Gone Too Soon

I have experienced several deaths this year.

Most of these have occurred within my church family.

Losing someone is never easy, but two of these were especially difficult because they were young.

Both died in accidents.

The first was a young lady of 19 who attended my church.

As such, I knew her for a very long time and watched her grow up within the church.

She was an absolute joy to be around.

She made sharing the love of God look natural and effortless.

This is as it should be, so she was one up on many of us,

The second was a young man of 21.

I only knew him briefly over the summer as an intern where I work.

I found him pleasant, agreeable and he too was a joy to be around.

About a month after his internship ended, we received word that he was gone.

While these young people were with us, I was struck by the amount of potential they had.

It would have been nice to see where that potential would have led them in their journeys.

Sadly, we will never know what might have been.

That perhaps is why it is so hard to say farewell to the young.

One moment we expect them to be around for a long time.

The next, we find out they are gone.

And as deeply as we feel grief, we know their parents and siblings feel it more.

Some will point to events like this and question the existence of God.

Yet scripture reminds us that there is good in what we perceive as tragedy.

Romans 8:28-29 (NET) - And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

As for grief, we find both comfort and blessing in the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:4 (NET) - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

We also have the promise that grief is with us but for a time.

Revelation 21:4 (NET) - He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.

But, for now, it is okay for us to mourn the passing of the young.

It reminds us how special they were.

May it also remind us that we now have even more work to do.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 27, 2019.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 4, 2019

Country Road

There is an old country road I traveled many times in the past.

I hardly ever use it anymore.

It passes alongside farms, fields, horses and other livestock.

It also passes alongside an old country church that is still in use.

Just beyond that, the road comes to a T shaped intersection leaving you with two options.

You can turn left, or you can turn right.

Sometimes we would turn to the left and go to the home of my uncle and aunt.

Sometimes we would turn to the right and visit the home of some dear family friends.

Whichever way we went, we would always take that same country road home.

I recall a time when I was very, very young when we traveled on that road at night.

As we passed that old country church it was bathed in light.

“What is that?” I asked my parents.

“That is God’s house,” my mother answered.

I already had some idea of who God was thanks to my parents.

I took Mother’s statement quite literally.

As a small child, I honestly believed this was the one place on Earth God chose to call home.

I also thought my family, my uncle and aunt and our friends were very fortunate to live so very near God’s home.

As I grew older, I learned that this was just Mother’s way of defining a church to an inquisitive child.

My parents and my uncle and aunt are gone now.

The friends we had no longer live in that area.

So, there is no need for me to travel down that road much anymore.

In my mind I still do.

At times when I feel God’s hand upon me, I recall that church, that old country road and that night when I was so young.

I recall how special it felt to believe God was so very near.

Now, as a man, I understand that God is everywhere.

Because He is everywhere, He is always very near.

Jeremiah 2:22-23 (NET) - Do you people think that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?” the Lord asks. “Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks.

I do now.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 24, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 1, 2017

Kindness

The other day I found myself behind schedule.

When it came time for lunch I opted to go to the corner store for something quick.

I was in hurry but my plans changed when I arrived.

As I walked from my car to the store entrance I glanced over at the gas pumps.

Something caught my eye.

I saw an older lady standing at the one of the pumps.

She had the pump handle in one hand and her credit card in the other.

She also had a look of confusion on her face.

I walked over to her and asked if she needed help.

She said she needed to put gas in her car but was not at all sure how to go about it.

I offered my help and she accepted.

I explained everything I did along the way.

Once her car had been filled I showed her how to print her receipt.

She thanked me and told me something I could never have expected.

She told me that her husband had recently passed away.

She then stated that he always put gas in the car.

This was the first time she needed to put gas in the car since he passed.

She then thanked me for showing her how it was done.

I believe that this is just one of many firsts for her as she continues her journey without him.

Please understand that I am not posting this for my sake.

It occurred to me that in today’s hectic and fast paced world it is quite easy to overlook others.

Sometimes people need help and do not ask for it.

We must not become so preoccupied with ourselves that we fail to notice.

As I paid the store clerk for my purchase, he thanked me for helping her as well.

It turns out that he was keeping a watchful eye on me as I approached her.

I was grateful for that as well.

It reminded me that God is looking out for her in other ways.

