October 11, 2024

                                                  Do Not Lie

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

– Exodus 20:16

Do not steal.

Do not lie.

Do not deceive one another.

– Leviticus 19:11

It happened again today. Another Facebook friend copied and shared “information” that was completely false.

It sounded good to people who want to believe the worst of President Biden and his administration. But it just wasn’t true. It was designed to make good people angry about the federal response to something horrific that happened to people in the path of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Let’s be clear here: FEMA, the military and many, many volunteers have been in these areas from the beginning. Keep in mind that the catastrophes are wide-spread. There is much ground to cover especially in Western North Carolina where so many mountain roads are washed away.

My cousin who lives just outside of Asheville asked for everyone to share her message. She’s a Republican and absolutely not a Biden fan. But she said that FEMA had been on the ground from the beginning, making sure the homeless had somewhere to live, making sure food, medicine and other supplies were delivered to people who were stranded up the mountain near her home. She said night had fallen but she could still hear the whirl of helicopter blades as the work continued.

As for the $750 everyone throws out, that is just the beginning. It’s for basics. There will be more money to come. Do victims need to fill out paperwork? Absolutely! Otherwise anyone could come in, claim to be a victim, and get money intended for true storm victims.

No. Migrants aren’t receiving money intended for storm victims. It’s a separate fund. Money designated for victims of natural disasters can only be used for that purpose.

FEMA cannot come in and take your home. That’s been a big rumor. People in some cases have refused to evacuate because they’re afraid FEMA will steal their home. It’s a lie. Mother Nature may take your home, but FEMA won’t.

I could go on and on about the misinformation – lies – that have been told recently. As Christians, we have a responsibility to check the accuracy of information before we share it as fact.

Lies have become a daily part of the political landscape. It’s wrong. But what’s worse is that we not only allow those lies, we share them. We make excuses for the lies and the people spewing the falsehoods.

Look at your Bible. What does it say? Don’t lie. Don’t bear false witness against another. Are you sharing false information? Are you voting for a candidate that does that too? Shame on you. Lies don’t become truth just because you want your candidate to win.

September 27, 2024

                                       Help Others

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Compassion. Kindness. Prayers.

We will go through hard times. It might be a hurricane that takes away our material possessions. It might be power outages and damage to our home. It could be a broken heart caused by the death of a loved one or a marriage that falls apart. It might be an illness or accident that sends your life down a path you never chose.

Why? That’s the question we all ask. We know that God turns all things to good if we give it to Him. (Romans 8:28) But what does “good” look like? 

Sometimes it’s strength to get through whatever we’re facing. Sometimes it’s peace in the middle of whatever happens. And sometimes good looks like walking beside people who are going through what we survived.

There’s a certain kind of compassion that comes when you’ve been there. It’s not about empty words – however well meaning – or platitudes. It comes from the heart of someone who has made the journey.

God uses people like you and me. Someone from church called me after I was diagnosed with cancer. She had no idea I had cancer. She called about something else. We had a beautiful conversation about God’s faithfulness. She’d walked the road I was on. She understood.

As Christians we are part of a fellowship, a family, that helps others. We have our church family, of course, but we also have others to help. We are called to serve. That’s what Jesus told us to do.

Sometimes that looks like taking a meal to someone who is sick. It might be mowing someone’s yard or changing a light bulb. It could be providing transportation to a doctor’s appointment or including someone who is alone in your holiday celebrations.

And sometimes it’s simply showing up and walking beside someone who is in the midst of hard. Compassion. Kindness. Prayers. We hurt so that one day we might be able to help someone else going through what we once faced.

September 26, 2024

                      Help Is Waiting

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

– Judges 6:14

The photos are sobering. Truck after truck after truck of linemen waiting in various staging areas. Ambulances driving one after another on the interstate. Cargo containers filled with supplies lined up one after another.

They are waiting for the storm to pass. Literally. Then they will begin their last trek toward the horror zone. It’s almost impossible to envision what awaits them. Yet we can. Six years ago Hurricane Michael destroyed Mexico Beach. Now Hurricane Helene is poised to destroy an area further east.

God called Gideon to go. Gideon was full of excuses. He checked and double-checked to make sure that it truly was God calling him. But in the end Gideon went. Why? Because God would be there, leading the way and saving His people.

