Thursday, September 22, 2005

Privileged

I guess I'm not aware of how blessed I am. I am 2041 miles away from home but I found Wal-Mart Supercenter. It's not a real Supercenter like we have back home. We have Wal-Marts from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Some small communities still have Wal-Mart Discount City on their sign. Those have been around a long time and have no hope of improvement because the community is so small. Then there are Wal-Marts that are newer and nicer and larger. Then there are the Supercenters like the one here. But then there are the stores built in ritzy parts of town. Yep, we have 'em all!

As I walk through the Supercenter here there are two women with a child. One woman says to the other, "Is this your first time in Wal-Mart?" It was. Her very first time.

Sometimes you don't realize how privileged you are until you meet someone less privileged.

Main Street, Anytown

I'm out of town again. I like home. But this place is not so much different from home. I'm sitting in a restaurant...just like one at home. Deana says we shouldn't eat at a restaurant when we are away from home if we have the same restaurant at home. She's not with me so I went to one of my favorite places.

It was not a fastfood place, by the way. I'm not against them, though. I could eat a sausage biscuit and drink a cup of coffee for breakfast everyday. And I would, too, if the doctor would double my cholesterol medicine dosage!

My favorite place to eat is...I don't really have a favorite place. Not even a favorite food. I love mexican food. I could eat it all the time. If it's mexican I like it. Maybe a chimichanga is my favorite food.

But tonight I am eating a very good meal of chipotle chicken, vegatable medley, and mashed potatoes. Iced tea. Chips and enchilada salsa. Cinnabon cheesecake. At a restaurant just like the one at home.

I've been away since Monday but I'm feeling at home. Not really. Just call me Dorothy. There's no place like home.

But I've learned that most places are pretty much like home. During my chips and salsa and young couple comes and he's carrying a little girl. She's dressed in a green one-piece jumper. She's probably not more than a year old. Her daddy loves her and her mommy.

Just like I love my boys and Deana. God is good.

Oh, the music playing in the background? "Down on Main Street."

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Selfishness

Our church has been supporting the Hurricane Katrina evacuees who are living in hotels in our neighborhood. Now they have either gone back home or moved on to other places. As the pastor, I asked the church to redirect any funds they intend to give for the disaster to the missions offering for our state convention of Baptist churches.

The Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering is collected each year during September. Arkansas Baptists have already mobilized several hundred volunteers and seven disaster relief units to the coast. Our church increased the goal for the offering this year and with the hurricane relief efforts in full swing I have challenged each family to give more to the offering than ever before. We are just a little over a week into the emphasis and offerings are going great.

So the church has way more money sitting in the checking account than we need. Even if we save some back for our own emergencies, we still have plenty to help with this emergency. I asked the church for their feelings concerning making a donation to the disaster relief units of ABSC. The only verbal response was, "I think Dixie Jackson is enough."

I am so disappointed with two things: the selfishness of some in the congregation and the complacency of others who said nothing.

Heavenly Father, break our complacent hearts and selfish attitudes. Teach us to value people and their salvation rather than money and possessions. As their pastor, help me set the example. Help me present you will and truth to them. Revive us in Jesus' name!