Sitting in
the school driveway waiting on Hannah to get out of band I noticed a little
wooly worm as it made its way off the curb opposite me and started to cross the
driveway. The wind was blowing at full force as the little worm made its way
toward the grass on the side where I was parked. The wind was blowing leaves
across the lawn and the driveway and with each hard gust it would blow the
little worm’s wool. The little fellow would stop so as to hold onto the asphalt
and then start moving again. It never changed course and the wind never blew it
away. It made it into the safety of the grass in front of my car. Now by this
time you may be thinking, “Pastor Mike needs to get a life, resorting to
watching wooly worms’ means he has too much time on his hands.” You have heard
it said that we should stop to take time and smell the roses so what is wrong
with taking the time to watch a wooly worm?
Let me share
some facts with you (so you won’t have to Google it yourself) about the Wooly
Bear Caterpillar; which we call the wooly worm. It is an Isabella Tiger Moth.
The larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar
form, when it literally freezes solid. First its heart stops beating, then its
gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body. In the spring it
thaws out and emerges to pupate. It emerges from its pupa as an Isabella Tiger
Moth. In the Arctic the summer period for vegetative growth - and hence feeding
- is so short that the Woolly Bear must feed for several summers, freezing
again each winter before finally pupating. Some are known to live through as
many as 14 winters! Bet you
didn’t know that, did you?
The Bible teaches For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Who are they who are without excuse? Those who believe there is no God. If God
can use a little wooly worm to teach me a lesson in endurance, facing the wind,
and staying on course, then He is able to keep me on course just as He kept
that little caterpillar. I doubt if anyone else seen it, but now many of you
will know about it. Funny how God can get a message across isn’t it? You may be
the one that God wanted to say this to today: hang in there!
Hannah and I
went to the local dollar store the other evening to pick up a few things and as
we entered the store and started up an aisle there were two ladies, possibly a
mother and daughter, searching through the Halloween costumes. The younger had
a mask on and asked the other how it looked. We smiled as we walked past them
and went to get our stuff. When we headed to the register we came back down the
aisle opposite them so as not to bother them in their quest. Just as we were
passing by we heard one of them say, “I have got to find something to wear to
church.” Mine and Hannah’s eyes met and we both clinched our teeth so as not to
just laugh out loud. After leaving the store and walking across the parking lot
Hannah said, “I did not see that coming!” To which I replied, “Wonder what kind
of church she attends?” Of course we both laughed knowing that apparently the
lady was not referring to buying a mask for church . . . . maybe.
We do wear
masks to church though sometimes, don’t we? I have. I have gone in church with
a big smile on my face to mask a sad countenance or perhaps worry in my heart.
No use in spoiling someone else’s day just because things are not hunky-dory in
my life, right? I think we somehow justify hiding our true feelings when in
church with that excuse; I don’t want to bother anyone else with my troubles.
Or could it be that we are ashamed to let others know we have problems? I have
been checked in my spirit several times by the Holy Spirit in regards to
letting my pride hamper me from being totally honest at times always justifying
it by telling myself that they don’t want to know their pastor has problems.
How would that reflect on my faith? A pastor, with worries, fears, or sadness
would not be a good example to his or her flock; or would we?
It is so sad
that we feel that we cannot be honest with each other about our feelings,
especially in church. We are so afraid of being judged, and rightly so, if we
were to tell people how we really feel or what is really going on. It is sad
that we cannot trust our brothers and sisters in Christ to “Weep
with those who weep” rather than judge us for being weak in our faith because
we are suffering. We pray for people with physical problems all the time, don’t
we? Why are we so reluctant to share our emotional pain in the same way? It
should not be that way. Jesus
never judged anyone that came to Him because of their problems. He never raised
His eyebrows, rolled His eyes, smirked, or let out a big sigh when someone came
to Him hurting; did He? May we learn to accept people for who they are, warts
and all, just as He does. Our mission statement at Draper Valley is, “A place
where lives are changed, hurts are healed, and hope restored by the power of
Almighty God.” May the Lord help us to live up to it!
