That’s what I would’ve said if a couple of strangers came up to my house and started untying the family beast of burden. I mean, how will we get the firewood home, or take grandma to prayer meeting? You can’t just go around taking people’s donkeys.
“The Lord needs it.”
That’s what Jesus told his friends to say when He sent them to fetch the donkey. Apparently that’s all it took. The owner had no problem sending his valuable property with strangers. He wasn’t promised a great return on his investment. He wasn’t promised the donkey would be brought back fed and watered… or even returned at all.
All he knew was that the Lord needed something he had.
If I had a donkey, I can hear myself reasoning…
“Sorry guys. It’s the only donkey I’ve got. You’re gonna have to find yourself another mode of transportation. I just made the last payment. Had to finance it for six years, but finally it’s all mine.”
“What? The Lord needs it? The Lord has everything. What does He need MY donkey for?”
I’m afraid me and my donkey would’ve missed the Jesus parade… the only one He ever had.
In fact, I think I would’ve missed a lot of things.
I don’t believe I would’ve climbed a tree to get a better look. People would surely laugh at a grown woman in a tree.
I wouldn’t have called Him up for a night time meeting so He could answer my questions. Folks might talk.
I doubt I would have given my lunch to Him when everyone realized it was time to eat and there was no food. What good would my little pitiful sack lunch do?
And I KNOW I would not have stepped out of a perfectly good boat to go traipsing across the water. Who would take such a risk?
Not me.
In fact, everything is just fine the way it is. So Lord, I’m here for You… right here in my cozy house, with plenty to eat, and my nice warm bed, surrounded by things and people I love, with my precious donkey safely tied outside.
There are so many adults who could learn a powerful lesson from a group of teens. Steve Hartman brings you their story in a powerful way. I admire these teens and their coach! Excellent lesson! ENJOY!!!
If you pass by some grocery store aisle end-caps this week, you will likely see products that you may not normally purchase, but many Jewish and Christian households will buy in preparation for the Passover Seder, a feast dating back to the Exodus in the Old Testament.
It is an amazing tradition, first instituted as God prepared the children of Israel for their Exodus from Egypt, and repeated annually. It marks remembrance of the Angel of Death, charged with slaying the firstborn in each home (the 10th plague), passing over households that were marked by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. After this initial Passover, the newly-freed Israelites then witnessed the miracle of the Red Sea splitting to allow them safe passage on dry land, and then drowning the chariot-warriors chasing them from Egypt.
Later, in the book of Joshua, the Jordan River splits, allowing safe passage, this time to enter the promised land. And guess when this happened – 40 years after the parting of the Red Sea and during Passover.
I really took note of that for the first time this year in my Bible reading. As modern American readers, it is easy to dismiss notes about the Jewish calendar because our Gregorian calendar is different, and thus we cannot relate to the timeline. But the longer I study God’s Word, the more these little details seem to pop off the pages.
In both instances, amazing miracles of water splitting to allow safe passage were coupled with Passover – the meal marking deliverance, mercy, and safety.
It recalls to mind another passage from Luke 10:20. The disciples have been sent to towns to proclaim the gospel with sign gifts of healing and Jesus’ power through them to cast out demons. They are in awe that the demons are subject to Him. Jesus’ response is that that is a little thing compared to the reconciliation of humanity with the Almighty God through eternal life in Jesus Christ – their names are written in His book.
Miracles are astounding. That God can execute authority and control over nature is remarkable! He is supernatural! But the greatest miracles are those whose lives have been transformed and reconciled with their Creator through the Sacrificial Lamb of Jesus Christ. I love that both of these water-crossing miracles are paired with the Passover Seder – a reminder of the greater miracle.
The miracle of a spiritual Passover – deliverance, mercy, eternal safety – is available to all. Even Rahab the prostitute, who believed in the God of the Israelites, knew enough to bring her entire family within her home for safety, while leaving out a scarlet cord, as judgment and death passed by her, as promised. God is inclusive in that He invites all, yet He is specific in the way to know His love, shelter, and reconciliation.
Whether we participate in a Seder meal this week, watch The Ten Commandments on television, or read through the Holy Week passages (which include the Last Supper Seder), if we are in Christ, we can rejoice over the personal Passover we have experienced. If you do not know about this personal Passover that brings perfect peace and joy, find a Bible-believing church this Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday to find out more.
A couple of weeks ago we had a strong line of thunderstorms pass through our area. Initially, I thought we got lucky because I didn’t notice any damage. Then I saw something that didn’t look right at the edge of the woods. When I went over for a closer look I saw that a pine tree had fallen. Thankfully, it missed the house, but a branch had hit my storage building.
The branch was leaning on the edge of the building. When I lifted the branch away from the building I noticed that the pine was pressing the branch down. I wanted to move it away from the building but everything I tried only made the pressure worse. After several attempts at moving it in different directions I ended up resting it against the side of the building.
