It was an extremely hot Saturday in our town, with temps over 90 degrees.  Our Chickfila, where I work, was overflowing all day.  There were traveling baseball team tournaments in town, and the ballfield is just across the street from our store.  We had served scores of ballplayers and their families breakfast that morning, and now it was lunch.  Several games had just ended, and we were standing room only in the dining room, with all the outside tables taken as well.

As usual on a summer Saturday, at least 50% of our customers were from out of town, just here to support their players.  As the line around the drive thru began to increase and wrap around the building, one of those “out-of-towners” was watching the scene in this picture unfold, and captured it.  Stephanie, who was working in the overflowing dining room, was cleaning some tables by the window and saw this man sitting outside, perched on a post, with a small duffel bag beside him. Overwhelmed with compassion, she filled a large drink cup with ice and water and took it outside. Stephanie not only gave the water to him, but she also stayed and talked with him.  The customer was hugely impressed, and managed to tell Stephanie how blessed she was by her actions and thank her.  Not only that, but she posted this picture on the store’s FB page, complimenting her again!  She ended her post saying “what a blessing she is to have as an employee and as a member of that community.”

That is very true. And to the world we live in, that would be the end of the story: man is good, we are all usually ready to help in times of trouble, how awesome is the human spirit. But that perspective completely misses what was really going on. Stephanie is a beautiful, Jesus loving, God serving child of His..and she was motivated by more than just his need for water! She understood what God might be up to..He might actually have been showing Her that HE wanted to demonstrate His love to this man, and that He was calling Stephanie to do something about it. And praise the Lord, she answered the call! And I know after talking with her later that she did let him know that Jesus was her motivation!

So why am I sharing this story? Because we, as believers in Jesus and children of His, need this reminder, especially after Hurricane Harvey and all the ministry there: God has an intense passion for us to be His hands and feet, and the world has an intense need to know WHY we are doing it!

There is nothing wrong with the Salvation Army, Red Cross, or any other humanitarian group who go and serve and work in disaster zones, no matter how big or small. There is absolutely an essential need for all the Goodwills out there who provide for needs every day in every possible way, and I support them every chance I get by donating stuff! And all those efforts by all those people provide immense relief from suffering and trials in caring for physical and emotional needs.

HOWEVER! Had representatives from all those groups been present with a bottle of cold water in their hands, Stephanie is the ONLY one, through Jesus, who could offer him so much more!! She was the ONLY one at that moment representing Jesus Christ and His incredible love, which she did. But there was ALSO someone watching, paying attention, and I believe they could also see the work of the Lord. And if they were not believers, who knows what impact it might eventually have on them??

As Stephanie and I talked later about this picture, she was laughing about how in a small town you can’t get away with anything..she grew up here and definitely knows that. She’s so right…but you also can’t get anything-good or bad-past a lost and dying world! Let’s remember that they are watching!

In recent days I have had 3 men in my life narrowly escape life ending heart attacks…two friends at church, and one friend living in another state. All three men are very much alike in height and weight, with only a few extra pounds here and there but not one seriously overweight. All three men are also equal in their stress levels in life. While all the factors have not been weighed in, such as diet and exercise, heredity, etc there is one thing for sure..they are all blessed and very fortunate to be here!

Since the third friend is out of state, I can only reference the two in my church, but God has shown me an amazing truth through their stories. The heart is an amazing thing, physically speaking. Strong and efficient, it tirelessly labors for years..decades for most of us..and keeps the entire body alive and well. And when things go wrong with it, the entire body suffers and can even die. We have experienced this personally. Robert was diagnosed early in his life with a mitral valve disorder, as many people are, but his continued to deteriorate to the point that it completely shredded and had to be replaced 6 years ago. And both of my friends have also had relatively "minor" procedures done now, with stents put in to help improve blood flow.

However…in both of my friends, something very interesting happened. They both had blockages in the famously named "widow maker" artery..the MAIN artery in the heart, where most massive heart attacks originate and most of them are instantly fatal. But in both cases, smaller arteries grew and developed around the blocked areas, allowing them to not experience those massive attacks! Both men were very blessed indeed, that their hearts developed other ways of keeping them alive.

But if you look deeper into that life, you discover a couple of very interesting things. Both men were constantly tired, and experienced shortness of breath. Both of them were experiencing dull pain and the regular feeling that "something's just not right". Both of them had to cut back some of their physical activities and were not able to live and work at peak performance. Both of my friends also decided to exolain away or ignore their symptoms, and it was not until they had their attacks that the true damage was known.

