I wonder if?

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will  not we fear, though the earth be removed, 

and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”  (Psalm 46:1-2)

Hey Gang:  Is that not a fabulous promise in these days when the dark clouds seem to be gathering all around d us.  We may think the check book or our job or our great saving accounts is our refuge and strength but history has taught us that all of those trappings and they are mere trappings, that a match can remove in a matter of moments.  

I have said on several occasions that one of the very neat times of my life was when I drove a mild truck in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and visited 53 Amish farmers to pick up their milk.  One of my favorite times was rainy days for I would pick up the little people and take them to school in my truck.  During the reaping season I would find boxes of fruit and vegetables and even a cut or two of meat with a note of thanks for caring.

One day, as I was approaching the Yoder farm I noticed black clouds over the place were the barn once stood.  A fire during the night had totally removed the barn and livestock that was housed within and all the machinery.  Pap Yoder was not a young man and replacing this much needed facility, equipment and his lost livestock would certainly be a hardship for he and his bride.

And then I watched the most fantastic outpouring of a whole community take place.  As I neared the farm on the day after the fire I passed a steady stream of buggies, each one pulling a cart with tools and materials.  When I got to the farm, the women folks were preparing breakfast for the coming workers, and several of the local contractors had brought their backhoes and lifts and the initial framing had already begun. 

Within two weeks the Yoder farm was blessed with a beautiful new barn but the Amish community they belonged too and many locals, referred to as “English People” by the Amish brethren where not satisfied to just replace the barn.  The barn yard was filled with horses and cattle and out back neatly parked was Farmer Yoder’s new equipment needed to begin the planting season.

That brings me to the title of this Gramps Morning Thought.  As I thought about Amos Yoder’s tragic fire I wondered if a similar thing happened to someone in our church or local community, if I would see cars and trucks filling the road ways on their way to reach out to a neighbor who 

experienced a tragic event in their lives.

Blessings

Gramps