A Little Bit of Mayberry

Yesterday, Sherri, my wife, and I took a short day trip to another one of North Carolina’s small towns. Those of you who were and are fans of The Andy Griffith Show of the 1960’s may remember this town being mentioned by Andy or Barney. Very often they, or one of the other characters, would say something about going to Siler City. Yes, Siler City is a real place and is a little over an hour from where we live. In fact one of the main characters on the show settled there after she retired from show business.

Frances Bavier, who played Aunt Bea bought a house in Siler City and lived there until her death in 1989 at the age of 87. She fell in love with this small, Mayberry like town, while she was still playing the role, Aunt Bea. A friend had told her about a seamstress in Siler City who could make suites for her—those classic short tops, jacket and long skirts that she wore when she dressed up in many of the scenes on the show. Frances would have the lady to make three at a time. It was during those trips for the suits that she decided to retire in Siler City rather than her home town, New York City.

As a citizen of Siler City this famous lady lived a quiet almost reclusive life. She did attend events such as bridal showers in her neighborhood, and other such personal gatherings. However, she insisted that everyone call her Frances, not Aunt Bea. She said, “Aunt Bea was just a character I played on a show.” There was one young man who helped her with things she needed done. He was one who often got himself in trouble and like Otis, would be locked up in the Siler City jail. Each time Aunt Bea would call her lawyer, and tell him to go get him out of jail. Frances lived the rest of her life in Siler City and is buried in the town’s cemetery.

Before we left Siler City we found out about a popular local eating place. It is called Johnson’s, that’s all, just Johnson’s. It’s a little hamburger joint that has been in business since 1946. There are six booths and maybe ten bar stools at the counter which provides a perfect view of the grill where one lady cooks all of the hamburgers and fries. If you decide to eat there you will have to wait for a seat. The person who told us about Johnson’s said, “But it’s worth the wait!” They have the lady who cooks, a girl who is the waitress, and a young man who takes the to go orders and is the one you pay on the way out. When you pay he will ask you where you were sitting. He then picks up a stack of tickets, finds the one that belongs to you, and tells you what you owe.

Sherri and I had to wait about 20 minutes to get a seat. We stood in something like a line and with help from one of the locals was told when it was our time to go to a booth. You don’t wait for the table to be cleaned off. That will be done by the waitress as she takes your drink order. The old farmer who had helped us figure out how the line system worked, said he had been eating at Johnson’s for over fifty years and that nothing had changed except they were now in a new building which meant they had moved there probably in the late 1960’s.

We waited at our table about ten minutes before the young southern waitress removed the last patrons ketchup filled napkins, wrappers that the burgers and hot dogs sat on and their cups and Pepsi cans while she asked us what we wanted to drink. Sheri said, “I’ll have ice tea, unsweetened.” The waitress said, “Honey, we don’t have no unsweetened tea, just sweet tea!” In other words, “Honey you are in the south, what’s wrong with you.” Sherri ordered a Diet Pepsi and so did I. When the drinks were delivered we were asked what we wanted to eat. Not a hard decision to make—hamburgers, cheeseburgers (w/Velveeta Cheese), hot dog, and fries). Sherri ordered a hamburger. “Honey, what do you want on your burger?” Sherri replied, “I think I’ll have mayonnaise, onions, tomatoes and pickles.” “Honey, we don’t put no pickles on our hamburgers!” Some things don’t change. A successful business for 73 years, most likely because they don’t put no pickles on their hamburgers and they don’t serve no unsweettea? Now who can argue with that.

Dust on the Scales

Jerry Bridges in his book “The Joy of Fearing God” gave the following illustration. He made a reference to going to a grocery to buy fruit or vegetables. After picking out what you want you go to the checkout counter. You say to the clerk as she starts to weigh what you got, “Please wipe the dust off the scales before weighing my produce— I don’t want to pay for the dust.” Even the most frugal person in the world would not make such an absurd demand. A little dust would not make a difference in the price you would pay. But Isaiah used this same idea to compare God's greatness and superiority to the nations of the world.

“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.” Isaiah 40:15

I hesitate to try to speak of God’s greatness because I am not capable to even come close to describing how infinitely great he is. My words are like the dust on the scales. We see nations today display their military might with parades and all sorts of fanfare. Nations  threaten nations with empty words. Leaders of countries show off their seemingly unlimited wealth with their palatial palaces, and their extravagant living. Throughout history empires have risen to greatness only to fall at the hands of another nation that seeks greatness. Politicians throughout history have made promises about how they are going to achieve greatness. We should think about this when a nation or an individual brags about becoming great or being great.

