The Ultimate Miracle

Christmas 2018

What follows is the text of the Christmas Eve "Meditation" I prepared for, and delivered on, Christmas Eve 2018 at the Community Baptist Church in Wappingers Falls, New York.

If you want to LISTEN to the message as it was delivered live, click HERE.

(The following scriptures were read by various readers:)

Reading #1     John 1:1-5, 9-14 (NIV)

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reading #2     Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Reading #3     Matthew 1:18(a) (NIV)

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about:

Reading #4     Luke 2:1-4 (NIV)

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

Reading #5     Luke 2:4-7 (NIV)

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 Reading #6     Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Reading #7     Luke 2:15-20 (NIV)

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

There you have it. The story of Christmas, as told by the original tellers: the Evangelists Matthew, Luke and John. We didn’t consult with Mark because Mark has nothing to say about the birth of Jesus—he begins his story with Jesus already at adulthood and his baptism by John the Baptizer.

According to these witnesses, God did something that had never been done—not before, and not since. It’s what I’m calling “The Ultimate Miracle.”

God became a man. Infinite strength put on weakness. Power became fragile. Mighty became meek.

There’s a line from a Christmas song recorded by The Statler Brothers decades ago that keeps running through my head:

“We always knew men went to heaven, but now God had come to Earth.” (To listen to this song click here:  "Who Do You Think" by the Statler Brothers)

The OT prophets said that it would happen, and that it would happen just this way.

Isaiah said that a virgin would conceive, and give birth to a son, and he would be called “Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” (Isaiah 7:14)

He also described a child to be born, a son to be given, and that his name would be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

The prophet Micah spoke of a place for the Messiah’s birth: Bethlehem Ephrathah. He described the one who would be born there in a curious expression: “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

The King James Version translates it this way: “Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

This baby, born in Bethlehem under unusual circumstances and stressful conditions, was no ordinary baby.

The Christmas story is a sweet story all by itself. It has all the components for a Hallmark Hall of Fame drama:

·    An unlikely mother,

·    an unwilling and uncertain father.

·    An unexpected law requiring an inconvenient journey.

·    An unwelcoming reception in an unprepared village.

·    An uncomfortable accommodation in an unconventional maternity suite.

Doesn’t it just figure that God would do something in just the opposite way that we might expect?

But this story we’ve been reading and singing about is not just a sweet story of the underdog overcoming adversity to live happily ever after!

This was no unfortunate series of events, or a collection of convenient coincidences.

This was God’s Master Plan! It all happened EXACTLY the way He designed it to happen “from of old, from everlasting.”

And it’s not just the remarkable birthing story that is compelling.

A friend posted this on her Facebook wall:

 “The inevitable conclusion of the Christmas cradle is Calvary's cross.”

 The sweet story of the birth of a baby boy in Bethlehem makes for good storytelling. But this is not just a good story to tell. It’s not just a bedtime story to tell our children, or something to show in pageants, to sing about in songs, to smile and nod with bowed heads.

This story is the Saving Story—the story of the Savior who came to live among us and then die for us.

Our response to this story calls for more than smiles and nods of appreciation. Our response to this story must be a broken-hearted, grateful appreciation of the truth. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The sweet baby Jesus is the Savior of all humankind. Do you know Him only as the Baby Boy of Bethlehem, or do you also know Him as the Suffering Servant, your Substitute in Judgment, the Self-Sacrificing Savior? Do you know Him as the Resurrected and ever-living Son of God?

Will you offer Him a gift tonight? What can I give to Jesus? What gift could I present to Him? What do you give someone who owns the Universe?

There is but one thing that God wants, and it is the one thing He will not take unless it is freely offered. He wants you. All of you. Your heart, your body. Your strength. Your affection. Your devotion. Your willing service. Your worship and adoration. Your fellowship. He wants your trust.

I tell you—He is deserving of all of this from you and from me, and more.

If you have never before offered yourself to God as a willing gift, why not now? I tell you from my own experience and from the testimony of a great multitude of those who have gone before us: you will not be sorry that you decided to trust Jesus with your all.

The Ultimate Miracle is still being performed: the Saving of Many Souls alive.

Why not you? Why not now?

Changes in the wind…

Life is full of surprises and near-constant changes. Many of us dread change; we resist it to the best of our ability. I’m no different. I like to feel like I am in control of my life (though of course I realize that I am not!) I’m obsessive about maintaining my calendar and task list. Even so, changes are inevitable.

