Ramblings and Reflections

On Christmas Eve, thousands of Christians will gather in their churches, candles in hand. A hushed reverence will encompass the rooms as they sing one of the most beloved Christmas songs- Silent Night.

But was it really? Was the night of Jesus’ birth, silent? Let’s take a moment and consider this; look at the locations effected by that Holy night.

Was the manger quiet? A stable…a barn, filled with animals. I don’t think so.

First of all, having been present at six births, I can tell you that maternity wards are far from quiet. Wasn’t Jesus a normal little baby? Wouldn’t He have cried? And though we romanticize the story (Christmas songs filled with images of doves cooing the Christ child to sleep, and cows gently mooing), my experience with barns say something else.

On top of that, Bethlehem was crowded, its borders stretched like rubber bands to their limits, because of the census. The inn was full, jammed full; not even room for a pregnant woman. No, the Bible never says the manger scene was silent.

But there are other locations to consider. What about on the spiritual plain? If we could have peeked through the veil, seen through the barrier between our world and that of spiritual beings, we’d have seen a world far from silent.

Hell, the abyss, the abode of the vile dragon, was not silent. On this night, the prince of liars howled with rage. It echoed above the anguished cries of those poor departed souls who’d allowed Satan to sear their hearts with his brand.

He’d tried his best to stop it from happening. He tried to plant the notion in Joseph’s head- Don’t marry Mary.

He misled the wise-men.

Then in a desperate act of vengeful frustration, he used a being, almost as maniacal as himself, Herod. Jesus was spared, yet all the toddlers in Bethlehem were ripped from their mothers’ sides and put to death.

In each case, when Satan attempted to destroy Jesus, God intervened.

When the child was born, when Satan realized his darkened world had been pierced with a Holy light, then, like a small, spoiled monster of a child, who throws himself on the floor and screams in defiance when he doesn’t get his own way, Hell shook with Satan’s fury. All of his tricks, all of his attempts to stop it from happening had failed.

Yes! Satan raged. He knew his end was near. He knew with the coming of that little baby, the fear of death, the fear of sin, they would be things of the past. No, Hell was not silent.

More shouts went up that night. Heaven was alive with noise; different from the anger of Hell. Heaven overflowed with the joy of the Lord. The Father’s plan was unfolding. His own Son was willing to give all so that God’s lost love, Mankind, could be loosed from the chains of sin, freed from slavery, freed from the fear of death and its penalty. God the Father smiled down from Heaven. No, Heaven wasn’t silent.

But more than that. The barrier, the wall between Heaven and earth, tore. For a time, the joy was so great, the walls of the celestial city could not contain it; could not hold God’s jubilation. It overflowed into the night sky above Bethlehem. Joy to the World!

The sky exploded. The angel’s shouted, “Glory to God in the highest!” The world, which was not only darkened by the night sky, but with the weight of sin, with a heavy burden of hatred, fear, sorrow, loss, lust, greed, envy, war, and every other chain that Satan could tie to the necks of the children of Adam, pulling them to their death… this world was seeing a Great Light.

The world, which was so lost in its sin, it couldn’t tell right from wrong, into this world Jesus had come, stabbing through the blackness, pointing a beacon of pure light to the very grace and mercy of God. Jesus, the son of God, King of kings had come. God, Himself, had entered the battle for men’s souls. In that one act He said, “I love you enough to walk with you.”

Emmanuel!

In that one act victory was secured. That little baby was the very Son of God. Very God Himself.

God looked down from a Heaven erupting with excitement. His glory shown all around the sky above the tiny hamlet. The Angels shouted the message.

A Silent Night? I don’t think so.

It’s that time of year. Christmas.

Even if you didn’t look at a calendar, you’d know. The signs are there. Malls are crowded with shoppers, houses are adorned with lights and festive blowup figures, radio stations are playing 24/7 Christmas music. But the main reason I know it’s Christmas is because of the Nativity sets in my house. I am surrounded! Everywhere I look, there they are, staring at me; unmoving, unfeeling eyes. Nativity sets. I’m not talking about the outdoor displays, in front of churches. I’m talking about the porcelain, wood, genuine one hundred per cent plastic, and plaster ones; made in China, Mexico, and who knows where else, that have sprung up around my house.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, but she has a thing for Nativity sets. As a matter of fact, all those “public property” Nativities, that scrooge-type people are demanding be removed, can take refuge in my house if they’d like.

