Growing Pains
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Growing Pains" by Keith Wagner
"Common Sense is Supreme" by Keith Wagner
"The Worst Days" by Peter Andrew Smith
Growing Pains
by Keith Wagner
Luke 19:1-10
When I was a teenager I remember be awakened in the middle of the night with a Charlie Horse. The muscles in your leg suddenly tie up in a knot and the pain is unbearable. I would grab headboard on my bed until it passed. I was always told that Charlie Horses were growing pains. Most all of my male friends experienced the same phenomenon, but it wasn’t fun. It was however part of the transition into “manhood.”
Charlie Horses are caused by the overuse of muscles or staying in the same position for a long period of time. Even today I am still plagued with Charlie Horses. I talked with my doctor and she told me I was dehydrated. She also encouraged me to stop running and do more walking. I listened to her and now my leg cramps have subsided. It took some listening and a change of behavior to end my problem with leg cramps.
Perhaps this was the problem with Zacchaeus. He couldn’t see Jesus through the crowd so he climbed up in a Sycamore tree thereby changing his position. As Jesus came down the road he noticed Zacchaeus in the tree and told him to come down.
Zacchaeus had to change his position in order to grow. He was despised by society for taking advantage of people. He was greedy and selfish and his heart, like his stature, was very small. By changing his position he was open to growth.
He grew by changing his position. In spite of his character flaws he managed to put himself in a place where Jesus would find him. Instead of staying hidden behind the crowd, he climbed to a place where he could be seen and also enabling him to see more clearly.
It is not easy to change our position. In the process we experience loss and changing requires energy and trust.
One time a blind man was invited to attend the wedding of a friend. The couple had chosen to be married in a village church that was known for its picturesque architecture. As the couple left the chapel, the mother of the groom said to the blind man, “What a pity that you couldn’t see the chapel. It really is so lovely and such a pretty garden.” She later repeated this to some mutual friends at the reception. The blind man just shrugged his shoulders each time and changed the subject. He thought to himself, “didn’t she hear the bells?” For him, the bells that had rung before and after the ceremony had been magnificent. He was astonished at their tones and the patterns that they made. For him they had created an atmosphere of joy and sacredness. The mother of the groom may have seen the lovely chapel but she missed the sound of the bells. With all her senses she had only experienced part of the beauty. Her perception of realty was limited by her narrow focus.
Zacchaeus’ perception was limited by his narrow focus. Changing his position resulted in a personal encounter with Jesus. Consequently he grew. Zacchaeus grew because he had learned to give instead of thinking only of himself. He couldn’t make himself taller but he was able to be more generous.
Growing up “short” was sometimes a painful experience for me. When I received my driver’s license I was 5 foot, 4 inches. Unfortunately, there were all the labels, like “half-pint, shorty, small fry, or peewee.” Since I was the shortest person in my class through the sixth grade, I heard them all. No one needed to remind me that I was short. I was totally aware of my small stature. I didn’t realize it at the time but I later learned that people label others who are different than themselves because it boosted their egos. I never fully understood why my colleagues had to make my being short an issue. Perhaps some were jealous, since I got good grades and I was also a fairly fast runner. This I can tell you; the name-calling got old. Without the help of my parents and close friends I could have easily developed an inferiority complex.
We grow when there is a change in behavior. We don’t know whether or not Zacchaeus lived up to his commitment. We do know however, that in the presence of Jesus he said that he would. In response Jesus affirmed his commitment by saying, "Today, salvation has come to this house." Jesus saw hope for a changed man.
* * *
Common Sense is Supreme
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 119:137-144
In his sermon, A Knock at Midnight, Martin Luther King Jr. told a story about the time he and his brother were driving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Atlanta. His brother A.D. was driving the car. For some reason the drivers were very discourteous that night. None of them were dimming their lights. At one point A.D. looked over at his brother Martin and in a tone of anger he said, “I know what I’m going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I’m going to leave my bright lights on.” Martin responded, “Oh no, don’t do that. There’d be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody's got to have some sense on this highway.”
