One Pastor's Perspective

I believe he DID!!  The weekend started like any other weekend in which we were making a way-too-short trip to Easley and Clemson.  Diana had to work in Columbia on Friday.  And, she had to come back to Florence before we could leave.  So Drew and I met her at her office and we drove straight through to Greenville to meet Krissy  and Kristina for supper.  Therefore, it was late when we got back to Mom and Dad’s.  We were all tired.  Instead of going to the grocery store after the two K’s went back to Clemson, I decided  to get up and go early on Saturday.  That’s when things got interesting …

Early Saturday morning, I went out to go to the grocery store to get the rest of the stuff for our tailgate.  Imagine my surprise when I found the front left tire on the van COMPLETELY FLAT.  COMPLETELY.  AS A PANCAKE.  Drew got up and helped me get the tire off of the van and I took Mom’s car to go run my errands and get the tire fixed.

Errands went smoothly … Tire repair did not.  I finally found the Goodyear place in Easley to be the only place open and able to fix the tire.  And they were SLAMMED.  The guy told me it would be 45 minutes.  I left the tire so I could take the groceries home and possibly eat breakfast.  I returned about 50 minutes later knowing the tire would be ready … HA HA HA!!  That didn’t work.

The guy asked me if I wanted to plug or patch it.  It was a small nail, but I knew a patch would be safer so that is what I asked for.  After 90 minutes, I finally got the repaired tire.  Took it home, put it back on the van, and away we went!!  (I am thankful this tire went flat in my parent’s driveway, not on the road Friday.  I think it went flat quickly overnight, because the tire didn’t appear to be damaged.  Lots to be thankful for on this one!)

We went to the tailgate, had a TON of Krissy and Jesse White’s friends come over, and went to the game.  I checked the tire again before we left for the game and it was great!!  35 lbs of air in it!!  We went to the game, hustled back afterward to get on the road, and … you guessed it … the tire was almost flat again!!  I had a can of leak-stop in the van and put most of it into the tire.  We decided to ride back through Easley and hope the place was still opened.  But it wasn’t.  And by the time we got to Easley it was slack again.

Now would be a good time to confess that one of my great fears is car trouble.  In May, 1992, I moved far away from home and have been driving for hours to get home ever since.  And one of my great worries is what would happen if we were stranded on the road in the middle of nowhere .  Now, with my arm situation as it is, that fear is even greater.  Don’t get me wrong:  I pray, I try to leave it at His altar.  But I’m being honest here … I worry.

Before Diana and I could debate the possibility of trying to go home on the fake spare, Mom called back.  She said she and Dad would really feel better about this if we came home and took her car and figured this thing out later in the week.  Dad can’t ride in her car, so she only uses it when she is running errands while someone is home with Dad (most of her driving now is in the wheelchair accessible van).

I look back and know God was in all of this … Both times this tire started it’s shenanigans, we were in a place where help was readily available.  I probably never would’ve asked Mom and Dad to do that … And God took care of that, too!

I know flat tires happen … But I do believe the devil didn’t want me to preach yesterday.  And I believe it even more after hearing some of the responses to it!!  The devil tries to win victories all around us every day … Keep praying that he WON’T!!!!

That’s what I am doing … Every day.  Praying for courage for Ebenezer.

I believe our hesitancy to completely sell-out to God is a lack of courage … A fear of the unknown.  It is a frightening thing to completely be in the hands of God.  Human nature migrates us towards a need for security and stability.  For some of us, that is a need to be in control.  When we are totally, completely sold out to God, HE IS IN CONTROL!!

When I was a small child, I swallowed a nut.  Not the yummy, salted, roasted kind … The kind that fastens to a bolt.  The nut lodged in my throat and I began to choke.  This was apparently before the Heimlech maneuver was widely known, because as I turned blue my babysitter grabbed me by my ankles, turned me upside-down, and swung my back against the wall.  (I know … this explains A LOT)  It must’ve worked, because the nut dislodged and I turned from blue to red in the face again!  (I’ve NEVER liked rollercoasters, and I wonder if this is why?)

We might feel like we’ve been burned in some way in life, but that is NO REASON to NOT TRUST GOD!!!  In other words, our control issues SHOULD NEVER interfere with our trust in God!!  He is GOD!!  His plan is so much more than ours could ever be!!!!

So, today and everyday, I will pray for courage for each of us that make up Ebenezer Baptist Church.  For me … for you … for them …  When we get to this place where we trust Him we will be so much better off!!