'Rock Talk' Compliance

After enjoying a brief road-trip to Asheville, North Carolina, we packed our bags and started our return trip back to Nashville, Tennessee. We had traveled the route many times and were looking forward to the return journey through the beautiful Smoky Mountains. As we continued, we watched the early morning sun chase away the few remaining clouds and melt the lingering mist that sifted through the trees. Patches of sun splashed the myriads of colored leaves while slight puffs of wind stirred many branches. We both commented about the distant rocky cliffs that poked out through the trees and the majesty of the mountains. We both agreed that the beautiful scenes were a few of the gifts the Lord has given us all to enjoy.  

In every series of mountain highways, there are sections that make dramatic right and left curls. These acute angles offer a certain caution to drivers and seems to serve to encourage all to slow their pace. My 'seasoned' age and my personal experience(s) have taught me to comply. I proceeded with caution.

On any given day, the cars that travel this section of I-40, share the road with trucks of various sizes. Semi-tractor trailers, luxury cars, economy cars and maintenance and construction vehicles. They all respectfully jockey for position. It wasn't long before a a truck full of dirt and rocks crawled up behind us. The beast breathed down our necks, flashed its eyes once, then twice. (He was obviously very proud of them.) My instincts kicked-in again and, coupled with my unwillingness to learn the depth of ANY the yawning valleys, I willingly changed lanes. Immediately, the driver downshifted and the beast grumbled and rumbled past and off into the distant horizon. There REALLY wasn't any immediate danger. We were just in the way of an ambitious driver with an agenda much fuller than our own. With considerably more highway to conquer (places to go and things to do), our journey continued.
Suddenly, the car in front of us kicked-up a few stones. There was a loud CRACK! I immediately knew what it was. A stone had hit my car! I blamed the truck.

When we arrived home I looked at the windshield and ALL over the car but didn't see a mark. One week later, a crack in the windshield appeared! I followed the crack and found its origin in the darkest section of the windshield just under the windshield wiper. I had missed it and now it had grown! I was aggravated. I didn't want to pay the cost of a repair! Our deductible would exceed the cost of repair and the aggravation to schedule and replace the windshield was inconvenient. Unfortunately, I waited several weeks. The crack slowly crawled up and across and impaired our view.

At the encouraging of my wife, I finally called several windshield repair companies and arranged for one to repair my car in my own driveway. My frustration lessened just a bit but I STILL felt VERY inconvenienced! (I know, I know...poor me!) When the car pulled into my driveway, the thought CLEARLY ran through my head, "Give them a Steps to Christ booklet."(For those who aren't aware of this booklet, it is an awesome Christian witnessing tool full of practical advice.) I immediately decided NOT to comply.

I went outside and struck up a conversation with both men. At the time, the TV news was telling about a plane that had crashed in Jamaica. It was a sad story to reveal but I told them BRIEFLY about it. The words had barely left my lips when one guy said, "Brother, we are living in the days of Revelation! Things are happening that I was told about as a kid. We need to get ready!" His word rang in my head like a sustained and unison note from a church choir! "Get...R E A D Y!!!", he said.

I was SHOCKED! I mumbled this stellar comment, "Uh.... yeah...uh huh." (Embarrassing!)

They went to work on my car and I turned, went inside and gathered two Steps to Christ and two Ten Commandment booklets and then went back outside. After they were finished I gave them the booklets. I said, "Hey, You mentioned Revelation and I appreciated it. I want you to please read these books. I know you will find them interesting."

He put his finger to his temple, scratched it and said, "You know what?" The last windshield we replaced, the guy prayed with us. Now you are giving us Jesus material. Perhaps He is trying to tell us something. Thank you. We will read them." I was shocked AGAIN! Before I could ask if we could pray, they had closed their doors and left.

 In a quiet moment I began to consider my windshield experience. My thoughts went like this:

1. While enjoying our journey traveling through God's mountains minding our own business, we were distracted by trouble cast into our path. That seed of trouble lay hidden and unseen (under our wiper blade) and silently grew and spread like crabgrass. Though we were embarrassed, we looked past the crack' and pretended it wasn't there. I considered the analogy and thought of a hidden character flaw or sin in a person's life. Defects are part of EACH of our lives BUT when they are discovered, it's our calling to take action BEFORE it spreads!

2. If my car hadn't been hit by a stone, my conversation with the repairmen AND the giving of the booklets, would NEVER have happened. I was reminded if God wants a stone to 'talk to me', so I can handout spiritual material to help someone find there way 'home'.....I should be thankful.

3. Hmmmm....cost of my windshield, a few hundred dollars. Literature evangelism in my front yard...PRICELESS!

As silly as this story might sound, I found it to be a positive influence in my life. As you experience your life TODAY, I challenge you to pause and just consider the possibility that a 'higher power' has a plan and loves to help you. We are NOT alone. Plan to make every effort to be more aware of how God is arranging events. I believe we are blind to them. I pray that my eyes will see more of the positive and my spirits lifted today. Let's do it together.    ~Pray 🙏🏾

~Stefan

    

WHAT A WASTE!!

