Inspirational Reflections and Other Musings with a Simpler Flair
By
Robert Elias Ballard
Copyright 2010 by Robert Elias Ballard
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the memory of my grandparents: Rubin and Maybelle Ballard and Clarence and Florida Pace Gordon. Also to all the wonderful people who were responsible unselfishly sharing me so much of their lives creating memories upon which I now reflect.
Contents
Dedication 3
Forward 7
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep 8
Give me my Flowers While I Live 10
God Answers Prayer 12
Consider the Lilies 15
Spiritual Awakening 18
No Such thing as “Christian Lite” 22
Integrity and Telling the Truth When It Hurts 25
I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy 28
When Sunday was Simply Sunday 30
My How the People Would Shout 34
A Beggar but Rich as a King 36
Bottle Water and an Unexpected Blessing 38
The Battle is the Lords 43
Hope Thou in God 44
Giving gets Right Next to your Heart! Hmm!
Pocketbook 47
Hey Dad! I’ve got a New Friend 50
The Things we did In Vacation Bible School 53
A Story I Heard from an Old Preacher 57
Don’t Ever Argue with a Woman 58
Rough Rations 60
The Old Milk Truck and Saturday at Phil’s 62
The Old Swimming Hole 64
I’m Lightning Struck! I’m Lightning Struck 67
Chewing Gum 69
Sitting on the Front Porch 72
Phooey! The Big One got Away! Again 74
Shortenin’ Bread 76
Can these Bones Live? 78
Tar and Feathers-Well Almost 81
Come Let us sing 83
Pet Names and Nicknames-Like Em or Hate Em 85
We thought we might get us a Steak 88
A Weenie Roast that went wrong 91
Goin’ Barefoot 93
Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookies 94
My Delivery Cycle 97
Daddy Clayton 100
A Big Boom at the Outhouse 102
Raising Pole Beans 104
A Booger Story 107
Country Vittles are the Best 109
July 4, 2010 what it Means to Me 111
Aunt Ophelia’s Pound Cake 116
Crow Calls, Sling Shots and BB Guns 118
After Further Consideration 120
Mater Biscuits 122
Darned Summer Insects 124
Why Should I Grumble? 127
Forward
We all have our moments when in the course of busy schedules and modern day microwave living we simply must stop, catch our breath and meditate or reflect upon those special times and events that meant so much to us. We often reminisce and ponder our life experiences. It’s almost like watching some old movie which we enjoyed watching and our imagination along with our emotions recreate those special moments that are embedded deep in our brain. It may be an activity we enjoyed or an old love or simply something that brought us a sense of security and happiness. Some stem from long traditions and family values that we were taught us while others are the life experiences, real and unique and real to each person that may have been forgotten and suddenly are brought to the forefront and become part of our musings.
In this book I have drawn from some of these precious memories and a number of others that have been so special and have also become the impetus for my reflections. Some have been inspirational, at least from my point of view and it seems as I grow older are the thoughts that have impacted me in such a personal way. Written simply as are all my other books, it is my hope you will find these short articles interesting and that your own reflections resonate with mine as your read and ponder some of the inspirational reflections and enjoy other less mind boggling narratives.
Scriptures used are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Photos used as illustrations have been downloaded from free sites unless otherwise indicated.
1
Now I Lay Me down to Sleep
When we were just kids I thought my daddy was just about the strongest man in the world and could whip Pharaohs Army with one hand tied behind his back. He was however a gentle soul and taught me and my siblings many great and wondrous things. First he taught us the value of hard work and doing a job right the first time, I learned this lesson the hard way hoeing corn and you know those corn rows seemed to get longer by the minute as I would watch daddy glide his hoe through the corn removing the weeds in one swift action and his work was always neat, I could distinguish any row hoed by my dad.
Second he taught us not to talk about folks. In my entire life of knowing my daddy, never once did I hear a harms word about anyone come from his lips. He always said when it come time to lay down and die he didn't want to have to send for some folks with whom he must be reconciled before dying. Daddy died well in his sleep from pancreatic cancer in 2003 and was at peace with those he loved and with his Maker.
There are so many lessons I learned from daddy but if I had to pick one to be number one it would be prayer. Daddy would lie down beside us when we were children and recite the following little prayer:
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
I know there are those who have not been taught the value of prayer but my dad relied on prayers to gain strength for his life and I am sure he must have often prayed for us kids. In our later years when we might be at his home at meal time, daddy would always give thanks and just listening to the words in his prayer of thanks for his food and daily blessings was an encouragement that still brings chills.
