Postive Strokes

I haven’t read Jill Bolte Taylor’s book, “My Stroke of Insight,” which chronicles her “personal journey” as a result of a massive stroke. The fact that it occurred to a brain surgeon who knew precisely what was happening to her at every stage makes it a fascinating subject. The publicity folks for her publisher talk about the positive things she learned and can teach the rest of us. The NPR announcer referred to her experience as “a stroke of luck.”

Two friends have e-mailed me this week with their accounts of hosting our citizens who had evacuated to their towns as a result of Hurricane Gustav. So many reports from newspapers told of ungrateful evacuees with their constant demands, bellyaching, and even fighting. So, this is welcome news.

Dwight Munn is a senior staff member at West Monroe’s First Baptist Church, one of the great churches in our state. He writes, “We hosted around 70 members of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church for about a week. We also hosted a group of Hispanic brothers and sisters from Great Commission Baptist Church in Marrero. They numbered about 60.”

“It was a phenomenal time of community. Everyone was respectful as well as helpful. We wanted them to participate in the physical aspects because we felt it was better for them to do that than just sit around. They agreed and pitched in every time the need arose.”

“One Hispanic mechanic (nice rhyme) offered his services free of charge to anyone needing car repair at the shelter. It truly was an experience of the bond of love and the unity of peace which God’s children enjoy.”


Dwight and his wife Lissa are dear friends of ours over many years. He served our church (FBC Kenner, LA) as student minister a dozen years ago, then pastored FBC Luling, across the river, before going to Monroe nearly 6 years ago.

Michael Brown has been music and worship pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Tullahoma, Tennessee, for six years. He and his wife Melinda grew up in FBC Columbus, MS, where I pastored in the 70s and 80s. Melinda is the preschool director of the Tullahoma church.

Michael writes, “Last week Tullahoma was a shelter for around 200 storm evacuees. We ran the vans to bring them to a concert by comedian Scott Davis on August 31. Scott gave a great gospel invitation and 17 folks were saved, including 5 evacuees.”

Michael sent along a list of the five locals so we can do followup. One evacuee has already written the pastor a note thanking the church for reaching out to them.

As I write this, Hurricane Ike is approaching Texas and aiming straight at our dear friends in Houston. They have been so wonderful in reaching out to us in the three years since Katrina wreaked havoc down here, we sure want to pray for them and stand ready to assist them.

Even though New Orleans is not in the path of Ike, outer bands of rain and heavy winds are battering us. This morning at 5 when I awakened, we were under a tornado watch.

We wouldn’t wish a hurricane on anyone, but I guarantee there will be people in Heaven thanking God for the storms that drove them out of their homes (and out of their comfort zones), for the Christian friends who took them in and ministered to them, and for the gospel which they heard and believed and by which they were born again.

Good strokes by positive folks.

2 thoughts on “Postive Strokes

  1. Our Lord said that others would know we are His disciples, if We have love one for another.

    Love overcomes obstacles, and exults in its object.

    Brothers and Sisters in Christ display to the World, their faith, when they have charity [love in action].

  2. It’s not just the hurricanes or tornadoes that can impact out lives but the personal storms have andhow we face them.

    Pat was a member of our church and the storm in her life was that three days a week, 52 weeks a year she went to the local hospital for Dialysis. I called on her one day and asked, “Don’t you just hate doing that?” “Oh no, that’s that only time I get out of this house to tell people about Jesus.”

    And I know that somewhere there are Christians who should get down on their knees and thank God that a storm hit the life of Pat Freeman because while hooked up to a machine, she told them about Jesus.

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