I thought of Paul’s words when he found himself shipwrecked.

Acts 28:2 (NET) -The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.

There is always time for an act of kindness

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 28, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 4, 2017

Like One of Your Own

The corporation for which I work occasionally asks us to provide office space for people that technically do not work for our office.

This is due to our location.

That was an extremely unique concept for me when I first encountered it.

Providing these individuals with office space also means providing them with technical support as required.

That is where I come in.

Providing technical support is a service I provide for the people that work for our office.

It simply stands to reason that I need to provide technical support for these individuals well.

Times like these make me glad I am a Christian.

Being a Christian has helped me in many ways.

For example, it has taught me patience.

It has also taught me to set aside the task I am working on when others need my help.

In the case of employees that work for other offices it reminds me to be a friend.

Both the Old and New Testaments remind us to love our neighbor.

The book of Leviticus reminds us how we are to treat those who are not technically a part of our group.

Leviticus 19:33-34 (NET) - When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. The foreigner who resides with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God

Being a Christian makes me realize that in providing support for these individuals I have more personal contact with them than anyone else.

It also makes me realize that it takes time for people to settle in and feel at home.

As I reflect on these words from Leviticus, I think of the days many years ago when I first began working at this office.

Being new, the people I now call friends, did not know me at all.

Over time relationships were established and strengthened but it had to start with one individual making the first move.

In this type of situation, I have a better opportunity than anyone else to make that first move.

I have responsibilities as a professional.

I have even bigger ones as a Christian.

John 15:12 (NET) - My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 12, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 19, 2016

An Open Letter to Fathers

Fathers:

Some of you know me quite well.

Some of you know me socially.

Many of you do not know me at all.

Regardless of the nature of our relationship, I know that as fathers you are concerned about your children.

I appreciate your concern especially in these times.

I have no direct experience with the responsibilities that accompany fatherhood.

That said I am well aware that all men, including me, have responsibilities where children are concerned.

Fathers teach their children with words and by example.

I might not teach your children with words, but I hope I can teach them by example.

If we attend the same church, there are things your children will see.

They will see me coming out of my Sunday school class.

They will see me at Vacation Bible School serving in some way.

They will see me participating in Christmas programs and attending rehearsals.

They will see me helping out during church in one capacity or another.

There are also some things neither you nor they ever see.

You will never see the hours I spend in committee meetings which help direct the course of their education.

You will never see me when I come in on the occasional Saturday to set up and test equipment for their use in Sunday school.

You will never see the hours of preparation and research that go into my ministries.

Some of you do not attend my church.

In fact, many of you do not know me at all.

My responsibility to your children is equally important.

Whenever I am out in public I know that there is always a chance a child might be observing me.

Your child might notice my behavior or interaction with others.

Having been a child myself, I am well aware that children are not fooled by hypocrisy.

If I should speak or behave inappropriately in a public setting, I could potentially damage valuable lessons you are trying to teach them.

I might not be a father but I am a man.

That is a role I take very seriously.

Although I have no children of my own, scripture reminds me how special all children are to the Lord.

Luke 18:16-17 (NET) - But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Because all children are special to Him, they are special to me.

That includes your children.

No matter how well you know me, I want to be the kind of male role model for your children that other men were for me.

As fathers, you are concerned about your children.

That goes with the territory.

I appreciate that concern.

When Father’s Day comes on Sunday your children might give you a gift to express their love for you.

There is nothing I can give you that can equal that.

What I hope I have given you is one less thing to worry about.

I wish you a happy and blessed Father’s Day.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 24, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, July 1, 2016

Use Words If Necessary

One of my favorite stories is about Francis of Assisi.

The story goes that one particular day he planned to go into town to preach.

He invited a young monk to accompany him.

The young monk felt quite honored to be asked along.

The pair set out the following morning.

When they arrived in town they walked up and down its streets.

They stopped and visited with everyone they came in contact with.

They met with people of all classes and all occupations.

As the day ended, they headed for home.

As they made their way, the young monk commented to Francis that perhaps they forgot their purpose in going to town.

After all, the monk had been told they were going to town to preach,

Francis reminded the monk that they had indeed preached.

They encountered many people who observed their every move and attitude very closely.

That, according to Francis, was how their sermon was preached.

Christians today, myself included, can take a valuable lesson from Francis.