The first little prayers we learned taught to us by our daddy set a precedent that we have maintained in our home. I have found prayer is our greatest resource in both good times and bad times and am so thankful my daddy was a praying man and taught his younguns its importance
2
Give Me My Flowers While I Live
I love flowers and enjoy the early blooms and all the others right on up to the time of first frost. My mom and grandmothers always had an assortment of flowers throughout the summer from petunias, gladiolas, pansies and you name it I think they had one or more varieties of each and I think one of their favorite things was to share bulbs and seeds with family and friends. They were quick to tell you, "Don't thank me for the flowers, they won't do well if you do."
Recently my wife made some beautiful arrangements using an early lavender Iris grown by her sister and some other baby-breath type flowers for a wedding reception. They turned out to really be pretty. I was admiring one of the Iris in particular on our kitchen table and bent over to get a whiff of its aroma. I did not realize Iris has such a wonderful scent but this one of the best aromas I have ever smelled.
I also love to smell roses and we have a bush in our front yard that came from her grandmother’s plant. It has a small blossom but the aroma of this rose is simply delicious. There are some flowers I don't particularly like to smell such as Marigold and some lilies but I still enjoy their beauty.
My wife is busy planting and making new flower beds. It takes a lot of work but the end result is always something to behold. I used to associate flowers only with funerals and weddings but have come to appreciate their beauty and the aromas unique to each variety, especially in our own gardens, beds, and pots. Jane is so inventive and has a knack of ingenuity using not so common things for her displays and arrangements.
We had a dog once that came and took up at our house and in the spring Jane was furious with him. For some reason he loved to lie down in her flowers and crush them. She shooed him away I don't know the number of times. Someone at work told me to put moth balls in the flower bed and he would not lie down in it anymore. I sprinkled moth balls all over that flower bed and the next day while I was coming home from work, I met that dog coming up the road; I think he had packed his bags and moved on because he never came back and that ended the flower bed confusion.
Soon the day lilies and Azaleas will be in bloom and they are among my favorites. The old church song,"Give me My Roses While I Live” has long been a favorite of mine and the truth is simple, the dead can't enjoy the beauty and scent of the flowers placed on a coffin or a cemetery. Take a moment to smell the roses and enjoy the beauty of flowers, you might just be surprised at how much better it will make you feel and also pause thank the Lord above for all five of your senses, a gift so precious.
Josh giving a buzz to one of a local youth baseball team who all had their hair shaved as a gesture for one of the team member’s mother undergoing cancer treatments that had lost her hair
3
God Answers Prayer
My youngest son Joshua is a barber and has been working at his trade for about seven years now. His business has shown a steady growth of customers and about three years ago, the barber who had given him a break and allowed him to serve his apprenticeship decided to venture out and start a new business and while still retaining the business allowed Josh to continue to cut hair in his shop.
Josh paid his chair rent faithfully and in the last year troublesome signs began to create doubts as to whether the owner was going to continue operating the shop where he had worked for the last seven years. First, the gas was cut off for non-payment of bills. Fortunately, it was turned back on during the coldest winter weather we have experienced in several years. The telephone service was disconnected for non-payment of bills, another sign the owner had lost interest in maintaining the barbershop as a place of business.
Two weeks ago the owner of the building presented notification that the building rent had not been paid for the previous six months and an eviction order was served; the doors would be locked on May 31, less than one week away. Josh had made several attempts to call and otherwise pass information to the shop owner without any success. Calls were not returned. Josh called me that morning and with a sense of panic in his voice said,” Dad, you've got to get on your knees and start praying, I need to work and looks like I am losing my place of business in less than a week."
Like a good father, I told Josh not to worry and that I would pray. God never closes doors without opening new ones. I will not say I did not have my doubts but it has been my experience in times such as this one, I have anchored in the One Who already knows and understands our thoughts afar. Before we had a need, he already had a supply! When my vocabulary isn't large enough to adequately communicate my feeling and needs, there is one who is an ever present help that does know and clearly and effectively communicates my needs to our Heavenly Father. His integrity is impeccable and without reproach!
That afternoon when he came down to pick up his sons, I suggested we go over to see a man who owns a barbershop and lives just a few miles from me. We drove over and talked with this man and found he had sold his building to his daughter who operates a beauty salon next door in the same building. He said as far as he was concerned, he would love to have Josh come over and cut hair in his shop if it was agreeable with his daughter. In fact, he was to have successive cataract surgery the following weeks on one eye and the other the following week. Further, he had only been working 3 days a week and with an associate in the shop the business could be open a normal work week.
The daughter called Josh the following morning and was excited to have Josh come on board as an associate barber and he could start June 1, the day after the eviction notice would be enforced. This only goes to show how God works in ways we are often not aware. Josh wound up not even missing a day of work and actually gets two weeks vacation from chair rent, a benefit he had not enjoyed previously.
We placed an ad in the local paper to insure customers knew of this move along with the text messages he sent which he had on his cell phone of customers. There is not a doubt that God answered our prayers and is so much more interested in the details of our lives than we give Him credit. The following verse sums up my assessment of what happened in Josh's situation and is taken from Isaiah 65:24 and it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Josh didn't miss a beat and even picked up a few customers in the process. We serve an awesome God.
