Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

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Dear Friends,

I'v heard lots of motivational speakers zero in on the importance of...decisions.  Right up front, let me say that I've made my share of bad decisions and have sprinkled a few good ones in along the way.

Let me tell you about a vital decision I made back in about 1973.  That was when Dr. Kenneth Vogt, District Superintendent of the Sacrament District, asked me to be the pastor of the Marysville, CA, Church of the Nazarene.  I was single and, by the. way, I'm the only (Nazarene) guy I've heard of being appointed as pastor when he was single.  Full disclosure...Colleen and I were married threeThat little church was running about 30 in attendance on Sunday mornings in a town that was around 12,000 in population.

I don't expect everyone to track with me, but those were the days of bus ministries to bring kids to Sunday School, church and Sunday School attendance contests.  

My "calling" to Marysville Nazarene, in my mind, wasn't as much a calling to a church as it was to a town.  One of my first decisions was to drive the streets to kind of scope out the territory.  Most everywhere I looked there were people, prospects for the church and for the Kingdom of God.

My first decisions as a pastor revolved around people.  Every person I talked to became, at some level, a possible attender or member of our church.  Those were the days, my friends!  Dr. Louis Ferrari, Supt. of Marysville Public Schools became a dear friend and a trusted confidante.  Would you believe I met and became friends with Shakey Johnson?  Well, I had no idea he lived in Marysville, but he was the owner of a Nationwide chain back then, "Shakey's Pizza Parlors."

Anyway, decisions!  My key decision bundle at that point was that:  1.  I wanted to see as many people come to Christ through our ministry as possible;  2. Let's add as many people as possible to Church Membership; and, 3. Let's do all this with a good attitude (Joy!).

Here is why I raise the issue of decisions...the need for (good) decisions.  It just makes sense that our lives revolve around our responses to the various situations that come our way.

What about now?  These days.  I've been retired for 14 years.  Are there still things that need to be done?

Stay with me.  We are about to hit a potential speed bump.

How we wrap things up in life is an area that revolves around this decision issue.  Decisions aren't just for young people.  How about a confession that Sr. Adults could make some decisions that could/would decide how we conduct ourselves as we navigate this season of our lives.  Is it just me, or did it, all the sudden, get pretty quiet in here?

Let me tell you about two people with whom I worked and lived pretty closely.

Brother Britt was a man in that first church I pastored in Marysville, CA, starting back in 1973.  Think of a 70 year old man with no hair and a limited supply of teeth.  I don't remember anyone quite like him.  His eyes did the most of his talking.  When he smiled, his entire face got involved.

My main memory of brother Britt was that he showed up every Monday morning at the church (Colleen and I lived in the parsonage next door to the church) to mow the lawn.  He did that like it was a regular part of his life.  When he got done he would look me up to see if there was anything else he could do while he was there.

He scrunched up his face one day and spoke some powerful words to me, "I've decided that two 'things' are going to get what's left of me for as long as I live.  First, I need to give good care to the Mrs. and secondly I'd like to give good care to the church."

That fit brother Britt to a T.  Take good care of his wife and take good care of his church.  Because of her illnesses we rarely saw Mrs. Britt, but brother Britt was there every Sunday and Monday, until his health laid him low.

Brother Britt was there when the crowd was 30 and was there when the crowd was a hundred.  He clearly loved his church.

The other person I'd like to mention was Lyla Misner.  Lyla was Cecil's wife and she couldn't keep her hands out of the church kitchen.  We never ever had to have second thoughts about who was going to head up the setup of the serving tables for church events or who would be the last to leave the kitchen after an event was over.

Lyla told me one day, "Pastor, I think I'm kind of limited in what I can do around the church and I've pretty much decided that my job at church is just to take care of the kitchen."  That was Lyla and I never saw anyone quite like her.  I'd get maybe half way into my request for some kind of need for an upcoming social event before she would interrupt me with, "Yes, I'm in!  You can count me in!"

I have great story about Lyla.  One weekend (this was when I pastored at my 2nd church, Bellevue, WA, Church of the Nazarene) we were needing to raise a bunch of money to repair leakage in the flat roof over our Sunday School building.  It was a young congregation with limited in funds!  On that targeted "fund raising Sunday" we fell short by around $1600.  Folks, we didn't have a fund to run to.  Without that $1600 our Sunday School unit was at significant risk.

Lyla took me aside after that Sunday and said, "Pastor don't you worry a bit over that $1600.  Cecil and I have been putting aside some money for several years thinking that someday God would need it.  So, this is it.  We'll take care of the deficit.  You will have your roof."

Do you get it?

Brother Britt narrowed his ministry down to two areas: wife and church.  Man, that guy loved everyone around him.  And, everyone around him loved him!

Lyla was unique.  The kitchen was so much her spiritual passion that one time she told me, "Pastor, when you get to heaven, just check for me in the kitchen.  I don't know if they have a kitchen up there, but if they do, that's where I'll be.

Okay, I do know this, it took some deciding for Brother Britt and Sister Lyla to make their decisions about where to spend the time in their later years, but when they made up their minds and had it sealed in their hearts, nothing could separate them from what they felt called to do.

[Re-reading this and I think it's pretty good stuff, but I think it could be inferred that I am advocating for mowing the lawn or working in the kitchen.  I'm not.  But I am advocating for ways to serve people in the name of Jesus!]

I consider Matthew 6:33 to be one of the guiding verses in my life, "...Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

So, if we were in class right now, I would say something like, "Do you know what 'first' means in the Greek?"  And we all would respond, "Well, FIRST!"  And, we would be right.  To me that is a great verse and a very insightful verse.

Almost done.

For years I have said that Matt. 6:33 actually offers us a, sort of, test.  The test of 6:33 asks the question, "Do you have plenty of what you need in you life?"  The correct answer is, "Yes, I am seeking God's kingdom first and God is keeping his promise to provide all my needs."  I hope that makes sense.

Both Brother Britt and Sister Lyla went on to their heavenly reward with a considerable part of their lives in what I would describe as...Kingdom seekers!

How about you?

How about me?

When we come to the end of it all, will we be able to say, "It was Jesus first, kingdom first?"  Let's just take some extra time today, and for the rest of our lives, to look for ways to, in a sense, to "be Jesus" in the lives of people around us!

What a great way to live and what a great way to manage the home stretch!

See you soon!

Friends,

Pastor Wes & Colleen Smith
Ministry to Sr. Adults (Ages 55 & Up!)
"Living the Hope!"

PS.  Contact me through email wsmith@hillchurch.com, or, by visiting my page on Facebook (Wes Smith).  
Looking forward to re-making old connections and making new ones!  See you soon!!!