Take, for example, my day this Tuesday. I began with an early appointment in the office; a pleasant conversation with a man with whom I have recently been cultivating a relationship. Just before sitting down with him, I played a message that had been recorded on the answering machine the afternoon before. That message was an urgent request from a man in our congregation in the hospital to be visited by his pastor. Suddenly, my plan for my day was scrapped, and a new plan began to take shape.

Next week, I will be climbing into the cab of a U-Haul truck and point it southward, leaving Houlton, Maine behind in the rear view mirror and driving to New York. I’ve lived here for a little more than three years (four northern Maine winters, for goodness’ sake!) and that was in itself a great change in my life. These years have been good years. I’ve made many (yes, many!) good friendships. If you know me at all, you may have a good idea how unusual that is for me. Still, it’s true. It is not easy for me to say goodbye to the people I’ve met here.

I’m moving back to New York largely because I’ve been reminded of one of my core values: a commitment to family. Since I’ve lived in Houlton, the number of my grandsons has doubled: from two to four! I’ve gained a daughter-in-law, as well. There have been other dramatic changes in my family in this span of time, including the tragic loss of a nephew.

I’m returning home next week. I’m looking forward to seeing my family far more frequently than the 2-3 times a year I’ve been back over the last 38 months. I’m also returning home to…uncertainty. I’m leaving behind a secure ministry here in Houlton, and will be “unemployed” as of March 1. I do not yet know what God has in store for me there. I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen, “I’ve got both feet firmly planted in mid-air.” We are trusting God for the “next.” There are a few ideas, and some hopes in the mix.

Until something else comes along, I’m going to try to do some more writing. I’m saying that now because you may notice that this blog, which has been extremely inactive in recent years, may start to get busy again. If you read something I’ve written and like it, please post a comment. If you don’t like it, you can post that, too. At least it will demonstrate that you read it and thought about it, and that will be an encouragement.

There will be more to come, I hope. If you’re inclined to pray, and are even more inclined to pray for me, I’ll be very grateful.

Sincerely,

The Scrawling Shepherd

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Winter 2017 Article for The Broadcaster

The following article was originally written for publication in The Broadcaster, the church newsletter for First Baptist Church in Houlton, Maine, in the Winter 2017 issue. It is copied here in full.

The Shepherd’s Scrawl

Winter 2017

Here we are, firmly in the grip of yet another frigid northern Maine winter. The busy-ness and excitement of the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, which kept us on the edge of our seats (and calendars) for the early weeks of winter have given way to the grim endurance of January and February. The daily routine of sub-freezing temperatures, gray, overcast skies, dirty snowbanks and pitted ice in our driveways and sidewalks can leave us discouraged.

On top of all of that, our country has been rattled by a devilishly contentious presidential campaign, a shocking outcome to the election, and weeks of angry protests culminating in the inauguration of our 45^th President, to the accompaniment of discordant celebrating and rioting.

All of this may leave us (many of us!) discouraged, disillusioned, doubting whether our country, or we ourselves, will make it through any and all of this. This past week in one of our Bible studies, a question was asked, not in these exact words, but in so many words: “Is there a word from the Lord for us today?”

Is there a word from the Lord for us? Is God aware? Has God turned away? Has He given up on us? Has He written America off? Has He thrown up His hands in disgust? Could God really say “Well, if you don’t want Me in your schools, and you don’t want Me in your halls of government, and you barely acknowledge Me even in My own houses of worship, then I’ll just leave you to it.” Would it really be that easy to get rid of God? Could we simply wish Him away? If we ignore Him long enough, will He go away? If we don’t believe in Him any longer, will He cease to exist?

Someone once said (maybe you’ve heard this before!): “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” It’s a good statement, but there’s a clause in it that is unnecessary. Let’s clean it up a little: “God said it. That settles it.” In other words, God IS, and whether all of us believe, or none of us believe, it does not change that fact.

The day after the Presidential Inauguration, I wrote this and posted it on Facebook: “Yesterday my President was named Barack Obama. Today, my President is named Donald Trump. That has changed. But I am the same person today as I was yesterday, and the One I follow, the One I trust, has not changed. My hope is in the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and He does not change. Promises He has made are not broken, but kept.”