4
Consider the Lilies
Today is June 21, 2010 and the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Here in Western North Carolina it has been one of the hottest days of the year so far reaching into the 90's. I am not complaining because I realize how blessed I am to enjoy air conditioning and get a respite from the heat after being outside working in the yard. My wife commented earlier that she knew some of her brothers who are farmers were having to deal with the heat while plowing, planting or maybe putting up hay.
This evening I waited until the sun had gone down over the mountains to do some mowing. I have one of those Cub Cadets for the larger areas and it didn't take me too long to "git er done." The back yard needed a little touch up also, seems the clover grows so fast this time of year so I cranked up the push mower and in just a few minutes with my wife moving lawn furniture and potted plants out of my way, I soon finished and we both sat down to enjoy the cool breeze that had commenced to blow.
As I sat there cooling down I couldn't help but notice the beautiful day lilies that are now in bloom. I thought about the Bible verse found in Luke's gospel chapter 12 verse 27:Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. I love the day lilies and wish we had even more. My wife also has a great assortment flowers and plants. Some are in old wheel barrows, bicycles with baskets and pots in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Nothing escapes her creative imagination.
We also have some of those Evening Primrose in our front yard. It always amazes me that those yellow flowers bloom precisely at 9 o Clock in the evening. Some folks even call them 9 o clock bloomers. I sometimes stand there and watch as the pods seem to come to life, shaking and trembling and bursting into full bloom right before my very eyes.
The longest day of the year has been a great one for me and I am reminded to be thankful and appreciate the simpler things like beautiful flowers, fresh air. pure water, a loving family, and the cool breeze I just enjoyed coming through the valley.
Lyrics to Consider the Lilies:
1
Consider the lilies they don’t toil nor spin
And there’s not a king with more splendor than them
Consider the sparrow they don’t plant or sow
But they’re fed by the Master who watches them grow
Chorus
We have a Heavenly Father above
With eyes full of mercy
And a heart full of love
He really cares when
Your head is bowed low
Consider the lilies and then you will know
Verse II
Now may I introduce you to this friend of mine
Who hangs out the stars and tells the sun when to shine
And kisses the flowers each morning with dew
But He’s not too busy to care about you
5
Spiritual Awakening
We are blessed to live in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina an area often associated with and referred to as a portion of the Bible belt. Within a 10 mile radius there are no less than 10 Baptist churches. Each began in the small community where there was a group of people, mostly farmers, who saw a need for a church house. These folks who were of Scot-Irish descent had a strong will and desire to worship God. Most of these churches were one room structures in the beginning and received charters in the early to mid 1800's.
Mobility was the single factor for there being so many churches so close together. Travel in the early days was difficult at best on those early one lane wagon roads cut into the mountains and was limited to horse and buggy or just simply walking. These little churches all had a common thread, a desire to worship God and all began with an exercise of faith by dedicated folks who believers were holding an unwavering faith in the Bible and fundamental Christian values. Most still have memberships bearing the same familiar names as are recorded on the original charters.
Today as I was thinking about the spiritual condition of our community, I began to also ponder why, with all these small churches which meet regularly, most 3 times a week for worship services; we are not making a difference or impacting our community fulfilling the great commission. Sadly I fear many of our churches today have become apathetic, liberal, and the old paths of strong fundamental belief with the sound doctrine of our forefathers are often compromised. Someone has said it well,” The world has become churchy and the church has become worldly."
I sometimes hear about a "move of God" or a revival in one of these churches and this is exciting news. The church as a whole stands in great need of a real spiritual awakening today, the kind that only comes where God intervenes and truly blesses His people with a manifestation of His presence. Contrary to the "God is Dead” movement which was prevalent some years ago, God is alive! In the word s of a great Negro preacher of years gone by," I just happen to be part of the family and the family hasn't been called in or notified of His death. He ain't even sick."
What is a move of God? Let me just share some random thoughts. When I was awaiting ordination to become a deacon in my church, I asked a man in my community who was a well known Bible teacher who knew his Bible and whose opinion I respected very much,” What does it mean to you to be filled with the Holy Spirit?" As you may or may not already know, one of the qualifications of becoming a deacon as listed in the Bible says one who holds this office in the church must be filled with the Holy Ghost
.He didn't hesitate as he began to answer my question. He began with this quote from Isaiah 6:1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2Above it stood the seraphim’s: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6Then flew one of the seraphim’s unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
He went on to explain,"Being filled with the Holy Spirit requires we see God in His holiness and ourselves like Isaiah saw himself in His presence. Our spiritual eyes are opened to who we really are in our fallen state. It takes a work of grace to change us. The angel took a coal from off the altar and purged Isaiah’s lips and he was made clean. Similarly, when we come to Christ and are born again, all our sin is completely washed away by His precious blood shed for the atonement of our sins, we are then made acceptable in the beloved, it is the Lord's doing and not ours. Much happens to us spiritually at that special time but the biggest and most blessed is that He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, takes up residence in our heart and confirms to our heart we now belong to Him. We have become a part of the family of God.
