Last week, on the Sunday leading into the Thanksgiving holiday, I did something I haven’t done in years. I played my trombone and sang a solo at the church we attend. As you might imagine, it was a trip down memory lane.
As Loreen and I searched music books for something we had done before, we came across an old song called “Count Your Blessings.” The last verse, which I sang after playing the trombone, goes like this: So, amid the conflict, whether great or small – do not be discouraged, God is over all – Count your many blessings, angels will attend – help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Little did I know that angels were attending an old friend of mine at that very moment. I knew that he was ill. In fact, we would call it a “terminal” illness. However, the end came more quickly than I expected.
Lee Dice was a pastor senior to me. Together with other pastors in the state of Indiana, he asked me to initiate a new church in Indianapolis. We began the fall of 1965 with nothing more than a list of prospects. Sixteen churches supported us with prayer and gifts. Lee was the pastor of one of those churches, the church in Flora, Indiana.
Two years later, Lee left Flora to become the pastor of the Third Brethren Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The church we started in Indianapolis continued to grow. Since it was nearly ready to be self supporting, no longer needing support from the Indiana churches, I took the challenge of a new church in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Imagine my surprise and gratitude when Lee returned from Philadelphia to be the pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Indianapolis.
The story isn’t over. In 1995, Lee became the Executive Secretary of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers. Eight years later, he and the officers of the Association asked me to design a new structure that would deliver more encouragement and assistance to our members. In 2005, as that structure developed, Lee resigned from his role as Executive Secretary. I inherited some of his duties, and was later named the Ministry Director.
The crossing of our paths is not without significance. There is a personal God, and he is at work in our lives. I could not have designed and orchestrated the way Lee and I played tag with each other in our service for the Lord.
Lee reached the end of his journey only to begin another, one far more glorious. It began with Thanksgiving dinner in heaven. What a way to begin!
When I count my blessings, Lee Dice is among them.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
So Far, So Good!
One of my favorite stories is about a man who fell from a tall building. As he passed an open window about five stories up, someone inside heard him call out, “So far, so good!”
I used to tell that story when people around me were enthusiastic about their progress. Current returns are no guarantee of future results. Isn’t that something we read on stock offerings? We should pay more attention.
It was an article in USA Today that reminded me of the story, and it has been in my mind all week long. The newspaper runs a feature on religion every Monday, and last week the editor chose an atheist to write something. That was an interesting choice in itself, since it was the week Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The article was entitled, “No religion? No problem.” When I finished reading, I added one more phrase: NOT YET.
In the article, the author was delighted that a growing number of Americans no longer identify with a particular religion. The results of a recent survey seem to indicate that 20% of the population has no religious affiliation. From that finding, she assumes that only 80% believe in a supernatural being. That’s quite a leap in logic, which is somewhat akin to a leap of faith.
Actually, I imagine that many Christians could identify themselves as irreligious. I know that I do. I am a follower of Jesus, not a particular religious “brand.” In this, I identify quite well with a man named Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote most of what we know as the New Testament.
Paul encountered a lot of religion in the Greco-Roman world of the first century after Christ. One of his encounters is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 17. He compliments the Athenians for being very religious, but warns them that religion is not sufficient. In fact, religion can actually reinforce ignorance.
“In the past,” Paul says to them, “God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
God has set a day, and all of us are falling toward it. He will not judge us on the basis of our religious affiliation, but on the basis of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The resurrection proves it.
To smug religionists and atheists alike, I have this advice from Psalm 2:
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
I used to tell that story when people around me were enthusiastic about their progress. Current returns are no guarantee of future results. Isn’t that something we read on stock offerings? We should pay more attention.
It was an article in USA Today that reminded me of the story, and it has been in my mind all week long. The newspaper runs a feature on religion every Monday, and last week the editor chose an atheist to write something. That was an interesting choice in itself, since it was the week Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The article was entitled, “No religion? No problem.” When I finished reading, I added one more phrase: NOT YET.
