SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #165 ---- 3/5/01
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight In This New Millennium
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #165 ---- 3/5/01
Title: "White Crosses Along the Roadside"
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My Dear Friend:
Today as I begin my letter, it is a beautiful, sunny "early Spring" day
in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri ---- a much desired break from the
many long days of gray, wet, winter weather. Though more rainy days are
predicted and are eminent, it is a welcomed forerunner of things to come.
I trust things are going well with you, my friend. Every day this past
week I have thought about those who receive my letters, wondering if
continuing to write them is a worthy discipline. I know it's certainly a
blessing to me, but, for the first time in over three years I seriously
have questioned whether or not to continue. A much trusted friend wrote
me this past week, commenting about my diligence in writing.
Now, I don't mean that I intend to discontinue them anytime soon. The
occasion just gave me cause to honestly evaluate this aspect of my
ministry.
Personally, it is one of the delights of my life; I just needed the
experience of taking a good look at the process, the expenditure of time
and energy, the frequent interference it creates over time with Jo Ann
and other projects, and the value it may or may not have to others.
Each week and its accompanying writing experience is unique in itself.
Sometimes I write early in the week, sometimes late. Sometimes my
letters flow, sometimes they babble noisily like a tumbling mountain
brook over too many rocks.
Nearly every week, however, I find myself facing one of two situations
---- knowing What to say because I can't seem to come up with anything
substantive, or knowing Which to say because there is so much in my heart
at the moment that I can't decide.
Today I face the latter. This past week has been filled with graphic
reminders of Biblical principles, one as recently as yesterday afternoon
when I drove down our driveway to the house. "That is a great
illustration!", I thought. But, it goes a different direction from what
I saw while driving from the church in Cassville to the lodge on Monday
during the Southwest Missouri Bible and Evangelism Conference where I had
been speaking.
You get the picture. I'm sure you face much the same thing as you try to
hear from God regarding His intent for your immediate ministry tasks.
WHITE CROSSES ALONG THE ROADSIDE:
I don't know if you who live in other countries have this practice or
not, but many states in America will place a white cross or a wreath
along a highway where there has been an accident in which someone died.
Last week while speaking at the conference, I noticed two crosses where I
had not seen any before. These had names on them ---- Melissa and Craig.
My first reaction was sadness. Two people had lost their lives here in
the past year, perhaps needlessly. Judging from the fresh look of the
paint, I'd say it had been recent.
My next thought was to wonder if either of them knew Jesus before they
were killed. I hoped they did.
Then I wondered about their ages and their status in life. Were they
sweethearts or newlyweds? Were they brother and sister, mother and son,
or maybe dad and daughter? No matter the age and status, it grieved me
to consider the tragic loss of life. And, just think of the heartache
among those left behind who knew and loved them ---- so many lives
permanently affected, never again to be the same.
As I drove on, up and down the hills, I conjectured what may have caused
the accident that took their lives ---- probably lost control coming over
that hill too fast. Or maybe one car or the other trying to pass in a no
passing zone, and when they crested the hill it was too late to swerve.
Or, it could have been a deer that darted across the road in the night.
I shuddered as I envisioned so many scenarios, all of which brought the
picture before me of sudden tragedy and eminent death ---- totally
unexpected, certainly unplanned, and circumstantially unavoidable.
I slowed down a bit; . . . . . didn't want a cross with my name on it.
The sun was shining, but I felt a darkness in my heart. "I know some
people like that", I thought. Since we moved to our current home almost
five years ago, seventeen people have died along the stretch of highway
that runs just one half mile west of our house. I didn't know any of
them, even though several of them were residents of the area.
I remembered the trucker who lost his life when his tractor trailer jack
knifed and slid into the path of an oncoming truck ---- but I didn't know
him.
I remembered the woman from Minnesota who pulled into the path of an
oncoming truck while going around a sweeping curve ---- but I didn't know
her. I remembered the local high school boy who ran off the road at 2:00
in the morning after falling asleep on the way home from work ---- but I
didn't know him.
I remembered the man and woman who were having an affair and collided
with another car on their way home from an illicit rendezvous ---- but I
didn't know them.
