The call to Worship had just been pronounced starting Easter Sunday morning service in an East Texas church. The choir started its processional, singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” as they marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church.
The last lady was wearing shoes with very slender heels. Without a thought for her fancy heels, she marched toward the grating that covered that hot air register in the middle of the aisle. Suddenly the heel of one shoe sank into the hole in the register grate.
In a flash she realized her predicament. Not wishing to hold up the whole processional, without missing a step, she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued marching down the aisle.
There wasn’t a hitch. The processional moved with clock-like precision. The first man after her spotted the situation and without losing a step, reached down and pulled up her shoe, but the entire grate came with it! Surprised, but still singing, the man kept on going down the aisle, holding in his hand the grate with the shoe attached.
Everything still moved like clockwork. Still in tune and still in step, the next man in line stepped into the open register and disappeared from sight. The service took on a special meaning that Sunday, for just as the choir ended with “Allelujah! Christ arose!” a voice was heard under the church shouting, “I hope all of you are out of the way ‘cause I’m coming out now!”
The little girl closest to the aisle shouted, “Come on, Jesus! We’ll stay out of the way.”
The other day a man was helping (or thought he was helping) some people cut some trees on his property. He was afraid that they wouldn’t do the job the way he thought they should. He kept getting in the way as he tried to help. Finally after he got conked on the head by a tree limb, he realized that he needed to let them do what they do and get out of the way. Then the job went smoothly.
That’s the way we are. We try to help the Lord by worrying, fretting, working, planning and attempting to fix things ourselves. We try to help the Lord work things out the way we want them or the way we think they should be. And after we have made a mess of things we hopefully will get out of the Lord’s way. Then He can do what He wanted to do in the first place.
When it comes to matters that we have very little control over (and we don’t control very much), it’s best to trust the Lord and let Him do what He wants to do for us. Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected (good) end.”
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on the way to church every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. To read more of Pastor Jack Ward’s articles and hear his sermons at Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church, go to tomahawkmbc.com. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. Find him on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon video platforms.