Winning Words 10/11/10
“Things never go so well that one should have no fear, and never so ill that one should have no hope.” (Turkish Proverb) Recently I bought a little book of inspiration which contains proverbs from various ethnic backgrounds. I’ll be sharing some of them this week. I like the one for today, because it encourages us to not give up hope, even though we are confronted by many fears. ;-) Jack

FROM PRJS IN MICHIGAN: Leave it to you to just pick up the positive part of the message....the first part says that "fear" is legitimate ....if you are too rosy, you won't see the lion lurking in the shadows... FROM JACK: Fear is fear. Whether fear is warranted or not, depends on how the future unfolds. Whether hope is a positive or a negative depends upon its base. Hope, because of what? The Optimist Club, of which I am a member, has a creed which begins: "Promise yourself that nothing can disturb your peace of mind (and further)....to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true."

FROM PRRW IN OREGON: Thanks Jack for your giving faithfully, week after week, inspirational quotes. I appreciate them very much and look forward to receiving them. FROM JACK: I'm wondering....When you were doing missionary work in Africa, what were some of the fears and hopes that you experienced?

FROM JK IN MICHIGAN: Your quote today is perfect for me. Really speaks to my situation. FROM JACK: One of the surprising things about Winning Words is how they "hit home" in unexpected ways.

FROM PO IN MICHIGAN: This one would get a "Like" on Facebook! FROM JACK: The first time I heard of facebook was when a pastor mentioned it in her sermon as a way of connecting with people. I signed up and then forgot my password....and haven't used it since. Maybe I shouldn't have given up after that first failure.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: Anna at the assisted living arrived for worship distraught and crying. She had fallen right before and was upset evidently not feeling like she had been helped. I was trying to comfort her and silently lifting up prayers when our pastor came over to comfort her too and gently told her there would be a better day. Now ain't that the truth!!!!! I believe those simple words restored hope in all of us gathered there, but especially in Anna. We don't have to be complicated. FROM JACK: When our fears get the better of us, a little TLC can turn things around. Be thankful for caring friends.

FROM INDY GENIE: i can't believe i'm saying this but fear can be our helper......without it, we (I) might never know the power of hope, positive thinking and inner peace. FROM JACK: The lines of the Christmas Carol seem contemporary as I look at your comment. "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight."

FROM MOLINER CF: I'm sure he hears them. I'm not sure if he heeds them. But, then, they seem to survive. FROM JACK: Are you talking about our prayers?

FROM GP IN MICHIGAN: We have seen some troubling times recently. My job, my Brides' job, my families' jobs, health, wealth and faith, our country and our world have all seen some better times. We all have been tested day in and day out. I ask myself " Do we really have troubles that can not be overcome?" I guess I have to say, Hang in there Gary, Hang in there family, Hang in there world! FROM JACK: I like the words of the old spiritual, "We shall overcome..." We hang in there, because "deep in our heart, we do believe...we shall overcome some day."

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: This Turkish proverb is a good one to think on...In our country at least, it is true that most can have hope, even in despairing circumstances. I think of women in Asian and Arab countries, where I think hope would be a scarce commodity. Even in Eastern Europe. Our American Baptist Women just had a three year project of raising money and doing ministry for those involved in Human trafficking, and those stories would break your heart. The children, especially are so damaged, it is hard to have hope that they will ever have a semblance of a normal life. But we HOPE and PRAY!! We must! FROM JACK: I wonder if people who have never known hope can find it possible to hope? Part of the work of spreading the Gospel is to bring hope to the hope-less, even to explain what hope is. I have never been one to try and "scare" people into the faith.

FROM AFRICAN MISSIONARY PRRW: Probably my greatest fear was the time Taa Washi, the leader of the Hadza asked for baptism “right away”. I asked the Makumira Lutheran Seminary to help me on this one,
remembering the Neuen Dettelsau German mission in their work in New Guinea who were working with a similar group as the Hadza had their rules about time limits required before new converts could be baptized. I asked Taa Washi to wait until his whole group was ready, and I would baptize them all together. He died very suddenly and I fear I was remiss in my duty as a pastor to Him. I’m sure the Lord will take my error into
consideration as he deals with Taa Washi. The greatest hope I believe was when I was the pastor of the Uhuru Highway Lutheran Church in Nairobi. We had an old church building which really should have been
condemned. It was dangerous to walk on some sections of the floor that threatened to collapse under you weight. The Lutheran World Federation had given a grant of $35,000 to build a new church some years before, but that amount was totally inadequate to build a new structure. We had an elder’s meeting and they asked me for what I thought we should do,- try and build immediately? At that time it seemed each month the cost to build was increasing at a phenomenal rate. I had prayed about it a lot and felt led to say: “let’s build now!” One of my most astute elders came down hard on me, and told me, in effect, I was insane! But I had the hope that I had been led by the Lord, so I didn’t retreat. The rest of the elders put their vote with mine and we let the contract. I went back over the list of mission agencies involved with us, and each quarter I sent out a bulletin with pictures of the on-going development of the building. The groups all responded with several additional grants, and the church which cost over ¼ of a million dollars to build was completed debt free.
FROM JACK: To show how naive I am, I thought that a great fear of yours would be when you faced a fierce animal in the jungle. We (meaning, I) have so much to learn.

FROM BS NEAR ORLANDO: I would think in a land where they chop off a hand for stealing this message would really come in handy. FROM JACK: I wonder if the fear of getting your hand chopped off deters stealing. What is it that promotes the good...in your opinion?