No one or nothing is great but God. Isaiah continues, “Before him all the nations are as nothing, they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.” (40:7)  If a nation is like a drop in a bucket, like Isaiah said, we might consider ourselves as just a drop of water in relation to all the the water in the oceans and seas of the earth, or one tiny grain of sand out of all the beaches of those seas when compared to God. Yet, God is so infinitely great that he knows each of us by name. He is aware of every tear that falls from our eyes. He cares for us and loves us as his precious children. He loves us so much that he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to died for us so that we might be forgiven of our sin and have eternal life with him in heaven. Now, that is greatness. Think about that the next time you buy some bananas at the grocery!

Good Lives Lived

An elderly couple sit alone as they do most everyday. They've been together 60 plus years, active years, until poor health halted their busy schedules. With much for which to be thankful they harbor no ill feelings toward those who drop by on rare occasions, and certainly cherish every moment of chat time when someone does stop in for a visit. They understand how brief are the minutes in a day for those who vigorously run the race of life as they once did. This gracious pair do what they can for themselves, being entertained by reading, enjoying their unplanned naps, looking at old pictures, and reminiscing about the wonderful days of their past.

Their house is graced with personal memorabilia. A few awards, certificates, and honors of their achievement are displayed, but mostly pictures and objects representing friends, family, and church activities fill their walls and occupy space on their tables. Sometimes their conversations trigger a brief moment of sadness when a departed classmate or a good friend is mentioned. Mostly, now in their ebbing years, pleasant thoughts of old friends and friendly times they once shared fill the lonely moments as they sit together in silence. Less frequently, worn out stories told over and over at class gatherings and family reunions lie quietly stored away in their minds like precious exhibits in a museum case. These days a simple smile will suffice to represent  the boisterous laughter that filled the room when gatherings demanded the retelling of a story which had been exaggerated so many times that no one truly knew what really happened.

He looks at her, “Do you remember when…”! and he stops not having to finish because somehow she knows what he was about to say. She nods, and together they chuckle. Good friends worth remembering, wonderful moments never forgotten, cherished times retrieved in ancient thoughts, very thankful for the smiles they bring. The lovely twosome determined long ago that they would enjoy life together no matter what it brought along the way. Their love for each other would be more than enough to sustain them to the end.

Old Folks Prayer

Thank you Lord for reminding me of the state of my affliction and the reality of my limitations, for in my weakness you make me strong. I bow humbly in your presence recognizing your power and your supreme existence. I have no reason to boast in anything except Jesus and his saving grace. When I come into your presence I most graciously accept my place of servitude, and devote my life to you and to the welfare of others. As the beneficiary of your complete forgiveness I harbor no regrets, and I praise you that I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. I am free from the bondage of sin because of the blood of my Savior. Above all I thank you for your redemptive plan. Because I am your child I remain useful to you regardless of age, health, or any unfortunate circumstance that might define my life as I move closer to my final day on earth. I am yours Lord and you are mine. May I be encouraging and positive, not becoming distracted by the life changes that I may not understand. Lord I pray that I can stay mentally alert, and that I might maintain a countenance that reflects the love of Christ. I want to be kind, and be surrounded by people who are kind to me and those I love. Thank you for the wonderful life you have given me. Father before long you will take me to heaven where a new life I will begin. If this happens tomorrow that will be fine with me. Your plan is perfect, so may your will be done not only in my life, but in all the earth just as your will is done in heaven, now and forever. Amen

Making Preparation

Congratulations! You are awake and getting ready for a fabulous day. Or perhaps you have already decided that today is not going to be such a good day. It's raining or snowing, you stumped your toe on a chair. You have been dreading something that you have to deal with today. Today is going to be just like yesterday, the day before, and each of those day were crummy. You are in a rut. So you have a completely new day ahead of you. You haven't quite begun to live this day, you don't really know everything that will happen, yet already you have decided that it is going to be a really horrible, stinking day.

I read this verse this morning. It said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” This is not talking about figuring out how many days we have left in this world. We have no say in that. To number our days means to plan or prepare for our days. The way we prepare and make plans is by praying. Yes, we can pray about the days that we may be given just as we can pray about today. When we pray about the days yet to come we give them to God depending on him to give us exactly what we need. We learn to trust him to help us deal with whatever happens. We know from experience that there may very well be problems, pain, and disappointment. Nothing in this world is perfect, so don't ruin your day by expecting everything to be perfect. Plan to conquer your problems. Move forward enduring the pain. Don't allow it to get you down. Don't  let disappointments cause you to give up. Trust Jesus to give you strength and encouragement to make today a good day despite the bad that may happen.