In the article, the author was delighted that a growing number of Americans no longer identify with a particular religion. The results of a recent survey seem to indicate that 20% of the population has no religious affiliation. From that finding, she assumes that only 80% believe in a supernatural being. That’s quite a leap in logic, which is somewhat akin to a leap of faith.
Actually, I imagine that many Christians could identify themselves as irreligious. I know that I do. I am a follower of Jesus, not a particular religious “brand.” In this, I identify quite well with a man named Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote most of what we know as the New Testament.
Paul encountered a lot of religion in the Greco-Roman world of the first century after Christ. One of his encounters is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 17. He compliments the Athenians for being very religious, but warns them that religion is not sufficient. In fact, religion can actually reinforce ignorance.
“In the past,” Paul says to them, “God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
God has set a day, and all of us are falling toward it. He will not judge us on the basis of our religious affiliation, but on the basis of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The resurrection proves it.
To smug religionists and atheists alike, I have this advice from Psalm 2:
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Preparation Matters
In recent years, I have watched with surprise and dismay as training and experience lost value in American culture. As a minister, I noticed it first among younger Christians. They wanted to be popular musicians without musical training. They wanted to go on mission trips to foreign countries without knowing the language. They wanted to be pastors without formal education or professional validation.
Christians are part of a wider culture. Generally speaking, Americans have lost their appreciation for those who “pay their dues” through years of preparation and hard experience. Examples abound, but the most current illustration is the presidential campaign. We just elected a President who is lacking in significant political experience, and we are told that his inexperience is actually an advantage.
With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I was deeply impressed by the testimony of Chelsy Sullenberger. You may recall that “Sully” was the pilot of US Airways flight 1549. He managed to land his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River and became an instant hero. Not a single life was lost. “I was sure I could do it,” Sully said. “I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation for that particular moment.”
I wanted to shout. The culture is blind and deaf to his wisdom, but some of us know exactly what Sully is talking about. I remembered similar words from a coach many years ago. One of his student athletes confidently talked about winning the next game. “We’re gonna win, coach,” he said, “Because we have the will to win.” “That’s not good enough,” the coach replied. “You must have the will to prepare to win.”
Those who eschew preparation may find that they are unequal to the task when their big moment arrives. They would do well to consider the life of Jesus. He didn’t begin his public ministry until he was about thirty years of age. Do you suppose he prepared? When the moment came, he was ready.
Christians are part of a wider culture. Generally speaking, Americans have lost their appreciation for those who “pay their dues” through years of preparation and hard experience. Examples abound, but the most current illustration is the presidential campaign. We just elected a President who is lacking in significant political experience, and we are told that his inexperience is actually an advantage.
With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I was deeply impressed by the testimony of Chelsy Sullenberger. You may recall that “Sully” was the pilot of US Airways flight 1549. He managed to land his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River and became an instant hero. Not a single life was lost. “I was sure I could do it,” Sully said. “I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation for that particular moment.”
I wanted to shout. The culture is blind and deaf to his wisdom, but some of us know exactly what Sully is talking about. I remembered similar words from a coach many years ago. One of his student athletes confidently talked about winning the next game. “We’re gonna win, coach,” he said, “Because we have the will to win.” “That’s not good enough,” the coach replied. “You must have the will to prepare to win.”
Those who eschew preparation may find that they are unequal to the task when their big moment arrives. They would do well to consider the life of Jesus. He didn’t begin his public ministry until he was about thirty years of age. Do you suppose he prepared? When the moment came, he was ready.
Friday, December 26, 2008
What Christmas Means To Me
Like any other holiday, the Christmas season means different things to different people.
For most of my life, I didn’t pay much attention to this simple observation. There was a time when Americans enjoyed the season without picking on each other. We put up Christmas trees, sent greeting cards, took the kids to see Santa Claus, and listened to Christmas music of all kinds. Christians and non-Christians alike joined in the festivities. We all put up with each other. Then something happened.
The anti-Christian crowd didn’t want us to call it “Christmas” anymore. Pressure was brought to bear on sales clerks to say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” Religious displays on public property were outlawed. School programs were emptied of any references to Christmas.
