Central Baptist Church of Westerly
16 Elm Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Phone: (401) 596-4929
Check out our blog at Central Baptist Life
16 Elm Street, Westerly, RI 02891
Phone: (401) 596-4929
Check out our blog at Central Baptist Life
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Finding God in every day life
May 22, 2019
Dear Friends,
I was at Westerly's 350th Anniversary Gala last week
and was blessed to meet a woman who regularly reads
my column in the newspaper. She told me she never
misses it and often shares it with others. I was flattered.
Then she said, "I don't know how you come up with
something different every week. I told her that things
just happen and I write about them.
The truth is I feel a little bit like Forest Gump. I walk
into situations and a story idea develops. So what makes
them interesting? I asked a friend what he thought. He
suggested that we all have these serendipitous moments
but most of us let them go by without much analysis. He
told me he thought it was my ability to find God in every
day things that made all the difference.
That's why I started writing these "epistles" to people in
my congregation twenty years ago. I wanted to inspire
them to look for God in the events of their every day lives.
I wanted them to understand that God doesn't remain in
the church when we leave after service on Sunday
morning. God goes with us. You can find him if you
just stop and look around. God is in everything.
For example, I went to the bank a few weeks ago to get
a little money. I only needed $40 but I wasn't sure how
much was available because we had just paid a bunch
of bills. I was afraid I would get declined when I put in
my ATM card. The money came out. I got my card back.
I looked at my receipt and almost fell over. The statement
said I had over $3,000 in the bank.
My first thought was that I had tapped someone else's
account. There was a woman at the machine before me.
Maybe it was hers? Could she have failed to log out when
I made my request. I quickly ruled that out but still
wondered where the money had come from? I was
feeling bankrupt when I went to the bank, but in reality
I had more money than I needed.
It reminds me of the way God provides for us. Our
account is never empty when we go to him. When we
are weak, God is strong. When we are lacking, God
gives us what we need. When we can't take another
step, God picks us up and carries us forward. He
restores our soul and gives us new life.
When I checked with my wife, Lori, she told me that
she had moved money around so she could pay our
taxes. So although there was money was in our account,
it didn't really belong to us. It was designated for another
purpose. It made me think of the way God gives us gifts
and talents to use. He calls on us to use what he has
given us to reach out with his message of love.
He calls on us to feed the hungry, clothe the poor and
provide shelter for the homeless. He sends us out as
ambassadors to share a message of reconciliation and
hope with a world in need. We are stewards of all God's
gifts. He has place them in our accounts but they are to
be used for his glory.
Well there you have it. It's pretty easy to find God and
come up with a devotional thought if you are open to
looking for Him. All you have to do is try. God is always
with us. That's my secret for writing a column every
week. I play hide and seek with God and then tell you
where I found him so you can find him too!
God bless. See you in church.
Cal
May 22, 2019
Dear Friends,
I was at Westerly's 350th Anniversary Gala last week
and was blessed to meet a woman who regularly reads
my column in the newspaper. She told me she never
misses it and often shares it with others. I was flattered.
Then she said, "I don't know how you come up with
something different every week. I told her that things
just happen and I write about them.
The truth is I feel a little bit like Forest Gump. I walk
into situations and a story idea develops. So what makes
them interesting? I asked a friend what he thought. He
suggested that we all have these serendipitous moments
but most of us let them go by without much analysis. He
told me he thought it was my ability to find God in every
day things that made all the difference.
That's why I started writing these "epistles" to people in
my congregation twenty years ago. I wanted to inspire
them to look for God in the events of their every day lives.
I wanted them to understand that God doesn't remain in
the church when we leave after service on Sunday
morning. God goes with us. You can find him if you
just stop and look around. God is in everything.
For example, I went to the bank a few weeks ago to get
a little money. I only needed $40 but I wasn't sure how
much was available because we had just paid a bunch
of bills. I was afraid I would get declined when I put in
my ATM card. The money came out. I got my card back.
I looked at my receipt and almost fell over. The statement
said I had over $3,000 in the bank.
My first thought was that I had tapped someone else's
account. There was a woman at the machine before me.
Maybe it was hers? Could she have failed to log out when
I made my request. I quickly ruled that out but still
wondered where the money had come from? I was
feeling bankrupt when I went to the bank, but in reality
I had more money than I needed.
It reminds me of the way God provides for us. Our
account is never empty when we go to him. When we
are weak, God is strong. When we are lacking, God
gives us what we need. When we can't take another
step, God picks us up and carries us forward. He
restores our soul and gives us new life.
When I checked with my wife, Lori, she told me that
she had moved money around so she could pay our
taxes. So although there was money was in our account,
it didn't really belong to us. It was designated for another
purpose. It made me think of the way God gives us gifts
and talents to use. He calls on us to use what he has
given us to reach out with his message of love.
He calls on us to feed the hungry, clothe the poor and
provide shelter for the homeless. He sends us out as
ambassadors to share a message of reconciliation and
hope with a world in need. We are stewards of all God's
gifts. He has place them in our accounts but they are to
be used for his glory.
Well there you have it. It's pretty easy to find God and
come up with a devotional thought if you are open to
looking for Him. All you have to do is try. God is always
with us. That's my secret for writing a column every
week. I play hide and seek with God and then tell you
where I found him so you can find him too!
God bless. See you in church.
Cal
| Pastor Cal Lord's Weekly Epistle |
| Pastor Cal's Weekly Epistle Every week Pastor Cal writes a weekly column for the Spirit Page of the Norwich Bulletin. He also sends it out to members and friends of the church via e-mail. E-mail him at calstigers@gmail.com if you want to be added to the weekly list. |
| Pastor Cal's Archived Epistles |