I’d like to run a contest, offering a prize for the person who can count up all the representations of the Holy family found around my fair abode. Come on. Stop by. Take a shot at it. Win a prize if you come the closest! I’ll give you a hint. Your guess had better be over twenty…over thirty…

Do you know what? We’ve gone beyond traditional sets, too. We have our Peanuts set, with good old Charlie Brown and company. We have our snowman set, our bear set (Wait, we have two or three bear sets), our mouse set. I’ve a confession to make. I’m a bit afraid of the wise men mice, riding on top of camels. Can you imagine a mouse that big? Frightening.

She has another set where all the figurines are faceless. I’m tempted to sneak down in the middle of the night, and draw in the eyes, noses and mouths on them. But somehow drawing a face on the baby Jesus seems a tad blasphemous

The question I want to pose to you is- When is too much too much? When do you know you have too many Nativity sets?

I think I’ve discovered the answer. The other night, I had a dream. Maybe it was a nightmare. As I stirred on my pillow, my eyes opened just a crack. The figurines of the three wise men from the bear set were standing there, poking me with their gifts. “Hey fella! Do you know where Jesus is? We’ve come to worship Him.”

I pushed myself up on one elbow and wiped the sleep from my eyes. Much to my surprise, running around my dresser were the Peanut Characters. They’d pulled apart the snowman Nativity set and were having a jolly good snowball fight.

I thought to myself, maybe, we have enough Nativity sets.

But, do you know what? I guess there are worse things someone could collect. I should be happy that everywhere I look in my home, there is a constant reminder of what Christmas is truly about.

Luke 2:10-12   But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

I’m a hater. I’m a bigot. At least that’s what I’ve been recently told. I simply expressed my opinion that marriage and a homosexual union are not the same thing. One would have thought I declared all gays should be thrown into slavery or stoned.

I didn’t bring up Christian views, nor condemn anyone. I stated my opinion – Marriage is between a man and a woman. Anything different…IS DIFFERENT.

But, I don’t want to get bogged down in this issue. I’d rather tell you of another struggle I am facing. Most of you don’t know this…I have OLYMPIC ASPIRATIONS! Yes! I want to be an olympic athlete! My sport- The Hurdles.

After watching this past olympics, I began practicing in my backyard. I’m quite a sight to behold, in my red, white, and blue spandex. Last week, I finally built up the courage to call the American Olympic Committee. Here’s kind of how the conversation went-

“What’s your event?” the man on the phone asked me.

“Hurdles.”

“How long have you been doing them?”

“I just started.”

There was a pause. “And you think you’re good enough for the olympics?”

“Yes sir.”

We discussed times and distances and the such, but then came the sticky point, the point where this man’s prejudice and hatred came out.

“You have to understand,” I continued, “I do the hurdles differently. I don’t jump over them. I run around them.”

“Pardon?”

“I do a complete circle around each hurdle.”

Dead silence on the phone. Finally, the man spoke. “Bob, is that you? Are you guys down in the mail room pulling my leg again?”

I was crushed. How dare he think I was joking. “Why would I be pulling your leg? I believe the world is ready for a different kind of hurdle.”

The man cleared his throat. “Have you ever tried jumping over them?”

“I’m a tad on the large size,” I answered. The truth be known, I’m so big, I’m applying for my own zip code (old joke). “So, I have received a calling to Run Around the Hurdles!”

“But, that’s not how you do it…”

“Who are you to say?”

“Er…I’m the head of the Olympic Committee.”

“So?”

“What do you mean, so?”

“You heard me. Who gave you the right to tell me how I should run the hurdles?”

He gave a deep sigh. “Sir. I have to go now. Thank you for your interest.”

My anger, which had been simmering below the surface, now erupted. “You’re a hater!”

“Pardon?”

“You hate people of large sizes. You, sir, are a Fat-o-Phobe!”

