I want to share a couple of things I have received in recent weeks. The first is in honor of the recent celebration of our nation’s independence and what it costs to keep our freedom. Enjoy:
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor she took all of the desks out of the classroom. The kids came into first period. They walked in. There were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them."
They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior." And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior." And so they came and went in the first period; still no desks in the classroom. Second period was the same and third period also. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom.
The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room and she says, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you." Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom. Each one was carrying a school desk, and they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. By the time they had finished placing those desks; those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks. Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it."
My friend, I think sometimes we forget that the freedoms that we have are freedoms not because of celebrities. The freedoms are because of ordinary people who did extraordinary things, who loved this country more than life itself, and who not only earned a school desk for a kid at the Robinson High School in Little Rock, but who earned a pew for you and me to enjoy the freedom to worship.
"We live in the Land of the Free because of the brave" Remember our Troops.
This next writing is appropriate because of the recent emphasis we have had on praying and specifically praying that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on us, in us, and through us. Little things in our life are often what people around us judge our church and our faith by.
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God’ and keep quiet."
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change." The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test! Always be on guard and remember that you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself “Christian.”
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
With love,
Marvin Wray
Your Pastor
PS: A huge welcome to John and Cristina Grys, along with their sons, Jason and Kristofer. We have waited a long time for this day and now we rejoice that they are here! Show them what the Napa Church is really like! By the way, we will need five strong and ready workers to unload their truck on July 22. The conference will pay. You must apply through the church office.