Along with that thought, I shared a link to a song, “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”, written by Ira Stanphill and performed by the Isaacs. It’s not a new song, but I love the Isaacs’ performance of the song, and I especially like the lyrics:

I don't know about tomorrow
I just live for day to day
I don't borrow from the sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray

I don't worry o'er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I'll walk beside Him
For He knows what lies ahead

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

Ev'ry step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined

There the sun is always shining
There no tear will dim the eye
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

If the weather has you down, or if the unrest in our country has you anxious, remember this: God holds your today and your tomorrow in His strong and loving Hand.

Jesus said in John 10:27-29:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

I am very, very thankful for the sense of safety that statement brings to me.

In His Grip,

Dennis Ashley

The Scrawling Shepherd

The Miracle at Molinito

Here's a single incident from my recent missions trip to the Dominican Republic in January 2016. You can read more about my trip HERE: 2016 Dominican Republic Missions Trip

On Saturday, the last work day of our trip, we were working on installing a solar panel in the new church at the batey (small settlement) which would collect sunlight and convert it to electricity, which would charge two automobile batteries mounted inside the church. The batteries would then connect to the light fixtures to provide light for evening services.

The solar panel installed on the roof of the Molinito chapel

A local electrician was working along with Pastor Steve Straubel from the Littleton United Baptist Church to do this work. Having finished the work I was doing, I joined this small team to offer whatever minor assistance I could. We worked to mount a metal rack to the wall to support the two batteries, while the electrician continued to run the wiring for the solar panel and the light fixtures.

One thing everyone forgot was that the solar panel would charge the batteries, that is 12 volt Direct Current (DC) power, like a car's electrical system. But the light fixtures operate on 110 volt, Alternating Current (AC) power, like the electricity in your house. There is a device called an Inverter which converts 12 volt DC to 110 volt AC power.

We needed that inverter device, but no one remembered that or realized it was needed until we were ready to connect everything. Once we saw that we needed another component we were all discouraged that we would not be able to finish the project that day, and that Pastor Tanis would have to return to town to try to find an inverter for sale, or order one. And they are not inexpensive, so there would be another large expense to consider.

Some of the men from the Molinito batey watching our work

We stopped then to eat lunch, and while we were eating, a man walked into the church carrying a cardboard box. We thought at first that he was bringing some fruit or something to offer us.

When he set the box down and we opened it, we were amazed to see that it was a brand new power inverter.

How it came to be out there none of us knows. Our electrician started to connect it to test it and it did not work at first. But he studied it, changed a couple of connections on the device, and it worked perfectly.

We were able to mount, install, and connect everything so that by the time we finished, there was reliable electric power at the church. Praise the Lord! 

The white box is the inverter; the two batteries are ready to be connected

On Sunday night, Pastor Tanis said that this was one way in which God was showing us that He was pleased with the work that was being done. We all agreed that it was nothing less than a miracle.

If we had remembered the inverter in time to purchase one and take it to the batey with us, we could have finished the project in the same way, and then stood back, admiring the result, and thought: “There! Look what we did here today!” And maybe that would have been fine.

Instead, we stood back at the end of the day, admiring the result, and thinking and saying: “Wow! Look at what God just did!”

And that is FAR better!

Reported by Dennis Ashley, the Scrawling (and temporarily Wandering) Shepherd

2016 Missions Trip to the Dominican Republic

The Shepherd’s Scrawl

February, 2016

I have just returned from an eleven day missions trip to the Dominican Republic

Some remarkable things stand out to me as I think back over my time in the Dominican Republic. The first lesson learned happened more than a week before my trip began. Kelly (my wife, in case you, reader, don’t know me well) and I went to New York immediately after our church’s Christmas Eve service to spend Christmas with our three sons Derrin, Ryan, and Matthew, our daughter-in-law Katrina, our daughter-in-law-elect Liz, and our son Ryan’s girlfriend Kristin, and our grandboys Eli and Will. Eli gave me a very special Christmas gift that he made himself: a nasty cold, complete with ear infection that took away most of the hearing in my right ear.

