Let My Praises Be Heard!
“THOUSANDS OF STEPS TO DELIVER THOUSANDS OF DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS”
In December 1995 (just seven months after Christian Living Ministries began), I began to do what nearly anyone could do. A very simple ministry of systematic distribution of Christian devotional literature – a ministry that nearly anyone could choose to do, but nevertheless, a ministry that entailed a lot of discipline and a lot of physical energy. I remember that my local church (under the leadership of a ‘key’ layman-conscientious and dedicated and organized), distributed thousands of the little daily devotional booklets (Our Daily Bread) – every quarter for several years.
When I was the pastor of that local Free Methodist Church, I expressed many times to that ‘key’ lay person, my deep appreciation for the ‘quiet and consistent’ work that he did. I was grateful for the fact that he had recruited dozens of ‘helpers’ to make that ministry possible. Thousands of homes were ‘touched’, as a result of those devotional booklets being placed in the door or screen of those many houses.
With the memory of that simple but effective, ministry of ‘literature distribution’ through the ‘channels’ of my former church, I decided that the same ‘ministry’ could (and should) be carried out, in my own neighborhood. Why couldn’t I do the ‘foot work’? Just like the lay persons did, some years before, while I was their pastor? So, without much thought as to what it would mean for me to be the ‘footman’, each quarter (year after year), ordered several; boxes of the devotional booklet.
For about 55 quarters I passed out the devotional booklet (Our Daily Bread). That means for 14 years (with missing only one quarter), because of inclement weather, I went up and down thousands of steps, to reach the front door of hundreds of homes, to deposit the ‘truth of God’ (in the form of a little God-centered booklet).
There were many persons who expressed thanks to me, for my efforts, and for the great help (spiritually) that they received from reading the ‘Christ-honoring’ booklet. Occasionally (but very seldom) did I receive a ‘negative response’ from persons to whom I gave the booklet. On one occasion, after I had gone to the next door my fast walking in a neighborhood, a young man found the booklet on his front door, and he took the booklet and he slung the booklet across his yard, where it landed in a curb in front of his house. He, of course, yelled at me, and I gently responded with loving words.
God surely must have a ‘sense of humor’, for the next thing that happened, brought a sense of shame to the young man. The young man’s medium-sized dog got loose from the young man, and guess where his dog ended up? Yes, right at my feet! The young man who had just yelled at me (and who had tossed the devotional book), came over to the next yard to get his dog that was (as I said) right at my feet!
The young man was very ‘ashamed’ for the way he had acted towards me, and he apologized to me. He said that he was ‘fed up’ with the various ‘political brochures’ that were at this door and admitted that his negative action towards me was ‘wrong’. Of course, I accepted his apology; but (wisely) I did not go back to his door to give him another devotional booklet, and I certainly did not (unwisely) try to retrieve the devotional booklet that he had tossed into the curb in front of his house!
On one other (rare) occasion, after I had left a devotional booklet in the door of a certain house, and as I was crossing the street in front of this house, to walk my well-used ‘route’ to continue my ‘mission’, a lady came out of her house, trotting across the street where I was walking, and she yelled at me ‘from the top of her lungs’, letting me know ‘in no uncertain terms’ that she did not want that ‘booklet’!
Frankly, this unexpected invasion into my quiet thoughts that particular morning, as I was ‘going about my worthy mission’, frightened me (almost scared me!). She looked like a ‘wild woman’ dashing across the street (close to where I was walking). Maybe she was that type of woman. I don’t know, but (as the Lord taught us), I did not ‘yell back’- even though I might have wanted to, as a result of my sometimes ‘unsanctified emotions’!
Lest I develop a ‘martyr complex’, or become, ‘self-righteous’ in my attitude when I think about this ‘yelling woman’ (this woman who hated the emotional booklet so badly that she was bold enough to follow me onto the street), I must humbly and I must shamefully acknowledge that (according to my wife’s evaluation) I have sometimes raised my voice (apparently ‘yelled’) far too much in my life’s ventures, when I am discussing ‘controversial subjects’ (of many kinds). Venita (unfortunately) has had sometimes to ‘calm me’ and she has had to tell me to ‘lower my voice’ during ‘heated’ discussions! She has (unfortunately) had to remind me that ‘there are neighbors’ nearby who don’t need to hear me yelling’! I, of course, generally defend myself, and I tell her that I have emotions that going to ‘show’ when am talking about a ‘subject that is near to my heart’ (like abortion or humanism in our public schools, or ‘sheep stealing’ among local churches, and a dozen other hot topics).
Since I am a ‘yeller’ at times, I guess I had better not ‘criticize’ a woman who found it necessary (because of her own ‘set of beliefs’) to come after me and to ‘act like a crazy woman’. My experience of being ‘yelled’ at on a pleasant, sunny morning is ‘nothing’ compared to the experiences of the ‘persecuted church’ in other lands! Nevertheless, I must admit that, in the quietness of that morning, I was a ‘little unnerved’ by her aggressive actions and by her ‘harsh yelling!’
This (rare) experience gave me an appreciation for the ‘redeeming Gospel’ which this desperate lady needed. I prayed that someone somewhere would ‘get through to this needy soul’! During the 14 years (about 55 quarters) that I carried on this literature distribution ministry, I was told countless times how much the devotional booklet meant to the recipients.
Once, while I was quite a distance from the house where I had just left the booklet, a lady came to her front porch, and she shouted in a loud voice from across the street, “I love the devotional book. It is wonderful!”(I guess that affirmation makes up for the yelling by the ‘crazy lady’). I, of course, don’t remember any sequence to the various occasions when I received either positive or negative responses, I do know, for certain, that the number of positive responses far, far outweighs the negative responses.
It took me lots of hours to accomplish my ‘mission’ (of door-to-door distribution), each quarter, but, even though I grew tired, it was ‘worth it’. I planned to continue the ‘mission’ beyond the 14 years but, frankly, I was ready to ‘call it quits’ after this number of years.
One practical reason for discontinuing this literature ministry, was that I noticed (as I, obviously. Was getting older- about 65 at the time), I say, I noticed that my ‘knees’ were developing ‘aches’ and ‘pains’ (I think as a result of my ascending and descending thousands of front steps of hundreds of homes). Even though I believed that, because I had been a ‘steady runner’, I was rather strong in my legs, I did not ‘want to take the chance’ of developing additional knee problems.
After delivering this little devotional booklet (“Our Daily Bread”) door-to- door in my neighborhood for 14 years (approximately 55 quarters), I decided (rather decisively) that it was time for me to discontinue this meaningful ministry. All ‘good things’ (even ministries) must eventually come to an ‘end’.
It had long been my desire to ‘saturate’ my immediate community (about 400 homes) with the ‘Gospel of Christ’ (the message of God’s love)! As a result of my consistent distribution of this excellent booklet, I believed that my long- time ministry to these neighborhood homes was accomplished.
One day, after I had gone to a lot of homes, I decided to take a brief rest in my car. While I was resting, a lady came up to the window of my car. She rather startled me but I was quite sure that she was an ‘ally’ and not an ‘adversary’ to my cause. She quickly asked me, “Are you the one who is bringing these devotional booklets to the houses?” When I simply answered in the ‘affirmative’ her straight or worldly said to me, you’re an angel! (I replied, I know that I am! Just kidding) I said, “Thank you! I am glad that you like the devotional booklets. I have been doing this for quite some time.” She mentioned that the booklet had blessed her so, much!
Table of contents: Let my praises be heard!
Christian Devotionals 