Cody and the Short Tank...

 ...and Perseverance

Cody Hightower, a lifelong Bender, monitors several natural gas and oil wells in our community. He checks wells regularly to ensure they are operating properly without leaking. If he finds anything malfunctioning or broken, Cody must fix it.

                One responsibility of his job intrigues me. Cody hauls salt water from the wells. In the short tank, Cody transports the salt water to a disposal well. The short tank is never driven fast. The engine roars as it pulls the short tank slowly up inclined roads in our community. Cody’s perseverance impresses me.

                Some time ago, Cody introduced me to his boss when we sat near each other at a funeral. His boss appreciated an employee dedicated to keeping the wells working as well as possible.

Interestingly, after an unseasonably cold snap one winter, I asked Cody how he was weathering the bitter cold. He grinned and said, “I’ve done better than the equipment has.”

                Seeing perseverance in the 21^st century seems rarer than in other eras. Yet we know perseverance is required in completing training for a career whether an electrician journeyman, a cosmetology student finishing the coursework and getting licensure, or acquiring any new job skill.

                Every relationship requires a resolution—to make a marriage work, to insure parent/teen communication, or first-time parents “gritting out” care of a sick baby. So many tasks in our homes demand a commitment to stick-to-itiveness.

                Many hobbies demand perseverance. Furniture refinishing, vehicle restoration, renovating a room or home, mastering an instrument, hunting, fishing, or almost any avocation demands tenacity to achieve the desired result.

                The principle of perseverance runs throughout the scripture, but is especially presented by James, the half-brother of Jesus. James, one of the early leaders of the Jerusalem church, writes to expatriates from the Jerusalem church. These families had scattered over the Roman Empire due to persecution, much instigated by Saul (who had his name changed to “Paul” after his encounter with Jesus) when Saul’s intention remained to destroy the followers of Jesus.

                James admonished in the first chapter, verses 2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

                The use of the word “perseverance” indicates the godly approach to trials, adversity, difficulty, and testing. The writer of Hebrews bears this out in chapter 10, verse 36: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

                We embrace the Lord, knowing He will empower us to persevere. Again, turning to the book of James, we read in chapter 1, verse 12, Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

                We see James mentions God promises those who love Him will receive the realization of the promises He swore to them. Jesus admonished, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.”

                May we remember Cody’s perseverance with his short tank and let his example spur us to persevere in whatever task God gives us or any path that He calls us to walk.

On July 24, Cody graduated
from C.L.E.E.T. training and met the 
requirements for becoming an Osage
County Reserve Deputy. We are
thankful to have a representative of our
  Osage County Sheriff’s Department
living in our community.
Congratulations, Cody!

.

Lou Gates and Ann Goad - Lifelong Friends

 This week we held Vacation Bible School at our church in Ralston. My aunt, Lou Gates, celebrated her birthday this week, too. Even though she no longer works in VBS, her commitment to VBS was strong in the past. She invited her grandchildren to stay with her all week long, transported them to the church each day, and helped serve the much sought-after cookies and Kool-Aide to each student and worker at the VBS. She so desired for her grandchildren to hear about Jesus and receive Him as their Savior. Ann Goad, her dear friend, also worked faithfully in VBS at the Big Bend Baptist Church and the Ralston Bible Church.* May their dedication to ensure children know who Jesus is and learn to love Him serve as inspiration to all of us. Happy Birthday to You, Aunt Lou!

 I have heard the statistic of the rarity of a person who has five lifelong friends. One of the finest examples of genuine friendship was eloquently described in a poem penned by Lou Dixon Gates, my paternal aunt. She doesn’t share her poetry readily. Her poem captures the strong friendship she shared with Ann Christensen Goad.

                She and Ann Christensen Goad met at Burbank High School in 1950. They shared a love of playing basketball and soon found they had other interests in common.

                As the poem depicts, these two kindred spirits shared a common bond that held them together through marriages, bearing four children each, reaching their career goals, and supporting each other amidst sorrow and illness.

                The two “girls” involved their husbands in their friendship as her poem bears out. The four enjoyed attending many sporting events together. They took in the yearly farm show, making it a two-day adventure.

