Christmas on the River - Martin Wiles

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 NLT

God sometimes shows up in the strangest ways. One Christmas week in 1980, he did just that for my family. And it was a Christmas they never forgot.

As a pastor, my Dad moved us around quite a bit, but he managed to remain at the same church long enough for me to gravitate through high school and graduate—at which time I immediately moved out. Shortly after, Mom, Dad, and my two brothers experienced a Christmas like none before.

For a number of years, Dad had struggled with God’s call to be a full-time evangelist. After resigning his church in Orangeburg, South Carolina, he decided it was time. The only problem was now wasn’t God’s time. So God allowed him and the family to spend a Christmas on the Santee River to convince him. 

Resigning a church when you live in a church-provided home and have nowhere to go is a scary experience. Fortunately, the church organist had a little getaway mobile home on the shores of Low Country South Carolina’s Santee River. Completely furnished, it was ready to move in. 

Mom, Dad, and my two brothers loaded up their clothes, stored the remainder of their belongings at my grandparent's home, and headed for what they had never experienced before: residing in a trailer, using someone else’s belongings, and living on the water. Their new home was small, cramped, and showed evidence of a bachelor’s presence, but Mom made it as much of a temporary home as she could—even after finding snake skins in one of the closets. 

Mom was employed thirty miles away. Her income wasn’t sufficient to pay bills. Debt mounted. Calls for Dad to preach were few and far between. When they came, they struggled to muster the gas money for him to get there. Compensation was never enough to cover his expenses. The weather had turned cold, and keeping the oil tank filled was further draining their bank account. To top it off, my middle brother struggled with asthma attacks. Dad would take long walks with him in the woods and along the riverbank, attempting to calm him down so they could avoid a trip to the hospital—another unaffordable expense.

All the while, the season of joy quickly approached, but there didn’t appear to be much joy in the Wiles’ household this Christmas. How could they be joyful when there was no money to buy a tree or presents? Even if they had the tree, their ornaments were packed up who knows where. Mom loved to cook large Christmas meals, but this year the cabinets were bare. Meat was rapidly becoming a scarce commodity. Times, in fact, were so lean they couldn’t afford to return to church services on Sunday evenings. 

A dose of ingenious planning by Mom and a surprise visit from a friend turned the tide. Why not use one of the plentiful pine trees as a Christmas tree? So they did. Dad and the two boys trekked through the woods until they found the perfect one. They cut it and dragged it back to the spot Mom had carefully chosen in the trailer. She even came up with a solution for the ornaments too. Finding craft ornaments that required baking and painting, she accosted them and delivered them to Dad. He needed something to occupy his mind anyway. But the cabinets were still bare.

It appeared this Christmas would be meatless. But during Christmas week, a good friend stopped by. He worked at a local car dealership and had been given a ham and turkey as Christmas gifts. Since he was a single man, he had no use for both and wondered if Mom, Dad, and the boys might be interested in having the ham. They quickly snatched them up with great joy and appreciation. God sent meat for Christmas. 

This Christmas on the river was probably the leanest my family had ever experienced, but of the many they have shared together, this one stands out as the most memorable. They spent time together and felt closer than they ever had. The aroma of the cooking ham snaked through every inch of the trailer, reminding them of God’s goodness. They didn’t have much, but God gave them exactly what they needed. 

Mary experienced the same. She, too, was a poor young woman engaged to be married when God showed up and told her fiancé she would birth the Savior of the world.  The excitement—and anxiety--was almost more than Mary could bear. But her willingness to accept God’s plan resulted in salvation for all who call upon the name of the Son she bore. 

My family needed meat for Christmas, and God provided it. Soon after, he provided another church for Dad to pastor. Once again, they had a place to stay and food on the table. God provided for my family just as he did a Savior for the world. And that’s how God is. Whatever the need, he’ll always supply. 

How has God provided for you? 

Tweetable: When has God come through for you? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Flashback Friday - Tangled Up - Martin Wiles

Tangled Up

Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT

My line was tangled. Would the entire trip be ruined?

When I was a pre-teen, fishing with my grandmother on the Santee River was a favorite pastime. Neither of us could swim a lick, and our lifejackets consisted of no more than multicolored cushions with straps attached. My grandmother was a cane pole fisher. Fishing in the nooks and along the tree infested banks made tangled lines a common occurrence. She had a cure, however, that often prevented us from having to cut our lines: an empty food can with both ends removed. She would slide the can over the pole and let it meander to the end of the line. How this loosened the hook, I never understood, but it usually did. Read more...

Tweetable: Are you tangled up? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Interpreting the Signs - Martin Wiles

You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times. Luke 12:56 NLT

If the signs weren’t right, she’d never leave the house.

My maternal grandmother was a fisherman—to be politically correct, a fisherwoman. Just a few miles from her house, the Santee River made its course. I didn’t know it when I fished with her, but I found out later she’d fished for a long time. As a young woman, she had used her money from selling fish to pay for Mom’s piano lessons.

Grandmammy and her sister-in-law dressed in their husbands’ clothes and headed for the river almost every day of the week. I can see her now—tying her cane poles to the rain gutter of her car, putting the boat motor in her trunk, making sandwiches, and getting jugs of frozen water from the freezer. But she’d never leave the house if the signs forbade her.