So when I think of a move of God, I think about the times when He actually manifests His presence, all too rare but not His fault, it is ours and our unbelief. Some mistakenly think it is when there is a lot of preaching, praying and shouting. Don't get me wrong, these all are good things and are a part of worship but May or may not be the result of a move of God. We can get excited and do all the above at a ball game. I am reminded of a spiritual awakening in our community when I was just a youngster that began just after WWII. It began in Tuxedo Baptist and spread throughout the community. It was almost surreal and over 80 were baptized on one Sunday afternoon as a result of this great revival. Wicked men and women were eternally changed.
There have only been a few times in my Christian experience where a move of God as this actually took place and in each, God was the One who received glory and honor. For a surety lives were forever changed for eternity because one cannot be in the presence of the holiness of God without experiencing change. Man does not need a "boost from below but a birth from above."
I am reminded of the sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards entitled, Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God in 1741. The account says he read his sermon in a monotone voice but there was such a Presence of God, men trembled in conviction with great fear and grabbed hold of building supports or held fast to their seats to keep from falling into hell. The reality of God and the message delivered was so real and lives were forever changed.
Some years ago I was in First Baptist of East Flat Rock when Manly Beasley an Evangelist from Euless, Texas was preaching in revival. It was a morning service and after the singing and introductions, the Pastor began a prayer which began,” Our Father.” Suddenly it seems the whole sanctuary was enveloped in the awesome presence of God. For the next 30 minutes, not a sound was heard but the whimpers of folk quietly repenting and weeping. This was a genuine move of God that changed the lives of all of us who were privileged to be there that morning. Not the preacher, or the Evangelist, but the awesome presence of God.
I believe the church not only needs a move of God but I sense it may be near. The words of II Chronicles 7:14 could never be more relevant
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
My prayer is Lord let it happen.
6
No such Thing as “Christian Lite”
Today we live in a microwave society, almost any and everything is instant especially; when it comes to those things we eat or drink. All that is required of us is to add water, stir in a prepackaged mixture such as Kool Aid or Tang and Walla, we have an instant drink. Open a frozen dinner or a can of Chef Boy R Dee ravioli and put it in a microwave, push the correct buttons and we have an instant snack or even a meal. Instant potatoes (which I abhor) coffee, pizza, frozen dinners and so many other things are readily available which we can prepare instantaneously.
I am afraid that with all the great things we now have that make life easy for us; the same thinking has crept into our churches. Personal integrity and high moral standards seem to have all but disappeared. An elderly aunt of ours recently commented,” People just don't have any "mortals" anymore! I know exactly what she meant when she so innocently made this remark in her conversation. Where are the high standards that were prevalent and taught when I was a youngster?
As an observer, I see that there is a common thread of thinking today that is so far removed from the high standards of the generations past and has lead many astray in their Christian walk. Someone has said it well, the world has become churchy and the church has become worldly. Little or no difference is seen in those who profess to know Christ than those who are in the world. Social drinking, premarital sex and living together outside the bond of matrimony, abortion, and views on homosexuality once looked upon with disdain and regarded as sinful living are sugar coated and justified by those who should be taking a stand.
A sign on a church marquee in my community some year’s ago had it right. "Regardless of the rate of inflation, the wages of sin remain the same." The old paths have been set aside and new modern thinking now prevails in most of our churches. A sense of apathy besets the membership of many of our congregations and we are no longer looked upon and regarded as the respected pillar of the community.
I think we might call it "Lite Christianity" for lack of a better term. We put Christ in a shoe box and won't let Him out all the while ranting; Jesus is Lord of our lives. Is it possible we are afraid He might upset the apple cart, crash our party and man made theology. Many live immoral lives where justification of actions and deeds has a "if it feels good, do it" mentality.
I do not think for a moment God is pleased with our generation and since He is omniscient and even knows our thoughts a far off; we aren't fooling anyone but ourselves. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17-9, the heart is deceitful; above all things desperately wicked who can know it? God knows and will one day judge all of us. We as Christians have accountability. I am reminded of the story the Chaplain of Bourbon Street shared some years ago. The street preacher was outside a bar in New Orleans when the bartender threw out a man onto the street who was drunk and had no more money to buy whiskey. The preacher said,” I picked him up and carried him right back inside and told the bartender, you sold him the whiskey, now he is broke and he needs you to take care of him."
