Scripture

Never for a moment quail [draw back in fear] before your antagonists.

~Philippians 1:27, Weymouth

Quote

Never let them see you sweat.

~Source Unknown

I am reading Francis Weymouth’s translation of the NT. It is not a modern translation. It was first published in 1903. Weymouth was promoted in 1902 but his family saw that his translation was published. He was a contemporary of my great grand parents. I am just a few chapters in but I am loving it. Philippians one is great! Quail is a middle English term which means to shrink back with fear, to cower or flinch. The word isn’t used very much today. When we hear the word “quail”, we think of the bird Quaile which is a tiny chicken that can fly. I am not kidding, they are related to chickens.

Every preacher worth his weight in salt is bound to encounter opposition at one time or another and trust me: it can be intimidating. Right out of Seminary, I was put in the pressure cooker and for months I had to face angry members every Sunday. This group of people {12-15} wanted everyone to know that they were angry so they did not stand to sing, did not sing, did not bow their heads and gave me a go to hell look the entire time I was trying to preach. By the grace of God I endured.

Was I intimidated? Yes, but I did my best not to let it show. I learned as a teenager that a horse can sense fear in a rider. If you are afraid, you best not let the horse know it. It is the same with difficult people. You don’t let them see you sweat. A few years ago a young man {bi-vocational} served a church is a neighboring county. He stuck with them through thick and thin. The congreation was aging but he was good to visit those who could no longer attend. Then a group stirred up a stink and he was basically asks to resign. He was heartbroken. A couple of years later, he was asked to do a COLS at the church. He took the opportunity to lash out at those who had caused him grief because they were in the audience.

A little alarm went off in my head: “He is making a mistake.” I pulled him aside later and told him, “That was a mistake. You let them see the sweat. You didn’t hurt them, they enjoyed it. You let them know for sure that they got under your skin.” The best thing he could have done was to have acted like it never happened. People don’t like being ignored. He stroked them, I would have ignored them.

Extra

The warmer weather is refreshing, PTL. I have had our onions and greens covered but I peeped under yesterday and they look fine. I am going to uncover them today. There is no doubt we will have more cold weather but Spring is just around the corner. Josie has five soccer games this week. That is 6.666 hours of soccer in one week. There should be a law prohibiting more than five hours per week. At least it will be warmer.

Pray for Christy Clark. She is in New Orleans consulting with some doctors. We should know something by this evening.

God is good. To be honest, I don’t know how He keeps showing mercy and grace to me. I can’t imagine 8 billion people, all in dire need of mercy and grace. Some times we give until we give out but God just keeps on giving. His grace is truly amazing.

The Greats were in Sunday School yesterday…I down loaded a pic without help. Maybe I am making progress.