Everybody Ought to Know

Grandpop told stories of his brick laying days.  After 8th grade he was forced to leave school and search for work.  Groups of men would stand in certain locations hoping to be chosen for a job.  The long hours, tiring road trips, oppressive heat, below freezing temperatures brought to life the struggles faced in the Great Depression.  Life was difficult but Grandpop loved bricks.  He loved what he could create.  My childhood home, church and school held evidence of his talent and perfectionist eye.  He would sing “…lay just one brick and then another…” leaving the grandchildren giggling. 

Out behind our house sat a metal shed. Inside there were jars of nails, screws, pieces of who knows what because you just might need them someday. Grandpop found value in saving items for future use. Our family picnic table once was a pile of unwanted wood in the trash. There were projects with bandaged pieces and sometimes an idea did not quite come together but this did not discourage his efforts. His brain focused on the end project and his actions helped him get there.

Isaiah 12:2 says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, The LORD, is my strength and my defense, He has become my salvation.” 

Spiritual depression and turmoil surrounded the prophet Isaiah.  His goal was to speak the truth from God while the country was wrapped up in idol worship.  He stood on the truth that His God, Yahweh, brought the children of Israel out of Egypt into the promised land and desired a personal relationship with them. Look at the words he uses. "God is MY salvation...The LORD, is MY strength and MY defense, He has become MY salvation." (emphasis MINE). Isaiah holds tightly to his personal relationship with God because it is what sustains him through the difficult disappointments. Over and over again he watched those around him make unwise choices leading them to destruction.  Talk about awful!  Yet, Isaiah holds out hope for a time where restoration will take place, where shame is replaced with grace and where what is worn is “…a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:3).

While driving to our ministry location in the Dominican Republic my mind began to wander, focusing only on the hard moments of the past week.  Someone had stolen money from the church offering.  A youth volunteer announced his girlfriend’s pregnancy.  Plastic chairs on our front porch mysteriously went missing.  The guard at the worksite had pawned off the church guitar and we had to go and resolve the problems.  Saturday’s children’s activity was rained out.  Again, someone canceled a Bible study.  Disappointments surrounded me. 

A tear quietly slipped down my cheek.  How could so much be going wrong?  Did I not teach the Bible lesson correctly?  Was I lacking in proper Spanish vocabulary?

I was ready to throw in the towel. 

My energetic three-year-old belted out from the back seat “Everybody ought to know…everybody ought to know…everybody ought to know…who is Jesus is.” 

Truth sung with gusto!

(Feel free to look up this song: Cedarmont Kids - Everybody Ought To Know) 

That day, God used my daughter to remind me of the importance of a heart centered on telling others about Jesus.  I cannot control their reactions.  It is impossible to force others to love Jesus and want to please Him.  Some days will bring their disappointments, but joy can be found in my personal relationship with God.

The 11th row on the right-hand side of the church, I sat between Grandmom and Grandpop Stanislaw for many years.  Grandpop and I would race to see who could find the correct page in the hymnal after the number was announced by the worship leader.  His baritone voice sang the songs depicting his life-long faith grounded in God’s Word.  Difficulty was part of his life but it did not define him.  Even in his aging years with shaky hands and weaker voice, he still sang with such confidence.

Grandpop’s silly brick-laying song reflects the monotonous job of mortar and brick, one after the other.  Even when the callouses grow on hands from mixing cement, the end result of a completed project makes the struggle worthwhile.  Eyes focused on the finished product can change attitudes along the way. 

When you feel overwhelmed with despair, how can you change to a posture of praise?

Lean in…everybody ought to know.