Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L. Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie, wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

I skipped the “green room’ again, Aunt Pink and Aunt Gwen’s restroom outside the den where the Sunday school class was now held.

The Turtle team was still out on the road, except for me and Dr. Ben, who wasn’t really part of the core.  Amazon and Skinny were dropped off and back in the class.  But besides missing B.B., Home Wrecker, and my Easy, there were a large number who were gone: Emmett, Sophie, Blaise, Elroy, and Irusya, Angus, Missy, Menzie, Samuel, Lauren, and Sammie.  Actually, the class size was now manageable.

When I came into the den, Arabella said, “I have the feeling you don’t trust me with your hair.  This time, I brought something to give it a little curl.”  Arabella pulled a blow torch out of her bag and lit it.

I lifted up a quick prayer, “Lord, what is she going to think of next?!”

Arabella giggled, “You know that I’m joking, Aunt Jemima.  I got that idea from Sophie.  It is the kind of thing Blaise might do in his earlier days.”  She giggled and shrunk her head between her shoulders.

I asked, “You heard from Sophie?  I’m her sister-in-law.  I don’t count?”

Arabella, still giggling, “I got the call from Emmett.  He’s my brother, you know.  And he is Sophie’s main squeeze.  When I asked Sophie how it was going, she said that she was helping Emmett with babysitting more than providing security.  She said the package was safe but needed to be thoroughly examined.  Everything has gone smoothly.  The Niblicks were playing golf while the package is getting ready to be moved.”

I asked, “Did they say where they were?”

Arabella shrugged, “No.  But they said they would be back in a day or two.  They had to make a stop in DC on the way.”

At least Joseph was here.  Joseph led us in prayer.  He covered travel mercies for all those who were away.  He reminded everyone that if their prayer request status changes, he can print a new list.

Then, Darrell led his tiny group.  The lead was sung by Arabella.  At alto, there was Brooke and Mercedes Lothrop.  At tenor, Michael.  Dr. Ben sang baritone.  And Goober sang bass.  The hymn was Just a Closer Walk with Thee.  But really, Arabella sang the song while everyone else sang an echo refrain that I had never heard before.

Darrell added, “We had some time with this one, Aunt Jemima.  Patsy Cline added the repeated lines with ‘Just a closer walk.’  But then, Bill Gaither cranked it up a notch.  I figgered we could do that as long as Belle could focus on singing the song.”

I asked, “Darrell, you have hidden talents.  That was not just a good song, it was fun.”  Darrell simply grinned.

Michael said, “Aunt Jemima, since Samuel is on vacation, he asked me to ask you, ‘What Attribute of God are we studying today?’”

I laughed, “Michael, thank you for asking, but someone told me the pink plane is coming back soon. We are studying our response to God’s Sovereignty.  Do you need Mr. Dictionary, Belle?”

Arabella said, “Nope.  God is the King, and He knows what He’s doing.”

I replied, “I will accept that.  God has a plan, and regardless of what wrong moves we make with our free will, God’s overall plan is going to be accomplished.”

Tamara (Psalm 115:3) “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.”

Tamara smiled, “I have heard many people talk about how we have free will.  But God’s will be done.  Look at the plagues of Egypt.  At first Pharoah hardened his heart and refused to negotiate with Moses.  But after a few of the plagues, the Bible says that God hardened Pharoah’s heart.  You would think that someone willing to negotiate was a victory, but God wanted to get to that tenth plague.  God wanted the Passover to be an annual observance.  God wanted the offering of a lamb without defect once each year.  From the symbolism to the economic gain due to the Egyptians giving them their gold and silver just so that they would leave the country.  We should never deny God, but we take a huge chance when we do.  We may think that we went too far the wrong way, but we might not still be sold on the right way.  Maybe God overrides our free will, too.  Like he did Pharoah.  It is still our choice, but maybe we have to get to a position of total brokenness before we are one hundred percent in the camp of Jesus.  I’m sorry, Joseph, I may be theologically wrong.  Our ultimate decision is still our own, but God provides compelling arguments that involve a lot of pain, just to get us to listen.”

Bart (Psalm 135:6) “The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.”

Bart said, “This also says God does as He pleases, but the verse throws in from everywhere.  God is omnipresent, but God is sovereign throughout His omnipresence.  Back to Arabella’s ‘no place to hide’ concept.”

Belle said, “I was just talking about doing my business on the toilet, but then I had to admit that God seeing me sin or hearing me think about something naughty that I wanted to do.  But now you are saying, Mr. Clarkson, that wherever I go, God is not just there, not just all knowing, but He has everything that happens in the palm of His hand?”

Bart nodded, “I guess I am, but you have been a believer a lot longer than I have.”

Goober (Ephesians 1:11) “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,”

Goober said, “This confuses me.  This says that God predestined us.  I had to look that up.  He decided long before I ever acknowledged that He existed…  He decided that I was His and that gave Him honor and glory.  I can see God taking someone who is money hungry and stealing my college money so that I am destitute.  That is in the bad guy’s DNA, but I willingly accepted Jesus into my life.”

I smiled, “But what had to happen for that decision to take place, Goober?  How were you before you made that decision to accept Jesus?”