“I assure you, sir, I am not.”

I pressed forward with this reassurance that he wasn’t prejudging me. “So when are the olympic tryouts?”

“I hate to see you waste your time.”

“See,” I snapped. “You used the word, hate! Hater!”

“Goodbye, sir.”

“No, really. When are the tryouts? I’m quite good at what I do.”

“I’m sure you are…”

“I love hurdling….”

“Uh-huh…”

“It’s my calling.”

“Sir, what you do is not hurdling.”

“Then what is it?”

He hesitated. “You run around the hurdle…I don’t know what to call that.”

His hate, fear, and bigotry was pouring out in his words. Daring to doubt my calling, denying me my olympic moment.

The man said thank you, and hung up the phone. I think he was just trying to get rid of me so that he and his Fat-O-Phobe friends could have a good laugh at my expense.

My dear readers, Join me! We need to start a protest. We need to attend track and field events around the country, and Run Around Our Hurdles for fat people! Let that be your battle cry! RUN AROUND FOR FAT PEOPLE!  Show America that we are no different than they are. What we do is the same thing! Join me! Help me stamp out hurdle bigotry! Down with the Fat-o-Phobes. Down with backward thinking haters!

If the point of the previous little story isn’t clear, let me make it so- To call someone a hater or a homophobe simply because they disagree with you on the issue of marriage is as moronic as calling someone a Fat-o-Phobe for not letting me “run the hurdles”.

And, as for those who will now classify me as a homophobe or hater, because you can’t see the truth over the tall hurdle, or see the humor in my story, or see that disagreement does not equal hate or fear, GET OVER IT! Frankly, when it comes to marriage, what you say or what I say or what the federal government says doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. What’s important is-What does God say? He’s the One Who created marriage.

Here we are- Thanksgiving 2012. I am about to sit down with some of my family and enjoy a wonderful feast. Before this happens, let me give you one Thanksgiving thought.

Here it is- Our thankfulness should not depend on who or what we are; not on how much of or what we have. Our thankfulness should depend on who He is!

Habakkuk 3:17 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

I love this scripture, yet I have trouble with it.

I love it because the writer clearly says, ‘I will joy in God, no matter what the circumstances.”

I have trouble with it because the writer clearly says, “I will joy in God no matter what the circumstances.”

I didn’t just have a computer hiccup. The same thought both amazes me and frightens me. Imagine it. The writer is thankful even though the barns are empty; even though the crop has failed. We tend to whine whenever anything goes wrong. In a society that wants to smooth all the bumpy roads before walking down the street, where we get nearly suicidal when the cable is out for more than half an hour, ballistic when we don’t get our three square meals a day, can we say, “I will praise God through all circumstances”?

Our thankfulness should not simply be for material possessions (though in the United States we enjoy quite a few). Our thankfulness should be for the ultimate provisions of God. As verse 18 states- “He is my Salvation.”

For that I am thankful.

Am I evil? Serouisly. I need to know.

Right up front, let me say, my blog usually shares something inspirational; some words on a particular Bible verse. Not today. Today, I need the answer to my question. Am I evil? Or am I just a little warped in the brain? You be the judge

This question arose the other night. My wife and I went out to dinner; Cracker barrel. It wasn’t too crowded. My kids would say that’s because their parents are getting old and go out early like good senior citizens, way before normal people eat. Rotten kids.

As we sat, waiting for our food, I became a tad bored. Just a tad. The peg jumping game on the table can only keep my attention for so long.

That’s when I noticed a man, sitting at the table next to us. He was on the other side of the latticed wall. A mere four feet away with a hole-filled divider in between. I thought I’d have a bit of fun. I leaned in close to my wife (Yet near enough to the wall to be heard). I stage-whispered in as ominous and mysterious a voice as I could, “Tonight’s the night. Do you have the pills? Make sure you give him enough to get the job done. Then we can finally be together!”

I sat back in triumph, waiting for my wife to join in the fun. Instead, she responded in the way she usually does to my creative genius; a sigh and a sad shake of her head, as if she were watching someone at a carnival game, throwing balls at milk bottles, and missing them for the one hundred and fifty-fourth time. Very sad indeed!