They were both then thrown out onto the street. The drunk picking himself up ask the preacher to please pray for him. The preacher immediately obliged and began," Our Father in heaven, this man is drunk and needs help..." The drunk interrupted the prayer by pulling on the preachers sleeve as he said,” Don’t tell Him I'm drunk!"
So many today are like this poor drunk, they don't think God knows anything about us but the Bible says God know our frame, after all He created us. The standards He set before us to live by are in His Word and we are expected to try and live up to those standards. For certain, we miss the mark everyday and are miserable failures in our attempts. Some think they can live any old way they choose but this is a false doctrine. We will all stand one day to be judged, Christians for what they did with Christ and others for rejecting His free gift.
There is no such thing as Christian Lite and we can't make our own rules to suit our own lifestyle.
Isaiah 1-18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
My grandson holding his new bunny
7
Integrity and Telling the Truth When it Hurts
My parents always taught me to tell the truth and never to lie or "tell a fib" as they called it and I have always tried to honor their teaching. This weekend something happened at my house with one of my young nephews that made this lesson fresh to me. For those who me and my family you are aware we got two bunnies recently for our grandsons, Colton and Maddy and they were just adorable little miniature rabbits and the children absolutely fell in love with them. They would take them out of their cage and pet them rubbing their soft fur and Colton even kissed one of the little fellers and rubbed noses.
One of our nephews who has pent a great deal of time in our home and is almost like a grandson had come down on Saturday afternoon and had taken one of the bunnies out of the cage to pet it and as he took the bunny from the cage it wiggled in his hands scratching him with his paw and he dropped it on the kitchen floor. He was a little afraid of the bunny even though it was a small animal and because he had not had experience in handling them. I showed him how to get his hands under the bunnies belly and not get scratched.
Later in the day my wife had gone to the fellowship center at our church to assist in a Relay for Life dinner and I was downstairs in the basement doing some work on my computer. Billy (not his real name) came down to where I was and I could see he was visibly upset and crying. Billy is 8 years old now and has been a regular at our house since he was born often spending the entire weekends with us.
I ask him what was wrong and he began to sob as he told me he had taken Sassy, the flop eared bunny, out of the cage and had taken him outside on our carport. When he went out the door onto the carport, Festus our big old Husky Golden Retriever quickly snatched Sassy from his hands and ran off with him. Billy sobbing uncontrollably told me,” He killed Sassy and is eating him right now in the yard!" He said,” I’m going to kill myself!"
I felt little Billy’s intense pain and tried to console him telling him first that he shouldn't have taken Sassy outside alone and that big dogs love little rabbits and it is part of their nature to hunt and kill smaller animals. We could replace the bunny. Poor Billy said he was sorry and that he had $40 saved up and would buy Colton a new bunny. I knew that the sudden emotion and trauma of seeing the dog kill our Sassy had had hurt him deeply.
I am so proud Billy came and told me the truth about what had happened. Having integrity and being truthful is a character trait well respected even when the truth is painful and is always the best avenue for one to take. A forked tongue and liars are so common these days; they can lie behind plastic smiles and silver tongued rhetoric. Someone has said they know people who would climb a tree to tell a lie rather stand on the ground face to face and tell the truth, I know a few like that and when they tell me something I am always a little suspicious.
I called my son Josh, Colton’s dad and told him to tell the grand kids about what had happened; I wanted Colton to know what has happened before he came back to our house to see his favorite bunny and not find it in its cage. Josh told him and of course he cried his little eyes out for the loss of Sassy but soon it was over and yesterday I heard him telling Billy, Sassy had gone to Heaven.
Don't you wish grown ups were like that. Understanding and being quick to forgive, rather than harboring resentment and ill will... Life goes on and lessons have been learned.
An old pump organ similar to the one we as children in our church would gather around to sing.
8
I Bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy
I have always been a little shy and quiet by nature and even more so when a boy. Getting up in front of the people at church with the other children in the little choir scared me to death in those early boyhood days. I can't even remember why it scared me because it certainly did not present anything of which I should have been frightened.
My church was one of those little mountain churches with a sanctuary which had wooden pews, the kind that might pinch your butt should a heavy person sit down next to you. I heard the story that once during a revival meeting that hadn't been going too well, a fat woman sat down on the back pew and caused the boards on the old ladder back wooden pew to pinch one of the other individuals sitting on the pew. Word has it he jumped to his feet and hollered loudly from the sudden pain inflicted to his derrière which had just been inadvertently pinched by the shifting of the boards. His sudden show of emotion seemed to excite the crowd and revival broke out. I guess wild fire is better than no fire.
Seriously, as children, we would be ushered to the front of the church house each Sunday morning just prior to the preaching hour and stand around the old pump organ. Mrs. Leatha Jones, the organist had taught us to sing the old hymn,” I bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy." I don't remember al the words but every now and again I do hear this song and it brings chills down my spine. The meaning of the song has long been stamped on my heart and in the fondness of my childhood memories.