People have to have some sense on the highways of life. This is true for every part of our lives; families, the work place, schools, government, etc. I believe that the psalmist is saying just that. The only way to live is to trust in the law and ways of God. “God’s statutes are righteous.”
For me to be righteous is to be loving and committed to God’s love. To have common sense is to be loving toward others and do the loving thing at all costs.
During WWII a young serviceman became a "pen pal" of a woman he had never met. It seems he had checked out a book in the library in which the woman had made several thoughtful comments in a margin. He was impressed with her thoughts and decided to track her down. He found her and wrote her a letter. Unfortunately, the very next day he was shipped out over seas.
She wrote back to him and they corresponded for a year and in the process their relationship grew. When it was time for him to return to the states they decided they would rendezvous at 7pm in Grand Central Station on a particular day. But they did not know what each other looked like. She told him she would be wearing a red rose in her lapel. When he arrived at the station, a very beautiful woman, dressed in a pale green dress, brushed beside him and said, "Going my way, sailor?" His heart fluttered. Her voice and alluring personality captivated him. But, there was no red rose.
Suddenly his heart sank when he noticed a plain woman nearby wearing a red rose in her lapel. The woman in the green pale dress walked away. His eyes met the other woman’s eyes and they twinkled a bit but this lady was not nearly as beautiful as the other. As he made eye contact with her he recalled all their letters and thoughts they had shared. He introduced himself and invited her out to dinner. The woman smiled with amusement and said, "I don’t know what this is all about, sir, but that woman in the pale green dress asked me to wear this rose. She said that if you asked me out to dinner I was to refuse and tell you she is waiting across the street at a restaurant." The sailor had passed the test. He was obviously committed, regardless of how beautiful his pen pal was. God doesn’t expect us to do the right, loving thing all the time, but God does expect us to be committed.
We live in a society where it is all about me. Rather than care about others and live with the virtues the Psalmist proclaims we are self-centered, impatient and don’t go out of our way to help others.
In the book, Small Miracles, by Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal, a story is told about a man named Mandelbaum. Mandelbaum was a modern, "Good Samaritan." When he and his wife would go shopping in town, Mandelbaum would walk up and down the streets putting quarters in parking meters. He had a habit of making it to the meter before the meter maid. His wife thought his little acts of kindness were a bit obsessive. She wondered why he bothered since no one ever did anything nice for him.
Her husband was being highly charitable, but none of the owners of the parked cars would ever know who he was, or even if they had been spared a $25 parking ticket. His wife was proud of him but she never witnessed anyone returning the favor. One day she was shopping in another area of the city and ended up in a dress shop. She lost all track of time and finally realized that her parking meter had expired. She ran outside only to see the meter maid a few feet away from her car. There was no way she was going to beat her to the meter. She knew her husband would be upset with her if she got a parking ticket. He considered that the height of irresponsibility and a horrible waste of money.
The maid was almost at the meter when a strange man appeared from nowhere and put a quarter in the meter. He smiled broadly at the meter maid then quickly walked away. "Who could it be?" she wondered. "Perhaps he was a neighbor, a relative or a friend of her husband." She hastily walked after him and finally caught up with him. She thanked him for rescuing her from a parking ticket then asked him why he did it. He must have known her husband. But he replied, "I don’t know your husband nor do I know you or your car. I just thought it was a shame for someone to pay $25 for a parking ticket when all it cost me was 25 cents." She was overwhelmed with his generosity. "Oh, it’s OK, really," he said, "I do this all the time."
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He has served churches in Southwest Ohio for over three decades. He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and has an M.Div. from Methodist Theological School, Delaware, Ohio, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He has also been an adjunct professor at Edison Community College, Piqua, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
* * *
The Worst Days
by Peter Andrew Smith
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
“I can’t take it anymore.” Elizabeth slumped down in the front pew of the empty hospital chapel and looked up at the cross. “Why is this happening?”