To me it was a bit of fun. To my wife, it was an invitation to have the police called in. “It wasn’t humorous,” she insisted. She probably invisioned me being hauled off to the local station for questioning. Then again, she was the one with the pills. Not me!

Come on! Can’t I have a little fun? Besides, if I were sitting in a restaurant, I’d love to hear someone, seated at the table next to me, say something mysterious like that. It would add excitement to the evening. Besides, if it weren’t for whispered sentences like that, where would Scooby Doo and the gang, or Nancy Drew or the Hardy boys ever get their clues? I was providing a needed service.

Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. I looked up a couple of verses, dealing with “words”. You be the judge. Do they apply to this situation?

• Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things the Lord hates – no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord among brothers.”
• James 1:26   “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

What do you think? Please let me know. Maybe I do need to change my evil ways…

Then again, maybe not. Be forewarned! Perhaps the next time you’re at a restaurant, you should listen closely to the people around you. You may hear someone (a big burly man with a graying beard), speaking in a hushed and mysterious voice, say to the woman sitting with him, “There’s only one bullet in the pistol. Make sure you shoot straight. You won’t get a second chance.”

What would happen if Jesus gave His Great Commission today?
You may ask, “What is the Great Commission?” It is the purpose, goal, reason for the church to exist, given to us by Jesus Christ before He went back to be with His Father in Heaven
He said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes in me and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. “ Mark 16:15-16
Look at what it says, “He who believes in me will be saved!” That’s not only fantastic news, it’s a fantastic task that Jesus has given to us. How can people believe if they haven’t heard, and how can they hear unless someone tells them?
The question is, are we fulfilling that task? I have to sadly admit, for the most part, we are not. That, my friends, is why we see the crumbling state of many churches, our country, and the world. It may sound simplistic to the uninformed, but Jesus is the answer. Are we sharing this? Are we seeking to transform our society, not by rules or force, not by government policies or diversity, but by the transformation of hearts through Jesus Christ?
What’s the problem? Are we lazy? Are we forgetful? Are we too busy? Are we too comfortable in our lives to bother with such things? Are we fake Christians?
The early church was on fire with a total commitment to get the job done! But, I fear if Christ challenged the current church with the Great Commission, it would go something like this-

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
And Peter said, “I don’t know, Lord. Go? Not if it’s Wednesday nights. I got Yoga on Wednesday nights. Can we go on Tuesday?”
And Thomas answered, “I doubt it. I have to take the kids to ball practice on Tuesdays.”
 And Matthew chimed in, “Besides, isn’t that what we hire ministers for?”
John added, “Hey! As long as I’m inviting people to church, I’m doing my job. Right?”
And Jesus wept…

I certainly hope you see the humor in the above illustration. Yet, we have to also see the sad touch of truth that maybe we use excuses like these to neglect what God has called all Christians to do. I have to admit, I see it in myself, and I see it in my church. Are we fulfilling the Lord’s Great Commission?

Every once in a while I come across a Bible verse that seems brand new to me. It’s a wonderful thing to experience. It’s even better than finding an extra french fry in the bottom of the bag, after you thought they were all gone.

That happened to me recently- not the french fry thing, but the verse thing. It’s like the joy of finding buried treasure; a verse that speaks fresh and new.
This one was Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

—Wow! That’s amazing. God sings! Can you imagine that. It brings a couple of questions to mind-

What kind of a voice does he have? I picture Him with a booming bass voice, kind of like my own! It would be nasty thinking of Him with a high pitched soprano voice. No thank you.
But, I’m sure the reality is that God’s voice transcends soprano, alto, bass or tenor.

Does your God Sing?
For some people, God is like a judge, sitting on His throne in Heaven, throwing down curses and judgments on people.
Don’t get me wrong. God is a judge. God has, and is, sending judgment on the earth. If I didn’t believe that, I’d have to rewrite much of scripture. Thankfully, that’s not my job. God wrote it. I don’t change it. But that’s a subject for another time. But God is so much more than a judge.

Others think of Him as an impersonal thing, “Use the force, Luke!”. More of an “it” than a “He”. Frankly, once again, I’d have to rewrite scripture to make this view work. No thanks.

