“Wherever you are, be all there.” - Jim Elliott, missionary martyr

My old friend, Hugh Roberts

Good morning and welcome to our Thanksgiving Week countdown. It is Monday, November 25, 2013, and folks are getting their mouths all ready to work on some roasted turkey and cornbread dressing. It is a time of remembrance as well. We all are intrigued by the 'where are they now?' scenarios for folks that we were associated with from our past. I caught up with a fellow last week because his wife posted a video on Facebook of him preaching the Gospel. He and I were close business associates for ten or more years. He called on me as a representative of a large computer leasing firm. We enjoyed sweet fellowship as brothers in Christ. This man was blessed with an ability to be successful in selling. Very successful. That success brought him to the very top echelon in his field. That success also brought him to the gutter in terms of his personal life. Somehow and in some way God brought him through all of this and as a result he left the business world at age 55 to devote his life to sharing Christ with others. I watched him preaching on that video and saw God move in that large assembled group. It made me thankful for our years of time together and for the work God is allowing him to do today. Amen and Amen.

Catching up with Hugh gives me an opportunity to share another little story. I probably wrote about this years ago but it's worth repeating. After I had left the corporate world and the consulting world, the wife and I were coming off a devastating loss due to a business investment that crashed. I heard about Hugh's dad having passed away and felt a desire to go and be there for his memorial service. We didn't really have extra funds for me to travel to Chattanooga but my wife encouraged me and I went. He didn't know I was coming. As is my custom, I got to the funeral home early. A few folks were milling around and I was visiting with them as they began to talk about what a tremendous man Hugh was. I spoke up and gave my thoughts in agreement but soon learned they were not talking about my Hugh but rather it was their Hugh, the dearly departed Hugh Sr. I could see that this man's life was quite different than his son had experienced. He had never achieved any huge business success. He had never jetted around on private planes and he didn't have a drawer full of Rolex watches to prove his accomplishments. However, Hugh Sr., had a lifetime of being recognized as a hardworking man who loved his Lord and showed it through his faithfulness and service to his family, to his Church, and to his community. I've never forgotten that because it speaks volumes about what constitutes true success. And, I'm certain that Sr. would be beaming with Godly pride in seeing his son reach out to people all over the world with the life transforming message of the Gospel. Amen.

Last Wednesday evening during our prayer and Bible study we experienced God touching our hearts as we shared needs, and yes folks, we are a needy people, along with praises and thanksgiving. It was a special time. Just our little group but God was there. Think about that for a moment. You mean the Creator God would show up where a handful of folks are gathered together to seek Him? He would and He did. As a teacher I am humbled when God uses the text I choose and the words spoken to encourage another fellow traveler. Humbled. You mean God would use you, an ordinary person, sharing His word, to accomplish His purpose? He would and He did. Not the messenger but the Message folks. And, we can be sure that when we are faithful to share His truth, He will see to it that it will accomplish His purpose. (Isaiah 55) Pretty powerful thoughts if you ask me and the fact that they are true gives us a running start on our thanksgiving observance. Amen.   ....More later.