                I recall Uncle Jim Gates regretting that he didn’t go visit Forrest “Frosty” Goad, Ann’s husband, for the last time. Uncle Jim had innumerable rounds of treatments to combat the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma that invaded his body. I remember sharing with him a scripture verse that had encouraged me when the constraints of life prevented me from doing all I would like to do for a person or in a situation. Jesus spoke of Mary of Bethany, responding to criticism of her anointing him with costly perfume, with these words recorded in Mark 14: 8, “She has done what she could.” Jesus went on to explain that her action would be an ongoing memorial of her love for Him. A true friend understands our limitations and loves us, truly valuing any expressions of genuine friendship, no explanations or apologies needed, 

                The writer of Proverbs inspired by the spirit of God wrote in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times.” My aunt’s poem illustrates this Biblical principle. She and Ann lived out this verse throughout their lives. 

Lou Dixon Gates who would readily
show you her keepsake book with 
names of  her grandchildren and the
date each received Jesus as their
Savior. Some of the names are
written in their own handwriting!

         

Friends

by Lou Gates

Two Girls

One country girl

Outside chores and walked a lot

One city girl

Inside jobs and walked a little

    School together       

Science, Miss Mantooth

History, Mrs. Brandenburg

English, Mrs. Norman

Typing, Gussie

Drivers Ed, Mr. Stegall

Change gears going up school hill

Basketball

Mr. Stegall

Wasn’t as old as we thought

Bus rides

Girls to the front, boys to the back

Teamwork, signals, plays

Noon hour

Joe Hedge drug

Coke in a bottle

Spearmint gum a nickel pkg

Sat nights

Fairfax a must

One dollar paid for

Hamburger, Malt, Movie and Dance

Boys

Dated several

Picked two,

Wouldn’t you know they were both coon hunters

Each of the four

Accepted Christ as Savior

The city girl moved to the country

Walked a lot

The country girl moved to the city

Walked little

Busy life four children each

Church

School

Ballgames

Home

As promised

Thru thick and thin

Grace, Mercy and Peace

FRIENDS

*To read more about Ann's VBS teaching, go to https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2015/02/remembering-tomasine-leigh-rainey-anson.html . 

Ann Goad had four great grandsons attend VBS this week. Vonda Smith Goad, her daughter -in-law, helped serve refreshments at VBS with two granddaughters -in-law, Bailey Hime Goad and Tiffany Atkins Goad taught classes in VBS 2021. 

To see a photo of Ann, go to https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/102355230/barbara-ann-goad

The Broken and the Burdened

               

The Broken Day Lily Stem

              One evening when watering the tomato plants near dark, I noticed the broken stem of a day lily ready to bloom. Most likely the day lily became a casualty of one of the three energetic kittens’ rambunctious chases. A little disgusted with the frisky felines and in my hurry to get inside so Mother would not worry, I propped the broken stem up hastily on another healthy, strong day lily. I would see what the morrow held.

The Healthy Day Lily Supporting the 
the Day Lily with the Broken Stem.

                Sure enough, both day lilies bloomed. I did notice the healthy day lily obviously bent lower than it would normally have been. Had I not ladened it with the broken stem, it would have stood regally as the tiger lilies did.

               

The Two Day Lilies Beginning to 
Bloom the Next Morning

             I could not help but equate the bent down healthy day lily to one of Paul’s characterizations. In the second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, the Apostle Paul has been forced by the wayward, prideful church at Corinth to produce his resume of work in God’s kingdom, sacrifices for the Gospel, and persecution of all types. He detailed his service to the Lord to expose false teachers in the problem-plagued, gullible church in Corinth.

                As I looked at the encumbered day lily, I recalled verse 28 from 2 Corinthians 11, when Paul said, Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. I envisioned Paul, bending over a bit, when he wrote those words. Each day, he was burdened with his concern not just for the Corinthian church, but all the churches Paul had planted.

                Even though bearing burdens demands sacrifice, stamina, patience, strength, perseverance and prayer, Paul gave the imperative in Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Just as the healthy day lily bent a little lower, so will the weight of sharing sorrows, concerns, and needs in the lives of others be felt in our own body, soul, and spirit.

                We must never forget the offer, the invitation, the gracious, tender bidding issued from the loving Savior Himself. Matthew 11:28 recorded Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My BURDEN is light.

                Lord, when you send people with burdens into our lives, give us strength to accept the challenge from You. Help us to lean upon You for rest and remain unwavering in assisting hurting and anxious hearts because You said if we serve in Your name, we are serving You. How we love You and desire to show our love with wholehearted obedience to You!