Sometimes we defeat our purpose in the way we act or the words we choose.

On one hand, we desire to bring people to Jesus.

On the other hand, our actions and attitudes can drive them away.

Sometimes the way we act is not like Christ would have us act.

Sometimes we even argue about the smallest of things.

We might even let the color of coffee cups at Christmas upset us.

What kind of sermon is that?

The words of Francis of Assisi remind us, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.”

Ephesians 6:10 (NET) - For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 27, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 4, 2015

The Good Delivery Driver

Luke 27:33-34 (NIV) - But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

I read a short article in the news the other day that moved me.

In one of the largest cities in America, someone ordered pizza online.

There was a place on the online order form for special instructions.

The customer left two instructions.

The first was for the restaurant to have the pizza delivered by their “cutest guy.”

That is not what caught my eye.

The second instruction was, “Tell me I am pretty.”

The restaurant prepared the order and gave it to one of their delivery drivers.

The driver assumed that the order was placed by some college girls and the instructions were meant to be a joke.

When he arrived at the address, he was surprised by what he found.

A young lady opened the door for him.

He noticed that the room had been decorated for a birthday party.

He also noticed that there were no guests.

The young lady told the driver she had planned her own party and sent out invitations.

No one came.

She offered the driver a piece of cake which he accepted.

They talked while the driver ate his cake.

Once he finished his cake he accepted the money for the pizza.

Before leaving, he remembered the special instructions.

He gave the young lady a hug and told her that she was pretty.

As I stated before, this story moved me.

Here was a young lady living in a large city.

Yet she felt completely alone, unwanted and unloved.

I am so glad the driver did something to help her feel better.

In scripture, the Good Samaritan came across a man who was set upon by robbers and beaten.

Although others passed the man by, the Samaritan saw his physical wounds and rendered assistance.

When others are injured, we are required to reach out.

This is harder to do with emotional wounds because they are so much harder to detect.

We may not even realize how much someone is hurting until they cry out for help.

Let us not pass them by.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Teamwork

The last two weeks have been among the most challenging I have ever experienced.

The circumstances that led up to these two weeks were completely outside my realm of control.

As the situation grew steadily worse it became obvious that something had to be done.

I was brought in as one member of a team of five people tasked with solving the problem.

Although there were some similarities in our backgrounds we were unique individuals.

We each brought to the table a unique set of strengths.

Together, as a team, we looked at the situation objectively.

We then weighed the options available to us.

Finally, as we neared the end of the first week, we determined the best course of action.

This course of action would bring with it a unique set of potential problems.

It would also be extremely unpopular with a few people who were not part of the team.

We presented our plan and defended it as best we could.

We then put that plan into action.

During the process we encountered a few problems we anticipated and we dealt with them.

We also encountered a few that could not be anticipated.

Working together as a team, we were able to resolve these as well.

Finally, we regained control of the situation and circumstances have returned to normal.

The members of this team have returned to their normal routines.

It is very unlikely we will ever get the chance to come together as team ever again.

I am sure that I will fondly remember each of these individuals and how we came together and succeeded as a team.

There are also some personal lessons I took with me as well.

First, there was a sixth member of this team as God was with us from start to finish.

Second, as challenging as this was it pales in comparison to the realities that some people face day in and day out and so we have no reason to complain.

Third, we are each the stronger for having faced up to the challenge together.

Fourth, we will each be able to utilize what we learned from this situation as we face other challenges in the future.

There will always be times when we are faced with challenges that seem overwhelming.

But, we do not have to face them alone.

We can put together an unbeatable team and overcome them.

Just make certain that God the first person you ask to join your team.

Psalm 138:3 (NET) – When I cried out for help, You answered me. You made me bold and energized me.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Blessings Abound

I have been reflecting on all the ways God has blessed me in the course of my lifetime.

Every blessing from Him I thought of, without exception, had something else in common.

God used people in His blessing.

As a child, God used my parents to bless me.

When I attended school, God used teachers to bless me.

At church, He used pastors and Sunday School teachers to bless me.

In my professional life, He used my employers and coworkers to bless me.

To develop my character, he has blessed me with wonderful role models.

To uplift me, He has blessed me with a wonderful church family

To love me, He has blessed me with loving uncles, aunts and cousins,

Then there is my favorite blessing of all.