A couple of weeks ago, when the annual dispute over Christmas erupted once more in the public media, I gave it a second thought. It wasn’t the story about the atheist proclamation in the Washington State House that pushed me over the edge. It was the latest survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The survey found that most Christians in America no longer believe Christ is the only way to God. The figures released by the Pew Forum indicate that 75% of “mainline Protestants” and 85% of “non-Hispanic white Catholics” believe salvation can be found elsewhere. Even 34% of “white evangelicals” chose at least one non-Christian religion that could bring peace with God. What do these figures mean?
There are two possibilities. Either Christians do not understand the Christmas story, or they have rejected it as true history. Did Mary receive a message from the angel Gabriel about the birth of Jesus? Did the angel say that her child would be supernaturally conceived and called the Son of God? Did the angels sing to shepherds on the night Jesus was born? Did they call him “Christ, the Lord?” These are words of deity.
The Christmas story tells us that God became a man. He became a man so that he could open a way to God through his flesh, a way that we could not create for ourselves. That’s why the angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Jesus is not simply one of many ways to God. He is THE way to God. To say otherwise is to either misunderstand or disbelieve the story.
I think professing Christians have rolled over and played dead on this one. In the interest of “tolerance,” many have surrendered the “birth of Christ” meaning of Christmas. They don’t need to do that. In fact, they shouldn’t do that. Toleration has nothing to do with giving up your beliefs. It has to do with accepting those who see things differently.
So I accept other meanings of the Christmas season. Just don’t ask me to give up the meaning that matters most to me.
For most of my life, I didn’t pay much attention to this simple observation. There was a time when Americans enjoyed the season without picking on each other. We put up Christmas trees, sent greeting cards, took the kids to see Santa Claus, and listened to Christmas music of all kinds. Christians and non-Christians alike joined in the festivities. We all put up with each other. Then something happened.
The anti-Christian crowd didn’t want us to call it “Christmas” anymore. Pressure was brought to bear on sales clerks to say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” Religious displays on public property were outlawed. School programs were emptied of any references to Christmas.
A couple of weeks ago, when the annual dispute over Christmas erupted once more in the public media, I gave it a second thought. It wasn’t the story about the atheist proclamation in the Washington State House that pushed me over the edge. It was the latest survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The survey found that most Christians in America no longer believe Christ is the only way to God. The figures released by the Pew Forum indicate that 75% of “mainline Protestants” and 85% of “non-Hispanic white Catholics” believe salvation can be found elsewhere. Even 34% of “white evangelicals” chose at least one non-Christian religion that could bring peace with God. What do these figures mean?
There are two possibilities. Either Christians do not understand the Christmas story, or they have rejected it as true history. Did Mary receive a message from the angel Gabriel about the birth of Jesus? Did the angel say that her child would be supernaturally conceived and called the Son of God? Did the angels sing to shepherds on the night Jesus was born? Did they call him “Christ, the Lord?” These are words of deity.
The Christmas story tells us that God became a man. He became a man so that he could open a way to God through his flesh, a way that we could not create for ourselves. That’s why the angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Jesus is not simply one of many ways to God. He is THE way to God. To say otherwise is to either misunderstand or disbelieve the story.
I think professing Christians have rolled over and played dead on this one. In the interest of “tolerance,” many have surrendered the “birth of Christ” meaning of Christmas. They don’t need to do that. In fact, they shouldn’t do that. Toleration has nothing to do with giving up your beliefs. It has to do with accepting those who see things differently.
So I accept other meanings of the Christmas season. Just don’t ask me to give up the meaning that matters most to me.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Don't Take Anything for Granted
Yesterday morning, while enjoying the early morning sunshine from my patio, I heard the tack-tack-tack of a power nailer across the way. New homes are going up, I thought, and a roofer is already hard at work. Tack-tack-tack. He was moving fast. Suddenly, there was a scream. The nailing stopped.
I imagined what must have happened. The roofer put a tack through his foot, or maybe his hand. I did my morning exercises, and kept listening. No more sounds. No emergency vehicle. No cars or trucks driving out of the area. Maybe my assumption was wrong. Perhaps there was another explanation for what I heard.