She felt the tears start again and began digging through her purse. “Oh, come on! On top of everything else, I don’t even have a tissue?”
“Here is one you can have.” A woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt stood in the doorway of the chapel with an outstretched hand. “You look like you need it more than I do right now.”
“Thanks,” Elizabeth said drying her tears and wiping her nose. “I thought I was doing better but I guess I’m not.”
The woman sat down beside her and offered a second tissue. “How bad is it?”
“My husband is dying. The doctors have said there is nothing more they can do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bothering you,” Elizabeth said. “You didn’t come in here to listen to my problems. You probably want some quiet to pray.”
The woman smiled. “Actually, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be quiet when I came here this morning.”
“Oh, is there a worship service here today?”
The woman shook her head. “No, I just mean that it is very quiet here every time I come to pray and try to sort things out. Sometime I wish God would speak more clearly to me.”
“I know what you mean,” Elizabeth said. “Are you visiting someone in the hospital?
The woman rolled back her sleeve to show the admission bracelet on her wrist. “I have been here six weeks.”
“Oh,” Elizabeth said. “How are you doing?”
“They stopped treatment last month because it wasn’t doing any good.” She took a deep breath. “The doctors say it is only a matter of time now.”
“I’m so sorry. I just assumed because of your clothes that you weren’t a patient. I didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the woman said. “I hate hospital gowns. Putting on normal clothes helps me forget why I am here. Your husband got long?”
“They say a couple of days maybe a week. His sister is flying in tonight. Our son is here in town. He and the grandkids are with Tom now.”
“Good to have family around at a time like this,” the woman said. “Larry and I never had kids and I wish we did. I hate the thought of him being alone after I am gone. I wish he was as strong as you are. Your husband is lucky.”
“Lucky? I’m a wreck. I can’t deal with knowing that he is dying.”
The tears started again and the woman gently took Elizabeth’s hand.
“At least you know enough to come here,” the woman said. “Larry keeps searching the internet for possible cures. That’s why I come here so often to pray. I just wish God would answer.”
“I prayed for Tom to be cured when he was diagnosed.”
“Sometimes what we want isn’t what happens,” the woman said. “I prayed to be healed when they told me about the cancer too. I was so scared then.”
Elizabeth squeezed her hand. “Maybe you will get your miracle.”
The woman smiled. “I wouldn’t say no if God offered but actually I don’t ask for that anymore. I’m more worried about Larry. He can’t accept I’m dying. I’m scared for him as my time gets shorter.”
“You’re praying for your husband even though you are the one who is dying?” Elizabeth asked.
“I believe that there is something better waiting for me. I’ve accepted that I’m dying and I’ve felt God’s forgiveness. I’m ready to let go of this failing shell and move on.” The woman sighed. “All of this has shaken Larry’s faith. He’s stopped going to church and praying and I worry about him.”
“Tom tells me he is ready to go. He’s made his peace with God.” Elizabeth reached for her tissue again. “I don’t want him to die.”
“I don’t imagine he wants to go.” The woman said. “Sometimes that isn’t our choice to make.”
“I guess not,” Elizabeth said.
The woman’s watch chimed. “Larry should be back soon.”
“I should get back to Tom. The twins will probably have his room in shambles.” Elizabeth smiled.
“Thank you,” the woman said taking Elizabeth’s hand again. “You’ve been an angel.”
“But I didn’t do anything.” Elizabeth said.
“You talked to me,” the woman said as she disappeared out the doorway. “I’ll pray for you and Tom.”
