Today's Church

Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I will be in the midst.” Pops and I could not find a church in the directory near where we are. We have already deadheaded to Harrisburg, so we couldn’t justify another big deadhead. That meant that we were either going to have to attend the Trucker’s Chapel this morning or have our own services.

We have not had to have our own services for a long time so we decided to do that. We used the weeks First Place lesson and then we built on that. We really had a good lesson and discussion on worldly and Christian values. We went deeper than just appearances, but other things that the world values and thinks important.

We discussed and shared with each other our weak areas and in what ways we thought we could work to change those. We talked about what our values were before becoming a Christian and how those values weren’t important anymore since becoming a Christian.

We realized that we are still human and sometimes our values are cloudy. We talked about how we strengthen each other and how we, as a team, can work to be what God would want us to be. God has given us several opportunities to “let our light shine” since taking this job. I would like to say that we have done that, but there have been a couple of times where later we wished we had said or done something a little different to shine the light even more.

But we are learning and growing. I know I am. Before coming out here on the road, I had a hard heart for people who asked for money, and I would get upset when Pops would hand someone a dollar or so. I would tell him he was gullible and being scammed. But he did it always when asked.

Now that I see so much of what is sad about this world, and the people who sometimes ask for help, I am more willing to give it also. I don’t know the reasons or circumstances that brought these people to where they are, but I do see them as people, as individuals who really need help in more ways than one. Like the man that we gave the food to awhile back. I wish I had had the time to sit with him and hear his story. He often comes to my mind and I wonder if anyone else was kind to him.

We have people come to us for money quite often. I would rather give food or gas in the car than hand someone money. But God has taught me that it is not my business to judge someone’s motives. I just need to help; although Pops and I have decided this morning, that from now on when we do help those who ask that we will pray with them first.

After all what good is a good job or extra money or excess food if you can’t share it? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world if he does not have love? We are taught by Jesus to love, and not just the lovable but also and mostly, the unlovable.

Go and do likewise.