Memories

God Will Give Us a Push When We Need It

/ Bill Jones / Leave a comment
A Sandy Dirt Road

A Sandy Dirt Road – Hard to Push a Car Down One

My cousin, Lewis, kept yelling, “Push! Push!” He was in the driver’s seat, hollering back at me, as I strained to push his 56 Chevy down the small hill on the sandy road beside my house. With a dead battery that could no longer crank the car (and no funds to replace it) we had to work with alternate means. That’s when a manual transmission (and much younger legs) came in handy.

The sand was loose and deep, so progress was slow. After a few yards, Lewis thought we had reached “critical speed” and he popped the clutch. The result was an instant stop as the tires sank in the sand.

Several groans and a discussion of sorts came about as we prepared for another attempt. He waited longer and the car gained higher momentum on this run and, sure enough, he popped the clutch and there was the “stop/lurch” as the clutch engaged and the engine fired up.

I ran to the open passenger door, hopped in and slammed the door as he pulled away. We were off on another adventure, excited with the thought that we could end up anywhere… as long as we could find a hill (preferably paved) to park on when we arrived.

I will add that our adventures weren’t usually spine-tingling or heart-stopping, just normal stuff. I’ll write about a few at times (and some I won’t.)

That sounds like life in general. Normal stuff with a little spine-tingling thrown in now and then. But at times, even the normal stuff seems to get stuck in the sand, with a dead battery refusing to get us started. That’s when we should look to the Lord and His Word to give us a push.

“For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

That is a promise from the Lord to be there to give us help anytime we need it. Think of it that He has parked us on a paved hill and He is ready to push when the next adventure begins.

Old Doctortown and God’s Old Paths

/ Bill Jones / 4 Comments
Railroad Bridge over Altamaha River at Old Doctortown (SE Georgia)

Railroad Bridge over Altamaha River at Old Doctortown (SE Georgia)

This railroad bridge and Old Doctortown are isolated in the back reaches of land owned by the Rayonier Paper Mill outside Jesup, Georgia. The Altamaha River that the bridge crosses is one of the largest along the Atlantic coast and for decades was filled with barge traffic bringing lumber and naval stores down to the coast.

Doctortown was once a thriving community located at one of the few crossings of the Altamaha. There’s nothing left now except a few mounds and some signs that denote where a few of the buildings were, and oak trees huge enough that it’s obvious they were growing there long before there was a Doctortown.

Being an engineer, I sure would like to see the drawbridge work (if it still does?)

As I get older, I seem to notice more places called “Old” something. In this busy, technological, digital age we can think things were so much different long ago, and “old” was just, you know, so old. But, as Solomon wrote “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV).

People are still people. Doctortown, before it was Old, had good people, middle of the road people and bad people, sorrows and joys, life and death, just as we have today. But, the greatest thing is the Living God back then is the same Living God we have today (“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”)! For that reason, we need to remember the old days and learn from them, changing things that need to be improved, but making no changes just for the sake of change, or especially, not making changes because the culture demands it. We need to follow the old paths when they are God’s paths.

“Thus says the Lord:  “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

Doctortown Historical Marker (Southeast Georgia)

Doctortown Historical Marker (Southeast Georgia)

Here’s the Historical Marker for Doctortown. It’s located upriver from the actual site, at a location that’s accessible to the public.

The Sign (and Power) of the Cross

/ Bill Jones / 6 Comments
The Cross

The Cross (Photo credit: Pix from the Field)

I saw the small cross on the side of the road ahead and my heart sank as I thought “oh no, not someone else”. It looked like one of those crosses that families and friends place in memory of someone who died in a car accident. I seem to notice them more as I get older. I don’t know if there are actually more crosses or just more knowledge that comes with age. And, we have had several such accidents in our community and wider church family lately.

As I neared the cross, I could see it had writing on it. I figured it was the person’s name, and reading that would take my heart a little lower. In the area I was riding, I probably wouldn’t know who they were, but putting an actual name in mind would make it more real.

I drew close enough to see the writing and considered turning my eyes to miss the name. But, something drew me to look directly at it, and I read the words: “HE IS RISEN!” Rather than a reminder of death, it was an Easter sign proclaiming life! Tears came to my eyes, my heart soared and I spoke aloud that “Yes, He is, thank you Lord!”

I was amazed— a moment before, I was sinking at the thought of the effects of sin in this world. The grief and pain it causes. Then, those three words turned it all around. Christ did die, but it was no accident. He gave His life for us.

Christ turned it all around. Our grief is now for a moment, but we will be with Him forever. As the lyrics of “The Power of the Cross”* proclaim—”death is crushed to death”. Yes, it is, for HE IS RISEN!

“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Mark 16:5-6 ESV

*Stewart Townend, Keith Getty

Bible Study – Cherish the Knowns, Work on the Unknowns

/ Bill Jones / 7 Comments
Three unknowns

Three unknowns

Since I’ve started a bit of “birding” in the backyard, I’m discovering just how many unknowns I have. Here are three unknowns that decided to get a bite to eat at the same time. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable from my Boy Scout days (which I admit was quite a while ago), but, I’ve gone beyond my knowledge level of the cardinals, mockingbirds, and bluebirds – and realized my ignorance.

When I say “gone beyond”, though, I don’t mean I’ve forgotten them. I have learned that we have the Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, and Eastern Bluebirds. But, whether I knew the more specific name or not, the bright red of the male cardinals will always make them a favorite of mine. The songs of the mockingbirds are beautiful, and the blue of the bluebirds is amazing.

It reminded me of Bible Study. As we’ve heard and read the Bible through the years, we’ve probably had more exposure to the well known, and appropriately well loved, verses and passages – “For God so loved the world..”, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”, the Christmas and Easter stories, etc. But, it’s also probable that even though they are familiar, the Holy Spirit has given us additional insight, understanding, and application of these passages at different times. By continuing to study and listen, we learn more about what we thought we knew completely.

And, if we expand what we read and hear to include the whole Bible, we learn more about our glorious God. Things we may have had in the back of our mind become clearer because there is wisdom throughout the entire Bible.

Thanks to help from some of you, I’ve learned of the Pine Siskin and the Chipping Sparrow, and now can enjoy my knowledge of them also. But, the red of the male cardinal will always be a favorite and the blue of the bluebird will always be amazing. As we search the Scriptures, we will discover more verses that will become cherished – but we will always rejoice and be comforted and amazed that “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16 NKJV