REJOICE, PRAY, BE THANKFUL

November 4       Rejoice, Pray, Be Thankful                                       1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

ANNOUNCEMENT: Baptist Tabernacle Church will be 100 years old, in 2022. A grand celebration is planned for May 22, 2022, to commemorate the first service as an organized church body!  Special information, recognitions, God’s Word, and a catered meal will be a part of the celebration. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the festivities.

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***Due to the rise in COVID19 related illnesses, we are strongly encouraging the use of Masks, within the sanctuary, and to continue to observe “Social Distancing.”  Together, with a faithful reliance on God, we will overcome this present challenge!!***

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Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

In the Fall of 1964, I saw the power of God demonstrated within my own little family. The year began with my mother having, yet another kidney surgery and the disruption of our household, by her absence. Daddy hired a lady to come in and cook and clean and “look after me.”  Sadly, this lady was a thief and a liar! She didn’t stay long! So, I went to a neighbor’s house after school and that was interesting. They were good people, just strange! Mama came home and all was right with the world, until she was forced to go back to the hospital in October of 1964. Here we go again…I can only imagine the stress and anxiety that my Daddy was going through. This time, this surgery, Mama had her right kidney removed. She finally came home, and things began to normalize. The phone rang and I answered the call and there was a Goldsboro Police Officer on the other end of the line, asking to speak to Mrs. Brock. Well, she was asleep, and I told him, and he dropped the news on me…your Daddy has been in an accident and he is at Wayne Memorial Hospital. I immediately woke Mama, and she calmly called the Police Department for details and then she called the Hospital for details of his condition. Her first response was…we need to pray! Keep in mind, Mama had a drain tube and a glass jar as the collection sight and I was a boy and we didn’t have a vehicle to travel on, with the exception, of a tractor. After some challenges and calls, Mama was able to speak to Daddy and things improved quickly.  Apparently, someone ran a light and T-Boned Daddy. He was OK and was headed home.  When he arrived home, there was such a relief and a calm within the walls of our little home.  Daddy was bruised up and had 2 broken ribs and we were now a “No” car family and Mama was recovering from major surgery, and I was a boy! Daddy made fried bologna sandwiches for our supper, and we sat around the table, and we prayed and ate. When I reflect back to that day, and the conditions that we experienced, I am still amazed at the attitude and actions of my parents. Daddy, Mama, and I held hands and Daddy asked blessing on the food and he gave thanks for bringing him through and he offered praise to God for protecting our little family! Amazing!  I was seeing the misery and Daddy and Mama was seeing the Blessing! This visual and practical lesson has stayed with me all these years.  Later, I asked Daddy how it was that they were so upbeat when their lives were in shambles, and his response was priceless… “Son, we are children of God and He promised that He would be with us and help us. He, also, told us that troubles would come our way and to look to Him for comfort and restitution!”  That day, I did not fully understand, but today I do! Our Faith in God is the Key to Living!  By Faith, my parents navigated through this life and, by Faith they taught me to “Look to God” for everything that I do… Basically… “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  Please Stay Strong, Stay Focused…EVEN IN THE FACE OF GREAT CHALLENGES, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!