For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so."
Remember singing that one as a kid? Any others?
At a Casting Crowns concert, Mark Hall shared that their new album, Thrive, has the symbol of the tree because in order to thrive we must have the roots going down deep as well as the branches stretching out. As he shared, if we are the kind of Christian solely focused on the roots then we tend to turn people away from Christianity. We become too engrossed in theology and the written word. If we only focus on reaching out to others then at times of adversity we have nothing to hold us to the faith. Instead we need a balance of the two.
Today we are going to start looking at our own life and where we need to start working. We are going to start digging deep to get down to the roots of our faith on a personal level. Where did it all start for you?
Matthew 18:3 reminds us that "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven."
As we begin this journey of reflection, we too need to become like little children. Whether our roots go back to our childhood days or to a point in our adult life, we still need to become like children. Children tend to be much more willing to share with others. As we age, we start to guard what we say and do for fear of what others may think about us. If we are going to truly get our stories told, we need to open our minds, hearts, and mouth and be willing to share out. Even if you think something is too trivial or insignificant, share, it is part of your story. A story that may bring others to follow Christ.
I ask that you take some time now to sit in the silence and open up your heart to begin this journey. To dust off the cobwebs and dig deep for those precious memories when the seeds of your faith were planted and the roots were beginning to take hold.
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I invite you to share with others in the comment section if you wish. Now for my story.
Back to the song....
My story clings to Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called accoring to his purpose." But my story begins long before I even knew what the book of Romans was.
My story is not sensational~ it doesn't involve traveling down a terrible path and suddenly coming to know Christ. Instead my story is probably like many stories...ones that we may feel are insignificant if we compared ourselves to others, but it a story that must be shared.
For me, I can't recall a time when I didn't believe. Sure there are times of frustration and questioning, but I can't recall not believing. My earliest memories are of two specific churches where seeds were planted and my Christian roots began to grow. One is Trinity United Methodist Church in Charleston, SC and the other is Glady Fork Freewill Baptist Church in Pound, Virginia. I know...2 complete opposites if you ask me.
Today I share with you the seeds planted at Glady Fork.
I can distinctly remember feeling as if I was the only grandchild in the center of my Papaw Pilkenton's world. Either I would spend the night or he would pick me up and we would go to church on Sunday mornings. He smelled of Old Spice and Halls cough drops. He looked beyond handsome in his suit and tie, cloth handkerchief at the ready to wipe the sweat from his brow.
We would show up at Glady Fork and I would rush from the car. I couldn't wait. I absolutely loved what we called the Penny March and my favorite hymn (sung as a frequent request when I visited)....Jesus Loves Me. During the Penny March all the children got to go up to all the adults and collect 'pennies' to put in the offering plate. It was amazing to go up and down those aisles with everyone wanting to give you more and more to put in. It is also a tradition that still continues today and my own Tori got to participate recently. She loved it as well.
Now, I can't tell you a thing about any sermon preached or prayer spoken in those days, but I can say without a doubt seeds were planted and roots began to take hold. And the amazing thing....it was only a place I visited once in a while.
There are other parts to my story that helped to give me strong roots to become who I am today, but for now I share this one snippet. No detail is too small or insignificant when it comes to God's work in our life. So what are your moments? Are you creating similar moments for others in your life?
Let us pray.
Father, as we begin our journey and start sharing our beginnings, let us see the small moments and reflect on how they shaped our lives. Help us to become like little children and boldly step out of our comfort zones and begin sharing with others the work you have done in our lives. Amen.
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