I’m currently on a manly road trip with three of my manly compadres visiting a manly friend in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Aside from having a manly time (and growing a manly beard), one undeniable truth has repeatedly revealed itself to me in multiple ways throughout the trip so far…
1) The primary reason we chose to travel to Tennessee this weekend was to visit a good friend of ours who recently took a head coaching position here. It’s been great seeing his new hometown as well as the gym he’ll be operating in during the foreseeable future. It’s also been interesting to hear all the positive and negative things he’s had to deal with ALREADY as the new coach. After listening to all the things he’s been working through, I was reminded that no matter what we do, we can’t control what happens to us–rather positive or negative. It’s comforting to know, however, that…
God is in control of every joy, every sorrow, and every sting–He’s in control of everything. He is Lord of ALL.
2) During our trip, we had the opportunity to climb to the top of Clingman’s Dome (the highest point in the Smoky Mountains). Once at the top, we found a secluded spot to talk, reflect, and pray together as a group. It was there we came to appreciate the magnificence of the smallest details around us–from the bees swarming around our heads to the leaves beneath our feet–as well as the beauty of the most grand creations in our midst–from the black bear we saw climbing in a tree to the vast number of mountain tops across the horizon. We were in awe of the beauty around us, and we realized that…
God is in control of every creature, every land, and every tree–He’s in control of everything. He is Lord of ALL.
3) Upon arriving at our camp, we city boys made it pretty clear that we were by no means “expert campers.” In fact, a couple of our camping neighbors noticed our struggles (ranging from getting our tent set up correctly to building a proper campfire) and decided to come to our aid. It was then we got to discuss the Bible with them and discovered one of them (a young man named Joe) was hoping to go to seminary to hopefully get into ministry full-time. It was rewarding to be able to discuss his plans with him and offer what advice we could. His family eventually invited us to church and allowed us to worship with a different group of believers in a different sort of venue than what we were used to.
The worship service was definitely different. The people were more “country” than what we were used to, the building was very old, there was no air conditioning, and there were bugs and mice poop sprinkled throughout the premises. I found myself sitting in a very uncomfortable position on a super hard pew between a spider web and a collection of mice pellets. Once the service started, however, I was taken aback by the passion of the congregation, the spirit of the choir, and the truth spoken by the pastor. It was then I realized that no matter where we go…
God is in control of every man, every woman, and even me–He’s in control of everything. He is Lord of ALL.
Isn’t it nice knowing that no matter where we go, what we do, or who we see, God is in control of everything?
Thank you Jesus for never changing the fact that no matter what DOES change around us, one thing NEVER does…
You are Lord of ALL.
-BH (aka the Bear Handler)
Brady Hammond 