By Joe Widick
Elaine and I first went to Honduras in 1988. Honduras has changed a great deal since that time. On one of our visits we stayed in the Hotel de Plaza which was very near the center of the old town area. It was a hotel where for breakfast one morning a roach was poured into Elaine’s cereal bowl along with the rest of the frosted flakes. It was the same hotel where you could push the elevator button for floor 4 and wind-up in the basement. It was an adventure! At that time we felt more comfortable walking the streets and seeing the sights of a third world country. There was a plaza (we would call it a town square) where thousands of people gathered daily selling various and sundry items to poor people who had little. I remember walking by and seeing items such as Ray Bann sunglasses and Rolexx watches. Being no dummy, I could tell that these items were at an excellent price. The thought of having a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses and a Rolex excited me, especially on a teacher’s salary. Thankfully Elaine was with me and pointed out that she didn’t think Rolexx was spelled with two x’s
Imitations of the real thing easily passed off at ridiculously cheap prices. They really didn’t have much value at all. They were simply very cheap imitations that would be bought by people who were not paying attention to what they were getting.
When you stop to think about it few things of value are inexpensive. Fewer still are free. There is however one gift, a very important gift that is free. The gift I speak of is that of salvation. Unlike the imitation Rolex, salvation is of infinite value. Yet it is free because, as one old hymn reminds us, “Gone is all my debt of sin, A great change is bro’t within, And to live I now begin, Risen from the fall: yet the debt I did not pay, someone died for me one day, sweeping all the debt away, Jesus paid it all.” All of us our thrilled by knowing Ephesians 2: 8-9 that tells us that we are not going to be able to earn salvation—for we are saved by the grace of God. All that is needed of us is to believe and becoming obedient to His teachings and we will receive the gift of eternal life that God offers (Romans 6:23). It is a paradoxical truth that while salvation is free, its cost was great. One writer simply said; “Forgiveness, which is so easy for us accept, cost the agony at Calvary.” Anyone who teaches something else is simply pushing an imitation of the real thing. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Prayer Thought: Thank you Lord for the infinite wisdom you have and the gift you have given.
By Joe Widick
Recently, I came across a story of a mother and her precious four year old daughter. They were strolling through an open air market. As the little girl stared at a large pile of oranges, a generous vendor took one of the luscious oranges and handed it to the little girl. She was all smiles and proudly displayed it to her mother. Her mother, always wanting to teach her the proper manners said to her daughter; “What do you say to the nice man?” The little girl looked at the orange, looked at her mother and then thrust it toward the man and said, “Peel it.”
Thankfulness is something that we all want instilled into our children and grandchildren. We want them to learn to grow into having a spirit of being thankful. When we look at the story of the little girl we have a tendency to say that that is excusable, after all she is only four years old. What would it be like if the little girl had been thirteen? We would probably think that her actions were rude and ungrateful!
What about you and me? How easy is it for us to fall into the trap of responding to God’s gracious gifts by thinking, “This is nice, but I’d like a little more.” How important is it to us to have an attitude of gratitude toward God. I believe that it becomes a matter of growing into spiritual maturity. In Paul’s letter to the growing Christians at Ephesus, he challenged them to follow Christ. Included in this challenge is to “give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:20. The phrase “all things” is interesting. How often do I ask for help from God in this area or that in my life, and He comes through just as I had asked. Do I thank him for blessing me in that way? When our children were at home and dating, I would always be restless until they came home for the evening. I always tried to make it a point to thank God for bringing them safely home once again.
Today let’s determine to practice thankfulness to God. Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, let’s look and see what it is that we do have. Instead of fuming about the unfairness of life, let’s determine that we are going to turn that lemon into lemonade. Instead of asking for more for ourselves, let us be content to count our many blessings naming them one by one. In other words instead of saying “Peel it” lets say “Thanks!” One individual stated that it’s not what is in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what’s in your heart. God is good to each of us in so many ways. How sweet and simple to be able to say thank you.