We have a children's choir in our church and they sing so beautifully. I love to hear them sing and now my grandsons are learning the little songs like Jesus Loves Me and Zachias. What greater could a grandfather have to be proud.
An old country church similar to the church I attended as a small boy.
9
When Sunday was Simply Sunday
I will soon be 62 years old and today for some reason my mind wandered back to my childhood and simpler times. I grew up in a cotton mill village in Western North Carolina during the 1950's and 60's and just in hollering distance we had two churches. Most of the folks in the village attended Tuxedo Baptist and a new church Mountain View had its beginning in 1948, the year of my birth.
As a young boy I remember hearing the church bells ring each Sunday morning from both churches. It was an almost a hallowed sound that rang through the hills and valleys encouraging parishioners to come and worship. In those days, the people whom I knew reverenced Sunday and did little else but the necessary things like feeding the stock and milking the cows or killing chicken and dressing it for Sunday dinner.. My parents did not attend either of these churches but elected to go to a different church, Mount Olivet the one my dad's family attended since it had its beginnings in the small mountain community where he grew up. Most of his 14 siblings still attended worship services each Sunday and often times would return to the old home place for a dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and some of my grandma's great vegetables served with biscuits and gravy.
With such a large family the tradition that had long become standard procedure was the men ate first, then the ladies and children. It seemed a little odd to me because after all not many of the men folks had slaved over a hot wood cook stove to make such a scrumptious meal. When ready, grandma would summons us to dinner by saying,” You men folks come on now, dinner is ready." And eat they did, sometimes I wondered if anything would be left by the time we had our chance to sit down at the red checkered clothed table. There were never any shortages and maybe it might have been a wing or a neck, we still filled our bellies at grandmas table.
All of Sunday, sometimes called by the folks I knew and respected, "The Lord's Day" was observed as it should be, a day of rest and worship. We put on our best Sunday go to meeting duds and woe be unto your young hide if you got dirty before Sunday School took up. We were taught to respect the church and disciplined for misbehaving, talking or for wiggling around too much. As children it was so hard to sit and be still during what sometime were rather lengthy church services. The old saints would sing their hearts out songs with four part harmonies in worship, some would shout both during the singing and even some during the preaching from Gods Word in sermons by preachers who often were loud, long and loose. There was a sense of reverence and we dared not open our eyes when someone was praying or put our coats on during the invitation.
I loved to hear some of the old men pray at my church and sometimes in my memory their words still ring true to my heart. They talked to God just like they were talking to a real close friend and confidant, bearing their souls in praise and petition. Many times many of us experienced a sense of awe when we realized that they were in fact conversing with the Sovereign of the Universe which, in my estimation, they surely were.
They (saintly old women, deacons, and lay people) carried the mantle well setting forth a good example of trust and faith, unwavering and shot gun barrel straight to the principles that made them strong. Today I think we have drifted far from the old landmarks of our forbears and the high standards they set for us. Sunday for many has become just another day of the week with little or no regard for the real purpose it was created.
Jeremiah 6:16 (King James Version)
16Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
I can't help but believe the moral condition of our country has so declined because we have majored on other things and not held to the strong value system passed on to our generation. Some may laugh and scorn and maybe label me as a fanatic but that is ok,it is to be expected from those who have never experienced a genuine faith and have never come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
The scriptures also teach us to assemble to worship. Hebrew 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We live in a day and time when there is a lot of infighting within the local assembly. It’s me and my four and no more thinking. These things shouldn't be when our mandate given by Christ himself is to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all men." Petty issues, unresolved conflict in relationships hinder this command negating its power and influence with little or no impact governing our conduct before family and the world. Liberal theology preached in pulpits and loose living by those who claim to be Christians cannot help but bring a reproach to the Church..
It wasn't so when I was a kid. Sunday was reverenced and just as sure as Sunday morning came, there was an unmistakable sense of the awesome presence of worship that captivated a young boy’s heart. and at the age of twelve I accepted the free gift of salvation inviting Him to come into my heart. God in the form of His Holy Spirit took up residence in my soul and I have never been the same. I was quickened and sealed for eternity. Some try to make it complicated but the story of the two jail birds in a Philippian jail says it so well.
Acts 16:25-33 (New King James Version)
The
Philippian Jailer Saved
25 But
at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and
the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly
there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison
were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s
chains were loosed. 27And
the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison
doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was
about to kill himself. 28 But
Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we
are all here.”
29 Then
he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul
and Silas.30 And
he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?”
31 So
they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household.” 32 Then
they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were
in his house. 33And
he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes.
And immediately he and all his family were
baptized.
