Scripture
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
~Ecclesiastes 4:12, NLT
Quote
The pain of sorrow is doubled when endured alone, but greatly lessened when borne by another who stands along side us.
~Drew Hunter
Ropes are made of fiber. They can be made from grass, string, even cotton but the strength of the rope is not in the individual fiber. One tiny string or blade of dry grass will not pull a heavy object but when you weave a thousand of strands together, you have a very strong rope. A rope made of sea grass is a very strong rope. Its like the old saying, “A single snow flake is harmless but let them fall by the millions and they will stop traffic.” There is strength in unity; even strength in numbers. I attended a conference for College Students on New Years Eve of 1970. The conference was in Atlanta, Georgia. I think I was twenty-one at the time and there were thousands of Christian College students attending meeting. To be honest, I cannot remember how many. I do have a living witness: Jerry Newby was attending with me. The meeting ended on a high note and we came pouring out of the conference center into the streets of down town Atlanta. I will admit that is was late into the night but there were people out and about but we literally took over the down town. We were singing, praising, and shouting. Some were witnessing to those on the streets. I have never seen anything like it and I wonder if anything like it has happened again.
If is much more difficult to be vocal when you are alone. Trust me, in that crowd, it was easy. There no precedent for a long ranger approach to ministry; we all need each other. I love attending Sunday school and worship on Sunday. Matter of fact, it is the highlight of my week. You are probably thinking, I guess so, you get to preach. That is true but I also get encouragement and I need encouragement. Don’t forsake the assembly; it discourages others, especially the pastor. We need each other.
Extra
Tragedy struck our family and community last night about dark. Some of us were at a Soccer game when we got the news; little Beau Clark was bitten on the neck by a dog and he died. Our first order of business is to pray for the mom and dad. Sweet, sweet people. They names a Hailey and Kevin and they don’t come any better. I adopted Hailey the first moment I saw her and of course, she sings like an angel and that doesn’t hurt. They are grief stricken as you might expect but already, the LORD is using them in a magnificent way to help others like my son-in-law Jeremy. It was his dog that bit the child and he is talking it hard, very hard. We are all shaken but pray for Jeremy, Holly and the Clarks. It is a tragic thing: one that we never dreamed would happen.
Meantime, I am in the office trying to collect my thoughts for the Jody Wydner Service at 2:00 this evening. Two things are keeping me going; make it three. The word of God is big. I don’t know what I would do without the word. HIS grace is sufficient. I can’t explain, just know it is true and of course there are OTHERS. The LORD has convicted me soundly about putting others first. I had multiple prayer text on my phone when I got up, which was late because I got in bed late. Actually, I had to turn my phone off because friends were calling to console us. It is great to have family and friends. We indeed need each other.
My prayer list for today: pick out one and intercede in their behalf…
- Hailey Clark {Mom}
- Kevin Clark {Dad}
- Jeremy Reeves {Neighbor, son-in-law}
- Holly Reeves {Next door neighbor and our daughter}
- John Wydner family {John’s son was 44}
- Courtney Taylor {ALS}
- Melonie Mitchell {Cancer}