- Looking
- Unto the
- Cross.....
A devotional for day 29 of
LENT
Monday, April 10
It had been one of the coldest Michigan winters on record. Subzero temperatures day after day and night after night. Would it never end?
In the corner of our church balcony was the nursery. A plate glass window allowed the moms and caretakers of the little ones to observe the services. The nursery was kept at just the right temperature by a space heater that hung from the ceiling.
Sometime during the night there was a leak in the gas main, near the church. Those gases apparently followed the gas lines into the building, filling the place. It was a weekday and fortunately no one was present. In those days, the church building was used primarily on Sundays and Wednesdays only.
Brother Dodson, a wonderful man of God, lived directly across the street. He was looking out his front window when that space heater kicked on.
And there, before his eyes, he saw the roof lift, take off almost like a rocket, turn completely over and come back down into place pushing all four walls out.
In a moment of time, a building that I treasured, where I found Jesus as a lad, where my lovely bride and I exchanged our holy wedding vows, where we dedicated our one and only son - in whom I am well pleased - was forever destroyed.
We could not believe it.
But, sadly, it was true.
All too true.
The following Sunday morning we worshipped in the auditorium of a nearby school. Our evening services were held in the sanctuary of the Lutheran Church, just a block away from our demolished building.
That continued for months until we purchased new property several miles from there and began the long building process.
Spring arrived.
What should we do about Easter?
Should we have a sunrise service?
It was mutually agreed that we would meet out of doors, on our new property, right where construction of our new building would begin soon.
Looking back now, that service was one of the highlights of my life long walk with Jesus.
It was a new beginning.
A new start in a new community.
There was nothing that could be done about the old building. Nothing was saved. Not even the hymnals. Everything was trashed. For immediately after the explosion, everything that was combustible broke into flames.
A total loss.
Nothing worth salvaging.
But now we had the opportunity for a new beginning.
A fresh start.
And today there is a very nice building there in that community, reaching people for Jesus. It's an exciting place with small children running the hallways.
It's much larger, far more beautiful and functional. It serves the people and the Lord very well. And if I were to take a poll, not one of the people who were around then would return to that old building.
And there is nothing in my previous life worth returning to.
It's all rubbish.
Trashed.
Forever.
I'm so thankful for the story of Easter.
The opportunity for a new beginning.
Nelson Bradford
Bourbonnais ILUSA
ps - Isn't God good?!
Jesus,
Like my buildings, my plans, my personal dreams which
sometimes meet
such bitter ends, You too allowed yourself to be ripped
apart and
destroyed. But You meant it for my good, and brought to me
the victory
that only a risen Lord can bring in the midst of my sorrow,
pain, hurt
and frustration.
Thank You for being the example of
overcoming. Help
my faith in You bring it to pass in my life.
Amen
[Psalm 31] [Exod. 4:10-31] [ I Cor. 14:1-19] [Mark 9:30-41]
Visit:
1999 Advent/Christmas Series
Epiphany Series
or suggestions toYvonne Edwards.
Edited: Mar. 24, 3:45 p.m.
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Prayer by: Joe Hittle
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