FEAR AND DIFFICULT TIMES
I remember a lot from my childhood, that may or may not be a good thing for you the reader, but it certainly gives me many things to reflect, ponder, and share.
I watched my dad step toward a small group of men working on a tire at a gas station, the tire obviously had the men frustrated. We were stretching our legs as my dad was pumping gas into our car.
“HEY”!!!!! “YOU WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE OVER THERE”!!! My dad yelled startling me and everyone else. The man who was doing most of the cursing stood there stunned with a tire iron in his hand. My dad left his big index finger at the end of his outstretched arm pointing at the men for a few seconds after he confronted them.
I watched wide-eyed as the men studied my dad… I’m not sure if they realized there were women and children around or if they saw their potentially dangerous future in my dad’s eyes, but they were silent no more cursing.
My sister and I had already heard all the words they were using to express their frustrations, I know my dad probably knew it too, he just couldn’t allow something he considered wrong to go down in his presence without taking action.
I also recall my mom and dad helping others including family, friends, and strangers who were in need financially. This while dealing with their own financial difficulties.
It’s during those tense moments that define a person’s life. Will we keep silent for fear of physical harm even though we know what the right thing to do is? Will fear of not having enough keep us from helping out people who are worse off than us?
I was reminded of these type of things this week. My brother who lives in a different city about 3 hours from where I live is in a city affected even worse from the economic downturn than most. The last statistic I heard was that the particular county where my brother lives is leading the nation in home foreclosures.
We had a piece of equipment that we sold last week for less than half of what it was worth a couple of years ago, but we sold something in a place where to have sold anything could be considered a bonafide miracle.
My brother took his portion and divided it with his youngest son who works with him. That very day a good friend of their family and fellow Christian called my brothers son offering to sell them his very elaborate metal working tools for less than 10 cents on the dollar.
My nephew knew his friend was in a desperate situation. That same nephew and his family who are in their own financial difficulties told his dad he was going to take his portion to his friend. My brother gave him a third of his portion to go with my nephew’s.
When my nephew arrived at his friends house unexpectedly to drop off the money, he found his friend was in such a bind financially the only thing in the house to feed his wife, children, and himself, was baby food…
One of my mom’s famous sayings from our childhood came back to me once again… I heard it in my head like it was yesterday, she’d say, “You can’t out-give God.”
Since all things come from the hand of God, I’d say she’s right. My brother has more than enough reasons to not have shared with his friends, but that’s not the man God made my brother in heart, having been shaped by the hand of God through our parents. Nor is my nephew the man to fear the world when others in his shoes might fall apart like wet kleenex, due to the same shaping of God through his parents.
In this world, there will always be fear and difficult times ahead, but I’m not so sure there will be enough people left like my brother and nephews…
There’s a very good chance the legacy we leave behind won’t be measured by material things, but by the decisions and actions demonstrated during the tough times.
Fear my friends isn’t from God. I’m glad my brother reminded me of that this week…
jake
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
I’ve always wondered why we’d “store up treasure in heaven” because if you ask me, we won’t need it. There probably won’t be any spending because really, what will we need? I think the treasure up there is relationships. It’s stories of lending a hand to our friends and neighbors and potentially leading them to the Lord as a result of it all…. Just like your family does.
Great story!
Floyd
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 @ 9:19 pm
Thanks Jake, you’d love my brother. He’s a bit on the edge, kinda like you and all the disciples who no one in the world knew which category to put them in… In the end we are in the only category that matters. God’s book of life.
Lainey
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 5:16 am
You’re so correct in saying that we fear to help others because we might not have enough for ourselves. Thanks for reminding me that God will not be outdone in generosity!
Floyd
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 7:50 am
Thanks Lainey, we all need to be reminded, my brother did it with his actions which are so much more powerful than words.
Pat
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 8:59 am
One only has to look to the left and to the right to find someone who is worse off. Oddly enough, (or maybe not) I am in the process of writing a similar blog. We could preach, teach, and blog on this for a year and still not exhaust the subject matter. But I digress…this was a “sweet” story (if I can use that word without offending your brother). Sweet as in the word “fragrance”. We are to be the fragrance of Christ to God. (2 Cor. 2:15) In that moment, your brother and nephew were the sweet fragrance of Jesus Christ to God, Himself. Can the imagery get more beautiful than that!? I love reading these kinds of stories. They lift me up, but more importantly, they make me want to be a better human being. Thanks for sharing!
Floyd
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 10:19 am
Well said Pat, and my brother who doesn’t look like the “sweet” type was just that. Even he’d probably agree that when God works in our lives we become more than we could ever be in the flesh. I can’t wait to read your post, your words are always sound and I enjoy them immensely.
Brenda
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 6:53 pm
I love your mom’s saying, “you can’t out give God.” That is so true. And you are right about fear not coming from God. Thank you for reminding me.
Floyd
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 7:46 pm
Thanks Brenda, my brother reminded me. Where are you going to work out? Let me know, I’ll look forward to seeing you! Tell Robert and Bri-jr. I said hi…
April
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 7:01 am
I love that there are still people like this out there in this world. Your brother and nephew did an amazing thing and probably showed that young man more God than at any other time by helping him out even when they were strapped. I applaud them!
Floyd
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 8:14 am
I applaud them as well, it certainly says something about a persons character when they’re up against it themselves. I believe God will honor their actions, not because they want to be honored, but because they honored Him in their heart and carried it out in action. Thanks April
Marcus Goodyear
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 12:31 pm
We are definitely not measured by our material accumulations! (If so, I’m in trouble since I work for a nonprofit.) So what does it mean to store up treasures in heaven, since Jake referenced that verse?
I have a feeling that material possessions do matter, if in a different way than we sometimes think. That is to say, heaven isn’t some ethereal place. The resurrected Jesus has a real body and eats real food and (presumably) wears real clothes. Material possessions are good and necessary, but they are also tools for helping us serve others and bring joy to the world around us.
Very moving story, Floyd!
Floyd
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
Thanks Marcus, I’m getting a little better with the titles thanks to your advice. Great point and it is appreciated.
Connie
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 4:30 pm
My sister Diane told me about your blog Floyd and I am enjoying reading it. I have very fond memories of your family from way back! Your Mom always in the kitchen cooking up something for everybody to eat no matter what the time of day. Lots of good belly laughs visiting with all you kids. I know how giving your Dad was (he helped my son Michael before he died) I didn’t know about it until after Michael has passed away. I also didn’t know what Bob and Isaiah had done for Isaiah’s friend last week and we were in Havasu and stayed with Bob and Diane for five days. Bob never mentioned it. But then that’s how they are you know. God is good ALL the time and even in these tough economic times it’s very uplifting that people are still choosing to help others that are less fortunate. Your entry blesssed me. Thanks
Floyd
Thursday, March 31, 2011 @ 4:56 pm
Thanks Connie, and that is how they are… I couldn’t agree more. That family honors all of us associated with them. Thanks for the thoughtful words and the time to type them, they touched me and it is great to hear from you.
patty
Monday, April 4, 2011 @ 8:45 pm
really enjoyed this story floyd.that just shows you there still is some good people out there. that care .just wish every body was like that .
Floyd
Monday, April 4, 2011 @ 9:58 pm
That would be nice… But then I guess that would be heaven…