Now let's take this to the spiritual heart. Like our physical hearts, we only have one..and if it dies, we do too..for all eternity. There are so many people in our world that are trying to live with damaged and dying hearts, and their spiritual lives are in grave danger because of it. Every lost person..anyone who has not believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and accepted His death as payment for their sin..is living with a dying heart. Every day, every hour, they are living in disobedience to the Lord, and they are losing ground to the one who can destroy them for all eternity. Like my friends, many of them have smaller arteries that have grown around the major blockage..wordly success, fame, wealth…but these are temporary fixes that may help the symptoms, but are not a cure.

Many Christians, though, are living with damaged hearts. Through the years little areas of sin and temptation have been allowed to enter, or have not been removed through repentance, and their are blockages that have formed. Like a physical body, their spiritual life is suffering. There are signs and symptoms…Bible reading slips, prayer times grow shorter, church attendance slacks off..and soon they ate limping through life with no peace and very little joy! And not until an "attack" happens through a tragedy are they fully made aware of their condition! Or they develop little "arteries"…giving, but out of duty. Serving, but with a grumbling heart. Attending church but daydreaming through all of it. All of these keep them "alive" in their thinking, but they are poor substitutions for a healthy artery and unhindered Spirit flow!

Does any of this sound familiar? And is there any solution? Yes! Unlike a stent, this answer is permanent and eternal…it is Jesus Christ Himself! The only One who can transform, renew, and maintain a beautiful and healthy spiritual heart is the One who died to make it possible! Jesus can take any heart, wash it, cleanse it, and "surgically" remove any blockages, and that work never has to be redone. He can also take His Word and "stent" any places where sin and corruption might have just been making an inroad, and make the flow of His Spirit full again through the repentance of His child and the forgiveness He gives.

So…like my friends, are you experiencing any heart issues? Find yourself dragging through your days without seeing or hearing from God? Know that there's something just not right? Then before an attack takes place, get yourself to the Great Physician, and be healed! There are only so many days allotted to each one of us, and they are too full of ministry opportunities if we are healthy..and it's a shame if we miss them! May God renew each of us and keep us at full function for His glory!

Long long ago, in a faraway place (metro Atlanta) I was a 15 year old 9th grader staring down a bi-centennial project.  It was THE year….1976….the 200th birthday of the United States.  Bi-centennial stuff was everywhere…and because I was fortunate enough to still be in school, a project was a must.  After much complaining on my part, I finally realized I could do something that I loved and actually made it work for my grade!  I had only been crocheting about 3 years, but I absolutely loved it, and this afghan earned me an A and my picture in the local newspaper.  Yay, me! It is now 41 years later, and as I was thinking about July 4th (tomorrow) I remembered this afghan.  Much to my amazement, about 20 minutes later I located it in a bin in the attic, and brought it down.  It is in incredible condition, looking like I just finished it yesterday, instead of 41 years ago.

All of which led me to this thought:  in just 9 short years, we will be celebrating the 250th birthday of the US!  How did that happen so quick??  As we head into tomorrow’s celebration, there has been all kinds of talk about the military, and wars and conquests and independence in the news lately.  There have been hundreds of conversations about the greatness of our country, and all the men who have fought and died for our freedom.  And at work, a lot of our regular daytime customers served in the military, and they’ve been sharing a lot of stories among themselves and with us.

As I have listened, I have heard God speaking to me as well about footsteps.  I’ve thought about all those steps combined of every man (and now woman) who has trudged through a jungle, beach front, desert or other abysmal place on mission.  All those steps taken in fear, or triumph, or somewhere in between.  I’ve pictured the soldiers, any of them, covered in sweat, grime, blood, dirt, and other things, all walking toward progress, protection of our rights, and freedom.  It is astonishing to think what it would look like if all those footsteps could be made visible one more time…and to see the effort they took.  And unfortunately, it would be very sad to see how many times those footprints had been made over and over and over again, as wars were won, lost, and won again.

