It’s that time of year. I always look forward to our time away with family. I especially love the relaxing beach time in South Carolina we try to get every year.
Patty and I were on our way to South Carolina for some of those good times. We’d been enjoying our trip, the beautiful weather, and the conversation and music on the way down. At Beckly, West Virginia, we pulled into a Chick-fil-A, a great place to eat whether you are in Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, or any other place. 😊
But when we pulled in to get the good food, we got some not-so-good news. We had a flat tire. But it wasn’t a tragedy by a long shot. And even though it cost us a few hours of travel, we were easily able to get the help we needed. We were so fortunate and happy that we had the ability to call for roadside assistance and get taken care of quickly and capably. We had made a previous decision, long before the trip, to join the organization that provided the service.
It was a relief to know that we didn’t have to handle this situation all by ourselves.
It caused me to think about the way life works. With life just being life, we all have issues, we all have flat tires. We have issues and challenges that come up when we least expect them. We have things that come up when we need wisdom or resources that we don’t have on our own at that moment.
Emotionally and spiritually, every one of us at one time or another will need some roadside help in life. If you think, “Well, I don’t know about that, it hasn’t happened yet,” don’t feel left out. 😊 It will. An unexpected disappointment, a death, a tragedy, a circumstance you didn’t see coming is in your future. You will need help beyond yourself. At some point in your journey, you will be in great need of roadside assistance.
When that happens, you will be so glad if you have made a prior decision to live in community – to invest in and develop friendships with people of faith. These are people who know you, love you, and serve you. And it’s mutual. We know them, love them, and serve them too. We are the roadside service teams for each other.
For today and tomorrow, we all need to …
- Know and be known
- Love and be loved
- Serve and be served
- Celebrate and be celebrated
It makes us healthy and strong today and prepares us for our unknown tomorrows.
10X - Bold & Courageous groups start the week of September 14 and run through October 31. It's a 7-week study and here is the description:
In a world where fear, pressure, and uncertainty often hold us back, Jesus calls His followers to live with boldness and courage. You will learn to stand firm in your faith and trust God when it’s uncomfortable or costly.
Be ready to be challenged, encouraged, and inspired to live out your faith like never before.