“I’ll pray for you and Larry too.” Elizabeth said softly to the empty room. She bowed her head and began to pray. She didn’t bother to wipe her tears until she rose to go back to see her husband and family. They had a lot to talk about in the time they had left.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 30, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Growing Pains" by Keith Wagner
"Common Sense is Supreme" by Keith Wagner
"The Worst Days" by Peter Andrew Smith
Growing Pains
by Keith Wagner
Luke 19:1-10
When I was a teenager I remember be awakened in the middle of the night with a Charlie Horse. The muscles in your leg suddenly tie up in a knot and the pain is unbearable. I would grab headboard on my bed until it passed. I was always told that Charlie Horses were growing pains. Most all of my male friends experienced the same phenomenon, but it wasn’t fun. It was however part of the transition into “manhood.”
Charlie Horses are caused by the overuse of muscles or staying in the same position for a long period of time. Even today I am still plagued with Charlie Horses. I talked with my doctor and she told me I was dehydrated. She also encouraged me to stop running and do more walking. I listened to her and now my leg cramps have subsided. It took some listening and a change of behavior to end my problem with leg cramps.
Perhaps this was the problem with Zacchaeus. He couldn’t see Jesus through the crowd so he climbed up in a Sycamore tree thereby changing his position. As Jesus came down the road he noticed Zacchaeus in the tree and told him to come down.
Zacchaeus had to change his position in order to grow. He was despised by society for taking advantage of people. He was greedy and selfish and his heart, like his stature, was very small. By changing his position he was open to growth.
He grew by changing his position. In spite of his character flaws he managed to put himself in a place where Jesus would find him. Instead of staying hidden behind the crowd, he climbed to a place where he could be seen and also enabling him to see more clearly.
It is not easy to change our position. In the process we experience loss and changing requires energy and trust.
One time a blind man was invited to attend the wedding of a friend. The couple had chosen to be married in a village church that was known for its picturesque architecture. As the couple left the chapel, the mother of the groom said to the blind man, “What a pity that you couldn’t see the chapel. It really is so lovely and such a pretty garden.” She later repeated this to some mutual friends at the reception. The blind man just shrugged his shoulders each time and changed the subject. He thought to himself, “didn’t she hear the bells?” For him, the bells that had rung before and after the ceremony had been magnificent. He was astonished at their tones and the patterns that they made. For him they had created an atmosphere of joy and sacredness. The mother of the groom may have seen the lovely chapel but she missed the sound of the bells. With all her senses she had only experienced part of the beauty. Her perception of realty was limited by her narrow focus.
Zacchaeus’ perception was limited by his narrow focus. Changing his position resulted in a personal encounter with Jesus. Consequently he grew. Zacchaeus grew because he had learned to give instead of thinking only of himself. He couldn’t make himself taller but he was able to be more generous.
Growing up “short” was sometimes a painful experience for me. When I received my driver’s license I was 5 foot, 4 inches. Unfortunately, there were all the labels, like “half-pint, shorty, small fry, or peewee.” Since I was the shortest person in my class through the sixth grade, I heard them all. No one needed to remind me that I was short. I was totally aware of my small stature. I didn’t realize it at the time but I later learned that people label others who are different than themselves because it boosted their egos. I never fully understood why my colleagues had to make my being short an issue. Perhaps some were jealous, since I got good grades and I was also a fairly fast runner. This I can tell you; the name-calling got old. Without the help of my parents and close friends I could have easily developed an inferiority complex.
We grow when there is a change in behavior. We don’t know whether or not Zacchaeus lived up to his commitment. We do know however, that in the presence of Jesus he said that he would. In response Jesus affirmed his commitment by saying, "Today, salvation has come to this house." Jesus saw hope for a changed man.
* * *
Common Sense is Supreme
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 119:137-144
In his sermon, A Knock at Midnight, Martin Luther King Jr. told a story about the time he and his brother were driving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Atlanta. His brother A.D. was driving the car. For some reason the drivers were very discourteous that night. None of them were dimming their lights. At one point A.D. looked over at his brother Martin and in a tone of anger he said, “I know what I’m going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I’m going to leave my bright lights on.” Martin responded, “Oh no, don’t do that. There’d be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody's got to have some sense on this highway.”