No Lifeless Butterfly in the Millennium

I didn't understand why my maternal grandfather's relished study about the Millennium of Christ in his Bible. As he aged, the contrasts between the society in which he found himself and the perfect rule of Jesus during His 1000-year reign grew in disparity. Almost weekly, I find myself conversing with Mother about the wonderful differences the millennial reign of Jesus will bring. Like Grandpa I find myself longing for the millennial reign with Jesus on this earth.

            Our farm cats’ predatory nature endangers birds, butterflies, rodents, lizards, and anything smaller than them. Spotting a dead butterfly like the one below prompts a sense of sadness. Unlike me, the cats fail to appreciate the beautiful colors of the winged creature but rendered it lifeless with one paw swipe.

            As I continued watering the tomato plants, I mused on the ten centuries in the future when the animal kingdom will no longer be predatory. The passage in Isaiah 11:6 came to mind, The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

            In this future era, the cats and the butterfly will “live and let live.” The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the final book in Holy Scripture penned by the Apostle John, delineates the length of this glorious time being 1,000 years, thus giving it the name Millennium (Revelation 20:4).

            The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah, predicts in chapter 14, verse 9, And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be – “The Lord is One,” and His name one. David writes of this time and Jesus’ role in Psalm 22:28, For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. The idealogy of the rule of Jesus is described by Isaiah in Isaiah 11:4-5 with righteousness He shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. The words “righteousness” and “equity” depict His future reign.*

            Isaiah 65 expounds on the extended longevity during this 1000-year-period. Amos, the shepherd/farmer-turned-prophet, writes of the unheard-of productivity of the earth as the plowman will overtake the reaper due to the enormous harvest in Amos 9:13.

            With the curse lifted on the animal kingdom and the earth itself freed of thorns and thistles and the government of the Lord Jesus ruling perfectly, what could be wrong? People’s life expectancy will rival the days of Methuselah. Even lowly kitchen pots and the bells on the horses’ bridles will have the engraving Holiness to the Lord. With this perfect environment much like the Garden of Eden, what could go wrong?

            A sinister verse recorded in Revelation 20:3 says he must be released for a little while. Prior to the beginning of the 1,000-year reign, Satan will be confined to the bottomless pit for the duration of the millennium, but then the enemy of God is allowed to infiltrate the perfectly ruled world and delude the hearts of the unredeemed earth dwellers.

            In an incomprehensibly brief time, the Deceiver will rally humans from all areas of the earth that lived through the glorious reign of Jesus. Revelation 20:7-9 details the number of those who, although experiencing heaven on earth, will rebel against the rule of Jesus will be as the sand of the sea. They will join wholeheartedly with Satan to surround the saints (those of us who have trusted Jesus along with those born during the 1,000 years who will yield their lives to Him) and the beloved City, Jerusalem. But God will put a stop to their insurrection against the King of Kings.

            With the very best situation in which to live for 1000 years, how can anyone have unmet needs? The government under the rule of Jesus will treat each global citizen equitably because the omniscient King knows everything that is done and the motives of the heart of each person. The irony of the millennium reminds us that even in the perfect environment where Jesus will govern with justice and righteousness, the rebellious human heart will still be “deceitful and desperately wicked” as Jeremiah characterized it in Jeremiah 17:9.

            An incalculable number of the loving King’s subjects will rebel and seek to take down His kingdom, destroy His loyal subjects, and raze the beloved city of Jerusalem. The hatred and resentment will have festered for many years in the dark recesses of the hearts of these who will answer swiftly the sinister, twisted call by the devil to challenge the reigning King Jesus. God will quell the rebellion with fire from heaven on those who experienced a perfect world but rejected it viciously.

            As we celebrate the 245^th remembrance of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, we acknowledge that we do not have a perfect Union, our government does not mirror the Millennium rule of Christ. Yet the scripture in Proverbs 14:34 gives us the effective formula for improving it. May we seek what God calls righteousness through a relationship with His Son. Then each day may we obey Him as we do what we read in His Word.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

*Another verse about the type of judgment Jesus will administer - He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. Psalm 9:8.

For those interested in more about the Millennium's place in End Time Events. Here is a link to the late Bible scholar, Dr. John Walvoord’s End Times Graph. Once one gets to the site, click on the graph to enlarge it - https://www.calvaryflathead.org/helpful-links/bible-prophecy-timeline-walvoord/