December 21 “You Never Know…” Hebrews 13:16
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)
One of the great memories of Christmases, of my past; were the times that we would gather together and go out “Caroling.” We would visit the Nursing Homes and the Retirement Centers and then we would target certain homes of those that were “Shut-in” and “Home Bound!” There was a particular home that we were going to visit and the discussion among, we young folks, was that this woman was a bit difficult. There was a sense of anxiety, as we approached her door. I was chosen to knock on her door and to greet her. Before I could knock, the door flew open, and she asked, with intensity, “What do you want?” There were 12 of us and 11 took 2 steps backwards, yet, I was frozen in place. She glared at me with the stare of a thousand troubled days, all bunched together, right there, in her face. Through my startled state, I mumbled something close to, “we came to sing for you!” “Well then, Do it!” We gathered our composure and began to sing, “It came upon a midnight clear.” As we sang, we noticed a change in this cranky and crusty old lady. Before we knew it, she had thrown her head back and began to sing with us. We were all amazed! This lady had a beautiful voice and as she sang, a countenance of joy spread across her face. “Please sing another one!” We were all amazed and excited that she wanted us to sing another one, so, we did! We sang, “Joy to the World,” and she sang out such beautiful tones and this was a worship experience. When we finished, the next surprise occurred. “Ya’ll come in and have some cookies and hot chocolate!” So, we did! That night, we experienced a “Life’s Lesson” for the ages. This lonely and, what we perceived as, a hateful old hag, was in truth, a sweet “grandmother” type with no one to share her love with. Homebound, with no family, she simply lived in a world of her own and no one to share her love with. All of her family and friends had died and she was all alone…well, that’s what she thought! From that point, Mrs. Grant was never alone and she became an inspiration to our youth group, as we declared that we were going to make a difference for her. A simple act of kindness, regardless of how it is received, will make a difference! You never know what impact you will make in someone else’s life! Amazingly, there were 6 of us boys in our youth group, and we served as her “Pallbearers.” Three of us spoke at her funeral and we sang, “It came upon a midnight clear and Joy to the World!” Who would have thought that God would use a, seemingly, grumpy and hateful old woman, to teach the lesson of humility and love in action? Who would have thought that, while trying to make a difference in her life, she actually transformed our way of thinking? Folks, at this time of year, and for every day that God has ordained for you to live, please live to serve Him and to make a difference for someone else! YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU WILL IMPACT OTHERS! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!