By Joe Widick
Several weeks ago I had a call from Friendship asking if I would be able to drive a bus for them. One of the drivers had had a death in the family and they were in a crisis mode. I was glad to be able to offer a little help. It was strange going back to a place that I had worked at for twenty-five years. I had driven a bus route, pep bus, team bus, and field trip buses for years when I was teaching. I often thought I could write a book about some of the experiences I had while driving. I had even come up with a title for the book. Because while driving the bus, I had to also be aware of what was going on, on the bus, I was going to call it “From the front of the bus looking backwards.” Some days it seemed as though I had to look more in the mirror at what was about to take place on the bus, than on the road in front of me. I still drive the church bus; obviously the group I normally drive do not need as much scrutiny as the kids I used to drive. I drove the Young at Heart to Whitwell a week ago and did not have to raise my voice once to tell them to sit down!
Have you ever looked in the rearview mirror of life, spending time reflecting on events or people that have come into your life and impacted it in one way or another. I am convinced that the Lord has allowed certain people as well as certain events to take place in your life and mine for a reason. Are you able to look back with confidence and say I am thankful for the opportunities that life has presented to you. You may recall the Lord’s temporal mercies such as good health, the enjoyment of a wonderful husband/wife, the pleasures and challenges of raising children. Think of the opportunities that came your way to make a difference in life. God is truly good!
More important than the temporal mercies you might recall are the spiritual mercies that have come into your life. The influence of Christian parents and other Christians who helped to mold your life. You may not have realized it at the time, but from the convenience of a rearview mirror of life you see more clearly. Maybe you see the experience of God’s forgiveness when you accepted Christ as your savior and had your sins washed away in baptism. It could have been the encouragement you received from church, or Bible study. They are moments that have become increasingly important and you realize how much you have to be thankful for. The psalmist said it this way; “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalms 103:1. Why not make it a point to give loving thanks for the Lord’s lavish gifts. What a joy to be able to look back ! Praise God for his goodness in my life and yours.
By Danielle Gray
The sign-up sheet is available for men to sign up now on the bulletin board. Please see Charles Lanius or Walter Naylor with questions.
By Joe Widick
On one occasion Jesus told his disciples; “The poor you will always have with you and you can help them any time you want” (Mark 14:7). A great deal of what Christ did was touching the lives of those that were less fortunate. Sometimes the needs seem to be overwhelming. Maple Hill helped about 250 individuals with clothing and some household supplies last weekend. If you were here for the give-away you noticed the need on the faces of many who came through the doors of our building. Earlier in the week some of our teens were on a mission retreat to the area of Sneedville, one of the poorest communities in the state of Tennessee. They were able to do some care packages for families, help in getting pure water for some families. They also held brief devotionals at homes where they were serving. As these things were being done in our home and state, another problem was growing into monstrous proportion. Rain was falling in El Salvador and southern Honduras. At one stretch it was reported that it fell for 96 hours straight, with more in the forecast. Maple Hill has long been involved in works in both of these countries. It has been amazing to me to see the pictures of the landslides, sunken highways, and cars with water covering them, buildings with water standing and household items floating. Then there were the pictures of the different churches of Christ loading supplies and trying to take it to those in need. The supplies were meager, but they were given out of a sense of urgency to help those who were so helpless.
I don’t know what you envision when you think of mission work. I know we want the gospel to be taught and people brought to Christ. I am convinced that mission work can take on other forms also. It is in benevolent situations like those described above. It is by building relationships with people, letting them know that we are trying to put into practice what it means to be a Christian. I am thankful that those we work with in El Salvador and Honduras are willing to sacrifice so much to tell those who are hurting that we care. I have witnessed it firsthand here and I have witnessed it first hand in the third world countries where many of our missionaries are currently serving. I don’t have an answer as to why natural disasters happen. I did however, discover a verse from the prophet Amos who speaking about God said; “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up.” (Amos 4:7). Amos did not offer a reason for this, nor did God offer to explain it to us. I have learned though that I can trust God to know what is best in every situation, because of his wisdom and love. Maybe those times of need and catastrophe come to give us an opportunity to show what Christianity is all about to those who do not know the story of Christ.