I realized that I would leave the United States in a physically weakened condition—not how I would choose to begin my first-ever missions trip! Still, God reminded me of His reassuring words to the Apostle Paul, as recounted to us in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)—“But he [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

It was helpful that part of our team included doctors, nurses, and a pharmacist. Once we arrived at our destination, one of the doctors looked in my ear and declared that the infection had cleared up. As a precaution, he prescribed an additional 7 days of antibiotics, which our pharmacist was able to provide. This professional opinion reinforced my confidence that I would most likely survive the 11 days out of country, and I was able to set aside any concerns about my health, though my impaired hearing continued to be a source of annoyance. Even so, the reminder that I was going on this trip NOT in my own strength and ability, but in the power of God’s Spirit, did and does fill me with confidence and hope that God can, will, and does accomplish His good purpose and will FOR me, IN me, TO me, and THROUGH me.

While in the Dominican Republic, I was given three major responsibilities:

General construction laborer: having worked in construction and carpentry about three decades ago, I claimed to be qualified for (a) demolition—my specialty, and (b) unskilled but willing labor. I declared myself available and willing to do anything I was asked or instructed to do, to the best of my ability and without grumbling or complaining. I ended up spending 5 of the 6 working days on finishing a roof over a large concrete cistern. In this case, a block-shaped structure approximately 12 feet high, 22 feet wide and 18 feet long. The rafters were already in place when we arrived. Our team secured the rafters to the concrete walls with “hurricane straps” bolted into the concrete and secured to the wooden rafters. We then added 1x4” wooden strips to fasten the corrugated steel roofing. Finally, we secured the metal roofing itself. Sounds simple, right? It took 4 ½ days to complete, due to (a) unskilled labor and (b) daily trips to buy (or scrounge) additional materials. Along the way, we added “fancy” doors (plywood sheets with hinges and coiled spring closers) to replace the simple sheets covering the openings to the outside toilets for the new church at the Molinito batey. As a break, I got to operate heavy equipment one day. In this case, the heavy equipment was a shovel and wheelbarrow—equipment I am qualified to operate. We moved a large pile of dirt, and then a larger pile of crushed stone, to finish off the garden in front of the church building, where previously the rains would leave the garden a sea of mud.

Preparing the cistern roof for the corrugated metal roofing

The "Fancy" doors on the Privy

Roofing nearly complete; we needed just two more sheets of metal roof to finish!

Finished with mismatched scrap piece of roofing... not pretty but serviceable

Moving dirt...

...and crushed stone (gravel)...

...to finish the front garden of the church.

Before I leave this topic, I want to mention that it was during our final day of construction on Saturday that we witnessed a MIRACLE, which I am calling "The Miracle at Molinito". You can read more about that HERE.

2     Preaching and teaching: Pastor Steve Straubel and I were called on to preach in 5 of the 6 church services held during the time we were there. Additionally, we were asked to give testimonies and teach the Bible at the Saturday night Youth Meeting each of the two Saturdays we were there. Finally, I presented a workshop to the leaders of the church there on the second Sunday afternoon. It was an interesting experience to preach or teach through an interpreter. Professional tip: it takes twice as long to speak when everything is spoken twice!

Dennis with Pastor Tanis interpreting

Dennis with Fortune Brevil interpreting at the youth meeting

      

          I was assigned to lead a nightly “wrap-up” session with the various members of our team. Our team was made up of 30 different people, the majority of whom were a medical team of doctors, nurses, a pharmacist, and some assistants who conducted medical clinics in different communities each day. In addition to this and a few of us doing various construction and maintenance work, we also had some who taught Art classes in the school, two artists who worked on specific artwork for the church, two young women who volunteered to work in the school for 6 months, teaching English and helping in the youngest classes, and a photographer/videographer. With so many different people working in different places and doing different things, it was helpful and encouraging to give people an opportunity to talk about what they had done, who they had met, and how they experienced being an instrument in God’s hands.

  

The entire team, with Pastor Tanis and Esther Derolus at the far left

 The most important lesson I learned on this trip was not a NEW lesson, but definitely a NEW emphasis. When it comes right down to it, it did not matter what task I was given, whether I built anything, or taught anything, or saw anything. God’s work is not about building buildings, establishing organizations, or staying busy doing things. God’s focus is, and always has been, on PEOPLE. ALL people everywhere, and EVERY person, EACH person, uniquely and individually. Whether the people I encountered on this trip were familiar to me (only one person I interacted with on this trip is someone I have known for at least one year, and nobody that I knew just 18 months ago) or whether I just met them for the first time; whether they live in Maine, or Pennsylvania, or Georgia, Virginia, New York, Michigan or Florida; whether their native language is English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole; no matter their education or profession or age or economic status. Each person is a unique creation of God and the object of His determined affection.