I remembered the most recent, a nineteen year old girl on her way home
from school for the holidays, who pulled into the path of another
oncoming truck right in front of the road that leads to our house ----
but I didn't know her.
I didn't know any of these people ---- but I still grieved . . . . and
wondered.
As I drove on, I remembered lots of those people. I still do. Every
time I turn from the road that leads to my house onto that highway, I
remember.
And, so does Jo Ann. It's the most dangerous stretch of highway in the
entire state of Missouri.
There were others, however, whom I did know.
I remember people I knew who have suffered some type of carnage strewn,
life snuffing, accident.
I remember the pastor whose ministry died when he crossed the line and
embezzled money from his church. I remember the friend who had an affair
with his organist. I remember another friend who folded it up when the
"engine" of the church exploded and left him gravely wounded.
I remember dozens of men and women like that . . . . and it grieves my
heart so much more than those whose physical lives were lost at each
place a white cross has been planted.
It grieves me because it was so unnecessary; it could have been avoided.
It also grieves me because most of the time nobody erects a white cross
there for that person as both a memorial and a warning.
We just drive on ---- either oblivious to the death, or filled with
judgementalism over the type of life that caused the death.
But, I still keep asking the same question ---- "Why did it happen?"
WHY THE FATAL ACCIDENTS?
In a way, I suppose it's not accurate to call such tragic events in
ministry as accidents . . . . most of them could probably have been
avoided. But it is still a good question . . . .
"Why do such things happen? Why are life's highways lined with so many
white crosses where some of our greatest and best have perished?"
Yesterday as I considered that question in preparation for my letter to
you, I realized I could use the same parallel to answer that question as
well as to illustrate the tragic deaths I mentioned.
So . . . . what causes ministry wrecks? Well, here are some thoughts.
See if they make sense to you.
1. Reckless driving: There are several types ---- speeding, not paying
attention, intoxication, etc.---- far too many to enumerate. But, keep
this in mind . . . .
Regardless of the type of recklessness, they all have the same potential
---- a fatal crash. It's easy to want to get there too fast, and we
crash and burn in the process.
It's easy to be distracted by what's going on inside the vehicle, by the
beauty of the view, by the Christian sounds of praise and worship and
accolades blaring from within, or with preoccupying contemplation ----
until it's too late to avoid the collision.
It's certainly far too easy to become intoxicated with the adoration and
praise heaped upon us by others. It's even easier to become drunk with
self imagined and self imposed feelings of grandeur and importance when
we're elected to some lofty position in the community or the district
council. We easily forget to "not think more highly of ourselves than we
ought to think, but rather to think soberly . . . ".
Those of us in ministry need to remember that there is never a day when
we are not vulnerable to driving recklessly.
Most reckless driving is unintentional; we often don't even know we're
doing it. When it does happen, it's time to think clearly again, shake
our spiritual heads and clear those demonic cob webs, and refocus on who
we are and why we're here. We need to remember again that it's not about
us. Reckless driving comes when we think we're the center of everything.
2. Falling asleep at the wheel: As far as I can recall I've had this
happen rarely in the literal world, but often in the spiritual
application of this illustration.
In the real world before Jo Ann and I were married, I was traveling from
Phoenix to Tucson in Arizona on my way home from college late at night.
The desert nights are hot even in the Springtime there, and the spaces
are vast.
Anxious to get home, I decided to leave late one night after services in
the church where I was serving as minister of music and youth. I hopped
in my trusty 1952 Willy's sedan (made by the jeep company by the same
name) and headed south.
The drone of that little four cylinder engine played a soothing tune to
my weary mind and body. I remember thinking, as I saw the tail lights of
that big semi trailer truck far off in the distance, that I needed to be
careful.
The next thing I knew I awoke to see my speedometer registering almost 90
miles an hour, and then I looked up just in time to see the rear end of
that trailer looming in front of me like a huge cliff. Instinctively
swerving into the oncoming lane, I was fearfully relieved to discover
there were no cars ahead as I shot by the truck.
I had no difficulty remaining awake the rest of the drive home.
