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Signs
When the sign man died, I presided at his funeral. For many years Bob Sr. made signs as a profession, and Bob Jr. inherited the business when Bob Sr. retired. Bob Jr. asked that we play the song “Signs”* at his father’s funeral. The Methodist minister wouldn’t allow it. And despite the fact that we lived amongst cowboys, he wouldn’t allow “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”** either. That was at somebody else’s funeral. I allowed both.
I believe in signs. I believe that God sends them to me. O He does plenty of talking, but sometimes He leaves a big fat sign for me, and expects me to work out the meaning. I don’t know why He does this. I don’t know why He saved a wretch*** like me either. God just does things. It’s His way.
The Lost Medication
I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997. For many years I exclusively took oral medication, but for five years now I have used insulin to treat this disease. I was recently the guest of the Foreign Missions Club in Highbury, (London) England. Shortly after my long trip and my arrival, I was given room number 304 at the club, and I immediately took a nap. When I woke up from that nap I decided to go out and get something to eat. (Insulin is injected before every meal.) I had brought five insulin pens with me. No need to refrigerate the pens. It makes it convenient when you travel. So I unzipped my backpack and looked for the pens. Not there! I dumped out the backpack. Not there! I looked through all of the rest of my stuff. Not there! Then, in disbelief, I repeated the entire search. Not any-where! Then I remembered that I had taken them out at the airport after I arrived. I had bought a sandwich and took the insulin just prior to eating. I concluded that I had left the insulin on the seat next to mine when I ate that sandwich. This presented a big problem! There were a few remedies, but still, a big problem! I could go to National Health and get a prescription. I have a National Health number from the days when I worked in London. Then I could go to a pharmacy and get the prescription filled. This might take several hours, or maybe more than a day. I haven’t been seen at National Health since 1992. In the meantime, I would either have to fast or become a vegetarian. Neither of those alternatives seemed very appealing. On the other hand, I thought I might call my physician in Enterprise, and hopefully, he could call a pharmacy in London and replace the medication. I wasn’t sure that would even be possible, but when you are looking at becoming a vegetarian, you get desperate. The last alternative would be to combine a fast with being a vegetarian for the duration of my trip. (As comical as all this may sound, losing your medicine in a foreign country poses a BIG problem.) At that point, I thought I’d go out and get a salad and find a pharmacy, just in case I decided on either the National Health or the Enterprise physician alternatives. So I got dressed and went out the door of room number 304.
And there on the floor, across the hall, was the medication!
Dumbfounded, I picked up the box full of pen needles and went back into my room. After a lot of thought I came to realize that an angel had delivered that medicine from the airport. How else could it have gotten there? It couldn’t have fallen out of my backpack. It was zipped shut!
The Sign of the Lost Insulin
After much thought and prayer, I have come to conclude that God was sending me a sign; one with two messages. Both involve change. The first message is that I need to lose a considerable amount of weight, to allow Him and Him alone to help me with this, so that I can reduce or illuminate the amount of medication that I need to take. The second message is that I am an even bigger hypocrite than I ever suspected, because I preach a Gospel of change and refuse to change, (in terms of my health) myself. (What else would you expect from a wretch?) This is made even more obvious in light of the fact that I have outlined for the session five pages worth of change that I believe needs to be accomplished around here, and yet – have not changed in this significant way myself.
God Help Me
God help me as I respond to His sign. God help me. Amen.
Footnotes
* 1971 – Five Man Electrical Band
** 1979 – Willie Nelson
*** “Amazing Grace” John Newton (1725-1807)
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Wednesday morning Bible Study is open to all members of the church. Everyone is welcome to join us at 8:00am in the Fellowship Hall as we study God’s Word. Bring your Bible, and feel free to bring your breakfast with you. This mid-week lesson is the perfect way to start off your morning.
EMPTY PAPER TOWEL TUBES
Please save your empty paper towel tubes. We need them for one of our Vacation Bible School crafts at the end of June. We need one for each child, so please start collecting now. Your empty tubes can be dropped off with Sandi in the office.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS
Vacation Bible School registration is under way, and we are looking for volunteers! We have a lot of our slots filled, but we are looking for a few more people. Do you feel called to teach the music, or maybe to be a group leader? We will provide all of the materials, we just need you! There is a sign up board in the Fellowship Hall. If you have any questions, please see Scott, Pat, or Sandi. Thank you to Sandy, Evelyn, Linda, Jerry, Pat, Nancy, Sandi, and Scott for signing up to help.
WIREGRASS EMERGENCY PREGNANCY SERVICES ANNUAL BABY BOTTLE EVENT
Please join us in celebrating and supporting mothers in our community with the Wiregrass Emergency Pregnancy Service (WEPS) annual Baby Bottle Fund-raiser. The process is simple: Just pick up a bottle at the church, keep it at home over the next month to fill with your loose change, and then bring it back to the church on Father’s Day. Your support will help provide free testing, guidance, education, and material support for the mothers who are most in need.
223rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY (2018)
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) meets biennially in even-numbered years. It consists of commissioners elected by each of its 173 presbyteries. The GA is full of activities: business sessions, committee meetings, an exhibit hall, daily worship services, and mission tours sponsored by the Committee on Local Arrangements. The assembly acts on hundreds of items of business, which it receives through the reports and recommendations of various assembly entities, and through overtures from synods and presbyteries. The 223rd General Assembly (2018) will be held in St. Louis, Missouri – June 16 – 23.
GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD UPDATE
Kendall, Makayla, and Emma have been hard at work on their Silver Award Project. These young ladies are hoping to earn the second highest award in Girl Scouting, the Silver Award. Their focus is on providing support for early readers here in Enterprise. Specifically, they are building “whisper phones” for kindergarten and special needs children and designing a website to help parents of young readers with important reading skills. The girls should complete their project at the end of the summer, just in time for the start of the new school year.
Green Hill Presbyterian Church 