Faith, then Prayer

by   January 2, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

I received word before Christmas that a special friend of mine had been exposed to COVID. I prayed and prayed that she would not get it. When the phone rang the other day and I heard my friend’s voice, I just knew that she had it. But she reassured me that she did not. She had called to tell me that a very special couple in her life had tested positive for COVID.

            The couple in question both seemed to have bad cases. The husband had all the common symptoms you hear about and felt lousy. The wife was in the hospital and her health was declining. She was doing so poorly that they decided that she needed to go on a ventilator. My friend was beside herself because she feared the worst. She asked me to pray.

            After talking about their situation for a few minutes I decided it would be good if we prayed together. My friend liked the idea. Then I heard her say that if this woman is put on a ventilator it will be hopeless. I said, “Wait a minute, we can’t start praying if we think it is hopeless.” My friend painted a bleak picture of this person’s condition.

            I told her that we can’t pray if we believe it is hopeless. We have to believe that God is bigger than COVID. We have to believe that God can change impossible circumstances. My friend knows that God can work wonders when the odds are against Him. It only took a moment to stir her faith and then we prayed in unity.

            When we finished praying my friend was encouraged. She asked if I would do her a favor. I have a hard time saying no. Then she asked if I would call the husband and pray with him. I tried to wiggle out of it. I never know what to say to a person who is struggling or suffering a loss, but my friend pressed the issue, and I agreed.

            I waited before I called. We know each other, but I haven’t seen him in quite a few years. When I reached him we talked about his own case of COVID. Then I told him that our mutual friend requested that I call and pray with him about his wife’s condition.

            His response surprised me. He said he was rejoicing. I asked him to explain. He said that they were just about to put his wife on the ventilator when suddenly she began to improve. They gave it a few minutes and she improved some more. He called to check on his wife about that time and they said that she didn’t need a ventilator. They were going to give her some oxygen and some other treatments. Then they let him talk with his wife. She reported that the pain had departed. She was very weak, but her spirits had improved.

            When I called my friend to report the dramatic improvement, she was amazed. It’s been a few days since all this happened, but this couple is slowly beginning to improve. There have been some hills and valleys along the way, but the general trend is better. I wish I could report a miraculous recovery, but due to the severity of the case, we are glad to report improvement. We all know that prayer changes circumstances.

            I am reminded of what an old pastor of mine used to tell us. You can’t begin prayer filled with doubt. We have to believe that God is bigger and greater than the way things appear. I have two good friends whose hearts stopped beating for over ten minutes, but through prayer and the hard work of the EMS staff, they survived. Both of these people, through many prayers by many folks, have returned to full and normal lives. As I said, nothing is impossible with God.

            I want to encourage you to remember that doctors have a say in our health, but they do not have the final say. No matter the circumstances that you face in any area of your life, God is bigger and can change the outcome. You have to stir your faith in a God who is bigger than the circumstance. A huge mountain is simply a bump in the road for God. I believe God hears our prayers, and I expect He will answer us because He loves His children. It often requires persistence, but if we mix it with hope and faith, I believe we will experience God’s goodness and favor.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Kanipe Needs to Run

by   December 28, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I listened to Jerry Kanipe talking one morning, just before the Ed Dupree 5K was about to start. He told Luann Fesperman why he needed to run and I thought his answers seemed much like mine, and probably similar to a lot of other long time runners. Jerry is 74 and a fixture around local racing. I wanted to know more about his history and got some great information this week.

Jerry said, “I started running in the ’70s. I was a smoker back then and decided to quit and become more fit. I found out that when I ran, I got the same relaxed feeling that smoking had given me, so I chose to continue running.” He has had periods of injuries and illnesses when he couldn’t run, including hernia surgery a few years back and a recent kidney stone episode. Plantar fasciitis kept him from running for two years, and about the time that was under control, Jerry was diagnosed with A-Fib, which various medications did not help. Two heart procedures, both in 2018, have kept it under control.

After that long absence from running, Jerry found that he had to start over from scratch. He said, “I was overweight and short of breath. Running got me back on the right track. I still have aches and pains now and then at my age and have to take short breaks, but try to run as often as I can. I have discovered during these interruptions that running is just as important for my mental health as my physical health. When I don’t get to run, I can get “down in the dumps” and antsy. My wife calls it irritable!”

Jerry says that one of the most enjoyable parts of running is going to the races. He continued, “Not because I like to compete, but for other reasons.  First, the races are a fundraiser for a good cause and I enjoy being around a group of like-minded people. No one has to explain why they are there and why they are running — everyone has their own reasons why they like to run. I especially like to watch the faces of the kids in the fun runs.”

