Do prayers get answered?

Do prayers get answered? We talk about it, we hear every Sunday, we want it to be true. Is it? I must give this a firm YES. I have seen this many times in my life, as many of you have, so I just blows my mind that I, we, don't commit more time to prayer. I guess we truly think we can do it all and we don't need Gods help.

I spent most of last week sweating today's Angel Food distribution. I had lots of people lined up and one after another they fell out for one reason or another. I'd say " no problem, there's always next month" when in fact I was freaking out with the fact that I was not going to have enough people. I worked, called. e-mailed and set up things all day Friday. At 11:00 pm I was at the car wash cleaning dirt out of the church van so I could put food in it the next morning. As I feel into bed at around mid-night I said "OK Lord, it is in your hands, I can't do it with out you."

Saturday morning at 6:30am I was at the church doing my final check and unlocking the door for a few faithfuls and folks that I hoped could make it. I drove to Highland and was expecting to see the usual crowd of monthly vols. but it just me, Laura Taylor (the lead person for HPUMC), the truck driver and 2 older gentleman with the unloading equipment. Oh Lord, i thought, she has staff issues too. We didn't know exactly what we were going to do.

Then it happened, I saw Aaron Chainey and Christian. Then David and Jimmy Daniel. Before long Robbie Roof, Tory Brown, Brad Kempson, Tim Jordan, Scott Rainer and my nephew Blake Lee were there. A couple of other guys showed up and we could unload the truck. As we were working our cell phones started to ring and it was the group at the church checking on our status. I couldn't believe it, but I should. God always gets things done that should be done if we just get out of the way.

When we got every thing off the truck and I got all of the EBC stuff together the guys got it loaded in the van and we raced to the church. When I turned the corner I saw people standing in the parking lot waiting to help unload. My "Odd Couple" friend Philip Kennedy, Mike Hill, Jimmy Cox and some boys (young men) from my Sunday afternoon book study, Dustin Hayes, O'Neal Kennedy and Thomas Miller. My buddy Scott Taylor, my niece Jill Huggins ( who like my nephew drove from Bennettsville to help) the ladies who help me take orders during the week Melissa Miller (who's daughter was running the welcome desk), Debra Wadell, Linda Jordan, Denise Rainwater and Ms. Anita Shivley.

In minutes the food was off loaded and staged for distribution and we started giving it out. It was running like a watch made by a master craftsman and that wasn't me. We had a couple of shorts that my beautiful wife Wendy ran and picked up for us, but other than that it was smooth. My prayers had been heard and answered, but not just my prayers.

Ms. Betty Moore-Bell buys these boxes and she divides them up and takes the to Creekside Apts. and hands them out to the needed handicapped residents. She had asked to come at the end and if we had any unclaimed could she have it for these folks. I said certainly but I didn't expect any to be unclaimed. When she came in she said she prayed for me and this distribution last night, that it would be a success. Her prayers were answered too, and guess what. At the end after everything was handed out and boxed up we had 1 lonely grill special left. I didn't think to much about it until my good friend and head ram rod Amy Daniel came and said lets give it to Betty. I picked it up and took it over to her and she was over come with emotion. I wasn't expecting that. You see, where I only saw 1 little grill special, she saw several meals for people who really have nothing. She knew what that 1 box could do. As I looked around I noticed that she and her friend were literally counting cookies and putting them into zip lock bags. They were stretching those boxes as far as they possibly could.

So yes, prayers do get answered, YES, YES, YES. Not only do they get answered, they get connected and twisted in ways that we never see. When a plan is Gods plan and it does his work. There is no limit to the awesome power of PRAYER.

Death of a friend

I went to a friends funeral this past Saturday. It was a bummer. He was 2 days short of his 64th birthday. That's not that old. He wasn't sick, no accidents, no self inflicted injuries. He just went to bed Tuesday night with his wife and didn't wake up. It was such an uneventful death that it almost doesn't seem real, but it is. It is very real to the friends and family that he left behind.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you just didn't wake up one day? Would you be missed? Could the ones you love carry on with out you. Who would pick up where you left off? Does a single life really matter? Do you matter?

I watched my friends as they sat and listened to the minister speak about the life Tex lived. They were dying as they listened to the countless good deeds and genuine love and respect with which he treated everyone. He and his wife Linda took in 14 foster kids over the years not to mention their own 3 girls. He was a real "stand in the gap" kind of guy. I watched them again in the reception line. I have no idea what held them up. If too no one else, Tex mattered to them.

I know allot of smart people but I must say Tex was one of the smartest. He worked with the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and was one of about 500 people in the country who could do the jobs he did. You don't get guys like that from Labor Finders or Monster.com. He was very smart but, he had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the room. He cared about people, all people. He will be missed.

As for me, I don't know if I will be missed by many. I do know that I have a place that belongs only to me. A place in my family, my church and my community. Yes, the world will keep turning and my family will push on but, I think I will be missed. I think you will be too.

Look around at your family, friends, community. You would be amazed how much of an impact you have on them. Even the worst of us are missed. So I'll say god bye and God speed to my friend Tex, you will leave a huge void to fill. God bless you and your family.

For the rest of you, stop surfing the net and go hug your family.

Da Blues

Do you ever feel like no matter what you do it just won't matter? I've been feeling that way lately. No matter how much I want it, how hard I work, it just isn't enough. In the great scheme of things it means nothing. What do you do? I'm not one to get depressed or discouraged but I've been doing a dog on good job of it lately. I guess I just need to shake this and get my butt back in the saddle. What do you think? Enough with the pity party? Yeah...me too.