Goober replied, “Brooke and I were strong.  We were confident.  We thought whatever situation we got ourselves into, we would have the upper hand.  But you aren’t saying that God sent those bad people to take advantage of us.  That would be sick!”

I shook my head, “God does not do bad things, but Satan does those things.  God allowed Satan to test you.  Satan thought you were firmly in his camp, and he went a very nasty route.  But God knew the type of man you are, and the type of woman Brooke is.  God, in His grand scheme of things told Satan what limitations he had with you.  Satan went to that limit, but instead of cursing God, you ran to God.  So, God allowed things to happen to open your eyes to Satan’s schemes, and He offered you a way out.  And as Aunt Pink always says, ‘The salvation prayer is not when you are saved.  God has already done that, but the salvation prayer is you acknowledging what God has already done in your life.  That way, not even the prayer is something that you did.  It was all God’s doing, and you accepted Him willingly.”

Goober nodded.

Brooke (Romans 8:28) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Brooke said, “See there, Belle, I found Romans on my own.  Your suggestion a couple of weeks ago that the Romans were in Rome was not helpful.  But in looking up commentaries on this verse, the focus is always on the words ‘the good’ which means not everything that comes our way will be good.  But where Goober and I were just a couple of weeks ago, that was horrible, but if God wanted us, He got us.  The next time this happens, which I hope it never does, but when bad things happen, I want to be able to go into my private room to pray and know that God is listening, that God loves me, and God fulfills His promises.  And this verse is one of the best promises that I could ever receive.”

I nodded, “Thank you, Brooke and Goober.  I am so glad you are part of this class.  You will be a great asset to others in this class, and I know God is working within each of you for your good.”

Georges (Genesis 50:20) “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Georges smiled, “This is when Joseph was talking to his brothers after they came to Egypt.  They had hated him, and they sought to rid themselves of him.  They sold him into slavery and then told their father that he was torn apart by a wild beast.  But then all the bad things that happened next were in God’s plan, and Joseph was a proven interpreter of dreams and available to interpret Pharoah’s dream.  Of course, he was available because he was in prison.  Where else could he go?  But he had basically run the prison, so he was the most logical choice to run the grain storage and distribution system.  Just like Zuzka here at Lily the Pink.  She was sold to Baldwyn.  In her spare time, to escape the torment of her slavery here, she invented the Crystal Mountain, complete with drawings.”

Zuzka laughed, “They had to change drawings.  One tree too short.  One tree too tall.  Water in waterfall fall in wrong place.  We fix.”

Georges said, “But turning the enclosed area into a greenhouse led to growing vegetables, water lilies, and Jochebed’s exotic plants.  All of that was for the good of everyone here who loves God but look at it another way.  When any teenager has a bad day, they go to the waterfall, but what about the people that have been here for a decade or more?  Every day, they walk through the jungle and nothing there reminds them of what this used to be.  Much of their healing is from what you helped build.  But when you were doing it, you never had a hope it would actually happen.”

Zuzka sighed, “My heart hope.  My head say never happen.”

Jochebed (Isaiah 46:10, Louis Segond) “J’annonce dès le commencement ce qui doit arriver, Et longtemps d’avance ce qui n’est pas encore accompli; Je dis: Mes arrêts subsisteront, Et j’exécuterai toute ma volonté.”

Jochebed (Isaiah 46:10) “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”

Jochebed said, “We finish where we start.  God does as He pleases, but here He ties His plan into it.  From the beginning, His plan was going to be done.  I have never attended a formal school.  When I was sold to a witchdoctor to provide what was needed for my mother to live, that was in God’s plan.  I gave my husband four children and we both became Christians.  But my husband and my four sons were all killed right in front of me.  I cannot see God doing that, but He used that bad time with a few more problems to get here.  When I was a witchdoctor’s wife, I never knew that America existed.  I knew the jungle of Africa, the Savannah, and the grasslands north of the jungle.  I saw the Sahara Desert, but America?  I only had a hint that France was a different place north of the Sahara.  I had no concept of the continents.  But God knew, and God’s plan got me here.  I married the man I love.  We have a lovely daughter.  And one of the pharmacy faculty said that they were going to do something for me soon.  I do not know.  But I would one day like to attend a class at the university.  As I say, I have never attended a class of any kind, other than the employee classes here at Lily the Pink.”

I heard a voice behind me, “Mommie!  The buses!”

“I love you, Grannie Fannie,” I said without turning around.

I smiled, “As we have been doing, let’s end with the Mizpah benediction.  Everyone, bow your heads in prayer.  “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.’” (Genesis 31:49b)

Brooke came over and picked up Stormie’s carrier and went with me to the bus.  She looked into the carrier, “Hi, Stormie, it’s me, Aunt Brooke.”

Goober said, “Thank you, Aunt Jemima, you have been our spiritual leader.  Thank you for just being there for us.”

Credits

I am now starting to use the David E. Fessenden study guides for The Attributes of God, A Journey into the Father’s Heart by A.W. Tozer, in two volumes. Again, no quotations, just some Scriptures that keep the flow going.  But I will admit that I did a search on the topic and found most of the verses that I used this time.

Here is Jimmy Fortune, with Bill Gaither and others singing Just a Closer Walk with Thee.  Darrell went all out on this one.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.