Prayer Thought: May my prayers be filled with thanksgiving that flows from a heart of love for the Master.
By Joe Widick
This past Sunday Jayden, Wayne and Debbie’s grandson was staying with them. When it came time for him to go to Sundays School, he happily went in and realized that there were all of his friends. There seems to be a sweetness and love that is sometimes missing in those of us who are older. When I heard Wayne relate that story of Jayden going to class and realizing he was with his friends, it made me stop and think about several things. How important are your friends and mine? When we are separated by time or distance and then able to be reunited with them, does it warm our heart? Does it make us feel comfortable because they are people we know and love? Jayden was right at home with those he had been separated from for some time. Friendship is such a valuable treasure to have. I can’t imagine going through life without the joy of having friends to talk with and share experiences of life with.
It is Thursday morning as I write these thoughts. Debbie has brought Jayden to visit “grandpapa.” Jayden is busy playing in the fellowship hall. His former Mothers Day Out Class has come out and they all rush to him to see him. They don’t talk much, mainly because they are only three years old. They try to say a few things, but actions speak louder than words. Ella gives him a little hug; others surround the toy he is playing with. What type of price tag do you put on that type of innocent caring friendship? If we as adults could learn to put all our baggage aside, our worries, and cares and simply be true friends, what a difference it would make. The wise man Solomon wrote “A friend loves at all times…” Time and distance had separated these young children. It didn’t however take but just a moment for the friendships to be renewed.
Of all the friends that Jayden will have in his lifetime, none will be more important that the friendship he will have with his savior. Sometimes we sing a song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Truly that is some of the most beautiful thoughts one could ever express. All our sins and grief’s to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. As we develop friendships in our life, they are very important. I encourage myself as well as you to look deeply at the friendship we can have in Christ. Jesus said in John 15:15; “I have called you friends, for everything I learned from My Father I have made known to you.”
Prayer Thought: Thank you for being my friend, help me to be a friend.
By Joe Widick
When our oldest son went off to college, we decided we were going to purchase a dog for a pet. We found a little schnauzer in Kentucky and purchased it. On the way home with our two youngest children we decided to name her Molly. She immediately became a special part of the family. She was the runt of the liter and had funny looking ears when she was trimmed like a schnauzer. We made fun of her and called Molly, Yoda. Because of her funny ears, and being a runt, she was obviously not a show dog. I wonder what it would be like to have entered her in some dog show. Have you ever watched a dog show on TV. For dog lovers it can be very entertaining. The dog owners are impeccably dressed and trot along with their pedigreed pooches as they show off their unique canine beauty. The dogs have been trained to stand confidently with chins lifted high, their shiny coats carefully brushed and styled. To me they all look like winners.
I wonder sometimes, when the audience is gone and the lights are turned off, what are these dogs really like? Do they ever relax and let their sleek fur get so matted they’re mistaken for mutts? Does their doggie breath start smelling foul? If you had known our Molly, you might have been hard pressed to know that she was a schnauzer.
What are you and I like when there is nobody watching? When the crowd leaves the church building and we go our separate ways, what do we become? In Matthew 23:2-7 Jesus is seen rebuking those who were interested in how they looked in public rather than how they were seen by God. Evidently there was a big difference. Christ wants us to be obedient, faithful and committed to Him—even when nobody else sees. The Pharisees focused on the way they were perceived by other people. God’s focus is on what we’re like inside. His desire is for us to be like his son. One of my favorite phrases deals with the story of David being anointed to be the King of Israel. Samuel has gone down to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse. Thinking one of the older, handsome, strong brothers of David was a logical choice to be king. God tells Samuel “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). We’re not in a competition with other Christians. God will never ask us to compete for “best in show.” He measures us by the perfect standard of His Son (Ephesians 4:13). And in love He provides the righteousness we need so that we can be blameless before Him (Colossians 1:21-23). By the way, we loved our little dog Molly, not because of her cute schnauzer looks. We loved her for being a loyal companion to our family.
Prayer Thought: Help each of us to be the person we need to be each and every day.
