational. When wells go down, life becomes much more complicated. But we could wash and flush, and that means so much when nothing else we are accustomed to using on a daily basis will work. We also learned that our neighborhood will come together and help one another when a need arises. Of course, our milkshakes were an unexpected treat. All of our frozen meats survived, and we continue to enjoy them. In the end, we had little material loss.

Most importantly, we felt the presence of God surrounding us every moment. He had a plan and it worked perfectly. I’m not saying that I want to be without electricity often but the comfort of knowing He is there makes it much more bearable. We have a close friend who always views this kind of adversity as a challenge, a big adventure. We tease her about being an overgrown kid, but if we could all be a little more childlike in our approach to adversity, it surely would remove a lot of stress from our lives. And if we remember that each of us is a child of God, we can find the hope that exists only under his protective wings. That gives me another opportunity to insert one of my favorites…

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psam 91:1 NLT

 


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Dabbling in Darkness

By: Marcy Barthelette

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. Romans 13:10

A few days ago a neighbor called to ask me if I knew anything about the trustworthiness of someone living close but not in our immediate neighborhood. She was needing someone to do some light housekeeping and had seen this person working for another neighbor and she appeared to be a hard worker. The difference was that the work the person was performing was outdoors and my neighbor needed help inside the house, creating more opportunities for wrongdoing. I didn’t want to be in the position of making a judgment on this person and I couldn’t, really, because I didn’t know her. The thing was, I did know some negative information regarding the person with whom the subject of this investigation happened to be living. I felt stuck between that proverbial rock and a hard place, not wanting my neighbor to become a victim and yet, not wanting to harm another person’s reputation or cause them not to be hired when perhaps the extra income was really needed. I hedged the topic and, as it turned out, my neighbor had already been given the information that I had been aware of. That time I was saved from saying something that may have been harmful to someone I didn’t even know.

A phrase that Pastor Sarah used in her very insightful sermon this past Sunday really reached out and grabbed me. She told us not to dabble in darkness. Her reference in that message had originally been regarding some major disagreement between Jews and Gentiles as Christianity was blossoming following Jesus’ ministry here on earth. Paul makes some pretty strong statements in Romans 13 about the ways in which we can “indulge {y}our evil desires” and he’s very adamant that we need to steer clear of said immoralities. He refers to “ the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and immoral living.” Hopefully, we are able to abstain from those but he also mentions “quarreling and jealousy.” I would add gossiping to that list. And I think that the situation I described above is right on the border of gossiping and it could potentially have hurt another person.   

We hear of all kinds of evil that exists in our world today and many of us feel a major disconnect from it because we think it doesn’t involve us. But there are many subtle forms of evil that may not even appear as evil or darkness. And so we dabble just a little on the dark side. Maybe it was a bit of gossip that was just too juicy to ignore or perhaps it was that nasty barb we threw at a spouse as he or she was going out the door. Maybe that cashier gave us too much change but that’s okay. What’s the old saying, “Finders keepers, losers weepers.” Or perhaps a co-worker made a big mistake and the temptation to pass that little tidbit on to the boss was just too great. And we wonder why our kids tattle on each other.

In a confrontation, typically no one is entirely wrong or entirely right. None of us is perfect….we’re all human and we’re going to make mistakes. But recognizing those mistakes, asking for forgiveness, and trying to do better in the future is the life we accepted as Christians. When we stumble, and we all will, it’s imperative to get back up, make proper amends whenever possible, and have that little talk with Jesus. He wants to know we’ve acknowledged our shortcomings. Everything we say or think or do affects someone, even if it’s only ourselves. For the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing the phrase “engage core” from my physical therapists. For today’s purposes, I need to amend the phrase to “engage heart and mind before all else.”

 

When was the last time you “dabbled in the darkness?”

So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause

 another believer (or non-believer, as well, because our behavior could either help or hinder their decision

to believe) to stumble and fall. Romans 14:13 NLT

 


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Scatter Some Seeds

By: Marcy Barthelette
 

 And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there. Matthew 18:20 MSG

Once again I am writing on a Sunday evening. It has been a week of roller-coaster emotions. On Monday my scheduled visit with the physical therapist left me feeling refreshed and stronger than I had felt in a while. Some new techniques were applied that provided good stretching and strengthening and I began to believe that I really might get back to some of my gardening adventures. Yes, my movements might look a little different and I’d need to think first to engage the correct muscles before attempting any task. But it was looking doable. I was really looking forward to my Thursday appointment, but late Wednesday, it was suddenly canceled.