I was ten
years old and we were out of school for the summer. We lived about half a mile
from the New River and most of us boys spent our days running all over town
playing fox and dog and once in a while we would slip off down to the river. I
came home for supper one evening and was met on the back porch by mom. “Where
have you been?” She asked. “Out playing, down on branch road,” I lied. “A
little bird told me you were down at the river! I told you not to go down there
until your dad gets home.” I then blew it big time; “I will get my air rifle
and put an end to that d - - n bird!” (I have not always been a preacher). I
not only got whipped by her for slipping off, it was doubled when dad came home
for using the “d” word.
Rats and
tattle tales have never been held in high esteem. Whistle blowers are the new
name for them. Although I did not like to be told on, sometimes it was for my
own good. Mom did not want me to drown that’s why she did not let me go to the
river alone. Sometimes being told on can bring us to repentance; especially
after a double whooping. I am not the first to get upset about being ratted
out. King
David was very upset when Nathan spilled the beans on him. God knew what David
thought was hid and had put behind him. It was his little dirty secret. It
would have remained hidden had God not revealed it to Nathan and therefore to
us by way of the Scriptures. God could have dealt with David in secret; after
all he was God’s anointed. One would think God would be embarrassed to reveal
such a thing about His chosen king. God told on David so we would know He sees
all things, past and present. We may hide things from mom and dad, our spouse
or children, even our pastor; but we cannot “slip off” from God.
Take heart
though! Being found out can lead to changes; good changes. David
repented and God forgave him. I got whipped, twice, and repented. I watched my
words from then on and never slipped off again. Obviously my parent’s forgave
me and God did too. Know this, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If you are hiding something the Holy
Spirit will tell on you. Come clean, take your whipping, repent and move on.
The best
advice the Lord ever gave me came through my dear wife over thirty years ago. We
had been married over ten years before I came to Christ; she had been a
Christian all along. One day while sitting at our bar in the kitchen eating
supper, a few years before we had kids, we were watching Oprah Winfrey on a
little TV sitting on the bar. She was interviewing prostitutes that day. I had
gotten saved about three months earlier. As Oprah would ask them a question I
would say, (I have been talking back to the TV for a long time), “I know one
thing, if you don’t get saved lady, you are going to hell.” With each question
to each lady I would end up saying that or something similar to it. After about
the tenth time my wife had enough. She dropped her fork in her plate, turned
those pretty green eyes toward me, cut them down and then said, “Who do you
think you are?” The hair stood up on the back of my neck! “What do you mean who
do I think I am? I am a Christian, that’s who I am.” I answered smugly. “Let me
tell you something,” she said, “You are not any better than those women. The
only difference between you and them is that you have accepted Gods salvation.
He loves them every bit as much as He does you, and, you have no authority to
send anyone to hell!” She picked up her fork and kept eating. My food kind of
tasted like my foot.
I tell that
story often in church because it was the first step God used in preparing me
for what I do today; pastor. When I came to Christ and He opened my eyes, I
began to see sin everywhere and in everybody it seemed; except in me. Today, I
can relate to what the Apostle Paul meant when he considered himself the worst
sinner of all. The closer he got to Christ the worse he looked; same with me. I
now tell folk that when God really needs to get my attention and I am not
listening, He tells my wife and she tells me! He knows I listen to her.
I have found
that we sometimes push people away from us because of our judgmental attitudes.
We may not intend to do it, we may even guard our words; but our body language
and tone of speech can reveal our attitude. Jesus never hung out with sinners
but He certainly associated with them. He accepted invitations to dinner, He
touched the untouchable, and He never offended any sinner; only religious folk.
Just as God used my wife to teach me a lesson He used Paul to teach Peter the
same thing. Paul
got in Peter’s face just as my wife did mine. Paul and I both are better for
it. So, let this be a lesson for you. Learn from my and Peter’s mistake. Quit
judging and start loving. That is what Jesus did when He was here in the
physical and that is what He wants to do today, through us. May we quit seeing
people as degenerates’ and begin to see them as Jesus does; salvageable.