But in spite of all those, there is one trail of footprints that has had vastly more impact in my life…the trail that led to the cross of Calvary.  Jesus was also determinedly on mission – to save and redeem His lost people – and He too was in an abysmal place…the place of death and crucifixion.  He too was covered in sweat, grime, dirt, and blood…but HIS footsteps were ONLY in triumph!  His was a mission that could not fail…and would never have to be repeated!  His walk to the cross was the completion of God’s plan to save all who would come to Him forever, and to bring irreversible victory and freedom in Him.  What a contrast!  And what a blessing to know that if we see that path, and follow Him, we will never ever experience defeat at death!

But there’s still one more trail of footprints…my own.  As I look back on the 41 years since that afghan was made, I know I have covered a lot of ground, both geographically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I know that I have walked a lot of miles as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, but that path is not a straight one, and it has lots of curves and side paths.  The question I have considered is this:  if the soldier’s steps have (by and large) led to earthly freedom for me, and Jesus’ footsteps have led to total spiritual victory for me, where have MY footsteps led other people?  Can they follow any of mine and be brought to the feet of Jesus?  Or if they follow mine now, or in the past, would they take them to a place of sin and heartache?  Which way am I leading anyone who looks at my life and my spiritual journey….toward bondage and frustration, or toward freedom and joy in Christ?

I think this holiday is a perfect time for some serious self-reflection for all of us.  After all, if we’re still here, we’re growing older…and our steps are running out.  Soon, we’ll be done with our walking here….and I want to leave knowing that I have pointed as many people to Jesus as I possibly could!

I have been at the hospital all morning watching God perform a miracle, and that has compelled me to this blog.

Richard and Kathy, awesome friends of ours, family in Christ, and amazing servants in our church, have been going through a great trial.  Richard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months back, recovered from the surgery really well, and had just started chemo recently.  Late last night he started with severe abdominal pain and other symptoms, and wound up being taken to the hospital.  Atound 8:00 this morning I got word from our pastor that he was going into emergency surgery and not expected to survive due to an intestional blockage and infection.  I got to the hospital in time to be with Kathy while the OR and ER nurses were checking with Kathy about all kinds of issues…tubes to stay alive, measures to take when coding, feeding tubes, ALL those awful things you have to know when emergencies happen.

Kathy informedthem that they did have advanced directives that spelled those things out.  Only problem was the documents were not with her…they were at her house.  The nurses very gently explained that they needed those documents in their hands, as fast as we could get them there, in order to follow Richard’s requests.  Kathy found out that the hospital didn’t have them on file, and even if they did the directive is only effective for 90 days when they are brought in.  That’s not unusual, I found out, because most people are not in critical, need those documents shape for even close to 90 days.  And all anyone has to do is bring them every admission to reactivate.  Because I was the only nom-family person there, I volunteered to go to their house, find the documents, and bring them back.  I did and they rushed them to the back for everyone’s information.

As I sat back down, I was overwhelmed by the spiritual word picture and lessons I had just learned!  Richard and Kathy had had a normal day for them on Sat, and had NO idea that Richard would be almost dead within a few hours.  NONE.  But there they were, and there was Kathy, being asked questions about how Richard might want to leave this world or not!  And  they had to know THEN.  Not only that, they had to have PROOF of those wishes..just saying it was not enough!  Not only that, but it couldn’t be an “old” decision..they couldn’t rely on what might havw been done before.Here’s what God showed me: we ALL need an advance directive!  Not in the physical sense, but spiritually!  I understood when the nurses were explaining things that a decision was required, and immediately.  I understood that it had to be a resl decision, with proof supplied. And I understood that it couldn’t be somethinh in the past, that had expired…it had to be a living document, full of immediate power to do things!

And that is absolutely, 100% the truth of salvation and our eternity.  The day is promised to come for each one of us when we will be faced with death…and when we better have our decision made, our salvation and PROOF immediately available by our names written in the Book of Life.  We won’t need a physical document, but Jesus, standing there affirming that we are covered by His blood!

As I thought about the 90 expiration date, I was also amazed by this thought. Before Jesus, the Israelites had to constantly offer sacrifices for their sins.  Last week’s sin offering at the Temple was not sufficient for the next week..it would expire that day!  And while Kathy could stand there and say that Richard had made a decision and signed a document, that wasn’t good enough..they had to have it from Richard’s own signature!  Salvation is the same way!  When we fave Jesus, we will be alone..and even if we weren’t, no one could stand there and tell Jesus we had accepted him…it has to be our decision.  