That evening, Ken and I joined about seventy-nine other Aldersgate family members in the youth building to commemorate thirty-five years of our church’s presence in the community; its past, present, and future. We didn’t really know what to expect but I can tell you that if you weren’t there, you missed a truly spiritual experience. The eighty-one of us represented a cross-section of attendees from each of our Sunday morning services. But this was no ordinary service. We sang, we prayed, we celebrated Communion, and the closeness between the people there was palpable. The presence of the Holy Spirit surrounded us with grace and love. There were prayers for healing and I was one of those requesting prayer, but we’ll get to that later.

My husband left the service with a memory of an object lesson he had shared with kids at a church many years ago. Dennis agreed it would be a good illustration to add to his Sunday message and so the planning began. Both Ken and I went home feeling at peace and encouraged about our path forward as a church family.

The next day my peace took a major hit. A call from the physical therapy facility canceled another appointment and I learned that the therapist I had worked with on Monday had developed symptoms of COVID on Tuesday evening. That placed me in the window for pre-symptom exposure. I had helped serve Communion the night before and the nature of that special service had precipitated lots of hugs. My concern for my church family escalated.

Not only that, but we had negotiated and purchased a truck that day and had to take care of all the attending paperwork, bringing us into contact with a number of people. We also ate in a restaurant. I was on a guilt trip of enormous proportion, wondering how many people I may have infected.

God, it is so comforting to know that when we are unsure of the future, we can trust that You notice us and You already know the outcome.  Encouraging.com – GABC Women

As I said earlier, I requested prayer for healing on Wednesday night and Pastor Dennis offered a very simple and non-specific prayer. Bear in mind, I was thinking only of my back injury because I didn’t know about the possible COVID exposure, but also remember that the prayer didn’t specify healing for my back. Dennis asked for general healing. So, here I am, on Sunday evening. My mobility is greatly improved, my pain is greatly diminished, and the COVID virus that I didn’t know about has not materialized. I didn’t know about it…but God did. And I think He went to work in a hurry.

To date, I have no symptoms and my tests have been negative. With those results, my doctor gave me the OK to be out among people. Having my worry over infecting others removed, I’m feeling better about the whole experience. However, I’ve learned we all need to continue to be vigilant with our personal hygiene and do what we can to protect those we encounter. It’s just good common sense.

I realize I’ve rambled a bit in this little piece and I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but on this beautiful Sunday evening, I’m feeling pretty good. And that object lesson that Ken shared this morning….well, the short version is that it essentially contained two questions; the first being; “How many seeds are inside an apple?” This is easily solved by cutting the apple and counting. The other question is much harder; “How many apples are in each seed?” Think about that. Only God holds the answer. The youth team volunteering at Camp Barnabas this week was asked to participate along with the younger kids and I got a kick out of watching them. They were pretty fidgety and were wondering why they were asked to join in a children’s exercise. Then came that question about the number of apples in each seed. Each of them perked up, their eyes brightened and you could see them begin to think. I hope they’re scattering lots of seeds this week as they go about their tasks and interactions.  

And of course, the object lesson as interpreted in our Christian walk is this; one of us going forth and scattering seeds of faith can make a big difference in the world. Now think about what can happen when we all scatter seeds of kindness, seeds of love, seeds of comfort, seeds of mercy, seeds of forgiveness. This was the message of last Wednesday’s service and, as Pastor Dennis pointed out on Sunday, it is not ours to worry about what happens to those seeds. God will take care of that. We just need to make sure we scatter them. And being a dedicated gardener, I can really identify with that seed metaphor. I think I’d better get busy and scatter a variety of very important seeds…..or, come to think of it, maybe I’ve already begun.

And he said, “My presence will go with you…….” Exodus 33:14

 


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Safe Spaces

By: Marcy Barthelette
 

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:4 NIV  

It’s a lazy summer afternoon and I’m allowing myself to embrace the luxury of a little stroll down memory lane. My musing takes me to the very middle of my life when, as a single mom, I was a manager at a camping resort in south-central Missouri. My daughter and I began this sojourn living in our small camper but then moved into housing on the premises. Our home was a restored- hundred-twenty-five-year-old log cabin, built originally in the dogtrot style commonly found in the Ozarks. It consisted of two rooms with a covered walkway in between. That walkway had been transformed into an entry hall and full bathroom, the kitchen updated for modern living, and two bedrooms along with a bath were added to one end. It was a very comfortable home for the two of us and the resort was a great place to raise a child. We had access to a clear, beautiful river for swimming, canoeing, and tubing. The horseback riding trails provided hours of entertainment, and we could enjoy hayrides and movies along with our camping guests when space was available. Jenny had no shortage of friends, from some of those aforementioned camping guests who were often short-term friendships, to her schoolmates and our neighbors who added consistency to our lives. We were truly blessed by our natural surroundings and the folks there who became our extended family and always watched over us.

