“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:1
Marcus was in the warehouse today, unloading a truck full of candy bars and Grandma’s cookies. So at first he didn’t hear the call over the intercom for him to come to the front office. Ron heard it and caught Marcus the next time he drove by. “They’re calling you to the office.” Marcus gulped. He had only been called into the front office during the work day two times since he started at Colby’s Wholesale. Once to do some paperwork after a teenage driver got in a fender bender with him while he was making deliveries. The other time was when a Valero store manager called to compliment Marcus on his work. But he couldn’t think of any reason why he was being called in now. Unless the smaller orders and fewer deliveries had something to do with it. He was the low man on the totem pole. He jumped off the forklift. Ron jumped on so he could finish the unloading. He turned to watch his buddy walk to the office. Ron sighed and started the forklift.
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29
That same morning Dr. Lemke came into Lauren’s office. She had never spoken to the president during her workday, much less had the president come to her office to speak to her. But the conference that weekend had gone so well and it had so enhanced TJC’s reputation in the community, that he wanted to thank her in person. Lauren planned and organized the East Texas Technology Summit. It was a showcase of TJC’s technology applications in the fields of health care, education, and small-business development. Hospital administrators, superintendents, and local business leaders attended. Everyone was thoroughly impressed that TJC students received a high level of technology training but they were even more impressed by the organization of the conference and the keynote address Lauren presented Saturday morning. She was flattered and honored by the president’s visit, but as big a deal as that was, something more important was on her mind. As soon as the president left her office she got out her cell phone and opened the calendar. She kept counting the last few days of the month. Over and over again. She stopped by CVS on the way home.
She beat Marcus home by at least a half hour. She didn’t even change her clothes. She just waited for him at the kitchen table. When she heard him coming up the steps she met him at the door. “I’ve got some news,” she said, excited, but composed. “I’ve got some news too,” he said, disappointed but calm.
They were both taken aback, not expecting the other to have news. She could see his news wasn’t good, but that made her all the more anxious to tell him her news. He could see that her news was good, and that made him all the more anxious to hear it. Marcus smiled a puzzled smile, “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. I’m going to count to three. When I say ‘three’ you tell me your news in just a few words and at the same time I’ll tell you my news in just a few words. Okay?” She looked at him for a long while. Somehow she knew what he was going to say. And somehow she knew that he knew what she was going to say. Two years flashed through her mind in two milliseconds. She took two steps forward and kissed his cheek. She stepped back. Quietly she said, “Okay.” Marcus said, “Onetwothree.”
He said, “I lost my job”
She said, “We’re having a baby”
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Marcus Redding Hears A Poem
It was Thursday, the day that Marcus made deliveries. He liked working in the warehouse the rest of the week but he liked having one day where he could get out and drive around. He drove route 5 today, the route that goes west on 31: Chandler, Brownsboro, Murchison, Athens. He delivered candy bars and beef jerky and Grandma’s cookies. He had 17 stops to make. Thirteen gas stations. Four businesses. He liked getting outside, even though it was cold. He liked seeing the same people every week, finding out how they were doing. But most of all he liked having time to listen to his iPod as he drove.
He liked listening to the Bible and the spiritual songs, but he really enjoyed listening to the sermon podcasts that Eddie had loaded on his iPod when he first gave it to him a couple years ago. Every week he heard seven or eight sermons besides the two he heard on Sunday. He listened to a preacher from Sensenbrenner, Georgia, one from Lubbock, Texas, and another from Bakersfield, California. Good preaching from scripture. Applicable. Interesting. Persuasive. He learned a lot. And it motivated him to serve God more wholeheartedly during the day, show more love to Lauren, and set a Christlike example to his co-workers.