While his only goals in running these days are to stay injury free and just to keep going, Jerry looks deeper for why running works for him. He said, “I am not a fast runner, but I feel very blessed and grateful to be able to put on my running shoes and spend time out in nature. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, I head to the East Rowan Y to the indoor running track. I have a grandson who is active in high school sports and he occasionally runs with me, which is a joy in itself.”

And finally, maybe the best reason of all, Jerry said, “I also receive a lot of encouragement and support from my wife Linda, who likes me better when I’m able to run!”

A lot has happened recently with upcoming races. The Resolution 5K is now set for Salisbury Community Park at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1. The race benefits Rowan Helping Ministries, but it is also a great low-cost way to challenge yourself declare that 2021 will be better new year. Entry is just $10 or $5 and 3 canned goods. With that, all runners and walkers will get an accurate course, a recorded time and results posted online. There will be plenty of refreshments and everybody gets a left over, but still new, race T-shirt. Come challenge yourself, then go home with a jump start on the year.

The 2021 New Sarum Brewing 38th Annual Winter Flight 8K/5K and Fun Run is going to happen, but at press time, it looks like one of the Southeast’s best known races is headed for Millbridge Ruritans/Sloan Park area. Meredith Abramson’s fabulous hoodie already has people excited and we hope for another fantastic year for the oldest and largest race in the area, also benefiting Rowan Helping Ministries. Find for more information at salisburyrowanrunners.org .

The Most High

by   December 28, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

It was a battle that had gone on way too long.

It had intensified.

Immediate victory was needed.

There was no way to win the battle on my own.

So, I tried one of my favorite strategies — I opened my Bible to a random page and immediately saw this verse from 2 Corinthians 2:11 — “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

I had definitely not seen that verse in a while. I suppose it was not random — for Satan had been trying to get an advantage, but I was not ignorant of his devices!

I stood still for a minute. I listened.

The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit: Ann, you have a higher power.

I felt the words seep into my soul, and I actually looked around to see who said them.

But I knew — the Lord was reminding me.

Not only did I have a higher power — I had the most high power.

Psalm 7:17 says, “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the Lord most high.”

Psalm 91:9 says, “he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 83:18 says, “he alone is the most high over all the earth.”

I heard it clearly.

I knew where my help would come from.

I called on the name of Jesus.

Did my battle end immediately? No.

But — my higher power — the most high power — was fighting it for me.

All I had to do was hold my peace.

Jesus was born in a lowly manger, died on a lonely cross, rose again, and split the skies wide open with his glory, as his majesty was illuminated and he ascended into heaven from that lofty mountain, and he did that for you and me.

The most high power — that’s our higher power — all the way from earth to glory.

Later, I read a different version of 2 Corinthians 2:11 that made me smile: “Satan will not outsmart us. For we know his evil schemes.”

We win! For we have the most high.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

Perspective

by   December 26, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            As I sit down to write we are just a few days away from Christmas. You are now just on the other side of Christmas. I am in the anticipation state, while you have already experienced it. Our perspective on any event depends on where and when we look at the event. Our perspective can also be impacted by our past experiences.

            Our perspective on 2020 from December 31 of last year is very different from our perspective on it today. We have experienced the year and can now look back on the good and the bad. Most of us could never have imagined the impact that this virus has had on our lives. If you had told me that I would be wearing a mask in public I would have told you that you were crazy.

            I try to enter every year with a degree of hope. People who know me will tell you that I try to always find the good, even in difficult moments. It didn’t take long for that hope to get crushed as 2020 began to unfold. There have been health issues and concerns throughout my whole family and they continue to challenge us.

            Even in the midst of all the health problems of 2020, I think there are some positive things that have happened. Many families have grown closer together. At some point it was forced upon us when we were under lockdown orders. Many people have made efforts to connect or reconnect with family and loved ones.

            If we weren’t able to gather together, we made more efforts to touch base through calls, emails, and video chats. These were not ideal situations, but we made the efforts to stay in touch and to check on each other. Life has a way of getting busy and it is easy to allow ourselves to drift apart. I think COVID has reminded us of the need to stay in touch.

            I have heard that some people have reconnected with their faith because of COVID. Sadly, many churches have closed because we can’t have large group gatherings. Maybe we need to remember what Jesus said, that where two or three are gathered He is right there with us. Gathering as a church is very important for our spiritual health, but we can encourage and challenge each other to a deeper walk with God when 2 or 3 gather together, too. When churches can re-open again, we will all have to encourage each other to reconnect.

            Our perspective on God is highly influenced by the circumstances of our lives. I have seen many high school girls raise children on their own. I can easily imagine that those children would grow up thinking that God is distant. He doesn’t care about our daily needs. While I know that is not the truth, experience has taught these children that their earthly father was distant so their Heavenly Father must be, too.