God has blessed me with friends.

I say this is my favorite for a number of reasons.

First of which is that many of my friends I can trace back to the groups I mentioned before.

For example, I consider my coworkers my friends.

I also consider my church family my friends.

Even some of my role models became my friends and that is a very special feeling indeed,

Now, with the assistance of technology and social media, the number of friends He blesses me with continues to grow.

That makes His blessing of friends even more special.

Some I see on a regular basis.

Some I see only once in a while.

Some I will never meet face to face in this world.

Whatever the frequency, each friendship is one to treasure.

Then, there is the most special blessing of friendship of all.

John 15:13-15 (NET) – No one has greater love than this – that one lays down His life for His friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I have heard from My Father.

I would not trade this blessing for anything.

That blessing has no bounds.

Best of all, Jesus offers it to everyone.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Turning Point

When I was a young man, I had a job that I enjoyed working with people that I liked.

There is an old saying that states that ignorance is bliss.

I was happy but only because I was ignorant of changes that would soon turn that part of my world upside down in the span of one day.

One Friday morning, I was approached by two managers.

They informed me that the company had promised a shipment to a customer that day.

They added that when the product reached my department for inspection we were to do whatever was necessary in order to make sure that product shipped that day.

While this might prove difficult I could not assure them of the likelihood of success until I had more information.

I needed to know how much product there was, when I could expect it and who the customer was.

There were over one hundred units and I could expect them by the middle of the afternoon.

This was going to be challenging.

Then they told me who the customer was and that made a challenging task impossible.

This customer was associated with a governmental agency and both demanded that every dimension on every part be measured for compliance and safety.

Even if I put every inspector on this task, there was simply no way we could both measure and record everything and certify that the inspection had been performed to their specifications.

It was obvious that they were not happy with my stance and they strongly suggested that I think it over before the parts made their way to me.

They walked away.

The moment they departed, the people in my department asked what was going on, so I filled them in.

They asked the question I anticipated, "What are we going to do?"

I told them that we were simply going to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

We were going to comply with the customer’s and agency’s demands unless they provided us with a waiver.

That afternoon the parts made it to our area and the two managers accompanied them.

I asked them if it were possible to request the waivers we needed.

They informed me that waivers would not be requested.

I told them that this was regrettable.

I turned to the staff and reminded them that we knew what the requirements were.

I divided the parts equally between us and we began working.

We were going to give it our best effort but ultimately we knew that we would not be able to keep this deadline.

The two managers watched us work for a few minutes and left so that they could talk in private.

About an hour later, I was summoned to one of their offices.

He reminded me that he had personally promised this shipment.

I then reminded him that he knew their requirements and therefore should either have not made the promise or requested waivers.

He told me that he expected me to look the other way.

He added that the next time, my job might depend on it.

What he was in essence telling me was that I would have to be willing to be dishonest.

This would mean being dishonest with myself as well as with a customer.

I informed him that I was not willing to compromise my integrity.

2 Chronicles 19:9 (NET) - He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives."

I knew that my future with that company could never again be what I had hoped it could be and immediately began looking for a new job.

With God's help, I found one.

For what it’s worth, I have been at my current firm in excess of twenty years and that would not have happened had I compromised what I knew to be correct.

As I prepared to leave that company, I sensed that the people in my department were genuinely sad to see me leave.

I wished them all well and I still think of them often.

I suspect at least some of them were eventually asked to compromise what they knew to be right.

Although difficult, I hope they made they made the right choice.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

No Sad Ending

John 16:22 (NET) - So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you.

I am grateful for every one of God’s blessings.

I am also grateful for the people through whom God blesses me.

Less than a year ago, the father of one of my friends passed away.

Although I never met my friend’s father I have been told that he and I had a great deal in common.

A few weeks ago, my friend offered to give me a collection of books from her father’s personal library that were written by an author that her father and I both appreciated.

Of course, I readily accepted.

When my friend brought the books to me the following day, I was quite surprised.

There were over fifty books from a special edition and every one of them was beautifully bound.

I told my friend I did not feel right accepting such a gift and asked her to reconsider her offer.

These books were obviously special to her father and I felt that she should rightfully keep them in her family.

I also told her that she should at least consider selling them.

My friend carefully explained to me that she knew these books were special to her father.