On the way out of Athens he listened to a sermon on the challenges of aging. He never heard a sermon like that before. But the preacher pointed out there is a lot in God’s word about getting older, old age is a blessing, and older people play a vital role in the work of the church. He paused the sermon while he made a stop at the Kidd Jones in Brownsboro. But after that delivery he climbed back up into the truck and pulled onto 31 heading back to Tyler. He put the headphones back in and listened to the end of the sermon. The preacher was telling about another, older preacher who often told portions of a certain poem to illustrate the value of older people in the church. So this preacher decided to close his sermon by telling the whole poem. This is how it went…
An old man going a lone highway…came at even cold and gray
To a chasm vast and wide and steep…with waters rolling cold and deep
The old man crossed in the twilight dim…for that sullen stream held no fear for him
But he turned when safe on the other side…and built a bridge to span that tide
“Old man” said a fellow pilgrim near…“You’re wasting your strength building here”
“Your journey will end with the ending day…and you never again will pass this way
“You’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide...why build a bridge at eventide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head…“Good friend, in the path I’ve come,” he said
“There follows after me a youth whose feet must pass this way
“This chasm that has been naught to me…to that fair-haired youth a pitfall may be
“He too must cross in the twilight dim…good friend, I’m building this bridge for him.”
It made Marcus think of 1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
He liked the poem so much that as soon as he got back to the office he listened to it again and copied it down, all the time thinking of his Grandpa Sam and the older folks at church.
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
He liked listening to the Bible and the spiritual songs, but he really enjoyed listening to the sermon podcasts that Eddie had loaded on his iPod when he first gave it to him a couple years ago. Every week he heard seven or eight sermons besides the two he heard on Sunday. He listened to a preacher from Sensenbrenner, Georgia, one from Lubbock, Texas, and another from Bakersfield, California. Good preaching from scripture. Applicable. Interesting. Persuasive. He learned a lot. And it motivated him to serve God more wholeheartedly during the day, show more love to Lauren, and set a Christlike example to his co-workers.
On the way out of Athens he listened to a sermon on the challenges of aging. He never heard a sermon like that before. But the preacher pointed out there is a lot in God’s word about getting older, old age is a blessing, and older people play a vital role in the work of the church. He paused the sermon while he made a stop at the Kidd Jones in Brownsboro. But after that delivery he climbed back up into the truck and pulled onto 31 heading back to Tyler. He put the headphones back in and listened to the end of the sermon. The preacher was telling about another, older preacher who often told portions of a certain poem to illustrate the value of older people in the church. So this preacher decided to close his sermon by telling the whole poem. This is how it went…
An old man going a lone highway…came at even cold and gray
To a chasm vast and wide and steep…with waters rolling cold and deep
The old man crossed in the twilight dim…for that sullen stream held no fear for him
But he turned when safe on the other side…and built a bridge to span that tide
“Old man” said a fellow pilgrim near…“You’re wasting your strength building here”
“Your journey will end with the ending day…and you never again will pass this way
“You’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide...why build a bridge at eventide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head…“Good friend, in the path I’ve come,” he said
“There follows after me a youth whose feet must pass this way
“This chasm that has been naught to me…to that fair-haired youth a pitfall may be
“He too must cross in the twilight dim…good friend, I’m building this bridge for him.”
It made Marcus think of 1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
He liked the poem so much that as soon as he got back to the office he listened to it again and copied it down, all the time thinking of his Grandpa Sam and the older folks at church.
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Marcus Redding Drives to Arlington
“Two funerals in a month. Are there cultures that only celebrate births and weddings and have no rituals for death? I want to move there.” Lauren was ready on cue, “You know what Ecclesiastes says Marcus, ‘It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.’” “I know,” he replied, “but two funerals in a month is hard.” First Grandpa Sam, now his friend Ron’s mother had died. Lauren was sympathetic, “Yeah, it is hard. But I’ll be with you. And you know Ron will appreciate it. And this could help open a door for the gospel.” Marcus was resigned, “I know. But it’s still hard.”
Ten days ago Marcus drove Ron to Arlington so that Ron could reconcile with his dying mother. She was awake and alert when they got to Hospice Arlington. But a brain tumor affected her speech. She couldn’t talk. But her facial expressions showed that she recognized people and she was listening and understanding what they said. When Ron walked into his mom’s room he went straight to her bed. He held her hand. He told her he was sorry and all the reasons why. She just cried and smiled and squeezed his hand. They had reconciled. His mom passed away early the next morning.
