When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. – Ephesians 4:29
Here we are just a few hours into the weekend and we already have so much good stuff going on!
First was the joy of sharing a lovely meal at the home of our friends Sammy and Angie, where Rebekah and I also enjoyed the privilege of food and fellowship with First Baptist Church pastor John Rosal and his wife Jeanne.
Pastor John and I both arrived in the United States in the 1970’s; both of us were nineteen and – later – we both married Southern women. We just missed overlapping in Pensacola and have finally caught up here in Tarboro.
Our hosts Angie and Sammy recently adopted a new puppy, Bull. I tried to get him to pose for a portrait but he insisted on trying to stick his nose into the camera!
Breaking bread with good people Friday evening was, once again, the epitome of Eastern North Carolina charm and gracious hospitality. Sharing stories, sharing faith, reminding one another that this journey we are taking is part of The Greatest Story Ever Told, living every day as witnesses to the grace and the goodness of God.
Remembering what is true:
It is so easy – too easy – to scan all the latest news articles and to see the incendiary nonsense that is propagated on social media, and to read the biased and sensationalized reports from whatever outlet (left or right) we tend to favor… and to forget that the truth of who we are and of what is possible is most often revealed in the quiet conversations of decent people around dinner tables.
This is my reminder that Americans are, predominantly, people of faith and people of conscience (especially if we care to remember who we were before we got too preoccupied to keep our commitment to God to go to church!),
We are, dare I say, a nation of good people with strong roots who love God and love freedom and love democracy and could – if we tried a little harder – love one another.
Let’s all make the commitment to have more positive, faith-filled, hopeful fellowship and to see ourselves as witnesses to and emissaries of grace and encouragement and mercy and promise.
This is what a good evening with good people reminds me. In love, and because of love – DEREK