She added that she wanted me to have them because she knew I would appreciate them in the same way that her father had.

I then accepted them and assured her that I would indeed appreciate them in the same way.

Once I had them organized, I could see that there were certain volumes that her father had read several times.

Some of these titles I had read in the past.

A few I had read more than once and I looked forward to reading them again.

That was the case with the first book I chose to read from this set.

As I began to read this book, the story began to replay itself in my mind.

As I progressed through this book I was reminded how the story would eventually play itself out.

I also knew that, in the end, the main character would die.

With that conclusion, I felt a certain sense of loss.

Of course, this was a work of fiction and that character never actually existed.

He was nothing but an idea concocted in the mind of a skilled author who was blessed with both the creativity to weave a story and the ability to put that story into words that he could share with his readers.

In less than a week, I finished the book and that character died just as he had before.

That reminded me of someone else I read about in another book that I have read many more times.

Someone who did the most miraculous of things. 

Someone who had to sacrifice His life.

Someone who had to so in the most horrific of ways.

Someone who had to do so for me.

There were some overwhelming differences between the accounts.

The book I have read many times is the Bible and it is fact not fiction.

That someone is Jesus who is the embodiment of truth.

There is a genuine sadness I experience whenever I read the Bible and the journey of Jesus takes Him ever closer to the cross.

A sadness that culminates when Jesus lays down His very life for the likes of me.

His death, however, is not the end,

Jesus overcame even death itself.

With His resurrection, all the sadness I experience along the way is replaced by complete and utter joy.

Joy for Jesus.

Joy for me.

Because Jesus willingly died in my place,  my own death will not be the end.

Rather, it will only be a transition.

The feelings I experience as I read about Jesus in the Bible are genuine.

That is because Jesus is genuine.

The salvation He offers is genuine.

With Jesus there is no such thing as a happy ending simply because there is no ending.

With Jesus there is complete and total joy which will last for eternity!


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Give Us This Day

Luke 11:8 (NET) - I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

The other day I found myself thinking about an old friend who passed away many years ago.

He and I were both part of a circle of friends who used to gather at a restaurant most evenings.

There, we would enjoy a cup of coffee or two, swap stories and simply enjoy the company of friends.

This particular friend was much older than I was.

In fact, he was originally my father’s friend.

My father died at a relatively young age and, as time passed, this old gentleman and I became quite good friends.

He had many interesting experiences in his lifetime and I always enjoyed the stories he shared with me.

One evening the group gathered together as was customary.

As we shared whatever happened to be on our minds, this particular friend finished his coffee before the rest of us.

He walked up to the counter to get a refill but the staff on duty that evening ignored his presence at the counter.

I could tell by the look on my friends face that he was growing agitated.

The next thing I knew, he walked out the door with his empty cup.

I assumed that my old friend was so upset at having been ignored that he decided to home.

What happened next surprised everyone.

Suddenly the bell that chimed when a car pulled up to the drive up window began to ring both loudly and repeatedly.

DING, DING, DING, DING. DING...

We all turned our heads because we never heard the bell chime more than twice for any given car.

Finally, one of the staff walked up to the drive up window and opened it.

The bell stopped chiming and I saw my friend’s arm barge through the open window holding the empty cup in his hand.

It was this old friend who repeatedly stomped on the hose that activated the bell in order to get some service.

The surprised employee took the cup from his hand, refilled it and handed it back to him.

I then saw my friend’s arm disappear into the night.

The rest of us could not help but laugh at our friend‘s creative solution.

A moment later, he walked back inside and sat down with us once more.

As I relived this memory of him, I could not help but laugh all over again.

This also brought to mind that particular verse from the book of Luke.

At times, one man responds to another’s request only when the man making the request becomes persistent.

My old friend was served when he persisted in ringing the bell thus forcing the restaurant staff into action.

When it comes to prayer, we can approach God boldly and He will respond favorably if our request is aligned with both His will and His timing.

He does this not out of obligation or our persistence.

He does this because of His genuine love for us.

In the Lord’s prayer we are instructed to request our daily bread which is a necessity,

I find it more than interesting that the persistent man requested  bread for another in the example Jesus gave to us.

Not only should we request that which is necessary for us, we should also request that which is necessary for others.