Imagination drives assumptions. On the basis of available evidence, we fill in the blanks with our imagination, and voila! We have an explanation. Or do we? All of us make assumptions. As a Pastor, I made plenty of them. It was embarrassing. Scientists make assumptions, especially in regard to origins. This week, politicians are telling us that 700 billion dollars will “rescue” America’s economy. Now, there’s an assumption if I ever heard one. If I learned anything in 40 years of ministry, it is Don’t Take Anything for Granted.
That’s the motivation behind a trip we are taking tomorrow. Loreen and I are flying from Tucson to Los Angeles, renting a car, and driving to Seal Beach, California. At nine o’clock on Saturday morning, I will join a group of ordained ministers to examine a candidate for ministry as an Army Chaplain.
I have met the candidate. He is an officer in the Army Reserve. I read his pre-exam application. I liked his answers. But that isn’t enough. Our imagination can create assumptions. So, we are going to sit together and have free-ranging discussions about his call to ministry. We will ask questions about his beliefs. We want to be sure. None of us should take anything for granted.
We expect the candidate to do well in this examination. If there were any doubt about that, I wouldn’t invest the time and money to make this trip. But that’s an assumption. Our task is to reduce the number of assumptions on which we depend before approving people for ministry.
On Monday morning, I expect to be on my patio again. I look forward to soaking up the rays of the morning sun. That’s an assumption. It’s based on sound evidence, but I am governed by a higher rule. Don’t Take Anything for Granted.
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)
I imagined what must have happened. The roofer put a tack through his foot, or maybe his hand. I did my morning exercises, and kept listening. No more sounds. No emergency vehicle. No cars or trucks driving out of the area. Maybe my assumption was wrong. Perhaps there was another explanation for what I heard.
Imagination drives assumptions. On the basis of available evidence, we fill in the blanks with our imagination, and voila! We have an explanation. Or do we? All of us make assumptions. As a Pastor, I made plenty of them. It was embarrassing. Scientists make assumptions, especially in regard to origins. This week, politicians are telling us that 700 billion dollars will “rescue” America’s economy. Now, there’s an assumption if I ever heard one. If I learned anything in 40 years of ministry, it is Don’t Take Anything for Granted.
That’s the motivation behind a trip we are taking tomorrow. Loreen and I are flying from Tucson to Los Angeles, renting a car, and driving to Seal Beach, California. At nine o’clock on Saturday morning, I will join a group of ordained ministers to examine a candidate for ministry as an Army Chaplain.
I have met the candidate. He is an officer in the Army Reserve. I read his pre-exam application. I liked his answers. But that isn’t enough. Our imagination can create assumptions. So, we are going to sit together and have free-ranging discussions about his call to ministry. We will ask questions about his beliefs. We want to be sure. None of us should take anything for granted.
We expect the candidate to do well in this examination. If there were any doubt about that, I wouldn’t invest the time and money to make this trip. But that’s an assumption. Our task is to reduce the number of assumptions on which we depend before approving people for ministry.
On Monday morning, I expect to be on my patio again. I look forward to soaking up the rays of the morning sun. That’s an assumption. It’s based on sound evidence, but I am governed by a higher rule. Don’t Take Anything for Granted.
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A Full Summer, Nearly Gone
The calendar in my computer announces that today is August 15. For us, a summer of travel is nearly over. It hardly seems possible. The older I get, the faster time flies.
Two months have passed since I last wrote about our travels. We have visited pastors and their wives from Texas to South Carolina and Maryland to Iowa. Somewhere in the middle, we attended the conference of Grace Brethren churches in Florida. It proved to be another great opportunity to meet with pastors and their wives.
We also had the privilege of helping to qualify two men for ministry as Army Chaplains. In cooperation with John Schumacher, Chaplain Endorsing Agent for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, I gathered a group of pastors to serve as an examining committee. The first candidate was John Jacobsen, recommended to us by the Grace Brethren Church in Beaver City, Nebraska. The second candidate was Peter Stone, recommended to us by the Fountain of Life Bible Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. Both men did extremely well in their examinations, and we expect them to do very well in their ministry to soldiers.