I decided I needed to get my chainsaw and cut off the offending branch. When I made the final cut the branch flew into the air a short distance as the pressure released. I was glad to have it done. I have to clean up the rest of the tree later. I am not in a hurry as it is out of my way.
The next day my back was bothering me. It bothered me for several days. It took me a little while to realize what had caused my pain. I was upset with myself because I should have just cut that limb without trying to lift it off the building. It’s been over a week and my back is still bothering me, although it is feeling a little better.
I used to tell my great aunt that I couldn’t wait until retirement (I was probably about 12 years old at the time) and she used to tell me, “Old age doesn’t come alone.” I didn’t understand. Old age comes with aches and pains and the loss of loved ones. This is NOT an admission that I am getting old! But, I am struggling with pain.
I have noticed it takes longer to recover from things. About a month ago, I woke up with a stiff neck and it took a couple of days to feel better versus a couple of hours. I mentioned my neck and back pain to my sister and she said, “welcome to old age!” I know my great aunt was right, but I don’t want to admit that I am getting older.
Aches and pains are going to come and go and I guess I will experience more of them as time goes by. As I have considered my aches and pains, I have been thinking about Jesus and all that He went through during the week after Palm Sunday, which we will celebrate this week. Palm Sunday is a great celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. While that was a great and exciting day, it was only a few days later that Jesus was condemned to die on the cross.
Have you ever tried to imagine the aches and pains Jesus had in the last day of His life? He was given 39 pain-filled lashings with whips. That beating was the price He paid for our healing. They gave Him a crown of thorns. Ultimately, they crucified Him. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain He felt as they drove those spikes through His hands and feet. While all that physical pain must have been unbearable, I believe the worst pain was being separated from the Father so God could pour out His wrath, the wrath we deserved, on Jesus.
While that is very difficult to write and read…that is the high price Jesus paid so we could be saved from our sins and receive the reward of heaven. Jesus endured the cross because He knew that was the only way to bring salvation to mankind. The hope of spending an eternity with God is available to all mankind as a free gift. All we have to do is receive it.
I want to encourage you to think about what a high price Jesus paid for your salvation and allow that to lead you to a place of thanksgiving before Him. Jesus went to hell so you wouldn’t have to go there. He paid your price in full. We know that Easter is the celebration of His resurrection from the dead. Someday, Jesus will come back for all who call upon His name. I hope you have received this gift and will be at the great reunion in heaven. Jesus endured many aches and pains so we could be with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. Thank you Jesus!
Ecclesiastes 11:6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
There will always be a seed time and a harvest – sowing is a principle that God blesses.
Often we are looking for immediate fruit or dividends, but one does not always know when and how the results come.
We are not to sit around after sowing and do nothing, but to keep diligently working because we are not sure exactly how God will achieve His plans through our sowing or reaping.
Prayer: Holy Spirit help me to stay diligent in sowing and to be glad to give and make sacrifices and also to expect a harvest. Help me to always be diligent and not to idle in any way shape or form. Thank You for Your word. I praise You this morning. Amen.
Initial work is already underway for the new Grant’s Creek Trail in China Grove. Diane Folk and the Rotary Club of China Grove are spearheading and planning the work along with support from the Town of China Grove. Folk said, “We are beginning to construct a walking trail along the Grants Creek sewer line right-of-way from Patterson Street to Kirk Street with connecting trails at Stevens and Harry Street. A stream crossing is included in the project and will be installed with the help of the Town of China Grove Public Works Department.”
Folk plans a community workday on Saturday, March 28, with a 9am start. Work will begin with clearing the connector trails at Stevens and Harry Streets, as well as cleanup of downed trees and branches. Some trash removal is also needed along the trail alignment. Tools to be used would be rakes, shovels, hoes, spades. The main trail has already been mowed and marked with flags, and some limbs have been removed.
Volunteers should park at Community Memorial Park at 412 South Myrtle Avenue and the group will walk down Stevens Street to begin work. Additional parking may be added later. Folk said, “If the volunteers have any of the listed tools, please bring them. Also, everyone should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes and bring gloves.”
Volunteers may stay as long as they wish, but Folk is planning 9am to noon. Water and light snacks will be provided, as will lunch. Rain date will be Saturday April 12th. If anyone has questions, please contact Folk at 330-365-7039.
Currently the trail is about 2.25 miles, but Folk hopes that it will continue farther north in the future. This is the beginning of China Grove’s piece of the Carolina Thread Trail that may at some point extend from Lake Corriher to the northern town limits.
China Grove Parks and Recreation Director Jill Sellers said, “The Town of China Grove is proud to partner with the China Grove Rotary Club on the first phase of a trail network along Grants Creek. Community workdays like this one are a wonderful example of what happens when residents and organizations come together for a common goal. Once complete, this trail has tremendous potential to connect our downtown corridor, existing and future neighborhoods, and Community Memorial Park, giving residents a safe, accessible way to enjoy nature right here in their own backyard. We hope this project inspires even more community involvement as we continue to grow this trail network together.”