This is especially true when we pray for those who have not come to know Him for their need is the greatest of all.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Worlds Apart

Matthew 5:3 (NET) - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of God belongs to them.

My friends just returned from a mission trip.

They shared some of their experiences with me.

In reflecting on the things they shared, I could not help but feel overwhelmed.

The remote village to which they traveled was quite poverty stricken.

The people there had very little as far as possessions are concerned.

Home was little more than four walls and a roof that could not even keep out the rain.

A simple bag of food distributed by missionaries to a household would be rationed and stretched to its limit and would last that family several days.

My friends have been sponsoring two children in this country for a number of years.

On this trip, God moved them to sponsor a third child.

Given the opportunity to meet this child, they took her to a zoo in the city.

These were both very new experiences for her.

She delighted in seeing all the different kinds of animals on display at the zoo.

Afterward, they went to a restaurant but were surprised that the child did not wish to eat her meal.

When asked why, she said she wanted to take it home and share it with her family.

This moved my friends who then told her to eat her meal and they promised her that before leaving they would buy food for her family.

Church was also a different experience for them.

The service was held in a structure that is a far cry from the image most people think of when they hear the word "church".

The service also lasted much longer than what most of us are accustomed to.

Singing songs of praise took up much of that time.

God had a surprise for one of my friends.

He was asked to preach.

He had nothing prepared ahead of time and found himself in total reliance upon the Holy Spirit.

Speaking through an interpreter, he delivered the message that God had given him to share.


Why am I sharing this?

Most of us have much more in terms of possessions than the people in this village will ever have.

In regard to food, most of us discard in a few days what families there share in a week.

Even the overall church experience differs.

At the risk of painting with a very broad brush, we expect church to conform to what we expect from it rather than what it is meant to offer us.

Perhaps most revealing was the overwhelming knowledge that those who have so very little are far more grateful than we can ever hope to be.

They are likely truly happier as well.

Matthew 5:8 (NET) - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

His Finest Hour

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

In the line of pastors that have served my church, I have had the great privilege in knowing three of them in my lifetime.

Each was unique.

Each had his own personality.

Each had his own style of oratory.

Yet, all three were men of God who utilized the gifts God gave them when they answered His call to the ministry.

My thoughts lately have been of the second pastor I knew.

He was the pastor who taught my confirmation class.

His son was also a member of that class and I consider the friendship I maintain with him to be one of the finest blessings God has ever bestowed upon me.

My reflections, however, revolve around the memories made about fifteen years ago.

My mother had to spend several days in the hospital as she underwent a battery of tests.

Whenever she was having them done, I would usually go to the lobby to get some coffee from one of the vending machines.

Each day, I looked over the registry posted in the lobby to see if anyone I knew happened to be admitted as a patient.

On one such day, I learned that the second pastor that I knew had just been admitted.

He had been retired for a number of years at this point in time.

Later, when my mother had returned to her room, we discussed her latest procedures and those that were still scheduled.

Afterward, I informed her that the pastor we both knew was in the hospital as well.

The following day, when her testing resumed, I walked over to the pastor’s room and saw that he was awake.

I knocked on the door frame and asked if he felt like having some company.

He invited me in.

I told him why my mother was there and that I happened to notice that he was a patient.

He didn’t speak about his condition but was genuinely concerned about Mother.

I assured him that her condition was not threatening.

I informed him that her doctor felt it would be better for her to be in the hospital until all the tests had been run and a plan for treatment had been established.

He agreed that this was a wise decision and said that he would pray for us both.

I thanked him.

We made general small talk but he did not go into any details as to why he was there.

A short time later, I could tell he was feeling fatigued.

I excused myself and told him I would drop by later.

I headed to the lobby for my usual coffee when I saw my friend, the pastor’s son, walk in.

We shook hands.

I told him why my mother was there and that I had just left his father’s room after a brief visit.

He told me that the news regarding his father was not good and that it was very probable that he did not have much time left.

I was stunned.

Before I could say anything, my friend added that his father was at peace with his situation.

We then parted company and he went on to his father’s room.

As I sat alone with my coffee, I prayed.

I wondered how I would break this news to my mother.

I decided that it would be best to wait until her testing was complete before I told her.

When I returned, I found her back in her room and she told me about the tests they had just run.

Her final tests were scheduled the next day and, in all likelihood, she would be kept one additional night before being released.

