A Winter Trip to Maine

Why in the world would we pick January to take a trip to Maine?  After all, you can expect it to be snowy at this time of the year and definitely cold.  Road conditions are not the best and airline travel is “Iffy”.

We went because we now have a house and needed to collect our belongings from storage.  There were also speaking engagements available for us.  For me, it meant that I could spend some precious time with the ladies of West Hampden Baptist Church on their winter retreat.

God definitely prospered our journey.  We give him thanks for all that He did for us.  Here is a brief summary of some of the many blessings He poured out on us on this trip.

• Delta contributed to our travel fund.  We were waiting for the plane when we heard an announcement.  “If anyone would be willing to give up their seat and be driven to Atlanta to make their connection, we will give you a $400 voucher for future travel.”  Charlie jumped up and went to the counter.  A few minutes later we were on our way to Atlanta via taxi.  Since it was a holiday, we did not even have to deal with traffic.  We were there in plenty of time for our flight to Maine, and we think we may have arrived before the delayed flight.
• Our flight up was without incident.  We flew on a Monday.  The weekend before there had been many weather-related delays.  The next day another storm blew in and once again there were many delays, but we were already there.
• We have such generous friends.  Friends picked us up in Portland and drove us two hours north and dropped us off with another friend to stay for a couple days.  Another friend gave us a very nice vehicle to use while we were there.  Another friend drove me down to the ladies’ retreat. 
• We were able to visit people in Farmington.  Charlie’s uncle lives there, so we were able to drop in and see him and his wife.  Then on Wednesday evening we shared our ministry with the people of New Hope Baptist and stayed overnight in their “Prophets’ Chamber.”
• The ladies’ retreat was a real joy to my heart.  It is the event I miss most now that we’re gone.  Gathering with those dear friends to learn together from the Word of God is such a joy.  There was time for a few heart-to-heart talks, walks in the snow, and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation there in Southwest Harbor.  (More about that in another blog.)
• The men were available, flexible, and speedy in packing the moving truck.  The night before we were supposed to pick up the truck, Charlie got a call from U-Haul saying that the battery in “our” truck was dead.  So instead of picking the truck up early, Charlie had to let the men know that it wouldn’t be available until later.  When they gathered to pack, it only took them an hour to load.  As cold as it was, it’s good there were many men there to make it happen quickly.
• The pastor and his family are loving and hospitable.  The last half of the week while I was at the ladies’ retreat, Charlie stayed with the pastor, and we were both there when I returned.  They were very warm and welcoming, and we love to see that the church is growing under their leadership.  When we left, they loaded us up with sandwiches and treats for the journey that lasted almost until we arrived home.
• God kept us safe on the trip home.  We encountered the worst weather on our second day of the trip home.  After we’d been on the road a couple hours, the snow started, and it stayed with us all the rest of the way.  We saw a number of cars off the road, but the Lord kept us safe. 



Finally home in Georgia!

• We were able to unload the truck with just minutes to spare.  We had hoped to get some help on this end, but the bad road conditions meant that people were not venturing out.  Churches cancelled on Wednesday night, so the promise of a crew to “help with the heavy stuff” did not materialize.  So on Thursday morning, after a night of much needed rest, Charlie and I finished with the remaining items and returned the truck.  The man at the U-Haul store said to us, “You are three minutes early.”  Then we rejoiced at the unplanned delay at picking up the truck as it kept us from having to pay for an extra day.

It was a blessed trip from start to finish, and we give thanks to God for his many blessings to us.

On Choosing a Church

We sat quietly, reading the menu.  Everything sounded so delicious.  It was hard to choose.  But soon our choices were made and our orders spoken to the waiter.  He filled our water glasses and left, and we began to talk.

Almost fifteen years had passed since I first met her.  Although I could tell she was older, she had the same energy and sparkle that endeared me to her then.  We had kept in touch, but almost ten years had passed since that cool spring day when we joined her for a conference at her church.  That was the last time we saw her.  Now she had a dear husband by her side.

By the time the steaming plates of food arrived, we had compared notes on others that had formed our circle of friends fifteen years ago.  Now we moved on to contemporary news.  We filled them in on our ministry.  They filled us in on their work and family. We knew they were not attending the same church where we had last seen her, so we asked her about that change.

“I love my old church,” she explained, “but they have so many talented people there.  They didn’t really need me.  Our little church needs more people who will serve.  We are very happy to be able to serve there.” 
After extended conversation, our hearts were full and so were our bellies. We promised to stay in touch and went our separate ways.

Since that conversation, I have been thinking more about her comments.  One of the things Charlie and I love about small churches is that there is no such thing as unemployment.  Everyone’s hands and gifts are needed.  No one slips in unnoticed or leaves without a greeting.  There is a need and a place for everyone. 

It is all too easy to choose a church the way we choose our an item off a menu.

• This one appeals to my tastes.  
• This one looks better to me. 
• I had something like this before, and I didn’t like it. 
• My friend says this one is really good.  

Instead of looking for the church that needs my service the most, we look for a church that will serve me the best.

Large churches have taken a major place in America, and I’m thankful for them. But every once in a while I wish that more of the talented people from those large churches would take our friend’s advice to spread out to help some of the smaller churches. She’s right.  The large churches don’t need more talented people, but the small ones really do.  If two or three more young families would join one of the small churches where we have been, maybe they would be able to do more to spread God’s good news to the neighborhood around them.

The Benefits of Tithing

Recently we heard a man give this testimony about learning to give. 

I was telling a friend about my financial woes.  He asked me if I tithed.  I laugh at this now, but my answer was, “I can’t afford it.”
Then he said to me, “Well, it doesn’t sound like your method is working very well.  Maybe you should try God’s method and start tithing.” 
After I started to give, I realized that God not only blessed my giving by stretching my finances to meet my needs, but I was able to give far more than the tithe because God began to give me extra money so that I could give it to missions.

In another church there was a flyer in the bulletin about the differences between tithers and non-tithers.  While I had always believed in my heart that tithers seem to do better financially, I had never read of anyone trying to prove it.  I don’t know how broad the survey was, but the survey done by State of the Plate told a statistical story that reinforced my beliefs.  Part of their findings can be found on their website:  www.stateoftheplate.info.
Here are some of the things that the study discovered.

• Tithers make up only 5-20% of most congregations, but they give 50–80% of the church’s monies.
• Eighty percent of tithers have no credit card debt, 74% have no car payments, and 48% own their own homes.  As Brian Kluth, founder of the study says, “The weird thing is, a tither looks at that and says to himself, 'Well I'm better off because I give.' A non-tither looks at that and says, 'Oh, they give because they're better off.'"
• Most tithers (77%) give more than 10% of their income. 
• Almost all (96%) tithers attend church every week.  Perhaps this is an evidence of Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34:  “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  People give to what they treasure and they treasure what they give to.

As I read the study, I began to wonder.

• If everyone tithed, what would the church be able to accomplish?
• If every young person learned to tithe, would they be less likely to leave the church when they became adults?
• If every Christian throughout history had tithed, would the work of evangelizing the world have been accomplished by now?

Of course, I do not know the answers to those questions, but the statistics from State of the Plate do make you wonder.