“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
The last words I heard my Mother say were repeating Proverbs 3:5-6 over and over. She was staying at our house while battling serious illness, and she asked me to take my son James to Florida to bring her car back to Indiana.
James and I flew out of Evansville into Louisville on a scheduled airliner. As we glanced out the window on the approach to land, there were many 727 jet aircraft sitting almost wing tip to wing tip on the tarmac.
Later we learned that UPS had purchased the 727 airplanes to compete with FedEx, who was successfully using a fleet of 727s.
James and I changed planes in Louisville, flew into Bradenton-Sarasota Airport, and began driving my Mother’s car back to Evansville. Arriving in Atlanta, we called home, and Mary informed us that my Mother’s soul had been transferred to her heavenly home.
Our daughter Tami was attending classes at Oakland City College, and my Mother’s small yellow Pontiac provided the needed transportation to and from classes.
Shortly after TTT began, because the largest commercial airliner flying in and out of the Evansville Airport was a 727 jet, and because we needed to let everyone know that TTT Saturday night events started on time, 7:27 PM was chosen as the precise starting time every Saturday.
Following her year at Oakland City, Tami transferred to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. James enrolled at Christ Unlimited Bible Institute in Kansas City and needed the yellow Pontiac there.
Gill Robb Wilson wrote “Somebody Has to Lead,” and published it in Flying magazine.
“So long as this is a free man’s world, somebody has to lead. Somebody has to carry the ball in word and thought and deed. Somebody’s got to knock on doors that have never known a key. Somebody has to see the things the crowd would never see.”
Although our immediate family was separated by hundreds of miles – Tami in Lynchburg, Virginia and James in Kansas City, Kansas – we communicated consistently by telephone and reunited in person from time to time, always sharing requests and praying for one another. Trusting in the Lord was always “ongoing.”
Romans 8:28 was more than just the life verse Mary I chose to follow, as our relationship with each other grew more and more serious.
In 1960, I wrote and published “Successful Living,” years before our daughter Tami and son James were born.
“What is successful living? Success is something that everyone wants. Some people go to vast ends to achieve what they believe to be the real thing. To some, money is success. To others, it is title … authority … recognition … respect … fame. All of these things, however, are soon spent. A feeling of emptiness engulfs the person who has enjoyed success for a season, and then finds it vanished. A person who is truly successful is one who has learned how to live. The spiritual life lasts forever. Eternal destiny is involved. Real successful living begins when you surrender to God’s will.”
God’s ABCs can be your blueprint to success:
A – Admit you’ve sinned (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). B – Believe on Christ (John 3:16). C – Confess Christ publicly (Romans 10:9-10).
When I was nearing my 95th birthday, Tami shared with family and friends “everywhere.” It has been a delight to hear from so many in multiple ways. Because August 29 was a Saturday, it was a special joy to wrap up the evening with Tami and James together after others had departed.
As we continue going “Together Toward Tomorrow,” free hand-dipped corn dogs will be provided at TTT Saturday, October 3, for “Fall Festival Preview.”
And October 5-9, interacting with volunteers and guests at TTT’s booth (#54) at the Evansville West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, every corn dog (and other food items) will be served with a napkin with the message “For God so loved … Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” And that message will be displayed on banners at the TTT booth.
Saturday, December 5 at TTT, we will sing “Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is born,” and celebrate with Jesus’ birthday cake, presenting the Gospel with an invitation to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ … singing “Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is alive!”
At precisely 7:27 PM every Saturday, a Boeing 727 jet lands on the big screen via video. The challenge to trust the Lord encompasses every aspect of TTT Christian Youth Ministries.
Will you allow God to direct your path today, tomorrow, and forever?