Another thought also came from the expiration date. No one can go through the rituals at an early age..any ritual…and expect to rely on that as salvation. If it wasn’t genuine, if it didn’t change your life, it was not valid!  You can sign 100 cards, walk 100 aisles, and be baptized 100 times…but unless you are sealed by the living blood of Jesus, through His death and Ressurection, it is all in vain.  Your salvation has to be your decision, made possible by the faith that is a gift from God, and then your advance directive is a powerful, living testimony that Heaven is your home!!

When the phone rang in the waiting room, we were all so excited that the dr had GOOD news to share..surgery was much better than expected…and although Richard is still with us, he is not out of the woods.  But you know what?  If the news HAD been the other way, we know Richard’s decision..and we know he has his spiritual eternity settled.  Can you say the same??

I’ve been a Christian for a long, long time…48 years to be exact…and I have always treasured God’s Word, and His amazing gift of salvation to us.  Although I was only 8 years old, I totally understood why I needed a Savior (my sin), why I wasn’t headed to Heaven automatically (my sin) and that I needed Jesus Christ to cleanse me of that sin and make me pure and holy through His blood.  And I accepted that news, and His free gift, and I have been His child since!  Pretty straight forward, right?  I repented of my sin, and turned from a life of wrong to a life of righteousness through Him.

What I wrote above is the true plan of salvation, nothing added or taken away.  And yet you would not believe how hard my testimony is for some people!  “Seriously?” they ask, “What could you POSSIBLY have to repent of at 8 years old??  Well, a lot!  I hadn’t had time to commit a lot of “big” sin, but that didn’t matter.  Even at the ripe old age of 8, I had already started developing the very natural tendency to live my own life, want my own way, and I was all about ME.  That’s the way we are all born, because none of us is without sin. According to the experts, if you do something 21 days in a row, it becomes a habit.  I was 2,920 days old, so I was really way entrenched in my sin.  And although again my decision didn’t involve giving up a “major” sin, it DID involve repentance..turning away from my willfulness and going 180 in the other direction to live my life by HIS will.

Now this may seem very stuffy and dry, but I do have a point.  In today’s world, God’s plan doesn’t sound very attractive.  Our culture is so self focused, and we believe controlled by ourselves, that the thought of giving up our will to someone else’s in ANY area of life is repulsive.  We do it when we have to..obey the law, and submit to our bosses, but that’s about the limit.  Not only that, we moan and complain about it and dream of retirement and or a perfect place where we don’t have to answer to anyone.  And that is so very, very sad.

Repentance and turning away from sin is almost always viewed as a negative by lost people.  It’s usually viewed in the “well if I come to Jesus, I’ll have to give up….”and they name several things that they view as pleasurable.  On the other hand, they can see lots of positives in maintaining “control” over their lives.

UNTIL.  Until someone is in the absolutely lowest place, ravaged by sin, and as desperate as anyone could ever be for RELIEF.  Relief from the darkness, filth, humiliation, and hopelessness of the life they are living.  THEN the offer of a u-turn is not a negative, it is the most positive and hopeful thing they’ve heard in years. And they are more than eager and receptive to meet the One they need.

And here’s the best part, the whole point of this post.  It is in turning around, and giving in, that you realize the truth…God doesn’t just give you a u-turn…H equips you for much more.

A little over a year ago, God brought a woman named Debbie into our church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry.  Debbie, in her own words, was as low as anyone could ever go. She had done everything, some of it for years.  She hated her life, and she definitely hated God!  She was literally at a point where she had no hope (at 50+years) and she was destitute.  And then along came a Savior!!  Debbie heard about him, soaked it in, and gave her heart and life to Him!  She has literally u-turned and transformed and is growing day by day.  She even requested to be known as Deborah, an expression of the new her.

AND YET.  God had more!  This past Saturday, Deborah walked into a local prison with two other ladies from her LifeGroup, and spoke to the ladies there.  She made a huge impact for Jesus.  After it was over and they were getting ready to leave, Deborah went to one of the women guards and asked her if she remembered her.  The guard was shocked, and Deborah told her, “I was an inmate here before, and you were my guard”.  The guard couldn’t believe it, but Deborah assured her over and over it really was her.  The guard was astounded at the change in her, and Deborah was able to share even more with her.

And then, DEBORAH walked out, a free and new woman in Christ!  The old Debbie had been in prison there, but Deborah had come back, full circle, to minister to the ones that were just like she used to be!!