Now Marcus and Lauren were making the Saturday drive from Tyler to Arlington for the 11:00 services. Marcus was behind the wheel. Lauren was looking out the window. “Have you ever been to that place, ‘World of Christmas Lights?’” “Yeah, I went there one time…in high school.” Marcus sounded ashamed. Lauren guessed why, “How old were you?” “I was 17. Let’s just say we caused malicious mischief and got in trouble.” Lauren chuckled and shook her head.
They pulled off in Terrell so Marcus could get some coffee. Marcus stayed in the truck while Lauren ran into Starbucks. Since Lauren quoted Ecclesiastes, he reached behind his seat and pulled out his Bible. When Lauren got back in the truck she put two hot paper cups in the beverage holder. As they pulled back on to I-20 Marcus said, “Will you read Ecclesiastes while we drive?” “Sure,” she said, “Why Ecclesiastes?” Marcus sipped coffee and said, “Seems like the right book to read on the way to a funeral.” Lauren set the Bible on her lap, “Okay, but I’ll have to take breaks so I don’t get carsick.”
She started reading, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” She read a few minutes then looked up to avoid carsickness and they would talk about what they read. This went on until they crested that big hill on I-20. Lauren read the last verses, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
It was quiet as they descended the big hill, traffic all around, bright cold winter day. After a few minutes Marcus broke the silence, “That’s what I like about the Bible. It’s real.”
It was quiet again. They passed a truck stop. They passed Mexican restaurants and green Wal-Marts. They passed gleaming mega-churches and Valero gas stations. They passed tall cranes and new construction. They turned onto 360 North and passed Whataburger and Six Flags and Cowboys Stadium. All these things came into view and passed away in the distance.
But the Bible sitting on the dashboard stayed the same.
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
Ten days ago Marcus drove Ron to Arlington so that Ron could reconcile with his dying mother. She was awake and alert when they got to Hospice Arlington. But a brain tumor affected her speech. She couldn’t talk. But her facial expressions showed that she recognized people and she was listening and understanding what they said. When Ron walked into his mom’s room he went straight to her bed. He held her hand. He told her he was sorry and all the reasons why. She just cried and smiled and squeezed his hand. They had reconciled. His mom passed away early the next morning.
Now Marcus and Lauren were making the Saturday drive from Tyler to Arlington for the 11:00 services. Marcus was behind the wheel. Lauren was looking out the window. “Have you ever been to that place, ‘World of Christmas Lights?’” “Yeah, I went there one time…in high school.” Marcus sounded ashamed. Lauren guessed why, “How old were you?” “I was 17. Let’s just say we caused malicious mischief and got in trouble.” Lauren chuckled and shook her head.
They pulled off in Terrell so Marcus could get some coffee. Marcus stayed in the truck while Lauren ran into Starbucks. Since Lauren quoted Ecclesiastes, he reached behind his seat and pulled out his Bible. When Lauren got back in the truck she put two hot paper cups in the beverage holder. As they pulled back on to I-20 Marcus said, “Will you read Ecclesiastes while we drive?” “Sure,” she said, “Why Ecclesiastes?” Marcus sipped coffee and said, “Seems like the right book to read on the way to a funeral.” Lauren set the Bible on her lap, “Okay, but I’ll have to take breaks so I don’t get carsick.”
She started reading, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” She read a few minutes then looked up to avoid carsickness and they would talk about what they read. This went on until they crested that big hill on I-20. Lauren read the last verses, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
It was quiet as they descended the big hill, traffic all around, bright cold winter day. After a few minutes Marcus broke the silence, “That’s what I like about the Bible. It’s real.”
It was quiet again. They passed a truck stop. They passed Mexican restaurants and green Wal-Marts. They passed gleaming mega-churches and Valero gas stations. They passed tall cranes and new construction. They turned onto 360 North and passed Whataburger and Six Flags and Cowboys Stadium. All these things came into view and passed away in the distance.
But the Bible sitting on the dashboard stayed the same.
More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.
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