Expiration Date

 

It was a Tuesday during a thunderstorm on a hot August day, or so I am told. I imagine the sky was dark and restless, the air heavy with summer heat, and the sound of rain beating against windows as thunder rolled across the town. Though I was there, I do not remember the details about the day of my birth. Those memories belong to others who welcomed me into the world and later told me the story. A few days ago, I celebrated another birthday, and I am deeply grateful. Each passing year feels more and more like a gift that should not be taken lightly. What you might not know is that a good number of my family members did not live as long as I have. My uncle, my Dad’s brother, Colie Wall Jr., died of a heart attack when he was only in his late 30s. Peggy, my brother’s wife, died in a car accident when she was in her 30s more than 30 years ago; her life was taken suddenly when she was hit by a drunken driver. My mother’s father, Leland Perry, died when he was 65 years of age. My mother, Shirley, died on an August day when she was 66 years of age. When I think about each of them, I am reminded that life is fragile, precious, and never guaranteed. I have been blessed to live longer than all of them, and that truth humbles me.

My first public job was working as a stock clerk at the A & P Food Store during my high school days in my hometown of Burlington, North Carolina. I can still picture the aisles, the boxes waiting to be opened, the shelves that needed to be filled, and the steady rhythm of customers coming and going. One of the things I learned in my duties as a stock clerk is that all foods in the grocery store have an expiration date on them. Bread and meat that had reached their expiration date were given away. Canned foods were carefully placed on the shelves so the items with a nearer expiration date were put in the front, while those with an expiration date further away were placed in the back. It was a simple practice, but it taught me something that has stayed with me for many years: every item had a limited season of usefulness, and it mattered how that time was handled.

You know what? You and I have an expiration date, though it is not stamped on our foreheads or on our arms. There is going to come a day when you and I will expire, though most of us do not know when that day will come. That thought is not meant to frighten us, but to awaken us. It should remind us to live with gratitude, kindness, faith, and purpose. I am grateful for another year of life, and I am grateful for each day that God gives me to live on this earth. I do not want to waste the time I have been given on bitterness, worry, or things that do not matter in the light of eternity. Instead, I want to love my family well, serve others faithfully, and walk with the Lord one day at a time.

 Psalm 90:10, 12 provides us with good counsel on how to live our days. It states:

“Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but toil and trouble…
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

May we all learn to number our days, not with fear, but with wisdom. May we see each morning as a blessing, each relationship as a treasure, and each opportunity to do good as a sacred trust. God bless you all! Have a joy-filled day and a joy-filled life.--    - Pastor Randy Wall

 

PRAYER

            God, I give you thanks for the gift of my life.   Help me to live each day with gratitude and thanksgiving, and to live my days to glorify you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

"What Can I Do?"

 

I will call her Nan.  She was a beloved member of a church I served decades ago—a woman whose quiet faithfulness left an imprint far larger than her frail body ever could. Over the years, her health declined in ways that were painful to witness. Her once‑nimble hands had grown gnarled, twisted so severely she could no longer hold a pen. Her legs, which had carried her through a lifetime of ordinary days, had weakened until walking was no longer possible.

Still, when I was her pastor, Nan came to church whenever a caretaker could bring her. She arrived in her wheelchair with a gentle smile, the kind that seemed to say, I’m still here. I still belong.

Most days, though, she lay in her small bedroom—her world reduced to the glow of the television and the soft rumble of passing cars outside her window. Yet even in that quiet confinement, Nan carried a spirit that refused to dim.

I visited her regularly—not only because it was my pastoral duty, but because I genuinely enjoyed her company. Nan had a way of making conversation feel like a warm quilt: simple, comforting, stitched with sincerity. She enjoyed the visits too; they reminded her she was still part of something larger than her room, larger even than her suffering.

One afternoon, as our visit drew to a close, I prayed with her and then said, “Nan, the ministry of our church is better because of people like you. Thank you for what you do for our church.”

She looked at me with utter disbelief, her eyes widening as though I had spoken something impossible. Then she asked, “Pastor, what can I do for the ministry of the church lying in this bed?”

Her question is one many hearts whisper. Perhaps you are not confined to a bed like Nan. Your hands may still be steady; your legs may carry you through your day. Yet you may still wonder what you can offer to the work of Christ and His Church. Maybe you feel your talents are small, your education limited, your resources modest.

But consider this: what if a shepherd boy named David had believed a sling and a few smooth stones were too insignificant to face a giant? What if a widow had decided her two small coins were too meager to place in the temple offering? God has always delighted in using what the world calls small.

Now, the rest of Nan’s story. When she asked, “What can I do for the ministry of the church lying in this bed?” I told her gently:

“Nan, first—you can pray. You can lift our church, its people, and me as your pastor before the throne of God. Second—you can call people. Pick up your telephone now and then and check on someone who is lonely or hurting. They will be blessed by your voice, and you will be blessed because love always strengthens the one who gives it.”