One day as I was working—it happened to be the shovel & wheelbarrow day, since my body was fully engaged in the work but my mind was free to work on other things—I began translating in my head the words of the chorus I learned to sing as a child: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world.” My translation into Spanish was flawed, of course. One of our translators helped me to get it right. But the idea behind this simple song is true. It has always been true. And it will continue to be true, for God is not going anywhere, and He is not going to change His views.

When I left Las Colinas, San Pedro de Macoris, and the Dominican Republic behind, I was already thinking about and planning for my NEXT trip. The new friends I met and relationships begun need to be nurtured now. A “strategic ministry partnership” has been established, but it will need to be developed, maintained, enhanced. This was not, I hope and believe, a “one and done, bless and run” experience.

A word of thanks to all my family and friends who prayed for me, supported me financially with your donations and gifts, and encouraged me along the way. You have made a difference IN my life, and I am truly grateful.

Dennis Ashley, the Scrawling (and, for a little while, Wandering) Shepherd

Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and a Word from the Lord

This weekend Kelly and I drove to Bar Harbor, Maine to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park with Kelly's mother Marjorie and Marjorie's husband Bud. We had a great time walking downtown Bar Harbor, eating dinner at the Fish House Grill, and then seeing the highlights of Acadia National Park again: the Visitors Center with the video about the Park, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain, and the Jordan Pond House for Popovers with butter and strawberry jam.

Sounds nice, right? Two years ago this week we visited Acadia National Park, and the state of Maine, for the first time. We were with my brother Don and his wife Grayce. They were celebrating milestone birthdays and wanted to visit Maine; they invited us to join them. This has become something we've done together a few times recently: a shared vacation to celebrate one of our birthdays. Previously we've visited Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, PA.

On that trip to Acadia National Park, Kelly and I agreed that there was much more to see than a single day permitted, and that someday we'd like to return. Remember that for a minute, please.

One year ago this week, we DID return to Maine, though not to Acadia National Park. On this weekend last year, Kelly and I visited Houlton, Maine for the first time to meet with the Pastoral Search Committee at the First Baptist Church of Houlton. We were invited to preach at the nearby New Limerick Free Will Baptist Church to allow the Search Committee to "see me in action" without introducing me to the whole congregation prematurely.

As most who might read this article (if anyone DOES read this article!) already know, the Search Committee recommended us to the congregation, and we returned in October last year (Columbus Day Weekend) to officially candidate. I moved here permanently on January 1, and Kelly arrived permanently in early April.

Let me now circle back to Acadia National Park this weekend. This was now our THIRD visit to Acadia National Park. We still feel the same way as we did two years ago. We've shown the park now to Kelly's brother Mike and his wife Kym, besides Marjorie and Bud. We're eager to explore more of this wonderful Park, and share it with other of our family and friends who come to visit.

Here's the reason for this article, though. As I was looking around yesterday and describing these wonderful places to my in-laws, I suddenly had a thought I had not previously considered. I imagined my conversation with Kelly from the point of view of God our Heavenly Father, listening in on our thoughts. As we talked excitedly about how much we liked this place and how we looked forward to returning "some day" to see it again and see more of it, I thought of God, looking over us lovingly and saying, 

"Oh, I KNEW you would love this place! It's one of My favorites too! And just wait until I show you what I am getting ready to do in your lives! If you think THIS place is awesome, just wait until I show you what's coming next!" 

Of course, I don't know for sure if that's what God said. He didn't say it out loud where you might have overheard it. It's just something quiet He put into my thoughts, the way He most often does when He has something to say to me. But oh, man, when I hear from Him...! How great it is to know that God loves me, personally, and how He does enjoy a good surprise!

The Letter That Changed My Life

This morning I was asked a question in an internet-based community I belong to: "Talk about a memorable piece of mail you've received." 

The letter that immediately came to mind was a letter I received in April 1979 that changed the course of my life forever--for the better.

In the spring of 1979 I was a senior in High School and about to graduate. I had planned my life and career after high school very carefully. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had been working for over a year by that time to earn an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. I had chosen the Coast Guard Academy for one reason and one reason only: of all the service/military academies, only the Coast Guard Academy did not require a congressional appointment. Since we had no political connections, I believed that the Coast Guard Academy was my best chance into the commissioned officer corps of the United States Uniformed Services.

