Matthew 5:16 “Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in Heaven.”
The wind blew blustery under
the strong fall sun. Some wore short sleeve and some coats. The half rebuilt
flea market half buzzed with life. A strong sense that it is not what it once
was hung in odd silence over such a large crowd. They busied themselves
adjusting the products laid out under a long tin roof with a concrete floor.
The items laid straight on ancient waist high tables made of well weathered
pine. The path of the Albany tornado could still be seen driving to this place
like bread crumbs in a forest leading to the flea market that had gotten
completely destroyed by the January 2017 Tornado that devastated this southern
town. The town had rebuilt the flea
market so folks could go back to earning their living on Sunday mornings. A
pile of table parts still sat on the side of the huge dirt lot waiting to be
put back together like all the others.
We barely made it down the
steps of the Coach before we hear a friendly voice calling. “Oh, I’m so glad
you came!” said Rita with a huge smile on her face and a warm hug waiting for
me. If we were to be here long I felt that we would become fast friends. She
bustled through the crowd telling us how the tornado tore down the flea market
including the stage platform that her husband, Gary, had preached from for many
years. They were told that it would be rebuilt but now it was still just a
piece of ground with a pickup truck pulled up with a temperamental microphone speaker
on the tail gate.
That Saturday before Thanksgiving on a walk
through the campground soaking up pine and live oak fragrance and fresh country
air Gary came hobbling out of his camper with the same walk as David. “I had to
come out and meet the man that has worse knees that I do.” He said with a grin
holding his hand out to meet David. It was almost instantly apparent that he
was a fellow Marine and they have a unique brotherhood that fascinates me to
watch. It is like some kind of huge foundation of understanding they have and
instantly trust one another on some kind of basic level. After exchanging
greetings, opening info and pleasantries in our exit David asked if they needed
anything because we were heading in to town to church and would be stopping at
Walmart tomorrow. They replied with an invitation to their church, the flea
market. We settled that we would attend and so we did.
The previous week we had gone to
Sherwood Baptist Church. It was one of those big beautiful churches with a
school, parking for church school buses. The music was great with a full band
complete with violins and French horn and talented singers that knew how to do
tight harmonizing. The professional lighting and sound rivaled that of Joel
Osteen’s stage and they were all very friendly. David recognized the man that
owned the propane store that had filled up our RV and said hello. That had been
a fun surprise. We had the fortune to hear the head pastor preach that day. His
message was Be Still and Trust: How do you react when you get bad news? That is
how you know if you really Trust God.
Philippians 4:19 New Living
Translation (NLT) 19 And this
same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious
riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus”
The message was profound and the environment
was exquisite. The setting was a stark contrast to the flea market. This was
one of the first weeks back since the tornado and we were the only official attendees
although the message could be heard throughout the flea market as folks went
about their business. Upon inviting us Gary had explained that they had chosen
the flea market for their ministry because it was as close to the way Jesus had
done it that existed in modern times. No songs were sung and the temperamental
sound system had a plug that had to be held in by hand. When it went out Gary
smiled and adjusted it and continued his message.
I marveled at his courage and
devotion to bring the Gospel to these people. Where they listening? Did they
care? Maybe the message was just for us? I for one was glad that Gary had
decided to do church in this organic way. Rita, David and I sat on a well
weathered half torn picnic table bench and leaned back on the table to listen
to Gary preach. Rita’s fold out lawn chair that sat in the center of the dirt
church creaked occasionally from the wind threatening to close up but held its
form. As Gary began preaching about the Sermon on the Mount distractions were
everywhere” pickup trucks dropping off products, the aroma of Mexican food
being prepared in the adjacent food truck, the cold wind picking up stealing
the warmth from the sun and all the hustle of the flea market hummed in the
background. David had tears of humor streaming from his eyes at the scene. But
once the word took hold of my heart it all faded away to Gary and what message
he was here to share on that day.
Matthew 11:28-30New
Living Translation (NLT)
28 Then
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are
weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to
bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Galatians 2:20 New
Living Translation (NLT)
“20 My
old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me.”
What makes the yoke light? “Love”
Gary explained that approaching all of life with the point of view of Love
makes everything easy. Love is light not heavy. This is a profound yet
sometimes hard to understand concept. How do we do it? We do it by trusting in Him. Your thoughts
govern your life. But if you try to control your thoughts by yourself you will
wear yourself out instead let Love change them then your yolk will be light.
The church was a dirt floor and
the sky as a roof, the pew the oldest picnic table I had ever sat on but the
message was well delivered and life changing for those who had ears to hear. It
was as close as you get to the first church meetings ever. Sitting there at that flea market it made the
imagination go to the first meetings in market places in Israel and Rome
preaching stuff no one has ever heard before. It put a new light on the courage
that the apostles had to have had. They were in an environment of Jewish folks
with a strong firm religion and law and Roman soldiers running around with
swords and stuff. It had to be crazy. But people listened to them. That is how
powerful the Word of Jesus was and is. To be in this kind of environment in a
hostile culture controlled by and even more hostile culture and still folks
listened and joined. That is Wow!
If you ever in Albany, GA on a
Sunday stop in to Sherwood Baptist or the Flea Market on Sylvester
Rd. You will find folks that love God and bring his word. The environments may
be at opposite spectrums of society but the message of both was the same: Trust
God.
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