            If your dad or mom was harsh, cruel, or abusive, then you may believe that God is the same way. If you were lucky enough to have great parents, then it is easier for you to imagine that you have a good, good Father in heaven. If you grew up in a church, your image of God could be influenced by your childhood pastor and Sunday school teachers.  

            The truth is the Bible tells us that we have a good, good Father who loves us. He knows every detail of your life and He loves you AND likes you, too. He knows what you are up against right now and he cares about your situation. He believes the best about you because He created you. He is actively planning a great future for you. He knows there will be good days and bad days, and is already planning to send you the help you need.

            We need to examine our perspective on God. He is the savior born in a manger for you and me, but He is also the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The entire universe is under His control. There is no detail of life that escapes His notice.

            I want to encourage you to re-examine your perspective of God. Are you allowing your experiences to shape how you see God? I challenge you to consider what God says about Himself in the Bible. He is loving, kind, merciful, forgiving, and a good, good Father. No one truly knows all about God. We can all learn more through God’s Word. I believe that will help give you a fresh perspective on the positive possibilities and the hope for 2021.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Just a Paperback Copy

by   December 25, 2020 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

One advantage for me during the pandemic is that there is more time for reading. While it is true that I, as a retired person, did  not have the pressures of a job and young family before the pandemic, there was time for outside activities, such as church and meals in restaurants. The pandemic has caused those activities and others to be curtailed, so more reading has filled the slot.

One day this past week, I decided to re-read A Month in the Country, the delightful and powerful novel by J.L. Carr. The author states in the foreword that he was trying to write  “a rural idyll along the lines of Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree.” Carr accomplishes that and more in his story of Tom Birkin’s brief time in a remote Yorkshire village after the Great War as he restores a church painting depicting the apocalypse and his own re-healing seen through his eyes years hence.

In 2000 or so a fellow teacher recommended Carr’s short novel, and since then I have read it several times, given copies as gifts to fellow teachers and friends, and even owned a signed first edition. However, I gave that copy to my friend Druin who lives near Oxford, England. I had introduced Druin to Carr one summer while working in Pembroke College, and he is the one who pilfered my copy of The First Saturday in May, Carr’s nostalgic remembrance of a cricket match in 1936. Over the years, every time I mentioned First Saturday, Druin admitted his taking of the book while refusing to return it; so when my wife and I visited him and his family in 2010, I decided since he had one he might as well have the other, so I gave him my signed first edition of Month-one pilfered, one gifted.

Another friend that I shared Carr with was Joy, a lady and poet who I worked with at NCS for ten years. She was quite a literary person who enjoyed a strong poem, a well-crafted story, and chocolate. She was my best editor until her death, at age 90, in January 2020. (I often think that her death from heart failure was a foretelling of the dreadful year to follow.) Years ago I had introduced Joy and Druin via email and read many of their literary discussions with awe. One, a writer in Northwest DC and the other in Oxford, England, both sharing their delight in writers such as Carr and many more. Druin and I enjoyed Joy’s pleasure when she received, unannounced, a copy of Druin’s latest book, The Shape of Things to Come.

Now here I was removing the thin paperback from a bookshelf before I settled in to read a bit before the urge to nap took control. But I quickly became puzzled  by what I saw on the insider page when I opened the book,  However, the puzzlement soon evolved into a pleasing appreciation for life’s unannounced moments.  In the upper right-hand corner was a pasted label with Joy’s full name and address. A neat, diagonal line crossed through the label and below it in Joy’s neat hand was written: “From Roger B. 2/14/01” but below that line was written: “To Roger B. 9/23/15.” I had given her this copy of Month not long after I had “discovered” it, and she returned it for some reason fourteen years later. I flipped through the book and noticed pencil highlights that I had made during some reading but stuck between pages 22 and 23 was a bright colored piece of paper on which Joy had written these words from the novel: “And, at such a time, for a few of us there will always be a tugging at the heart, knowing a precious moment gone and we not there.”

I am writing this on Christmas Eve afternoon and wondering at how good literature and good friends intertwine in our lives. This past year, such a difficult one that has been full of toil and trouble and death, is also the one of Joy’s death. But the lines she copied onto that sheet of paper tell much about her and all of us. James, the brother of Jesus,  writes, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

I did not nap, but instead placed Joy’s copy of Month beside my signed copy of Carr’s What Hetty Did in the class bookcase.. No longer will the small paperback sit on the shelf for reading copies.  Once in her last year, Joy told me that she was having too much fun living to die. That was all! No fear of death. No tugs of her heart.  Just a recognition and appreciation for life’s “precious moments.”

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