Sometimes it takes a close call to wake us up. Sometimes a near wreck
will save us from a real one in the future.
3. Foreign objects. The most common foreign objects in the roads in my
area are either fallen rocks, parts off of vehicles, or deer. If it's an
inanimate object like a rock or a vehicle part or piece of cargo you can
usually see it far enough in advance ---- unless you're cresting a hill
or it's at night and your lights are off.
If, however, it's a deer, they come out of nowhere so quickly that you
can hardly avoid hitting them unless you are driving prudently. Even in
the daytime they can dash out from a deep ditch or from behind brush and
be directly in your path before you can react.
Still vivid in my mind is an occasion a number of years ago when Jo Ann
and I were on our way back to our home in Wisconsin when I tried to
straddle what I thought was a piece of tire tread only to discover too
late it was part of a truck's wheel rim.
The bulky piece of cast steel ripped through the wind deflector beneath
the bumper, slammed itself against the end of my muffler tearing it
loose, and then slashed its way through the bottom of my gas tank. The
tail pipe tore from its brackets and began dragging along the ground
shooting sparks every direction while the gasoline gushed out, leaving a
blanket of combustible fuel behind for some 100 yards before I could
stop.
Praise the Lord nothing ignited, but we paid the price of five hours of
delays, a ridiculous towing charge, and essential repairs to the car.
Several years later, as my father and I were going to that same town in
Wisconsin to do a Bible conference together, we had two experiences that
made us wonder if we were on the right trip.
First, we had a guy in a pick up truck, in full view on a sunny day, pull
across the road in front of us ---- just to talk to a woman standing by
her mailbox. With a hamburger in one hand, my mouth full of french
fries, and my other hand holding a coke, I had to make a choice ----- hit
the truck, the woman, or take a chance of swerving into the blind
oncoming lane. I chose the latter, and made it safely through the
experience simply because the oncoming cars had enough spontaneous
reaction time to swerve to the apron of the road.
A couple of hours later while we're driving between Dodgeville and Spring
Green, a huge buck deer with antlers worthy of wall mounting ran out in
front of us in the darkness. I slammed on the brakes and swerved,
expecting to hit the deer with full force. Miraculously we missed him.
All I heard was the clatter of hooves on the highway. That night when we
finally arrived at our destination, I then discovered the scratch marks
down the side of my car made by the antlers as I skidded by.
It was only later in the week that we realized the significance of those
two events and the significance of God's protective Hand. The meeting
broke loose into wave after wave of revival in the church, changing its
direction for years to come.
You gotta watch out, my friend, for foreign objects Satan puts in your
way to keep you from God's appointed destination. If he can't destroy
you, he'll at least try to delay you.
4. Crossing the yellow line: Most of the people who have died on the
highway near my house have perished for this simple reason. I believe
the same is true in ministry.
Yellow lines are there for a reason ---- to keep you from crossing into
the wrong lane. The Word of God has made it clear what are the
parameters for our conduct as Christians in general. The lines are even
brighter and more clearly defined when we're in vocational ministry.
If you decide to take a chance . . . . you are really taking a chance.
And the consequences can be devastating.
Friend . . . . Please! ---- don't cross the yellow lines!
5. Treacherous roads: The highway's we travel in serving the Lord take
us many places. Sometimes they are level and as straight as an arrow.
Sometimes they take us to the mountain ranges filled with vistas beyond
description. At other times they take us into the lowest valleys.
Regardless, though, they all have treacherous stretches where our view
can be obstructed, and where our driving must be more deliberate and
cautious.
1) Curves hide things from us until sometimes it is too late. Some
are so tight that we can't maintain control, and we run off the road.
2) Hills also sometimes hide things from us. Some of the hills where
I live are so pronounced that it's like riding a roller coaster at a
carnival.
There is the temptation to make a game of the journey by speeding up.
There's nothing quite like cresting the hill and shooting down the other
side ---- unless there is genuine danger instead of just a thrill.
They also blind you from seeing ahead with clarity. Hills hide things
from view in one instance and then give you a spectacular view the next.
Either way, driving through the hills and valleys can be treacherous.
Watch yourself!