GOD is in the transformation business, and He knows what He is doing!!  Know any Debbies?? Then pray for them and keep ministering. Don’t know any Debbies??  Them go out into the hedges and highways (and prisons!) and get busy!  There are many more Deborah’s out there!!

I recently purchased a gun..yes, a real one..at my husband’s urging.  We’re not survivalists, or gun fanatics, and I don’t particularly worry about my safety on a regular basis.  However, the reality is that no matter how friendly my little city might be, there are still drugs, crime, and wrongdoers in it, and the older I get the more I realize I just might need help one day other than my own strength.

So, I got a gun, and we both began the process of being legal carriers a couple of weeks ago.  Forms, signatures, more forms, and serious application fees(!) later, we were ready for the final step…fingerprinting.  We drove over to the Sheriff’s office and got started.  Now the only other time I ever got fingerprinted it was the old fashioned way with ink and papertowels.  I was in for a very pleasant surprise this time, however, because it’s all computerized, of course!  Now I am sure the deputy doing mine has done fingerprinting thousands of times, and could do it in his sleep.  AND his “customers” are usually a lot less enthusiastic about the process!  But I was totally captivated as we went through it.  

One by one I watched as all these unique designs showed up on the computer screen and was in awe at how different they were.  Each finger, both palms, whole hand…it was amazing.  When we were done, he printed out a sheet with all the prints for me to sign.  Before I signed, I looked at it and just had a moment.  I have never owned any highly valued paintings, or works of art, and I wouldn’t know a $50,000 sculpture from a $5 one.  But there!  There in front of me, on some ordinary glossy photo paper, was a priceless masterpiece – my fingerprints! Or I should say Masterpiece…because 56 years ago the Master Artist created it!

I know in any kind of collecting, there is always the chase for that rare item.  Whatever the collection, there is always that first edition, misprinted stamp, speciality 1of 1 issue, etc that brings the highest price and is the most sought after.  I love watching shows about the hunt for those treasures, and rejoice with the finders when one is discovered.   Then when they find out the value of the piece, I am often overwhelmed at the thought that one item could be worth that much, and wonder what it would be like to own something that great.

AND YET!  The minute I have those feelings, I am overlooking a great truth..that I don’t have to own one of those, I AM one!  God, the Father and Creator of all things, took a moment in time and uniquely and wonderfully created me, and there is literally no one else like me.  This world we live in tries SO hard to keep me from believing that.  There are rules that we follow (most of which are good), standards we live by, and uniforms/dress codes that we wear and follow, and these are good.  But the enemy takes those things and says, “you’re no big deal, look around you, everybody’s the same.”  There’s also the pressure cooker of peer pressure and expectation -you must eat this, wear this, do this, drive this, and like this to be accepted – and it starts working on us as children and doesn’t let up until we die.  There is usually no allowance made for different.

AND YET!  As I looked at my fingerprints, I was overwhelmed by the love of God and His voice saying, “Look at you!!  Look at those fingerprints that are unlike ANY other set of fingerprints IN THE WORLD!”  I stopped and thought about the fact that if I had been standing in a room of even 10,000 people or more, I would have in my hands a one of a kind treasure!

With my mind blown at this thought, God also reminded me of my worth.  I am worth SO much that His Son DIED for me. Died.  And rose again to give me new life!  AND if I had been the only person that ever lived, He still would have done it! THAT is what treasure means!  THAT is why He made us the way He did, so that every time we are down, every time we feel worthless or hopeless, we can look at our hands and go Wow!  Look how unique I am!  And then, we can look at another set of hands -his hands – and see the value we have by HIS scars in His hands…scars that prove we are priceless in His eyes, and that as long as we are here, He has a plan and purpose for us!  

Need encouragement today?  Go wash your hands!  Go USE your hands!  And let His love wash fresh over you!

There is one topic you can count on in church or conversations with other Christians..it’s the whole “mountain top vs. valley” subject.  You know what I mean..”that was a mountain top experience!!” from someone coming back from a retreat, conference, etc.  Or there is the “she’s in such a deep valley right now”.  Or the overused sermon cliche, “mountain tops are wonderful, but God speaks clearest in the valleys”.  All of these are true, and valid reference points for things going on in spiritual lives, or for things we are facing.

