Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday June 8, 2010

Sunday past I was the guest speaker at the Bedford Baptist Temple where my long time friend, Dr. Steve Goens, has been the pastor for the last 30 some years. It was a good time and I enjoyed the day.

Prior to Sunday School, I met with some of the folks in the "Coffee Room" which is the power center of most Baptist Churches. The Adult Class teacher asked if I preferred to teach the class and I assured him that I did not. I further told him that I usually enjoy listening to others teach as I usually learn something, or receive some inspirational story or quote which I in turn share with you, my erudite daily readership.

Sunday was no exception as I was truly enriched by the compassionate spirit of Stu Burton as he taught from the Bible. While doing this he shared about how he had come to Bedford, Indiana from Phoenix, Arizona to take a very good job in the industrial management field. This move was many years ago and he survived intact and is now retired. A nice man.

Stu told how he been saved and became a member of a thriving church in the Phoenix area and supposed for a while that he was being promoted by the Lord Jesus in his chosen profession. Not so. He learned that God had given a very good job to him in order to enable him and his family to be a help to the Bedford Baptist Temple over these many years. His exact statement:

"God wanted Stu Burton in Bedford for the Temple and NOT the job." Mr. Burton said this with deep emotion and he is not an overly emotional man.

Later at lunch at Pappa's I noticed something else unusual about Stu. He had ordered a "Turkey Melt" and the waitress brought a Philly Cheese Steak to die for. Most men do not especially want a Philly Cheese Steak on Sunday afternoon when said man is wearing a suit, white shirt and Hangman's Noose. Stu never said a word. He cut the huge sandwich into three pieces and ate it, commenting on how good it tasted.

I commented on his composure about the sandwich mix up and he said to the effect, "The place is very busy and besides she (the waitress) knows that I am a Christian." I know many exalted men of the cloth who would have insisted on seeing the manager, demanding a free "Turkey Melt" and the errant waitress doing at least 75 Marine pushups. (I would have settled for 50 and half price for the Philly Steak).

During lunch I thought of the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples in Luke 10:8:

"And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:"

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2010 Use with credit.

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