When we pray planning our days we should pray that God will use us. Pray that everything you do will honor him. God gives us each day we live. Accept it by being grateful and plan ahead to serve your Father to the best of your ability. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Colossians 3:23

The Way We Smell

When I was in seminary I had a class that met on Monday nights. I sat next to a fellow student who had one big problem. He stunk! It wasn't body odor; the unpleasant smell was from something he ate. Apparently, he ate the same thing every Monday night. I'm sure his culture had a lot to do with the flavors and odors represented in food he had eaten. I don't know what it was, but it was terribly strong, and for an old meat and potatoes boy like myself the smell was sickening. He was very friendly, and wanted to talk, which made the problem worse for me. I liked him, but I hated the way he smelled.

Maybe you have had to be near someone who smelled not so good-- bad breath, body odor, or some other unpleasant odor. I had a student once who smelled so bad it was almost unbearable to be near her. The other teachers, and I noticed that she wore the same sweater every day. The counselor investigated, and found out that the sweater was being dropped on the floor every day just inside the front door when she came home from school. Apparently, the cat had been using the sweater as its bathroom. She was so accustomed to the smell that she had gotten used to it. Such a sad story, but more typical than you might imagine. Why can't people notice these offensive odors that are so obvious to everyone else?

The thing about bad odors is that they speak loudly. They shout,  “Notice me!” They do not hide. They cannot be covered up! There is nothing sweet or pleasant about an offensive odor. The stinker causes a very unpleasant social situation, and is not even aware of the problem. Some people must me nose blind.

I was thinking, what if our sins emitted an offensive odor? What if each sin had its own unique smell that identified what the sin was. “Well George, my nose tells me you have been watching porn again.” “Sally, Sally, Sally, you are wearing that gossip fragrance, aren't you?” Imagine what our church services would be like if we could not keep our sins from being identified by how we smelled. Having no way to keep our sins hidden from others would create some serious difficulties for us.

Our sins are offensive. But more than anything our sins are very offensive to God. I think God can smell our sins. If we can send up pleasing aromas to God through our obedience and praise, can we not offer up some very offensive odors to Him as well? We cannot hide our sins from God. God is not nose blind. How we smell before our Holy Father is more important than how we present ourselves to others. We were not created to be stinkers.

2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,”

I Know People Like This

I Know People Like This

Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul was writing to the church at Colossae to encourage them. Paul was proud of these Christians because they were faithfully following Christ. He wanted them to know he was praying for them. He tells them what he is asking God to do for them. In his prayer we find a description of the person who faithfully represents God. I know a few Christians like this.

1. They understand that God created them for a purpose. They know God's will.

2. They are led by God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives them wisdom and understanding which  helps them live according to God's will..

3.  Since they are living in God's will they obviously please God and are considered worthy to be called His children. They can live in peace even though others may persecute them because oftheir beliefs.

4.  They produce fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Their good works reflect the Spirit of Jesus.

5.  They are constantly growing spiritually. This growth is fueled by their knowledge of God. Knowledge of God comes through reading His Word, through prayer and through worship. These people studied the scripture together, prayed together and worshiped together. The process of growing in the Spirit is achieved by daily personal time with God and by meeting with other Christians regularly for worship. Without this committed practice there will be no spiritual growth.

6.  The growing Christian will receive strength every day from God. This strength comes from the power of God's might. We need Strength from God so that we will be able to endure Satan's attacks. We are seeing these attacks more than ever. As we are able to endure in the power and might of our Lord we will experience joy and peace because of the ultimate victory that we will know.

7.  The faithful Christian is a thankful person. A person like this will express gratefulness regardless of what is going on in his life because he will never lose sight of what God has in store for him. He will receive a glorious, eternal inheritance. Once lost in the dark world of sin he was rescued and brought into the light of Jesus Christ. He is redeemed, purchased, forgiven, empowered, and unconditionally loved. He lives his life never forgetting who he is in Christ, and his desire is to be aware of the presence of Jesus every day.

I know a few people like this. I love being around these people. The world cannot understand them. The world hates people who serve Jesus wholeheartedly. Jesus said they would. What would the world be like without people like this? One day soon the world will know because Jesus will come and take them with him to their heavenly home. I pray that others will come to know Jesus and will be prepared when he does return.