We forget that sometimes. God is with us. We can ask for and accept His help. Or we can go our own way and try to do it on our own. Sometimes I think God allows the hard because it’s in that place where we are most likely to depend on Him.

The coming days, weeks and years – yes, years – will be difficult for the people who experience a direct hit from Hurricane Helene. But they won’t travel the road alone. Help is waiting on the edge of disaster.

I am so thankful for the people who answer the call to go. May God direct their every movement, keeping them safe as they live out their mission to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

September 25, 2024

                                     Cling to God

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

– Joshua 1:9

As I write this, Tropical Storm Helene is headed our way. It is expected to intensify into a major hurricane. That means, for us, it will likely be a Category 3 or higher.

We are preparing now. This isn’t our first hurricane. Right now landfall is expected east of us but we know, from experience, that the eye of the hurricane can shift quickly and turn toward us.

Life is like that hurricane. Sometimes we are faced with huge storms not of our making but which we cannot escape. I am thankful for advanced weather detection that allows us to know what’s to come but it doesn’t change what is to come. The storm isn’t going away.

God knows how weak and vulnerable we are at times. He knows what lies ahead far better than anything we could ever predict. Sometimes He doesn’t take away the storm but God always promises to be with us. He will strengthen us and help us as we go through it and as we rebuild from it.

I learned this verse from Joshua many years ago. I had volunteered for VBS and it was the scripture that the children memorized. I hope they have kept it in their hearts. I certainly have.

None of us really know what tomorrow will bring. For some, it’s the hurricane that might take their home and all their material possessions. For others, it might be the life of someone they love, the job they needed or the health they took for granted. But God is there standing with us, strengthening us and reminding us to be strong and courageous.

Bury His word deep in your heart. Cling to Him. God is faithful and He will carry us through whatever is to come.

October 11, 2018

Love Your Neighbor

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

– Luke 10:29

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

It’s the day after. Hurricane Michael destroyed so much yesterday. Even now, it’s wreaking havoc on other areas. For those where I am, well, today we begin to pick up the pieces.

There are trees to cut up and remove, roofs to tarp until roofers can get to them. Some will be replacing windows and vehicles. Others, hurricane refuges, will grieve for all they have lost.

Facebook has proven to be a good outlet for locating family members, friends, work associates. Storm devastation prevents all but first responders from entering many areas and, with cell service not available, all many can do is pray and wait. Strangers helping strangers. One person posted a photo of a daughter, her husband and their two children so that a frantic mother could know they are fine.

The Coffee County Baptist Association Relief Group headed out this morning. Other religious and civic groups did the same. There are people to be fed, to be helped, to be held through their tears. Strangers helping strangers yet again.

My community was hit by a devastating tornado 11 years ago. It destroyed the high school. Eight students died. People came from all around to help. We remember that and we pay it forward every time something awful happens in another community.

The unfortunate truth is that people are kinder, friendlier, more apt to help strangers, when something awful has happened. Devastating storms bring out the best in us. It’s like we suddenly remember that we’re neighbors, no matter how far apart we live. We remember that Jesus told us to love people, to help others, to do good.

So, we fan out in droves. We pray without ceasing. We donate water and canned food. We hand out pillows and blankets. We pull on work gloves and offer generators. We share what we have because we know it could easily have been us. We love people where they are and forget to notice differences.

I wish we could be like that all the time. I wish we would help the elderly without being asked. I wish we would share and speak kindly. I wish we would focus on what we have in common and look over our differences.

Maybe that’s the lesson God is trying to teach us. Love your neighbors, whether you know them or not. Love your neighbors, whether you live close or far away. Love your neighbors. This world is hurting so badly. Just be Jesus. That’s all. Just be Jesus.

October 10, 2018

God of the Impossible

“Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

– 2 Chronicles 20:12

I love this passage in 2 Chronicles. God’s people were facing an army they had no chance of defeating. It was an impossible situation. But, then, that’s where God shines the brightest.

Jehoshaphat inquired of the LORD and He answered them with a powerful victory. God turned a hopeless situation into a triumph.

As I write this, Hurricane Michael batters our area. It is the worst hurricane to strike the Gulf Coast in more than a century. We have no idea yet how bad the destruction is but we know the area we love is destroyed. It will never be the same.

