Lenoir City, TN

Worship With us At DLBC This Coming Sunday, November 23, 2008:
    8:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M.- "DOES GOD CARE?"- ESTHER 2:1-18
     6:00 P.M.- ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FELLOWSHIP DINNER


From The PULPIT To The PEW....

    The Apostle Paul writes, in Philippians 3:13, "Forgetting what is
behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal...."

    Two monks were once traveling from one mission to another.  After miles
of dry, dusty roads, they came to a river.  Beside the river sat a young
woman.  She told them she desperately needed to get to the other side, but
she was afraid of the current, and she did not know how to swim.  She
pleaded with the two holy men to help her to the other side.  One of the
monks kept his head bowed, walked into the water, and waded quickly to the
other side.  The other monk picked up the woman, lifted her up onto his
shoulders, and transported her across the river.  He then carefully put her
down on the other side.  She thanked him, then promptly went her way across
the countryside.

    As the monks continued their journey, there was total silence between
them.  The monk who had declined to help the woman was sullen and
preoccupied.  Unable to hold his silence any longer, he spoke out.
"Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women,
but you picked up that woman, put her on your shoulders, and carried her!"
"Brother", the second monk replied, "I then placed her down on the other
side, BUT YOU ARE STILL CARRYING HER!"

    Life often presents us with unexpected choices.  Each morning, as we
begin our day's journey, we have no idea what we will encounter along the
road.  And, what a valuable lesson about life we can learn from the story of
these two monks.  When life presents us with unexpected circumstances, we
need to make the best choice we can, and then, whether that choice was good
or bad, leave it beside the road and go on with our journey.  Whether the
choice was right or not, we accomplish nothing by rehashing or replaying it
over and over and over in our mind.  Just leave it beside the road...and
move on.

    Today I am praying that I (and we) will learn the lesson of doing the
best I can, no matter the situation, and then going on with my journey,
unburdened by the need to carry the problem with me rather than leave it
beside the road so i can travel to my destination with peace in my heart.


    I look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday.

    Blessings.


                                                   -BROTHER JIM