However, the Coast Guard Academy is also the smallest, by far, of the academies, with just 300 new appointments each year. I had made it through every test and challenge and had been notified that I was a finalist for an appointment. There were 3,000 finalists across the country for just 300 openings. All 3,000 finalists were qualified; it would come down to a selection board.

In April 1979, while my senior class was on their way to Washington, DC, for their class trip, I was heading in another direction. As an early graduation gift, my parents had purchased for me a one-way bus ticket from Binghamton, NY, to Gridley, IL, where my older brother Don and his wife and family were serving God as a Youth Pastor. I was to spend a week with them, and at the same time he had arranged for me to work on a local pig and soybean farm to earn enough money to purchase a plane ticket home.

On the morning I was to board the bus, my mother drove me to Binghamton. On our way out of town, we stopped at the post office to pick up our mail. I ran in to get the mail while my mom waited in the car. The long awaited letter from the Coast Guard Academy was there! I ran back to the car and jumped in. My mother encouraged me to open the letter already! I tore open the envelope with great excitement and began to read..."We regret to inform you that you have not been selected..."

I don't remember reading the rest of the letter. I will confess now that my eyes filled with tears as in that instant my entire life's plan came crashing to earth. I had been so confident of the success of this plan that I had not considered any other options at all. I was now an aimless high school student 3 months away from graduation and...nothing beyond it.

Determined to carry through with the plan for the bus trip, we drove, mostly in silence, the 30 minutes to the bus station. I mumbled words of thanks and good bye to my mother, who, I am sure, wanted to comfort and encourage me, but I was having none of it.

I boarded the bus and walked to a seat near the back. The bus was half empty so it was easy to choose a seat by a window, and put my book bag in the seat next to me to discourage any other passenger from sitting down. I did NOT want to talk to anyone! I would spend the next 24 hours on that bus, all alone with my thoughts. That was just the way I wanted it.

EXCEPT...I was not left alone. Shortly after the bus left the station, Someone sat down in the seat next to me. Now, if you had been on that bus, and had happened to look toward the rear, you may have seen me, sitting all alone with my head against the window. But I was not alone. As crazy as this might sound to you, reader, the Lord Jesus Christ sat down on the bus next to me and began to talk quietly to me. Not one for small talk, He came right to the point:

"Dennis, why are you crying? Why are you so upset?"

I was less respectful than I might have been on any other day. "Lord, You KNOW why I'm upset!"

"Tell me anyway, Dennis." He was gentle but insistent.

"My plans are ruined." I complained.

"Yes, I do know that, Dennis."

"Well, then, Lord, why did that happen? You know how much I wanted this."

"Yes, Dennis, I know how much you wanted it. But I have a question for you."

"What is your question?" 

So gently He asked me. There was no accusation. No recrimination. Just..."Dennis, why did you never ask Me what I thought about your plan?"

There it was. Just like that I realized how proud, how selfish, how arrogant I had been. I should have known better. But He was right. Of course He was right! I had never, in over a year of planning, testing, training, I had not prayed about this decision, nor did I ever say, "Thy will be done on earth..."

And I knew what I had to do. I had to ask. So I started to respond to Jesus. But He was gone. He was not there in the seat next to me any more. I had another 23 hours to go on that bus, but now I had a new thought to occupy my mind.

That next night, after my brother picked me up at the bus station, we went to his church. It happened to be Good Friday, and they had a church service. Afterward, we stood in the foyer of the church, and Don was introducing me to people. One man asked me the dreaded question: "So what are you going to do after you graduate?"

Gulp! Swallow back the tears, Dennis. I opened my mouth to answer him. "I don't know for sure, but I haven't ruled out going into the ministry." 

To this day, I cannot say where these words came from, but as soon as they passed my lips, I knew what God wanted. I had my call to the ministry. It wasn't completely clear at that moment what it meant, but I had a direction.

Within weeks, God opened doors that had appeared closed, and I had a conditional acceptance at Philadelphia College of Bible to begin studies in the fall of 1979. The rest, as it has been said too often, is history.

Postscript: six years later, God gave me back what He had taken from me, and I was able to enter military service and serve my country in the United States Army. God has NEVER taken anything away from me, or asked me to give up, that He has not replaced with something FAR BETTER!

It has been 36 years since that bus ride, and I have never forgotten it, nor have I regretted receiving that letter of rejection.