HOWEVER!  We have overlooked a major thought in these ideas.  Unless you are in a helicopter, you aren’t instantly transported from the valley straight up to the top or vice versa!  There’s an awful lot of traveling in between, and I believe we are missing a great truth in blipping over that, both in our lives and in our testimonies.  We all KNOW life is not just about one extreme or the other, we just don’t acknowledge it very much.  After all, when’s the last time you heard someone step up to the microphone in a service and said “I just want to PRAISE God tonight because I am 2/3 of th way to the mountain top!”  Or heard someone else say “I’m sliding towards that valley and I can’t wait to get to the bottom to hear God better!”  The answer is not too often, or never.  And that’s a shame.

Robert and I are currently in a state park in the foothills of Alabama.  That’s right, I said foothills..because they are!  The altitude at the top is around 2,400 feet above sea level.  Now Robert and I have lived beside the biggest mountains, the Colorado Rockies, where the average altitude is 11,000-14,000…those are mountains!  And we love going tp the Blue Ridge mountains in our state, whose tallest mountain is 6,300 feet above sea level.  So we know mountains by personal experience.  

And guess what??  It doesn’t matter which size you are on top of..the scenery is always spectacular!  You see, even the foothill view elevates you enough to give you a better view of the world, and it’s usually breathtaking.  Even at the top of the foothills here, Robert can look doen at a lake that looks so far away, and tell me that 30 minutes we were driving right past it!  Really??  I am fascinated by that ability to see exactly where I have just been, and look up to see there’s even still just a bit higher I can go.  So we stop, and relax, and admire the view from where we are.  In spiritual terms, those foothill views represent breaking a habit..or witnessing to a friend..or finally having your quiet time regularly.  These are important, and should be noted!  Not to stop climbing, or think  you have arrived, but to acknowledge success and relax for a moment.

The same is true for the valley.  The distance from the top of the foothill we are on is 2,400 feet.  In spiritual terms, that’s equivalent to a small setback.  A difficult job, or stress at work, a finacial setback, or maybe a relapse into a sin.  The key here is looking up, always.  But the other key is this:  measure that valley!  You may only be really looking at having to climb a spiritual foothill..not a mountain!!  I know have several friends who have lost family members..that is a valley.  I also have a friend losing the battle with cancer..big valley too.  So when in a fairly shallow valley, it is ALWAYS appropriate to take stock, and acknowledge where you ate, and where you could be.

Everyone praises the one who has mountain top or valley faith.  But the real warriors, the real victory, comes in the foothills!!  So gather up your foothill faith and march on!

As I sit writing this today, our county is in the middle of one of the worst flu outbreaks we’ve been in since we’ve lived here (18 years).  In fact, although Spring Break is next week, our schools closed today for the rest of the week because of so many sick children.  Absences since last week have ranged from 15% to 25% including the first two days of this week.  So quite wisely, the school system sent everyone home to recover and stop the spreading. Flu alerts are posted everywhere, hand washing signs have doubled in restrooms, and hand sanitizers are flying off the shelves.  Doctors offices and the hospital are overflowing with sick to very very sick people.  And yesterday at the drive through I had no less than 20 cars with at least one confirmed child with flu, if not two, just leaving the doctors and getting a treat on the way home.  I personally made at big dent in our hand sanitizer after serving each flu car!

And today, Robert and I had breakfast one county over and then went to his hearing aid store for servicing, and all the talk was about our flu outbreak!  People are stunned and amazed at the rapid pace of the flu spread, and have named it “flutopia” and “flupocalypse”.  It has really captured the attention of thousands, and many precautions are being taken everywhere.

So today, as we were driving to beeakfast, God began to speak to my heart about how this corresponds to the spiritual side of life.  All around me people are fighting back against an unseen enemy, a vicious foe, one who strikes anywhere it chooses.  And even though there are preventions..handwashing, etc..there is no cure..it is inevitable that thousands of people will be affected.  Particularly at risk are those with comprised immune systems, children, and the elderly.

So I thought about this:  what would happen if we all reacted to sin the same way? Can you imagine a community – just one – where every church became alarmed if attendance fell by 15-25% regularly? If we had people talking about that everywhere, including the next county over?  Based on today’s standards, that should happen tomorrow!  People are missing from every church, everywhere, every week, not just for an occasional vacation or sickness, but regularly.  And yet we shrug and say we miss them, but don’t do much about it.And take the efforts to care for the children and elderly.  Far more important than protecting our kids them from flu is protecting them from sin!  We quarantine them when they are sick, but how many are staying home and playing games, watching tv and listening to music that is corrupting their minds and exposing tbeir hearts to all kinds of temptations?  What good is it for them to miss a virus that can harm them physically without acknowledging that the “virus” of sin can ruin them for eternity?  Of course flu can cause even death, and children need to be protected at all costs to prevent that.  But sin causes SPIRITUAL death, which is even more devastating.

