Myrtle's Last Ride

I took Myrtle for a ride the other day. Now before you begin to wonder what I was doing with a strange woman - please let me explain. Four years ago, my daughter Ashley needed a car so we found her a 1990 Dodge Dynasty. She was teased about this car looking like a pappy car but in time she and Myrtle, as the Dodge became affectionately known, became good friends. Over the years, Myrtle needed maintenance, understanding and tender loving care but overall was a good friend to my daughter. Often our relationships require the same kind of maintenance, understanding and tender loving care. Well, last week the rebuilt transmission finally gave out so I limped Myrtle to the salvage yard with a disappointed daughter following behind. Before you give-up on your "Myrtle" and junk the relationship, ask God if you can rebuild the broken parts and continue to ride together.

The Fear of Death

Up until this past week, I didn't think I feared death. After all, as a believer I have confidence in life after death with Jesus Christ. However, on Thursday a special Easter gift came from an unlikely source, our local funeral home. The gift was my very own casket. At 46 years old, I am not expecting to use it very soon but my staff had this idea to have me enter into church on Easter Sunday in a casket to illustrate my sermon entitled: "The Legacy of the Tomb." As I laid in the casket for the first time on Thursday afternoon, I must confess that closing the lid rattled me a bit. As I waited on the church platform in the casket on Easter Sunday for the choir to finish the song "Up from the Grave He Arose," my legs began to shake, I began to sweat and I couldn't wait for Jesus to let me out when the song finished and he came out of the empty tomb. Thank God because of the resurrection of Christ every dead believer's body will be raised by Jesus one day. Thank God I have conquered the fear of a laying in a closed casket and more importantly the fear of death.