I hope all who may read will be touched by these words and may we all join our hearts in prayer that God would once again rend the heavens and send to our land a measure of renewal and revival. May His mighty power revive the saints and His church which He has purchased with His own blood.
10
My How the People would Shout
I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything in this world and the memories of going to the old country church. I grew up in a small Baptist church and when I was little the old church was a one room structure and had a single Sunday School room addition to the right side of the building. It was sufficient because only a few folks attended. There was a wood heater for cold weather and some of the men of the church would arrive early and build a fire to warm the building. Later gas heaters were installed.
As a boy I remember the old saints would "get happy" and shout the building down. As a kid I didn’t understand this part of their worship experience but as I recall it was almost every Sunday some sister would come off her pew with her hands raised and just "Praise the Lord." In these modern times, I fear most church members would find this too dogmatic and a public display of emotion on which to be frowned. As I grew older and began to understand some of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible and what these dear old saints were doing, it took on an altogether different meaning for me. I was not afraid of the shouts and praises of the precious folks who were simply overjoyed and unashamed to show praise to the Lord.
I heard a story about a dear elderly lady who commence to shout in a big uptown church. One of the Ushers approached her and bid her not to continue such an outburst. She paid him no mind and went right on shouting. Then two ushers took her by the arms and physically removed her from the building but not before she got in the final words which were,” Jesus rode into Jerusalem riding on the back of an ass; now and now two are carrying me out!"
Spontaneous praise in the form of shouting is a heritage of which I am proud. My grandmother shouted and she had something to shout about, a wonderful Savior and an inheritance reserved in Heaven. A promise more secure than any financial instrument the world has to offer. Sadly most eyes are blinded to this truth and will never see the streets paved with purest gold.
11
A Beggar but Rich as a King
I suppose most of us who live in the area in and around Green River Township grew up under similar circumstances. We were in many ways the world has of looking and evaluating things, poor. For some reason we did not think we were poor and since we never went hungry and always had a roof over our heads, we considered ourselves blessed. I never knew much about those who were really destitute and suffered from lack of many of the comforts which we took for granted like food on our table, a roof over our heads, and clothes and shoes to wear.
In Sunday school, I learned about Lazarus a man in the Bible who was a real beggar and in the account of his life we find him sitting near a rich mans table begging for the crumbs that might fall from the plates of those eating their meal. He was also ill and had sores on his body that the dogs came and licked providing the only comfort for his illness. The story has a terrific end for the man Lazarus but a horrible one for the rich man who had no compassion. As I thought about being a beggar, Lazarus in the final analysis became rich because he in a spiritual sense he was child of the King, the Sovereign of the Universe and had an inheritance in Heaven that could not be purchased with this world's goods..
We don't know too much about beggars in our day. While a member of the USAF I was stationed in Laredo, Texas for a period of time. On weekends I would occasionally venture into Mexico crossing the international bridge into Nuevo Laredo. The cat walk across the bridge would literally be covered with beggars with their cups or hands out asking for pennies or change. I saw some of the most pitiful folks l have ever encountered while crossing this bridge. They were real beggars, destitute of this worlds goods and needing some help just to live. It would have been impossible to drop money or change into all of these poor folk’s hands or cups. My heart was always touched as I passed by them and dropped coins into some of their cups.
Today
as I thought about beggars, in my memory I thought immediately about
the poor
fellow who was blind in our town of Hendersonville, North Carolina.
At one time we had a Rose’s Department Store, a family owned
business that had stores in several NC towns and is still in a few.
Big stores such as Super K-Mart, TARGET and Wal-mart have simple
crushed them. I don't know his name but he was always in front of
the
Roses store most every Friday and Saturday playing an old guitar and singing the hymns of the church. He always had a tin cup for donations. I don't know how much he would take in but I hope it was enough for his particular needs. I never did mind dropping change or some paper money into his cup and he would always smile and say, God bless you!"
Jesus said we would have the poor with us always. I just want to be able to have real compassion and help those who, like the man who was in front of Roses and had a real need. So many civic clubs crowd the entrances of our local department stores seeking donations and for sure there is not a shortage of opportunities to help the poor, sick, and others who have been unfortunate. I am thankful for all the blessings God has given to me and I think h He expects me and those who name the name of Christ to be like minded and help those "beggars" when we have opportunity to do so.
A well drilling rig similar to the one used drilling my new well.
12
Bottled Water and an Unexpected Blessing
Several years ago I went with my wife PJ to Charlotte, NC to the annual SYSCO food show. She was then Supervisor of the Kitchen Staff at Falling Creek Camp for Boys and attended by invitation this event to sample products and place orders for the food she would be serving campers during the camp season. Pre-ordering resulted in substantial savings and was profitable not only to SYSCO, its suppliers but also PJ's employer. It was a great get away for the both of us because SYSCO paid for our lodging and with all the vendors showcasing their wares; we didn't have to spend a penny for food. Needless to say we ate the best of the best!