The same goes for the elderly.  As a very dear pastor friend told me years ago, gray hair does note mean a person is saved!  I can attest to that by the people I wait on every day.  Unsaved older people ARE at greater risk, too, because their hearts are hardened by years of sinful living.  And those with compromised immune systems..new Christians, those recently delivered from lives of sin, drugs, etc..have less ability to fight off the enemy’s devices because they haven’t grown yet.

So what should we do? A lot!  First, cover ourselves.  Continual handwashing (worship), using sanitizer (confessional prayer), and reading alerts and warnings (God’s Word) will all keep us safe.  Going to the doctor (Jesus) for prevention (regular checkups of our spiritual condition) will ensure even more protection.

And most importantly, we need to always check on the sick!  Going to church will keep us in the know about our brothers and sisters welfare, and will also provide great accountability for our own lives.  But nothing replaces evangelism..telling of God’s grace over and over and over again, to everyone we meet!  After all, if we are going to cheerfully and quickly share hand sanitizers with others (I have seen this everywhere!) then we should tell about Jesus the same way.  Period.  So may we all use this time of widespread illness to let God use us, and to constantly remind us of the world’s REAL sickness, and our duty to stop its spread!

Name (n): 1-a word or set of words by which a person is known; 2-a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person

I know a lot of people, especially at work where hundreds of people come through the drive thru each day.  Unfortunately, I know more of them by face than by name..mostly because the transactions are so fast that we don’t get to that level.  However, we have a new system at our Chickfila now..the Ipad outside ordering..and we ask for a name for each order to help ensure accuracy in handing out food at the window.  The results have been fascinating for me.  I now, of course, know so many more people by name and it does make their visits a lot more fun and personal.  The other revelation has been how many people we have in Moultrie with the same first name!  And I am not talking about John or Mary, names that you would expect to find multiples of.  I am talking at least 12 Hollys…at least 20 Jennifers..and way more Paytons than I could think of!  Dylans rule in the guys category, along with Tylers and Bo/Beaus.

So I became curious and did some research and found out more about names in the United States. Going by first name only, there are 5,117,915 men with the first name John!  Yep, over 5 million!  However, if you add a last name, like Smith, that number goes to 46,911, or roughly one half of the people in any football stadium.  Can you imagine trying to page John Smith in that crowd??  Or for my name, there are 178,439 people named Beth…how many do you know?  It just so happens that I now know about 12 of them, mostly through work, when before I had known one or two at most.  Supposing that 1/3 of the Beths in the USA have blonde hair, I am still one of 59,475.  Still a lot.  Add in brown eye color (the most common) and it lowers slightly to around 45,000. At this point, if you have an issue where you sometimes feel insignificant or invisible, this is NOT good news for you!  Knowing that so many other people share at least your first name, and possibly your last, your hair color, and your eye color, can make you feel lost and unimportant.

So what’s the point?  The point is just this: in today’s world, there are approximately 2.1 billion Christians.  Not over 2.1 billion true followers of Christ, who believe in the Biblical Jesus, but who call themselves Christian.  In real numbers, that is 2,100,000,000.  Of which I am ONE.  Just one.  If you delete those who are probably Christian in name only, even if you took away half, that would still leave 1,050,000,000…does that make my 1 seem any bigger?  Probably not.  So to call yourself Christian doesn’t really, on the surface of worldwide population, seem that amazing.  After all, there are so many other people going by the same name!  And tons of them live in the USA, like me, and a lot live in Georgia, like me, and a lot are Southern Baptist – again like me.  Is there any hope in God’s Kingdom for me to feel special??

The answer is a resounding YES!  Although I may be overwhelmed by the number of people who have my name, or who are also Christians, GOD isn’t!  He is more than capable of knowing each of His children personally and intimately. He never gets one child confused with another, nor does He occasionally lose track of one of us. Even though there are 178,439 people in the country named Beth, He knows ME as the one named Beth W. Tilson, born 1/24/61, who is married to Robert, and lives in Moultrie, Georgia, has blonde hair, who accepted Him at age 8,who works for ChickFilA and is a member of Temple Baptist Church!  Not only that, He knows when I cry, when I am hurt, when I am victorious, and when I am ready to give up.  And although there are 46,911 John Smiths in our country, for each one that knows Him as Lord and Savior, He knows the same about them.