3) Fog is usually a seasonal thing, but nonetheless very dangerous.
When you're in a fog you don't have a clue what's ahead. Sometimes you
lose sense of where you are.
Far too many ministers have been living in a spiritual fog where they no
longer have a sense of direction, or an awareness of what's right and
what's wrong. They can't see the unknown curve in the road, or the stop
sign, or the dead end.
Because of compromise, too much attention paid to the darkness of this
present world, or some other reason, their reasoning is fogged up and
their perspective on things has become highly distorted. The end result
is predictable. Look around you in past periodicals to review some of
those consequences.
4) Rain, snow and ice are incredibly treacherous. All can either
obstruct your vision or destroy your traction. I'm not sure which is
more important, vision or traction. Perhaps they are equally essential
to good ministry.
I do know that if you have good traction with no vision you don't know
where you're going. If you have good vision but no traction you'll never
get to where you think you're going. So, either way, you've got to watch
out for rain, snow, and ice.
Life's roads are filled with treachery; the paths of ministry are more
so. Pot holes that destroy your alignment, ruts that restrict your
control, rain that can flood you out, snow that can blind you, or ice
that can cause you to slide totally off course, are just some of the
dangers against which you must be prepared.
If you don't, a white cross may someday be erected ---- with your name on
it.
5. Other Drivers: As long as I can remember in my married life, Dad has
always sent us on any traveling journeys we might take with, "Be careful,
son. Drive like everyone on the road is crazy but you."
Sometimes our wrecks come as a result of careless driving by others.
That's why it's so important that we remain alert not only to our own
conduct, but also the condition and conduct of others. We must choose
our traveling companions wisely, and we must beware of those coming
toward us, creeping up behind us, or recklessly swerving to pass us in
order to get there before we do.
As Dad used to say, "Watch out for the crazies!" Some people can come
across into your lane or blind side you from an adjacent road and take
you out in a moment. It could be a thoughtless church member, an angry
adversary, a jealous peer, or a resentful relative. But the outcome will
be the same ---- another white cross along the roadside of ministry.
6. Lack of emergency attention is a tragic cause of fatalities. In the
world of metal, concrete, and rubber, some crashes result in immediate
death. However, in the world of ministry not all deaths are
instantaneous although, if unattended by the compassionate, all will be
eminent.
Isn't it heart breaking to realize that some brother or sister in the
ditch will die because a levite or another religious holier-than-thou
bigot will pass by on the other side . . . . and then talk about the
tragedy as if the dying victim was a criminal!
Oh, friend! If you run across a fellow minister trapped in the wreckage
along the wayside, please be sure he doesn't die from lack of emergency
attention. Rescue the perishing! Care for the dying! Bind up the
wounded! Don't let him bleed to death!
How tragic that one would die from lack of attention.
FINALLY:
Do you remember seeing a white cross along the road? Do you know the
name on one? Can you still relive the scene in your mind? Do you
remember all the people affected by the crash?
Have you come close to having your own cross erected along some stretch
of ministry highway?
Oh, my friend! Be careful! The roads of ministry are good roads and the
scenery is often breath taking.
But there are also dangers . . . . grave dangers . . . . along the way.
Are you driving too fast? Are you not paying attention? Are you
focusing on the view instead of the journey? Are you forgetting the
others who would be affected if you crash? Are you taking illegal or
unnecessary risks?
Slow down! Pay attention!
Paul exhorted Timothy to " . . . fight the good fight, keeping faith and
a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in
regard to their faith." (I Tim 2:18-19) If Paul were living in our day,
he'd have probably used car wrecks to illustrate his point.
If you are passionate about keeping yourself from ending up with a white
cross with your name on it being planted along ministry's road somewhere,
I urge you to read Paul's two letters to Timothy. If you'll but heed his
admonition to this young pastor, you'll diminish your chances of fatally
crashing by 90% or more.
Have a good week, my friend, and a wonderful journey -----
Just be careful how you drive. If people are going to see a cross, let
it be Christ's and all it's glory, and not yours with all its tragedy.
In His Bond of Love and Grace,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright March, 2001. All rights reserved.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
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