Before planning a trip, she’d walk onto the front porch and feel the wind against her face. She knew which direction East was, and if the wind blew from that direction she’d stay home. Or if fluffy, billowy clouds hung around, she’d also stay home. 

Thunderstorms arose quickly on the Santee River, and she had no plans to get caught in one. Her boat was small, she couldn’t swim, and she had no intention of getting swamped by rough water.

According to Jesus, His listeners were good meteorologists, but they didn’t know how to interpret spiritual signs. He would soon leave them—but He would return. They needed to know the signs of His coming so they could get ready.

Grandmammy didn’t sit around the house just because she couldn’t go fishing. And I shouldn’t sit around and do nothing as I wait on the Lord to return. Jesus said the fields were white for harvest. Spiritual work abounds as I await His coming.

I can’t determine the day of Christ’s coming—Jesus Himself didn’t even know that—but I can recognize the signs. According to Jesus, the days before His return will parrot Noah’s day when everyone did their own thing and wasn’t concerned about spiritual matters. Research reveals this is the overall mindset of people now: little interest in godly living, but much interest in selfish pursuits.

Grandmammy was always ready to go fishing whether she went or not. Get ready to meet the Lord at His return—and help others get ready too.

Tweetable: Are you paying attention to the signs?

Prayer: Father, motivate us to ready ourselves for Your coming and to help others prepare as well. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's Word.

The Peacemaker - Martin Wiles

"Silence! Be still!” Mark 4:39 NLT

Storms seemed to magically appear from nowhere.

Fishing on the Santee River with my maternal grandmother was one of my favorite things to do while growing up. Each day, she fixed an early lunch, ate, cleaned up, walked onto her wraparound porch, and looked at the clouds. If no billowy clouds appeared—ones that could easily form into thunderheads—she packed.

When she accounted for all items, she drove six miles to the spot where she anchored her boat. After loading the boat, she fired the engine and headed for her favorite nooks and crannies. Fishing in these hidden places made it almost impossible to see storm clouds brewing, but she kept a wary eye out for them anyway. After all, she couldn’t swim, and she fished alone. Drowning wasn’t on her list of things to do.

Nor did Jesus’ disciples want to—even though they, too, were seasoned fishermen. When they encountered a storm, they woke Jesus from a late afternoon nap. Didn’t He care they were about to drown? But Jesus wasn’t alarmed—or afraid. He merely rebuked the storm, telling it to be quiet. And it listened.

Literal storms can be nasty but not normally as intense as some of the other types we face in life. When they come, perspective is vital. Had my grandmother constantly feared about storms, she never would have placed her boat in the water. Fear of life’s storms can incapacitate me—but they shouldn’t. God controls them.

Whether He allows them or sends them is immaterial. Trying to figure it out is only beneficial if my sin has caused the storm. Otherwise, I endure, realizing He is in control. And while in the storm, I pray He will keep me from making foolish decisions.

Storms often lead to fruit. Bad storms can result in a greater yield of fish. They also tend to produce good things in my life if I respond properly. Traits such as patience, trust, faith, love, kindness.

Life’s storms can also provide great witnessing material. People can’t argue with my personal testimony. When I share how God stilled my storms and what He taught me, they get a dose of what it’s like to follow Christ.

Don’t fear or waste your storms. Let God use them for good in your life.

Tweetable: Are life's storms wrecking your life?

Prayer: Father, although we don’t enjoy life’s storms, we know You allow them for our good and Your glory. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's Word.

Throw Back the Trash - Martin Wiles

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT

“That’s nothing but trash.”

Fishing on the Santee River with my maternal grandmother was my favorite things to do when I was a pre-teen. We’d leave around lunchtime and stay all day, floating in nooks and crannies in a small boat. She never used a rod-n-reel, only cane poles. A small one for bream and a larger one for catfish.

If my cork went under but nothing was on the line when I pulled it up—including the bait worm—she wouldn’t say anything the first time. But if it happened repeatedly, she would say, “Throw your line somewhere else. That’s nothing but trash.”

Trash was small bream that would suck the worm from a hook. Occasionally, I might catch one but they weren’t big enough to fry. Either way, I lost: a worm or a fish. And it was a waste of my time fooling with them. She needed larger fish that she could cook or sell.

Paul says something different about who the world considers trash. God chooses them to shame those who think they are wise. Somewhat like Jesus did when he chose fishermen and a tax collector for disciples rather than the elite religious leaders. And also when He hung around those others considered trash. Through such actions, God shines forth His power and wisdom.

I’ve been thrown back or rejected more times than I care to remember. Chosen last for a team. Laughed at because I had an accident. Made fun of because I wore glasses. Rejected by a lover for someone else. Told by religious folks that I couldn’t be used because of my past. The list is long.

But God continues to confound those who think they’re wise—and amazes me—by continuing to use me in His service. The only reason God rejects me is if I fail to believe in Him. At that point, I seal my own fate—not one He desires for me.

Others may consider us trash because of our family background, social class, monetary status, or skin color. God never does. He sees none of that. He only sees a masterpiece in the making—a person created in His image, usable under His power and guidance.

Regardless of what others say about you, remember what God says. You are loved and usable. Make yourself available. He’ll never toss you back.

Tweetable: Are you sure God won't toss you back?

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. And that You choose to use us even when others toss us aside. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's Word.