The idea of God singing is…cool. What’s even cooler is why God sings. He is rejoicing over His people! Like a parent, watching their child performing in a sport, or acting in a play, or running in a race, God is overjoyed when we accomplish something.

I need to ask, have you given God something to sing about? Have you lived this day in such a way that it is pleasing to Him? Have you lived for Him, in such a way that He looks down from His throne, proclaims to the Heavenly hosts, “That’s my child!”, and breaks out in song?

Think about it. Give God something to sing about.

Recently my daughter Jamie got married. All her friends and relatives gathered for the festive celebration held at the ocean. While there, I got to dance with the most beautiful girl in the world.
Before I continue, I have to make some apologies here-
Sorry Jamie. Your husband, Jon might say you are the most beautiful girl in the world, but you’re not who I’m talking about.
Sorry to my wife, Jodie. It’s not you either. Though I don’t think you’ll hit me in the head with a frying pan when I tell you who I am talking about.
I got to dance with my granddaughter, Ruthie. A few months shy of 2 years old, I held her in my arms and danced around. She likes her grandfather. Go figure! She calls me “Pa”, not quite able to get the “grand” part out yet.
I wonder what goes through her head when this huge, bearded giant scoops her up and tells her stories that make no sense to her, threatening to eat her nose, giggle-gassing her belly, and wiggling his nose in the oddest sort of way.
The wedding was a wonderful time. I got to walk my daughter down the aisle; my daughter who just yesterday, in my mind’s eye, had to hold tightly to my hand as we walked through the mall, dove from her daddy’s arms in the pool- “Throw me again daddy”. Now she’s a grown woman; and, yes- Very beautiful.
Weddings are wonderful celebrations!
But for those who have a few miles under their belts, weddings are a time of remembrance.
I thought back to a cousin’s wedding, attended when I was just a few years older than Ruthie. So many years have gone by, yet it seems like only yesterday.
At my daughter’s wedding, I reminisced with older relatives about days gone by, having a tiny twinge of sorrow because my own mom and dad didn’t live long enough to see this happy day. We told stories of our deceased loved ones, smiling with the thoughts that younger relatives had similar traits and characteristics.- Jamie could give her grandmother a run for her money, playing Jeopardy.
I don’t want to be glum, sad, depressed. I simply wonder about it all. Years spent…time lost…good times and bad times.
As all this is running through my mind, I look into my little banana head’s eyes (that’s my Ruthie). She smiles at me. Her mouth forms the word,”Pa”, said with breathless wonder. Suddenly all is right with the world. Life moves on. Generations come on the stage to take their place! I realize that in only a few tomorrows (time will pass that quickly), I’ll be dancing with her at her wedding.
Life is good.

It’s the 4th of July. My neighborhood is alive with the sounds of bottle rockets, fire crackers, and every other kind of firework that good old american money can buy.
I sit here, thinking about our nation, fearfully wondering about the path we have chosen to walk down. Many times, we are so boastful about being the greatest nation ever to walk the face of the earth. I think we forget the God whose blessings made us so great.
It’s time for Christians to start acting like Christians.
I threw together what I call my Declaration of Dependence. After you read it, I’d appreciate your comments. Is there anything you can think of that I’ve left out?

When a nation, so blessed by almighty God, has turned her back on the one who has done the blessing, when a people pass laws giving no regard to the great Law giver, when a society would actively commit sin, not only flaunting it, but condoning it,
then it is time for good Christian men and women to declare their Dependence on God.

I DECLARE MY DEPENDENCE ON GOD

–I will recognize that true life, liberty, and happiness comes from pursuing a relationship with God.
We were made in God’s image. From the beginning of time we have walked away from Him, forfeiting what a relationship with Him brings.
My sole source of Life is found only in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice upon the Cross.
My sole source of Liberty comes from Jesus. For true freedom is not political, nor economical. It is freedom from the power of sin. “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
My sole source of Happiness is found in following God’s plan for my life.

–I will recognize that there is no other God, save the one shown to us in HIS Word. He manifests Himself as a triune God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In a society growing more exceedingly pluralistic, I will denounce false gods and cling to the one and only true God.