Author Eric Hoffer writes: "The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is, on the contrary, BORN OF A VAGUE FEAR WE ARE WASTING OUR LIFE. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else--we are the busiest people in the world."

I've 'sat with' with many men and women (some pastors) that have expressed the same concern: "a vague fear of wasting their life." Some of these people you and I know quite well. It seems the pastors, however measured today, are especially prone to forego their personal 'Jesus time'. It's not that they actually plan to forget but more that they forget to plan. After all, we are all human!

I've heard it said hundreds of times from the pulpit AND from friends. It usually goes like this: "People think all I do is sit and read the Bible. Truth is, there's hardly time." Then the person and/or pastor realizes their own solution: and that is, CHANGE.

Sadly, people (and pastors) are too busy watching the last nights crime-drama on TV. They justify it by saying, "It's amazing graphics! I just want to see how they do all that stuff!"

If it wasn't so serious it would be quite comical, because "How they do all that stuff" is part of THE ORIGINAL SIN!! Consider this: "Pssst! Hey Eve! Look at this!" Yup! the Master of Distraction gets us all caught up in the proverbial art of the drama. Then, we go to bed with graphic crime scenes in our head (rhymes). The next morning we are TOO TIRED to wake EARLY for some Jesus time/direction!

We would ALL do better if we turned off the TV, laptop etc., retire early and PLAN to rise early if that's what it takes. If we don't, the next thing we know......."PSSST! Hey! (your name here). Yeah, you! Come here. Look at this!!!" And then we are out the door....busy! Then we worry...we MIGHT be wasting our life. Life's nets of distraction, ARE well, ....attractive! It's normal and especially easy for ALL of us to skip a moment with God. Although MAKING time to talk to God is absolutely necessary, a quick prayer as we drive down the highway and/or local byways is STILL a prayer and beneficial. It makes a difference! Don't listen to the demonic whispers that say, "You're wasting your life!"  ~~~Pray /\

Changing The View

It was a blessing to attend a Christian boarding high school. It was a co-ed school and each dormitory employed a Dean. I remember the Dean of Men as being an especially helpful and Christian man. One specific trait was that he was especially tidy. It was his style to be clean and neatly pressed and he appreciated the school looking tidy as well. During a dorm evening-worships it was common to hear him especially emphasize:  "If we all pitch-in and pick-up trash, the school would be cleaner and always presentable." It wasn't rocket-science and the school wasn't especially untidy but some young men seemed to have a knack for littering. Of course this trash-tossing habit tends to spoil the view of many. One bad peach DOES spoil (eventually) the whole basket. One wind-strewn Windscript (school paper) DOES spoil the view!

A day after emphasizing to us the need to stop and pick-up papers and trash, a few of us were in the hallway chatting with the Dean. There on the floor, just 20 ft. from us sat a half page of notebook paper. The Dean walked over and picked it up, walked to his desk, opened his wallet and taped a $5.00 bill to the paper. He then walked over to floor and laid the paper (money-side down) on the floor! He advised, "None of you guys touch this. Let's see who will do a good deed and be rewarded!"

Several guys walked by the legal tender 'trash'. Some men stood by it. One guy stepped on it. Everybody was caught-up in their own world; their own zone. Their VIEW was barely beyond their own noses. Five dollars might not seem like a lot but when the possibility of receiving an unexpected gift happens, it tends to spice up your day!

As we all watched, the excitement grew within us. Somebody surely would remember the Dean's litter emphasis!!  But NOBODY took the time to bend down and do a good deed. When it seemed as if the trash would remain on the floor and the money undiscovered, a rather quiet, unassuming guy strolled by, bent down, grabbed the paper and turned it over. The look on his face was absolute joy! The Dean said, "That's yours. Keep it. Thanks for cleaning up the view."

Thirty plus years later I am still casually picking up pieces of trash all in the effort of improving the view. (I always turn it over.)

Yesterday, I drove to the grocery store, parked and walked across the parking lot. On the ground was a rectangular 3 X 5 piece of paper. Yes, I bent down and picked it up.....turned it over. It was a lottery scratch-off ticket that HAD NOT been scratched!!! It read, "Scratch and win up to $100,000.00!!!! I've never purchased a lottery scratch-off ticket but it didn't take me long to start **scratching!!!

After my visit to the grocery store, I drove to the park to go for a jog. I picked up some scattered pieces of paper on the ground (after all these years, it's a habit) and jogged to the next trash-bin, opened it and there sat $7.00 screaming, "ME! ME! Take ME!"

Although I encourage ALL to "Keep Your Head Up"! I also encourage everyone to watch where you are stepping AND clean up just around YOU! You never know how you will be rewarded!

Thanks Dean!  You taught me to change my view AND the view of many others!!
~Pray /\
~Stefan

**No. I didn't win a dime!! But.... my view continues to change!!!