Two interesting odds and ends follow. I have mentioned before that Thanksgiving Day races are on the rise, both in participation and number of races. RunSignup.com, the service that most runners register with now,saw a record 1,330,726 participants sign up for 1,056 Turkey Trots across the country, a 20% increase over 2024. At least 48 of the events were new this year while only 10 races that were held in 2024 were not run in 2025. The average race grew 11%, the third straight year of double-digit growth. Approximately $3.2 million was raised for charitable causes. Our Butterball 5K is one of these.
The New York Road Runners are giving entrants to the upcoming NYC Marathon the chance to personalize their race bib, albeit for a cost. Members can have their first name added to the bib for $10, with non-members charged an additional $5. While most races offer this service at no extra charge, the NYRR are adding it as an option on top of the marathon’s $255 registration fee for members and $315 for non-members. With hundreds of dollars required to settle into a hotel room the night before the race, perhaps the $10 bib charge isn’t much in comparison to all the other expenditures runners must make to run in New York City. I ran this race four times, thankfully none of them recently with these prices.
Our next race is the Mount Hope Church 5K and Fun Run on March 28th at Salisbury Community Park. Look for it and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org
Mama was especially thrifty. Not stingy. There’s definitely a difference. Nowadays they call it frugal, cost efficient, or even “green.” Mama was all of those and then some. For example, there was always a half a Q-tip in the Q-tip box. She’d use one end, and the other end would still be clean, so she’d break off the dirty end and pitch it out, saving the clean end for some small task at a later date. I remember daddy saying, “Claudia. If you’re gonna use just half, why not use up some of the halves already in there?” She’d respond with a look that said, “Don’t mess with me!”
She made a chicken pie from scratch with only a small amount of chicken. There were no vegetables for in the pie, so she used sliced boiled eggs instead. We always seemed to have eggs. She made biscuits for on top out of flour, oil and milk. These she placed over a homemade sauce. Baked up golden brown, this was the picture of comfort food. It has always been one of my favorite meals, I think mostly because mama could make something wonderful out of very little.
My junior year in high school, I needed a dress for the Christmas dance. We shopped for the perfect pattern, and picked a silky fabric of purples mingled in a beautiful tie dyed design. She made the long version for the dance then shortened it afterwards so I could wear it to church. I loved that dress. It fit perfectly, and was way prettier than anything I could have found in the department store. Mama helped me to look and feel as special as any girl at the dance, even though times were very hard.
Not too long ago, we had the difficult task of going through her things. She died of a rare disease, and the Lord took her in a matter of only two months. It’s still hard to believe that she’s gone. She was the youngest, strongest, and feistiest seventy-two year old I have ever met, except for maybe my daddy. As we went through her scarves, there was that beautiful purple tie dyed pattern. She had saved the bottom of that dress and made a lovely scarf out of the scraps. What a sweet reminder of my mom, who could always make something very special out of nothing, and who passed that joy down to me.
And yes, I have a dish in the bathroom with Q-tip halves if you ever have the need.
Happy Birthday Mama! I sure do miss you. I miss the fun you always planned for us on holidays, like getting little flags for all the grandchildren on the 4th of July. And your Cherry Yum-Yum made to look like a flag with blueberries in the corner; I laugh when I think of the time our new son-in-law Jeff ate all 50 states in one fell swoop. Or the Halloween you and daddy dressed up like old people and came trick or treating.
I miss how you organized our beach trips and fed about a thousand of us for only $50 per family. I miss being able to call you for advice on sewing or cooking or kids.
I miss hearing you sing with the grandchildren songs like “Two Little Eyes” and “Little Red Box.”
I miss watching your excitement at hiding Easter eggs even when our kids got old enough to turn the hunt into a full contact sport.
I miss going to your house and watching you and daddy banter back and forth until you called out “Seabert!” to him which signaled you had had enough.
I miss getting cards in the mail addressed in your handwriting, knowing you and daddy had laughed so much in the Hallmark store you feared getting kicked out.
I miss hearing you talk about church and the hot dog sales and how much hamburger it takes to make chilli for a hundred.
I’m sorry I can’t bear to visit your grave. But I know you understand. You’re not there anyway. I’ll see you again and we’ll catch up on our visits. I think of you often, especially when I use a permanent marker, or a piece of your Tupperware with Claudia written on the bottom.
I miss your pretty white hair and your beautiful smile and your cute little ball cap with Myrtle Beach on the front. Actually I have it, but I can’t wear it because David mistook me for you one day and nearly had a heart attack. He especially misses you when he makes pancakes like ya’ll used to do together at the beach.
We all miss you mama. Enjoy your day. And know that we love you.
