Words That Season

Throughout my years as a minister, some experiences have seemed to stand out as a sign post directing the important decisions of today.  As a beginning minister over 30 years ago, I was excited about the opportunities which lay ahead.  The thrill of finishing Bible College and locating my young family to a Southwest Iowa rural community brought a heartfelt sense of praise to God for leading my wife and me to serve in the local congregation of Christians. 

     As we pulled up to the stop sign on the highway just north of town, Janice and I looked at each other and prayed for a moment before turning and asked God to use us in His work that He had called us to.  As the loaded truck made the turn we saw our destination only a few miles in front of us.  The Church had gathered to help us unload and move into the parsonage.  We were home. 

     God taught us many things in that congregation.  Working with individuals and families brought victories for Christ as well as challenging times where the testing of faith matured and strengthened our young family. 

     There were times of laughter. One year I had decided to enter the outdoor barbecue contest at the County Fair.  I carefully worked on my own recipe and sought the perfect cut of meat to grill.  As I was setting up to cook at the fair, people gathered around and wondered what the “Preacher” was going too barbeque.  I had a wonderful day visiting with people from all over the County.  Even the radio station from Shenandoah, Iowa, was there and planned to interview the winning contestant.  The judge for the day was Mr. Jim Lightfoot.  As he came to sample my entry he looked over my entire grill set up and asked for a sample.  I will never forget his response.  His eyes began to water when he took a bite because the meat was so heavily spiced.  The cayenne pepper had been overloaded by mistake.  As the judged choked and coughed, I tasted a piece myself and realized my mistake.  I gave him a glass of iced tea and said, “Sorry, I think it is a little too hot.”  Then to my surprise he said, “Paul, (cough), you are the winner of the Fremont County Fair Barbeque Contest”.  With the proceeds from the winning entry I purchased enough steaks to feed the entire staff who worked with me at the Camp of the Risen Son a Church Camp earlier in the summer.  One more important fact about the barbecue contest – I was the only entry!  The people of Fremont County never forgot the “preacher” who won the cooking contest by giving the judge heartburn.   By the way, the judge for the County Fair later became a US Congressman.  I always thought that it was my cooking that helped him win the election in the coming years. 

     But there were also many times of tears that were filled with deep emotion.  Don and Nancy were so good to our young family.  Even though they were older than Janice and I, they readily adopted us and we became very close.  They had been Christians for about 5 years when we arrived at the Church and they were growing in their relationship with the Lord.  Spiritual things were important to them even though Don did not grow up in a Christian home.  Don’s father was a very successful farmer with an ever increasing determination for more land and higher yields.  Don and I prayed together many times for Albert.  He came to church a few times when there was a special program that involved his grandchildren.  I made a determined effort to see Albert from time to time and spoke highly of his son, always inviting him to come and visit at the next church service.  Albert never did visit on a Sunday morning. 

     Don called me early one morning and informed me that his father was in the hospital.  A heart attack in the night had summoned all the family together.  My thoughts were about Albert as I drove the 15 miles to the hospital. I asked God to give me the wisdom to have the right words to speak to him when I arrived.  It was one of those moments when a young minister just beginning his ministry doesn’t have years of experience to fall back on.  Standing outside Albert’s hospital door I took a deep breath and walked in.  Before I had a chance to say anything he recognized me and said, “Preacher, why are you here?  I am not dead yet!”  I was stunned by his words.  It took me so by surprise and I knew that Albert had meant what he said.  “Could I pray with you, Albert”? “No! I don’t need your prayers”!  As I left his room, my heart was broken over a heart so hardened that it seemed to be unreachable.

     In the following months, Albert recovered from his heart attack and began doing light work around his farm.  He continued in his stubbornness against the church and the Lord.  In the next year Albert and his wife were preparing to drive their new motor home on an extended vacation.  He had given specific orders to his farm laborers to destroy the beaver dam just over the knoll in preparation for expanding planting for the upcoming the coming season.  The trip was to last four weeks and he expected all the work to be done by the time he would return. 

    Albert could not stand to be away as the weeks passed by.  He told his wife that he wanted to go home early.  So after three weeks they returned home, one week earlier than expected.  Early the next morning Albert went out to see if the beaver dam had been taken care of.  To his surprise, it was still there.  He got out of his pickup and walked onto the dam itself to look the situation over.  At the same moment, not realizing that Albert had returned home one week early, the hired hands had gotten up earlier than Albert and had placed dynamite inside the dam.  They had wired the explosives to the detonator which had been placed protectively just over the little knoll at the beaver dam.  They had hunkered down to protect themselves from the blast when the charge was detonated. One of the laborers cried, “Fire In The hole!” and set off the charge. Albert lost his life in an instant.

     Don called me with the devastating news that his father was killed in a terrible accident.  He asked me if I would preach the funeral.  On the day of the funeral a large gathering of family and fellow farmers from all over
Southwest Iowa came to show their respect.   As I walked by Albert’s casket on my way to the pulpit his words spoken to me months before shouted again from the quietness of the moment, “Preacher, why are you here? I am not dead yet!” 

     I did my best to speak to the family and all those who gathered on that day.   But I will never forget the words that Albert spoke to me in the opening months of my ministry in Sidney, Iowa. 

     Words are important.  They affect the lives of our spouse, our children, our grandchildren and everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis.  Never let a day pass when there are important words to be spoken.  Do not overlook words that have eternal consequences.   We do not know when it will be too late.  Today make the courageous decisions that will influence others to follow Christ.  Be careful of the words that you use.   Eternal destiny is at stake.  

     Jesus says in Luke 14:34-35, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  When Paul writes in Colossians 4:6 he reminds every one us, “Let your conversation (words) be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

     Are you seasoning the world with the words that you use?  It is not always a cooking contest where seasoning can be taken to an extreme.  It is not always a hospital room where words are etched in our minds.  Pray that your words will season others to walk closer to Christ.

Paul D. Sisson