Hurricane Eloise hit just below Panama City in 1975. It was a Category 3. Hurricane Michael is a Category 4. Eloise forever changed the area, destroying so much. Michael, too, has destroyed many homes and businesses, landmarks and roads. A hospital has received major damage. And the unrelenting rain and wind continues.

Life is like that sometimes. We are weary and weakened by the continual onslaught of illness, financial troubles, family issues, job stress and all the other issues that come at us every day. We want relief. We want peace. We want a break from it all.

We focus on all we face instead of the God who can save us.

In recent days, we’ve seen people panicked over what was coming and what they could not change. Some of the nervousness is understandable. It’s been awhile since we’ve faced a major hurricane. Some in our area have never faced one.

But, really, what can we do? We can prepare with water and flashlights and plenty of food that doesn’t need refrigeration or reheating. We can heed the warnings of officials and stay off the roads. We can pray and trust God to keep us safe.

There’s good that comes from storms like this. We tend to focus on what’s important. We tend to reach out and help others. We look beyond ourselves. We see others. We become a little kinder as we realize how fragile life can be.

I wish we could take those lessons into the days that will come when we’re headed toward recovery. We never do. But we can enjoy the time we have when people remember what’s important.

Tomorrow we expect the sun to come out. I’ll be out clearing the driveway and checking fences and being thankful for what didn’t happen. Others will let the shock of loss settle in, facing an uncertain future after the loss of all their material possessions. We will reach out. We will help them as we can.

And we will remember on the hard days that God is there in the impossible. When the days are long and hard, He takes our hands and guides us. All we have to do is cry out to Him. That’s it. God is right there waiting for us to ask Him into our impossible situation.

September 12, 2018

God Sustains Us

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

– Isaiah 46:4

Some seasons are just hard. Some days seem to never end. Some times life seems so meaningless. Some hours we struggle to breath. And then it gets better.

I look around and see so much suffering and heartache. As I write this, coastal areas in South Carolina and North Carolina are evacuating. A catastrophic hurricane is headed toward those beautiful states. I know what’s coming. I’ve been where they are. High winds. Flooding. Buildings destroyed. Roads wiped away. And power out for a long time. I pray for those in harms way. And I pray for those first responders who are already there and the ones who will soon be heading into the aftermath.

We are blessed that way. Those who go toward disaster are amazing people. In my own community, there are groups specially trained in disaster relief. They can cook for the masses. They can cut up downed trees. They can rip out wet carpet and wipe down mold from walls. They can rebuild. And they can give hugs, offer prayers, and wipe tears. They go where they’re needed.

I watch a sweet friend struggle through the days that follow sudden death. Her husband was too young to die. He was supposed to be okay. He’s supposed to be at home with her and their kids. I know. He’s in heaven and having a joyous time. But she’s here and it hurts. The emptiness never really goes away. And none of us can really help her. We can love her. We can send cards and offer hugs. But we can’t erase the pain that rests in her broken heart.

And yet her faith is amazing. She clings tightly to Jesus, showing all of us what it means to let Him carry you when you are too overwhelmed to take another step. She continues to reach out to others. She gives of herself to ministries they supported. She is an example of goodness. We are blessed to be part of her journey.

It’s just so easy to focus on the bad. It’s easy to forget that while there are some awful things happening right now, there are also some pretty amazing things happening too. And while there are some pretty awful people around, there are some pretty amazing people around too.

Focus on what’s good and right. That’s what the Bible tells us. We have a choice to think about good things or to think about the bad. Choose the good and watch how it multiplies.

A friend asked me yesterday if I was worried about something I face. Honestly? No. Do you know why? Because Jesus was right when He said that no amount of worrying can or will add another day to my life. I’m not in control. God is. Whatever is going to happen, will happen. Worrying won’t change it. But worrying would steal the peace I have today.

I have always loved this verse from Isaiah. When times get tough and I’m not sure I can face the days ahead, I remember that God made me. I belong to Him. And He will help me and sustain me. He will carry me when I am too weak to take another step. And He will love me no matter what.

That’s the hope I cling to when I am overwhelmed. I pray it’s the hope the folks evacuating from the hurricane will cling to as well. No amount of worrying will change what’s to come. We can only pray for strength to handle the aftermath. And we can look around and find joy in the helping hands God sends to carry us when times are tough.