–I will not honor nor recognize any law that is contrary to God’s word.
The laws of our society, at its founding, were based on God’s word. There has been a drastic falling away. Now an individual’s right to Freedom of Expression is considered more important than what serves the betterment of society and what God says.
Our laws are becoming a smoke screen to allow an individual and nation the ability to sin and proclaim it legal.
With this in mind, I will do all in my power, as a citizen of this earthly kingdom, to change the immoral laws when I can, to vote for leaders with Godly views, and to fight and protest the laws that are an affront to God Almighty.
I will also be daily on my face before God, to pray for the return to civil sanity and to pray for strength and conviction for the Christians in our government.
I will also pray for the sinners, so caught up in the carrying out of their horrendous acts that they do not see the eternal consequences.

–I will be obedient to the Word of God
God’s Word, given to us in the Holy Bible, is to be held at a higher level than any other book of religion, philosophy, or history. God has revealed Himself in these pages.
I will study it to the best of my ability.
I will pray that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction on my heart through it.
I will pray for the strength to be obedient to it’s proclamation.

–I will seek to convert the world to true faith.
I believe that without Jesus, a soul is destined to an eternity of Hell and damnation. I will stand before the lost, as a block to that road and proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ.
I will do this through my life, through my daily actions, and through my words.

–I will seek the Lord’s forgiveness every day.
I recognize my human frailty. When I falter and fail at the task placed before me, I will turn to God and ask forgiveness from Him. I will depend, by faith, on His promise to forgive and cleanse me through the blood of Jesus Christ. For His Word says If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

–I will believe these things unashamedly and unequivocally, not allowing the forces of darkness that seek to conquer this world, to conquer my witness.
So much as in me lies, by the power of the Spirit of God, Who is able to present me faultless before the throne of God, I do hereby declare my total dependence on God and my allegiance in serving Him.

God supplies our needs. People say that all the time. Sometimes, it becomes meaningless- just Christian babble.
Recently, God had to give me the proverbial “truth slap” in the back of the head to teach me this valuable lesson.
It all started when I was driving home from a youth retreat in the Pittsburgh area. My cell phone rang. It was my wife, calling to inform me that our washing machine had died. The agitator had stopped agitating. I tried to convince her that she could climb into the machine and agitate it manually… No dice.
A broken washing machine! Wonderful! Now what was I going to do? I didn’t have the cash for a new one. Frustrated, I surrendered to the inevitable- I’d have to put it on my credit card, something I hated to do. Going further in debt was not my ambition in life.
I arrived home about midnight that Saturday evening. It was too late and I was too tired to start surfing the Web. So Sunday after church, the process began- find the best deal on a washing machine.
  That’s when I received the next tidbit of “good news”. A new machine would take three days for delivery. Dirty clothes were already piling up!
“Well,” I surmised. “I guess we could wear paper clothes.”
I plopped down in my chair, exhausted from my trip, wondering what else could go wrong. That’s when the doorbell rang.
My wife called from the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner. “Honey, could you get that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful!” Here I was, grumpy and tired; a suitcase full of dirty clothes with nowhere to go, and my wife doesn’t have the common decency to get the door so I can wallow in my self-made pity.  
I have to explain something at this part of the story. Being a pastor in a poor area, many times when my door bell unexpectedly rang, it was someone looking for a hand out. 
   As I approached the door, a neighbor’s face appeared in the window.
“Yep. Someone wants some money.” I opened it.
“Sorry to bother you,” the woman said. “But do you know anyone who could use a washing machine? It’s free. I’m moving and don’t need the one I have.”
My mouth dropped open, almost hitting the floor. At first I thought someone was playing a cruel trick on me.
   We made quick plans for two of my sons to go next door and check out the machine. The next thing I knew, I looked out the window and saw them hurrying down the street, lugging a machine between them.
Guess what? It’s a better machine than the one we had.
I glanced at my wife. “Were you praying about this situation?”
She smiled. “Yes. I was.”
   I learned a valuable lesson. God can supply a washing machine. God can supply all our needs. Amen!