Jeni was typically very active around the resort, jumping rope, playing hopscotch, and engaging in lots of little girl activities. Our staff and guests marveled at how long she could continue jumping and she was usually willing to entertain them. But every now and then, she

 needed to get away from everything and everyone. She’s still that way. The first time she disappeared, I became a little frantic. Okay, I was more than a little frantic. Just as I was about to really fall off the deep end, the resort owner happened to look out her window and saw Jenny sitting on a tree branch alongside the stream that flowed behind her house. A quick call assured me my daughter was fine and that my boss would keep a close watch over her. That was to be the first of many trips to the tree. Jenny had found her safe spot, tucked away from all the people and busyness of the park right beside that beautiful flowing stream. It became her thinking tree and the place she sought when something troubled her. I always knew where she would be, and my boss and I communicated regularly regarding her presence there to ensure her safety, but we never invaded her space.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

Eventually, she realized that we knew where her safe space was, but it remained just her place for as long as we lived there. Now that she’s an adult with her own daughter, she still loves to be near flowing water and so do I. It gives each of us a sense of peace and constancy, a place of reassurance that envelopes us in the wonder of creation and an opportunity to disconnect from the craziness of life and just bask in the quiet of the moment. In the quiet we find comfort. It becomes a safe space because it reminds us of God’s never-ending provision, both physically and spiritually.

Today, Ken and I have a safe room in our garage designed to protect us from destructive storms, and I’m really glad we have it. But I know that the safest place to be is always in the loving arms of God and that can happen anywhere I am because He is always with me. Where is your safe space? 

Be still and know that I am God. Ps 46:10


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Beautiful Feet

By: Marcy Barthelette

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.

Romans 10:15b NKJV

This past Lenten season, as I read one of my favorite devotional guides, the one about Peter’s Feet snagged my imagination a little more than in years past so I set it aside in my resource folder thinking it might offer some good points for one of my pieces somewhere along the line. I’ve glanced at it a few times since, but the timing just wasn’t right. Pastor Dennis, however, lit a spark last Sunday when he focused in on the importance of feet. Once home, I pulled up my folder and began to gnaw on the topic a bit.

Of course, I’ve had reason to think about feet lately as my normal mobility has been impaired, and It’s hit home just how precious those feet of ours really are. We humans are typically born with two while the majority of animals have four, but some critters possess as many as six or eight. Imagine having to buy eight shoes for each of your children at the beginning of school. I think I’m grateful we only have two feet. The internet experts differ slightly but seem to agree that the average eighty-year-old human will have walked between 75,000 and 100,000 miles in a lifetime. That’s a lot of blisters and callouses and very tired feet. We punish them unmercifully by wearing shoes that are improperly sized or aren’t built for the purpose we are using them. We push through the pain and just keep going. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who thinks their feet are attractive. They’re just two overlooked and unattractive appendages that take us from place to place, activity to activity, in our daily lives.

Our four-footed friends are just as hard on their feet. Think about the horses of the American west carrying people and goods and mail to unexplored areas where danger lurked around every bend in the trail. Goodness, how their feet must have suffered. And how about camels traversing the scorching desert or the huskies of the Yukon? So many types of feet work very hard to get us to our destinations, deliver our goods, and carry us on dangerous adventures or the exploration of earth’s wonders. And we mustn’t forget the rigors of bodily exercise that keep us healthy. Regardless of their rather nondescript appearance, feet play a vital role in our lives and we would do well to take better care of them than we do.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns. Isaiah 52:7 NLT   

I think God’s Word may have been speaking metaphorically here. Before venturing into indigenous villages high in the Andes Mountains or on the African desert or in the seemingly unreachable parts of our own country, “messengers” must train in the rigors of the lifestyles they will inhabit. They must be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared to bring the “Good News” to people who may not have ever heard the name of Jesus. Their literal feet will have traveled countless miles in preparation before they hit the ground running and the beauty of their metaphorical feet becomes fruitful.

I’m grateful for those whose literal or metaphorical feet travel to the far corners of the earth to bring the message of God’s love and faithfulness, but not all of us can do that. Hear this though, even those of us whose feet are absent or not working correctly have metaphorically beautiful feet to bring the “Good News” to those in need of hearing. Our feet can be present in a classroom of children searching for meaning in their lives. Our feet can serve a healthy meal to hungry souls without the means to provide food on their own. Our feet can bring or send bottled water and prepared foods to disaster-ravaged countries and disaster areas in our own country. Our feet can send school supplies to places where classrooms are no more than a rudimentary structure or a tent or perhaps even just the shade of a tree. Our feet can bring the promise of hope to a hurting world.

We are blessed beyond measure and when we think there is nothing more we can do, we just need to open our eyes, ears, and hearts, then put our feet to work. Our “feet”, virtual or metaphorical, can always bring the beauty of hope to someone, somewhere…..maybe right next door.

 

How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news. Romans 10:15b NLT


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