Throughout that day, my thoughts alternated between her and the pastor.

Later that day, I asked her if she would mind if I went to visit with him for a few minutes.

She told me to go as she was feeling better.

As I walked down the hallway to his room I had no idea what this visit was going to be like.

I arrived and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed reading his Bible.

I watched in silence as his finger underlined each sentence as he read.

He had a marvelously peaceful look on his face.

It was obvious that he was drawing strength from scripture.

This was a moment between the pastor and God that I simply could not interrupt.

When I got back to my mother’s room she remarked that I had not been gone very long.

I simply told her that this was not a particularly good time for a visit.

As I think back to those days and that moment in particular, I realize something very important.

That was one of the finest sermons my pastor preached!


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Help Another, Help Yourself

Life's many problems can leave one feeling overwhelmed, alone, and helpless--an emotional paralysis that makes it impossible to cope.  One way to escape this cycle of despair is to focus on someone else who is in serious need, and devote substantial thought, energy, and prayer toward helping that person. The benefits are many, and "losing yourself" in this way is sure to lighten your own load!

Among other things, doing this helps to put your own problems in perspective--no matter how bad things look for you, there is ALWAYS someone in much greater need!--and reduce them in your mind to a more manageable level. You avoid developing an obsessive fixation on apparently insoluble dilemmas; your mind is freed and rested, at least for a while, enabling you to come back later with a fresh viewpoint and possibly new angles to try in dealing with your own challenges.

Making a positive difference for someone else, even in a small way, gives you a renewed faith in your ability to change things and a greater sense of your own value in this world. Also, others are more inclined to come to your aid if they see you as a helpful, giving person yourself.

Perhaps most important, acting as a channel of God's love toward another fills you with awareness of His infinite love for you, and with a new sense of purpose and confidence. That makes all the difference when tackling life's challenges!  There is nothing more empowering than knowing that no matter what happens in this life, He will NEVER disown you, and never abandon you! Whatever problems we have now, they'll be left here when we join Him in Heaven!

So, if you need help with your burdens, start by shouldering another's!

Tom Fleming
Songs of Praises

Friends Indeed

I recently celebrated my 57th birthday, and spent much of it thanking the many friends and family members who sent me warm birthday greetings. Their kindness was so touching; they made me feel loved, more than I regard myself. Even on otherwise ordinary days, I have a circle of friends who ride with me on the bus to work; we laugh and joke together and look out for each other's welfare and happiness. I've developed many good friends at church, and recently reconnected with some old high school classmates whom I haven't seen in decades; we now eagerly share reminiscences and stores about our spouses and children. What a priceless blessing friendship is!

That blessing comes from God, I know. In my younger days I was shy and reserved, and didn't make friends easily. But over the years the Lord has sustained me and my family through the love and support of others, and I've come to value these friends over everything but the Lord Himself and my family--indeed, I count them as virtual family. He has blessed me with more openness and tolerance, as I've come to appreciate how much I owe my friends, and I've learned so many valuable lessons about love and that great Eternal Family that I never would have had I remained shut up in my little shell.

Every day we should remember and give thanks to the Lord for our friends, and never ignore them or take them for granted. We owe our truest friends so much; we know who they are and can always count on them: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17).  This was demonstrated just a few days ago when a swarm of tornadoes swept across the American midwest; a mother was grievously injured when she lay over her three young children as their house collapsed around them; the eldest crawled out just as the storm passed and ran to the neighbors for help, and they rushed back, pulled the mother out, bound her wounds as best they could, and carried her to an ambulance, thus saving her life--even though their own homes had just been destroyed in the same storm!

"A friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24) will also give us the instruction and correction we need, and not just tell us what we want to hear. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17) The honesty and frankness of genuine friends are set forth in the maxim, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6).

The Apostle Paul set the model for how we should live with each other as friends:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31, 32)

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14, ESV)

If we live this way with our friends, neighbors, and family, we come to understand what Heaven is, and create a piece of it right here on earth. We fulfill a great commandment from our Lord, and follow his example--and are knit to Him in the greatest friendship of all:

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.  (John 15:12-15)

Don't let a day go by without embracing a friend; thanking him or her just for being there for you; or doing a friend some kindness, great or small. The best way to make and keep good friends is to be one yourself!

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises