Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
There are things that the Lord finds distasteful and He separated Himself from –
There are actually things that attract us to God.
Throughout the word there are indicators of the things that excite, please, and attract God to us – let’s explore them continually and pursue them and He will make them known to us.
Prayer: Hallelujah! I want to please You in every way Lord, and I am looking for those things that please You and make You happy and not just man’s ideas or religious thoughts, but what Your word says that You are pleased with. Teach me these things and I will follow them gladly. Amen.
Booper and I headed north from Salisbury on August 6th in hopes of visiting NC Historic Sites at Stagville and Bennet Place. Both are in the Durham area. I read about Stagville and couldn’t wait to hear the story.
From 1776 to 1865, the Bennehan and Cameron plantations spread across 30,000 acres of land. They had jointly invested in slavery at Stagville. The Camerons inherited complete control in 1847. Hundreds of enslaved people were the backbone of the complex of farms, workshops, mansions and mills. Those enslaved families suffered separation, violence, hard labor and disease. They resisted with varying levels of sabotage, direct action, cultural traditions and freedom seeking. In 1865, 900 people were enslaved on the plantation.
What we found is the 165 acres that make up the Stagville State Historic Site that is one of the few plantation sites that remain in the nation that focuses on the lives, culture and labors of enslaved African Americans. We made it just in time to take the walking tour with Assistant Site Manager Adarra Blount
Dominating the visitor center portion of the tour was the Bennehan House, built between 1787 and 1799. It was a busy house as the center of the plantation complex. We were not able to tour the inside of the home, but heard how the enslaved people, especially those that worked inside, thought the luxury of the house was built on violence, forced labor and the sale of human beings. The house remained as the plantation centerpiece until a much grander mansion was built by the Camerons in 1847.
A kitchen foundation remains and is located nearby because many of the period homes kept the kitchen in a separate building safely away from the main structure. Nearby too was the foundation of the domestic slave quarters for the Bennehan House. Servants and cooks used their skills to survive, memorizing the etiquette, expectations and personalities of the Bennehan and Cameron families. The cabin was probably a small sanctuary for them away from the trials of serving the owner families. The Camerons referred to enslaved people as family but demanded a spirit of subordination.
We also visited the Great Barn, built in 1860. A three-story structure, it has withstood the weather since then with only minor damage. Horses and mules were housed here as well as their feed and hay. The barn was bult with pegs, not nails, and is located in the section of the historic site called Horton Grove.
Also in Horton Grove, in my opinion, is the real centerpiece of today’s historic site and the wonderful tour. A row of slave dwellings from the plantation are well preserved and we toured inside the bottom floor of one of them. Each building housed four families, one to each room. Whether the family had three or 11 members, they still had only one room. Though the room was large, each room was heated and cooking was done from a fireplace. One of the rooms we saw was furnished, the bare basics of the place for family time after work rest and comfort area. Most notably in the chimney of the first slave quarters building were fingerprints in the bricks, originally molded from local clay. Enslaved residents of this area were field workers. One notable statement concerned the birth of a new family member who immediately became property and were subject anytime to be sent away to other holdings of the Cameron family or even sold eventually.
The largest of the enslaved quarters is the Hart House. The Harts were a formerly enslaved family that remained on the plantation at the end of the Civil War. In April 1865, when the residents were freed, many stayed and many left. The freed people advocated for land ownership. Through overseers, discriminatory laws and Federal Troops, the Camerons were able to regain control of their land. Many people that stayed, like the Harts, lived through long decades of sharecropping and Jim Crow discrimination. They struggled for civil rights, fair work, equality and land.
We heard harsh stories of violence and mistreatment, and several intense ones of how specific individuals fought back and occasionally won their freedom. Stagville descendants are organized and now reside around the world. Their story is often heartbreaking and incredibly powerful! This was another wonderful NC Historic Site and well worth your visit. The report on Bennett Place Historic Site will come soon.
Remember SRR’s Prediction Run on August 29th at City Park, beginning at 8am. And another of our beginning runners classes is just ahead and set to begin on September 8th at the Salisbury PD. It is eight weeks of increased running distance and pertinent classes each Tuesday evening that includes subjects like shoes and equipment, stretching and strengthening, running form, nutrition, safety and injury prevention. The rate for the class, a training shirt, membership is SRR and one free race entry remains at $65. You can register at runsignup or at the first class, all of which begin at 6pm.
Look for these and more upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org
We really enjoy watching the Atlanta Braves play. In fact
we’ve been fans long enough to remember the days of Andrew Jones, Javy Lopez,
John Smoltz, and long before that Dale Murphy. Now we appreciate all the new
guys. I think what makes it so enjoyable is that the team is having a good
time. They joke with the opposing fans and players. They laugh at each other
and make fun of their own mistakes. I kinda love it. Plus all the winning is
fun too.
The other night something terrible happened. One of our
favorite players, Charlie Culberson, got hit in the head with a ninety-one mile
an hour fastball. He immediately went down. As Charlie lay bleeding in the
dirt, we waited… and prayed.
The third base coach, Ron Washington is a seasoned veteran
who tends to treat each player as a son. As Charlie suffered, Papa Wash, as
David dubbed him, kneeled in the dirt beside him. While medics attended his
head, gently he patted Charlie’s leg as if soothing his son.
Eventually the medical staff was able to get our wounded
player onto a cart. As they drove away Charlie lifted his head to search out
the National’s pitcher Fernando Rodney. The men exchanged a moment of grace
when Charlie simply gave him a thumbs up. Rodney was visibly shaken and struggled
to maintain control when later he continued pitching.
A fastball to the head is serious. Most likely Charlie is out
for the rest of this season. If bones are crushed near the eye socket his
entire career could be over. I remember years ago when a player was hit with a
similar pitch. Because of a shift in the position of the bones around the eye,
the man no longer had the depth perception he needed to play. I’m sure both men
were aware of the severity of the injury. Yet one simple gesture said in essence,
“It’s okay. I know the ball just got away from you.”
I felt almost as sorry for the pitcher as I did for Charlie.
I wanted to hug him and usher him away from the field. Like Papa Wash I wanted
to kneel in the dirt by Charlie. Like the man on the cart holding a towel on
Charlie’s head I wanted to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him I’m
proud of his reaction toward Rodney. Had I been there I would have tipped my
cap and saluted the Washington fans for the silence they gave to the moment and
later for their standing ovation as Charlie was carted away.
The Braves announcers were so sickened by the moment that
Jeff Francoeur could hardly continue. Chip Caray chose his words wisely and
promised us updates. He too expressed sympathy for the pitcher and even the
manager of the opposing team.
I know.
None of them are perfect. But I love the Braves. They reminded
me of something valuable. People are hurting all around us. May we kneel in the
dirt, pat someone on the back, or gently speak a word of grace.
No matter where life takes us, may we do our best to walk
worthy of our calling.
Whether you think Heaven got a little sweeter or the earth a little sadder since Dolly Parton died last week, you are among many other like-minded people. Maybe you were a huge fan of almost every aspect of her life. Maybe, like me, you didn’t follow her music or keep up with much of her life. I did respect the work she did for her Tennessee community and that she seemed to put her money where her mouth was. She also enabled many homes to encourage literacy among children with her Dolly Parton Imagination Library, where children under the age of 5 receive a free book monthly. My own family benefited from building our little library for a few of my children. We still love family read-alouds!
Perhaps you have more intimate stories. I was amazed by how many of my friends had personal encounters with her, either working with her, for her, or getting to meet her in some way that impacted them. That certainly changes the way you respond to this great loss.
I have younger friends who often respond with very heavy hearts when there are deaths of public figures. It isn’t that they are necessarily devotees of the celebrity or national leader. Sometimes, they confess they are not even sure why they feel the loss so profoundly. Maybe it is, in part, because in the last 25 years, much of their life has been engulfed by large, national tragedies. With our instant access to news (usually bad), loss and tragedy are part of our daily lives. We hurt more because we know more.
My husband and I have found great solace in a book entitled “Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope.” In it, Douglas Kaine McKelvey offers liturgies for seasons of death, dying, and grief. It has been a source of immense help and encouragement to us personally and in sharing with others. His liturgy: “Lamenting the Passing of a Public Figure” provides some insight as to why deaths such as Dolly’s impact us so deeply:
* We have access to so much of their life, and they seem more familiar to us than they truly are. Dolly was known for making time for people, even at risk of her own health and safety at times.
* These passings stir our emotions in memory or anticipation of deaths closer to us. Loss was not meant to be a part of the life that our Creator intended for us in His original design. Death was not supposed just to be part of life. We may not realize it in the moment, but our heart is resonating with a greater sadness of what life was supposed to be – immortal enjoyment of God.
* Although every life is of equal worth in the eye of the Creator, we may notice the loss as a whole community differently. Their presence was big on earth; the hole left seems enormous. Dolly may have been petite, but she was a big personality and was generous in many ways. That will certainly be felt for some time to come. For some, that hole feels more personal because of other attachments. Perhaps Dolly encouraged, inspired, or helped you through dark times. Maybe God allowed her to be a conduit for His Grace and Mercy in your life.
What now? As with any death, we learn to live with grief. Perhaps, though, we can see in this sadness what God was trying to teach us through someone: He has image-bearers on earth to show us beauty, creativity, and glimpses into His character or even His message (no matter how flawed the individual may have been). He is teaching us about love, and also that loss was not His original plan. But even His created image-bearers have an end date. Hope found in temporal things or beings is…well…temporal. He has an even GREATER Hope and Peace found in Jesus – the One who will never fade or end.
I love to spend time talking with God. I talk to Him throughout the day, when I am driving, walking, sitting on my front porch, and laying in bed. I want to invite Him into my daily life. Obviously, there are places and times when I can connect with God better than in other places. Walking the beach is an easy connection because all the distractions of daily life are removed. When I am going through a tough time or in a stressful moment it is hard to connect with God. Our emotional state can impact our connection.
It’s important to make the connection with God every day. I know…I have had those kinds of days when making that connection feels impossible. I’ve had those days that were so packed with things to do I almost have to remind myself to breath. Where does God fit into those days? How do we find time to connect with God when we don’t have any time to ourselves?
I believe we need to set aside time every day to pray and talk with God. One benefit is we can ask God for guidance on those crazy busy days. God can see our day and He can give us helpful ways to navigate the craziness that is waiting for us. He sees things we can’t. His ways are always higher and better than ours. I know on multiple occasions He has shown me things to do or say that changed things in such a positive way. So taking that time with Him can reduce the stress and make for a better day.
I have heard some people say that God knows everything: our past, present, and future, so if He already knows everything, why bother to pray? I think we pray because God wants to show us His love, kindness, and mercy. If we choose not to pray, not to ask, then we will miss our opportunity to receive His many blessings. We have to remember that He is our Heavenly Father and like the good, good Father that He is, He wants to bless us and meet our needs. He also wants to come alongside us and help us.
Here is another thing that I firmly believe: God sometimes chooses not to give us everything we think we need because He wants to walk with us through the challenges of life. God wants us to know Him as God our helper, healer, provider, and good loving Father. He likes to draw close to us, walk with us, and reveal Himself to us. I believe He allows us to struggle so we will turn to Him in our time of need. That way we will see Him as our Father.
One of our problems with seeing Him as Father comes when He says “no” to our requests. No is not bad because He sees how yes might be a bad thing for us. No can also be a temporary thing, like no for now. God wants us to grow and mature in our faith. That means that we have to learn things like trust, faith, and obedience. Those are tough lessons. The other thing He can do is draw us closer, which is what our Father really desires.
I believe we should express our wants and desires to God. He knows what they are because He knows everything about us. Then we need to walk in faith and trust. Prayer is really about building the most important relationship we will ever work on in our lives. It’s getting to know the heart of God: His deep love, mercy, and compassion. He then wants us to reflect that on the people in our lives. Then they can experience God’s goodness through us.
I want to encourage you to pray, to have a heart-to-heart conversation with God. Express your love, hopes, dreams, wants and needs. After you are done praying for yourself, take some time to lift up the people in your life. Ask God to bless and show His love to them. Ask God to heal and restore them. Ask God to meet their needs. Ask God to save them and their families. Ask God to send His angels to watch over them. Ask God to reveal His goodness and mercy to them. That is what God wants. He wants to draw close to us…all of us! When you pray those things, you are praying God’s heart and His deepest desire for all mankind. God wants us to pray and talk with Him as God, Father, and friend. Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