Her face softened. Purpose returned to her eyes. Even from her bed, Nan discovered she could still serve the Kingdom.

And so can you. There is always something each of us can do for the work of God—no matter how fragile our health, how limited our abilities, or how modest our finances. The Kingdom has never depended on perfection; it has always depended on willingness.

What are you doing for the Kingdom in these days? May your week be joy‑filled and your heart encouraged.     —Pastor Randy Wall

"I Don't Like Change

 

“When you are reluctant to change, think of the

Beauty of autumn.”  -   VV Brown

“I don’t like change”,   the man said as  we rode together down the main street of the town where he lived.  His community was changing as the city of Raleigh had began to creep into that Franklin County town.    I suspect that many of us would echo those thoughts.   People in general are reluctant to embrace change.    Many of you reading this can remember the consternation that many felt when Coke decided years ago to change the formula for Coke.   Younger persons reading this will remember the loud protest made on social media when Cracker Barrel decided months ago to change their logo.  

While many of us might approach change with reluctance if not disdain,  it happens though we might feel grief about it.   Most parents feel a little nostalgic if not tearful when they drop off their child for their first day of kindergarten or they see their child walk across the stage to receive their high school diploma.   Perhaps every married couple on their golden anniversary looks back on old pictures and notices how their physical appearance has changed from the day they said their wedding vows 50 years ago.  

Change can also be a beautiful time in the season of life.   We certainly see that exemplified in stories in the Bible-  Saul of Tarsus changed into the apostle Paul when he is confronted by the voice of the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road from a man who persecuted Christians to a man who told others about the “new creation” that God did in his life and can do in each persons life….  Peter the fisherman changed from a man who died Jesus not once or twice but three times into a Rock who gave a sermon on the day of Pentecost where thousands of souls became followers of Jesus.  

No matter who you are and what you have done…. No matter how deep may be your pain or how deep your sin,   there is a God in Christ Jesus that can change you and make you a new creature in Christ if you are ready and willing for that to happen.   Are you ready for God to make you His instrument?  How about today?    Have a blessed day.-   Pastor Randy Wall

PRAYER --  O God,  as you changed Peter and Paul long ago, change me more fully and completely into the image of Christ;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

The Ministry of Presence

 

“I don’t know what to say.”

It is a phrase whispered in hospital hallways, muttered over back fences, and choked out in the quiet corners of funeral homes. Sometimes, it is a simple admission of helplessness. Other times, it is a plea, a question directed at the universe hoping that someone might provide the perfect, "magical" words to mend a shattered heart. Often, it is voiced with a sharp edge of anguish, the heavy weight of tragedy and illness stripping away our vocabulary until only silence remains.

We see this silence modeled in the ancient story of Job. In a single, devastating season, Job suffered the loss of his children, the ruin of his livelihood, and the physical torment of a relentless disease. When his friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—arrived, they did not lead with a sermon or a list of platitudes. Instead, they recognized the magnitude of the moment. Job 2:13 tells us: “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”

They offered him the ministry of presence.

In the face of overwhelming sorrow, the most precious gift we can offer is rarely our advice, but our proximity. Long after the specific words of a sympathy card have faded from memory, the image of the person who sat in the silence with us remains. Our presence says what our tongues cannot: You are not alone.

As we go about our week, let us look for those who are sitting in the "dust" of their own lives. We don't need to be experts or orators; we simply need to be there.

Have a joy-filled day.-     Randy L  Wall

PRAYER

            God, help us remember that we can be your servants not just by what we say, but what we do.  We pray for all those who know sorrow or heartache this day.  Give us the wisdom in the presence of those who know great need  to let our actions talk louder than our words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Size Does not Define the Victory

 

We live in a "Walmart world"—obsessed with the idea that bigger is always better. We supersize our meals, our buildings, and even our expectations of the church, assuming that impact is measured by volume.

God operates on a different scale.      The Gideon Principle

When Gideon prepared to face the Midianites, he had 32,000 soldiers. God looked at the crowd and said, "Too many." Through a series of divine "downsizing" maneuvers, the army was whittled down to just 300 men armed only with trumpets and jars.

The Result: Victory didn't come from numbers; it came from the source.

---

Small Hands, Great God

We often play the "Who, me?" card. We look at our small congregations or our modest talents and feel like Moses—begging God to send someone more "qualified." We laugh at the Great Commission because we feel too tiny to reach "all nations."

But remember:

• The Original Team: Jesus gave the Great Commission to fewer than a dozen people.
• The Weaponry: Your "spiritual gifts" aren't small when they are fueled by an infinite God.
• The Shift: We need to stop obsessing over our lack and start believing in His abundance.

The Bottom Line

Stop measuring the church by the seating capacity and start measuring it by the Sending Capacity. It is time to trade the "Walmart mentality" for a "Gideon faith."