I had seen bottled water before but it had never entered my mind how precious this natural resource has become today. At the food show plenty of bottle water was available for those in attendance throughout the large facility housing all the major food vendors within the USA such as General Foods, Campbell's, etc. showcasing their products. I began to think where we have evolved when water is now bottled and sold, something I had never considered buying in a store or a vending machine but now is as common as Cokes. Mountain Dew, Pepsi and other popular soft drinks...
I guess it is because I like most who live here in Western North Carolina may have taken for granted our great natural resource of pure water. Let me share a story that happened to me and my family about our water. In 1989 our house burned. We lost almost everything we owned and our water supply came from a shallow well. Only 40 feet deep and hand dug many years ago but had never given any trouble or gone dry.
When we rebuilt our house on the same site, I thought we would still use this shallow because it had served us well with good water... Since our house had burned in December and we had lived in another location, the water tank had frozen during the winter and I had to replace our pump. The original pump was a jet pump but I replaced it with a submersible pump. The submersible was great but too powerful for such a shallow well and soon began pumping sand filling our water lines.
I knew I would have to drill a new well. The problem was I had spent all my money building our house and didn't really have the funds available to drill a well. There is a protocol in our county for drilling wells. First a permit must be obtained and the EPA must come to the house site and approve the location. Certain requirements must be adhered to such as minimum distance from septic tanks and drain fields as well as protecting property lines of neighbors and proximity restrictions from their wells, drain fields and septic systems. The permit cost $75 at that time and is much higher today.
I took an hour off from work to go to our Health Department to obtain the necessary permit. Fortunately I did have the $75 to initiate the process but was a long ways from the $3 to $4 thousand dollars in my bank account required to pay a well driller to drill and install a new well. I remember praying that morning,” Lord, I need a new well! I don't have the money to pay for it so I trust You to make the provision available. Amen" Believe it or not I went back to work after filling out the necessary paperwork and hadn't been back to work more than 30 minutes when the EPA guy called me wanting to meet me at my house site to lay out a new well location.
A second time that day, I left work to meet with these folks. While on the phone at work he also told me to call and schedule a well driller so before I left work to come back home and meet with the EPA, I looked in the Yellow Pages and found a well driller., I knew the reputation of Green River Well and knew they were probably my best resource and told them my dilemma. They took all my information and I left work for the second time that day.
I drove home and met with the EPA representative from our County Health Department and he showed where I could drill my new well. He then left and hadn't even gotten out of site when Green River Well who had been drilling another well just up the road from my place pulled their rig up my driveway to drill my well. This was at 2 o clock. I then called the EPA guy as they set up the rig to drill. He turned around and came back to my place to watch the drilling process. A grout has to be poured immediately around all new wells to prevent ground water contamination and he had to be sure this was done satisfying the regulations.
At about 3:30 we hit water, only 108 feet deep but yielding40 + gallons a minute. The well driller finished everything including pouring a concrete grout around the well and while they were working, I was wondering to myself, "How in the name of God am I going to pay for this well?" the cost back then was over $7 per foot and I cringed every time a new 20 foot section was added to the drill. I knew I was in trouble but for some reason a thought came into my mind and it must have been placed there by God Himself.
I had an old 1979 Chevrolet Blazer that had a great motor and few miles but the transmission was bad. I ask one of the workers if he knew anyone who might be looking to buy an old Blazer. I explained all about it telling him all I knew that was wrong with it and I wanted to sell it because I needed money to pay for my new well... He told me then,"Sometimes the boss will take a vehicle in exchange for drilling a well." He would inform the boss when he returned back to the office.
They left that afternoon and Green River Well is just about 20 minutes from my house. Within the hour my telephone rang and it was the "Boss" A lady and she told me she would write me a paid in full receipt for my well in exchange for my old Blazer. I sat down and wept because I knew God had come through once again in spite of my lack of faith. The man (Mike Snelson) with whom I had shared also had a 1979 Chevrolet Blazer but his had a blown engine but a good transmission. He became the recipient of my Blazer receipted as payment in full by Green River Well and guess what? He drove that Blazer for over 10 years and was just tickled pink. I’d see him and his wife driving it when I would be out and about and every time, I thanked God for his intervention, both Mike Snelson and I were winners that afternoon, thanks to the good grace of God and answered prayer.
Our well has the purest of water. Bottled water has its place especially for convenience sake but I am so thankful it is not an option on which we must rely. This morning as I was driving home from picking up my grandson, I was behind a truck of a bottled distributor who sells and is a vendor for water. The advertisement on the back of this truck touts spring water but from all I have read or seen in print, the bottled water even though it may be natural spring water loses something when it is bottled and the plastic bottles could possibly be harmful.