Of course, our time in Pennsylvania was the most enjoyable of all. Our children and grandchildren are in Lancaster County, and we carved out lots of time for them. We also visited with friends who were our companions in ministry at Grace Church in Lititz. Pastor Scott Distler invited me to preach one Sunday, and that is always a privilege. However, I can honestly say that I am glad not to be preaching two sermons on Sunday morning anymore.
Today is our last day in Iowa. We have an appointment with Gary and Jean Austin in Cedar Rapids this noon. Gary has been challenged with cancer the last couple of years, so your prayer for them would be greatly appreciated. Sometime this afternoon, we will hook up our fifth wheel RV and drive through Waterloo. We want to see friends while driving through, but we expect to drive to the edge of Iowa this evening. We’ll sleep along the way, and find ourselves well into South Dakota by tomorrow night.
Thank you for thinking of us, and praying for our safety in travel. The Lord has been gracious, and he leads the way. We are hoping to see some beautiful scenery in Wyoming before turning south through Utah. By the end of August, we should be in Arizona.
A full summer, nearly gone.
Two months have passed since I last wrote about our travels. We have visited pastors and their wives from Texas to South Carolina and Maryland to Iowa. Somewhere in the middle, we attended the conference of Grace Brethren churches in Florida. It proved to be another great opportunity to meet with pastors and their wives.
We also had the privilege of helping to qualify two men for ministry as Army Chaplains. In cooperation with John Schumacher, Chaplain Endorsing Agent for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, I gathered a group of pastors to serve as an examining committee. The first candidate was John Jacobsen, recommended to us by the Grace Brethren Church in Beaver City, Nebraska. The second candidate was Peter Stone, recommended to us by the Fountain of Life Bible Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. Both men did extremely well in their examinations, and we expect them to do very well in their ministry to soldiers.
Of course, our time in Pennsylvania was the most enjoyable of all. Our children and grandchildren are in Lancaster County, and we carved out lots of time for them. We also visited with friends who were our companions in ministry at Grace Church in Lititz. Pastor Scott Distler invited me to preach one Sunday, and that is always a privilege. However, I can honestly say that I am glad not to be preaching two sermons on Sunday morning anymore.
Today is our last day in Iowa. We have an appointment with Gary and Jean Austin in Cedar Rapids this noon. Gary has been challenged with cancer the last couple of years, so your prayer for them would be greatly appreciated. Sometime this afternoon, we will hook up our fifth wheel RV and drive through Waterloo. We want to see friends while driving through, but we expect to drive to the edge of Iowa this evening. We’ll sleep along the way, and find ourselves well into South Dakota by tomorrow night.
Thank you for thinking of us, and praying for our safety in travel. The Lord has been gracious, and he leads the way. We are hoping to see some beautiful scenery in Wyoming before turning south through Utah. By the end of August, we should be in Arizona.
A full summer, nearly gone.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Special Story
One day this week, I watched a television program which insisted that evolution is a scientific fact and Christians who object to the idea are ignorant bigots. The narrator of the program announced that, among all the animals on the planet, “Human beings are nothing special.” Hmmmm.
I had an experience this week which convinced me human beings are not only special, but also the angels of God are watching over us with special care. Here is my story.
Two weeks ago, my wife and I left Tucson, Arizona for travel among the pastors and churches of the Grace Brethren Fellowship. We drove for two days across New Mexico and Texas, a very hot trip indeed. We visited the Grace Brethren Church in Longview, Texas on June 1st and did our best to encourage the leaders there. We were able to spend time with John Mayes and Vernon and Glyn Harris, two retired pastors and pastor’s wife.
Our next stop was Atlanta, Georgia, where we enjoyed fellowship with Jim and Wanda Laird and Bill and Betty Byers. We heard exciting stories of what the Lord may have in store for them and the church. After watching the children gather for their Vacation Bible School, we drove a few miles north to an RV park for the night. Our goal was to drive to Aiken, South Carolina the next day.
Bright and early on Thursday morning, we got the rig ready and entered the truck. I turned the key. Nothing happened. I called Good Sam emergency road service. To make a long story short, the truck was picked up and transported to a Ford garage in Cartersville, Georgia. The next day, the garage called to say that two new batteries were installed, but they found another problem. The trailer brake control was totally dead. We had to wait until Monday before they could do any more for us.
We were devastated. Not only was a big bill on the way, but also our plan to visit pastors and pastors’ wives was in jeopardy. I began wondering how we could arrive in Pennsylvania by Father’s Day to attend the wedding of our son. It took an entire weekend of prayer and thinking before I understood how special we are.
We could have been stranded along a remote section of Georgia highway. Instead, our trailer sat in a beautiful park beside Alatoona Lake. Loreen’s sister Elva and her husband Jack live in Cartersville. They picked us up and drove us around. The brake controller could have failed while driving down a long hill, or in traffic through Atlanta. Instead, it failed while the truck sat still, unable to move. Imagine that.
We lost five days. We could have lost our lives. The Lord had a better plan. He stranded us in a beautiful park within a few miles of Elva and Jack. A new part from Detroit could have taken two days. Instead, a part was found, delivered, and installed within five hours. We got acquainted with the owner of the Ford dealership and spoke with him about the Lord. Imagine that.
Luck, you say? Hmmmm.
We are on our way again. We stopped through Aiken yesterday, had lunch with Steve and Pat Taylor, and continued driving north. Tonight, we are parked just inside Virginia. Losing five days means that our plan to visit pastors and churches on our way north is seriously altered. However, I am confident that the angels of God are watching over me.
That’s special.
I had an experience this week which convinced me human beings are not only special, but also the angels of God are watching over us with special care. Here is my story.
Two weeks ago, my wife and I left Tucson, Arizona for travel among the pastors and churches of the Grace Brethren Fellowship. We drove for two days across New Mexico and Texas, a very hot trip indeed. We visited the Grace Brethren Church in Longview, Texas on June 1st and did our best to encourage the leaders there. We were able to spend time with John Mayes and Vernon and Glyn Harris, two retired pastors and pastor’s wife.
Our next stop was Atlanta, Georgia, where we enjoyed fellowship with Jim and Wanda Laird and Bill and Betty Byers. We heard exciting stories of what the Lord may have in store for them and the church. After watching the children gather for their Vacation Bible School, we drove a few miles north to an RV park for the night. Our goal was to drive to Aiken, South Carolina the next day.
Bright and early on Thursday morning, we got the rig ready and entered the truck. I turned the key. Nothing happened. I called Good Sam emergency road service. To make a long story short, the truck was picked up and transported to a Ford garage in Cartersville, Georgia. The next day, the garage called to say that two new batteries were installed, but they found another problem. The trailer brake control was totally dead. We had to wait until Monday before they could do any more for us.
We were devastated. Not only was a big bill on the way, but also our plan to visit pastors and pastors’ wives was in jeopardy. I began wondering how we could arrive in Pennsylvania by Father’s Day to attend the wedding of our son. It took an entire weekend of prayer and thinking before I understood how special we are.
We could have been stranded along a remote section of Georgia highway. Instead, our trailer sat in a beautiful park beside Alatoona Lake. Loreen’s sister Elva and her husband Jack live in Cartersville. They picked us up and drove us around. The brake controller could have failed while driving down a long hill, or in traffic through Atlanta. Instead, it failed while the truck sat still, unable to move. Imagine that.
We lost five days. We could have lost our lives. The Lord had a better plan. He stranded us in a beautiful park within a few miles of Elva and Jack. A new part from Detroit could have taken two days. Instead, a part was found, delivered, and installed within five hours. We got acquainted with the owner of the Ford dealership and spoke with him about the Lord. Imagine that.
Luck, you say? Hmmmm.
We are on our way again. We stopped through Aiken yesterday, had lunch with Steve and Pat Taylor, and continued driving north. Tonight, we are parked just inside Virginia. Losing five days means that our plan to visit pastors and churches on our way north is seriously altered. However, I am confident that the angels of God are watching over me.
That’s special.
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