I once visited with a policeman who had a great deal to do with searching for small children when they come up lost. It was interesting to learn that the officer begins looking for them in the direction the wind is blowing. He explained on a windy day that everything from a bouncing ball to a hat would just go with the wind. Children will run after an object blown by the wind and keep chasing it until they get all turned around and become lost.

​God gives us direction to our life and often times that means facing the wind. It is easier at times to go with the wind and drift along than to do at times what we ought to do. At the completion of a college football game in Texas, I was reminded how difficult it can be to go one way when most people are going the other. With upwards to 90,000 plus people flowing out of the stands I found myself in a traffic jam on foot. That particular day it seemed nearly everyone was headed in the opposite direction. My progress was slower that day, but my direction was sure and steadfast. Jesus came to seek, save and direct His people to Heaven.  As Christians, our direction is sure for we are heaven bound. Regardless of the current against us we have God’s help (Hebrews 13:5,6) as He calls us heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). 

Clark Tatum

​I have always loved to ride two-wheeled machines. But if you would have watched me with my first bicycle you would have said, “He’ll never make it.” Talk about klutzy. I wondered if I would ever get to permanently take the training wheels off my bike. Before I got the hang of balancing the bike without the training wheels I had used up several boxes of industrial size Band-Aids. One day it happened, after a measurable amount of work coupled with my desire to ride a bike. I finally caught on to actually staying upright on the bike. I figured out that the faster I went the easier it was to balance myself, steer the handlebars and turn the corner.
 
Why am I telling you all of this? Bicycle riding explains a lot of things. Churches are a bit like bicycles, in that if they are not moving forward it makes things more difficult. Churches that do not move forward in my experience tend to have more scrapes and spend more time falling over. The Body of Christ at 14th and Main is obviously peddling and moving forward together in harmony with the Lord’s teachings. I have found there are basically three kinds of people in the world. One, there are those who make things happen. Two, there are those who watch things happen. Three, there are those who wonder “what happened?” The same thing could be said of churches. It is great to be part of a congregation that has and made such a positive impact in so many lives by spreading the message of Jesus. Let us stay committed to God’s work coupled with the desire to be faithful to the Lord’s mission.

Clark Tatum