Don't look at what you aren't; look at who He is.-     Randy L. Wall

PRAYER -   Lord, forgive me for the times I focus on what I am not and am blind to how great and able you are.  I praise you that you are a God that can do more than we ask or even imagine.  Help me to trust that you never call your people to do anything without enabling them to do it;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

The Addiction We Do Talk About

 

Today, I am writing about a topic that might make some uncomfortable, but I think it important to consider:   pornography.   If you do not want to read this, feel free to stop now.    If you choose to continue reading,   I believe I have something important for some people to hear.     As some of you know that might be reading this,   I am not only an ordained pastor but also a licensed clinical mental health counselor in NC and a licensed professional counselor in SC.    While I am not serving as pastor at a church at this time,   I continue to serve via virtual counseling.    In the last few years,   I have seen a number of persons who were struggling with an addiction to pornography.    There are several things these persons have in common.     First, they are all male ranging in age from their early 20’s to their late 60’s.     Secondly,   they all confess to be Christians.   Most of these men are heavily involved in their church.    I certainly did not seek out to counsel persons about pornography, but God is giving me that opportunity. 

I remember many years ago going to a home to visit a home.   As I knocked on the door,   I could hear some noise inside.   Despite the knocks,  no one came.    At a later time,  I saw the occupant of that home.      The man acknowledged that he knew that I stopped by, but he did not answer the door because he was looking at a movie laced with pornography on his television.     I share that anecdote to illustrate that pornography is easily accessible in the world we live in today.  Some of you perhaps remember a time when pornography was something that one encountered at a x-rated movie theatre or via a magazine that came to your home in a manila envelope or you skimmed at a local store.   Now, pornography can be encountered on social media, web sites, and the like with ease on a smart phone or other devices.    Of course,   there are many things on television via movies, ads, and television shows that certainly have sexual content. 

There are many people that think that pornography is harmless since it is something that can be easily done in the privacy or comfort of their own home.      One of my clients once thought that, but now sees things differently as he seeks to break free from porn.    The reason why I am writing this blog post on what some perhaps find an uncomfortable topic is this:   porn can and does hurt others.     Pornography can and does harm relationships.    I have encountered clients that stated that their marriage or relationship was troubled since their wife or girlfriend found out they were looking at pornography.    I have worked with clients whose marriage ended in divorce principally because of their pornography addiction.  I also have worked with clients that lost their jobs because their employer discovered them viewing pornography in their workplace.   

If pornography is a part of your life,  I earnestly encourage you to get help and to quit fooling yourself that it is harming no one.   Please get help.    I do not think that God wants pornography to be a part of your life.   Perhaps you know someone important in your life who is struggling with pornography.      Feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to offer a few things that might help you.    Thanks for reading.    God bless.-  Pastor Randy Wall

 

PRAYER --  O God,  I pray for all those who are struggling today with addictions including those who struggle with pornography.   Grant them a willingness to find strength and a new direction in you;  through Christ our Lord.    Amen. 

We Know Not When

 

“I never saw it coming.”     I suspect that you have said that phrase before or heard it said before.  You never saw it coming that a friend died that day… or that you lost your job or the company was closing… or some other experience that was sudden and shocking.  There are many things in life that are predictable-   that a couple we know that has been dating or been together for years finally decides to get married…. or that in a few weeks the trees and bushes will begin to bud or flower.    We expect those things.    But then again, there come those things in life that we do know are coming.   

There are some global events that folks did not see coming.   My Dad would tell the story about that Sunday afternoon when he and his parents heard the news about the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.    My Dad was still a boy in those days, and even his adult parents did not see that coming.     I still remember that Tuesday morning when I heard the news about planes flying into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a plane doing the same at the Pentagon in suburban Washington DC.   I did not see it coming, nor did any of the people in those buildings on that September day.   

There are some things in our faith as Christians we will not see coming.    That is a part of what Jesus gets at in the words of Matthew 24: 36-37 where we read:  

³⁶ “No one knows when that day and hour will come^[a]—neither the heavenly angels nor the Son,^[b] but only the Father, ³⁷ because just as it was in Noah’s time, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 

We know that God came.    Why, God came in a form that took all humanity by surprise-  as a tiny baby born to a teenage peasant girl named Mary.      We spent days celebrate that coming just weeks ago.     We also know that God will come again.    Generations of Christians facing trial and trouble have found solace in that thought and hope.    The apostle Paul even thought that Christ would come again during his lifetime.    But we do not know when though through the years some folks have claimed they had a special knowledge about that.

There are some things in life we do know when.   When a baby is born through natural means,  we do not when that time will be.   On this winter February day,  we know not  when it will be a snow day or a sunny day.    We do not know.  So, we live like soldiers waiting for their orders to come down.    We work for the Master, and we stand ready for the hour when Christ will come again or call us home to heaven.   Come, Lord Jesus!   Have a good day.-   Pastor Randy Wall

PRAYER --  O God,  who has come and is coming:   we wait with expectation for the day you shall return and take us home.   Help us live each day with hope in you and in eagerness to serve you;  through Christ our Lord.    Amen.