By Joe Widick
A couple of weekends ago Elaine and I were in east Tennessee. As we were walking around outside Elaine suddenly stopped and picked up a perfectly shaped leaf that had fallen from a sweet gum tree. The intricate features of the leaf were perfect. The color that was developing in the leaf was magnificent. It was a reminder that we are in the midst of a season change, where God daily shows his handiwork. As we eventually went inside, I thought for a moment that that leave “fell for me!” I think it is interesting to note how many times God gives us either little or large glimpses into his sovereign nature. In the same place we picked up that fallen leaf, we have seen the water of the lake calm as a mirror allowing us to look into the water and see the various colors of the trees reflecting their beauty for all to see. We have seen that same body of water turn to whitecaps as the wind stirred it into a frenzy. We can sit and look at the geese as they crisscross the lake, making their way to some unbeknown destination. At night we can look up into the sky and see the starry host that God has brought out for us to feast our eyes on. Last winter for the first time we were able to see the area in a blanket of white snow. The snow enhanced the blueness of the water.
Do you have a special place where God seems to speak to you in a very clear and concise way? Does He ever tell you that you need to simply take note of what is around you, I am letting you know that even though the world seems to be in a mess, I am still all powerful, wise, caring and loving? It is at times like this, that strength is gained for the next day. Encouragement comes to boost one’s spirit. Confidence is given to be able to say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).
It is a joy to be able to serve our God, who takes time to speak to us in a very special manner. I love the words of David as recorded in Psalms 19 when he said; “The heavens declare the glory of God’ the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3). At first glance one might wonder how a day or night could speak! However when one stops to think about it, it seems that when another day or night is given to us, they speak volumes about our God. Whatever your favorite season of the year is, why not make it a point to listen to what God is saying to you. A simple leaf spoke to me the other day. It said; “I fell for you!”
By Joe Widick
I cannot take credit for the idea for this article. Elaine gave me the thought while she was fussing about the cost of the mayonnaise. A couple of weeks ago on our date night (Cracker Barrel and Walmart) we were looking for the mayonnaise. Elaine picked up a quart jar of the velvety smooth white concoction and started to put it in our shopping cart. Suddenly she proclaimed, I can’t believe this, it is only 30 ounces. First I didn’t realize that there is a difference in 30 ounces and a quart. It looked like a quart jar to me, but it wasn’t, it was two ounces short of being a quart.
Isn’t it interesting to note how things change in such small and subtle ways? You have probably noticed this with other items that you purchase. The half-gallon ice cream is no longer a half gallon, the Big Mac that taste so good seems to be smaller that it used to be. The list goes on and on. Things change but they try to give the appearance of being the same. I believe that this one of the ways in which Satan works in our lives. He is subtle, sneaky in his tactics to take us in a direction away from God. Many times, we may not even be aware of the changes that are taking place. It is as though he is whispering in our ear saying this little baby step away from the truth is OK! Nothing will happen. Before one knows what has happened their walk with the Lord is changed. It happened in the Garden of Eden long ago, and it still happens today. Think of your own personal walk with God and how it is Satan is tugging at you encouraging you to walk in the darkness. We need to be fully aware that “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan appears to us as a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing, seeking who he may destroy. What happens when you are alone in the wee hours of the night in front of the computer, tired but needing to finish a project? Does Satan ever come calling and encourage you to change websites, just for a moment, no harm will be done. It is a beautiful Sunday morning in the fall and Satan whispers take a Sunday off and take it easy. Maybe it is a class you are teaching, you know what the scriptures say, but Satan once again shows up and murmurs something to the effect, you can leave that out, it is not that important. There are so many subtle ways that Satan is at work. Before you realize it, you are less the Christian than you want to be. You have changed, maybe in just a small way, but there is still change. Let each of us determine in our lives to be ever faithful to God and His word. Let each of us not let Satan get the proverbial foothold in our lives.