In other words, God knows each follower of His, and He has created each one for a specific purpose and ministry.  He assures us of this in Luke 12:7, where He says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  And again in Psalms 139, the psalmist David speaks of God’s incredible presence with us no matter where we go or what we do, and that He has known us since we were in our mother’s wombs.  Because He created us, and then sent His Son to die on a cross for our salvation, so that we could live with Him eternally, we should be constantly assured and comforted that we will NEVER be “just a name” in a sea of thousands of people.  God will never leave or forsake those who have believed in Him, accepted His Son’s death as payment for their sins, and who have entered into a holy relationship with Him.  NEVER.

One final note:  as I searched for how  many people in the USA are named Beth Tilson, I found something startling – there are only TWO.  Me, and one other person. Seriously, you can look it up for yourself (howmanyofme.com).  I was floored.  So there’s not a lot of stress for me in being mistaken for anyone else, except one.  BUT….even if we were side by side in the presence of Jesus, He would STILL know me as my own, unique self.  Isn’t that amazing?  Next time you struggle with insignificance, or unimportance, remember this post…and thank God that He knows you for who you really are!

I have posted many times about how much I love my job, and the blessing I have of making so many new and wonderful friends because of it.  I actually enjoy the early morning hours (6:00 am opening time!) and love the feeling of helping so many people from all sorts of different backgrounds, economic positions, etc.  It’s a great life, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else.

HOWEVER.  There is one type of customer that I genuinely dislike serving…and I call them the “snatchers”.  Snatchers are those customers who literally do just that..snatch things out of my hand.  Money, debit cards, food, drinks, you name it – it gets snatched.  I am not talking about the occasional “I overslept and I am late” customer..I am talking about those that are usually on the phone, interrupting their very busy and important lives long enough to get food…but only if it is quick, very very quick!  Or they are just always in a hurry and/or impatient, and it seems as if I am never, ever fast enough for them.  I can’t count the times that food or drink has almost hit the ground after being snatched, or that change has been dropped.

So what bugs me so much about these guests?  It’s not what you might think.  Yes it’s rude, but it’s also this:  the customer and I both miss out!  I miss the opportunity to smile, thank them, and give them a more satisfying experience.  They miss the opportunity to breathe for a minute, recieve a kind word and a smile, and maybe drive off just a tiny bit happier.  It takes what is usually a very rewarding event and makes it just one more stressful moment in a stress filled day.

God spoke to me quite clearly about this the other day as I watched a snatcher drive off.  And what I heard totally floored me!  As much as I dislike them, I am a snatcher too!  Not physically, but spiritually.  Not with chicken and fries, but with the Bread of Life.  I too often approach my prayer time/Bible study time with the attitude of “let’s get this done”.  I quickly flip to a passage of Scripture, “snatch” a quick meaning from it, and move on.  Or I approach my prayer time with one eye on my watch and one on my prayer list, all the while aware not of God’s presence, but of the passing of time.  Or sit in church on Sunday morning hoping the speaker will just wrap it up? Sound familiar?

Spiritual snatchers also work in another way.  They are the ones who want all the stuff they need (lunch or breakfast) without having to slow down or interact with the one giving it to them (the cashier).  They want the blessings God wants to give them, but without all the messiness of giving anything of themselves in return.  They want their prayers answered, but don’t want to find out if their requests are in God’s will. Or in the worst cases, they want eternal life but not much else..they just don’t have time to grow in their faith or grow closer to the Lord.  Know anyone like that?

In contrast, my favorite customers are my regulars.  They are the ones I see all the time, and really get to know.  I know about their families, their achievements, their prayer needs, and their sorrows.  I can tell when they need a verbal ((hug)), and when they want to share something exciting.  I always look forward to seeing them, and I always try to bless them and lift them up just because they came.

If I care for my “people” like that, in all my humanness and failings, love them deeply, and want to help them and get to know them, how much more does GOD, our Creator and Redeemer, want that with us??  And how many times do we miss out on rich, deep and satisfying interactions with Him?  If you’re like me, the answer is too many times.  So the next time you’re in a hurry and tempted to snatch at a drive thru, stop…and then let God remind you of just how you’re doing spiritually!