People have to have some sense on the highways of life. This is true for every part of our lives; families, the work place, schools, government, etc. I believe that the psalmist is saying just that. The only way to live is to trust in the law and ways of God. “God’s statutes are righteous.”
For me to be righteous is to be loving and committed to God’s love. To have common sense is to be loving toward others and do the loving thing at all costs.
During WWII a young serviceman became a "pen pal" of a woman he had never met. It seems he had checked out a book in the library in which the woman had made several thoughtful comments in a margin. He was impressed with her thoughts and decided to track her down. He found her and wrote her a letter. Unfortunately, the very next day he was shipped out over seas.
She wrote back to him and they corresponded for a year and in the process their relationship grew. When it was time for him to return to the states they decided they would rendezvous at 7pm in Grand Central Station on a particular day. But they did not know what each other looked like. She told him she would be wearing a red rose in her lapel. When he arrived at the station, a very beautiful woman, dressed in a pale green dress, brushed beside him and said, "Going my way, sailor?" His heart fluttered. Her voice and alluring personality captivated him. But, there was no red rose.
Suddenly his heart sank when he noticed a plain woman nearby wearing a red rose in her lapel. The woman in the green pale dress walked away. His eyes met the other woman’s eyes and they twinkled a bit but this lady was not nearly as beautiful as the other. As he made eye contact with her he recalled all their letters and thoughts they had shared. He introduced himself and invited her out to dinner. The woman smiled with amusement and said, "I don’t know what this is all about, sir, but that woman in the pale green dress asked me to wear this rose. She said that if you asked me out to dinner I was to refuse and tell you she is waiting across the street at a restaurant." The sailor had passed the test. He was obviously committed, regardless of how beautiful his pen pal was. God doesn’t expect us to do the right, loving thing all the time, but God does expect us to be committed.
We live in a society where it is all about me. Rather than care about others and live with the virtues the Psalmist proclaims we are self-centered, impatient and don’t go out of our way to help others.
In the book, Small Miracles, by Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal, a story is told about a man named Mandelbaum. Mandelbaum was a modern, "Good Samaritan." When he and his wife would go shopping in town, Mandelbaum would walk up and down the streets putting quarters in parking meters. He had a habit of making it to the meter before the meter maid. His wife thought his little acts of kindness were a bit obsessive. She wondered why he bothered since no one ever did anything nice for him.
Her husband was being highly charitable, but none of the owners of the parked cars would ever know who he was, or even if they had been spared a $25 parking ticket. His wife was proud of him but she never witnessed anyone returning the favor. One day she was shopping in another area of the city and ended up in a dress shop. She lost all track of time and finally realized that her parking meter had expired. She ran outside only to see the meter maid a few feet away from her car. There was no way she was going to beat her to the meter. She knew her husband would be upset with her if she got a parking ticket. He considered that the height of irresponsibility and a horrible waste of money.
The maid was almost at the meter when a strange man appeared from nowhere and put a quarter in the meter. He smiled broadly at the meter maid then quickly walked away. "Who could it be?" she wondered. "Perhaps he was a neighbor, a relative or a friend of her husband." She hastily walked after him and finally caught up with him. She thanked him for rescuing her from a parking ticket then asked him why he did it. He must have known her husband. But he replied, "I don’t know your husband nor do I know you or your car. I just thought it was a shame for someone to pay $25 for a parking ticket when all it cost me was 25 cents." She was overwhelmed with his generosity. "Oh, it’s OK, really," he said, "I do this all the time."
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He has served churches in Southwest Ohio for over three decades. He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and has an M.Div. from Methodist Theological School, Delaware, Ohio, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He has also been an adjunct professor at Edison Community College, Piqua, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
* * *
The Worst Days
by Peter Andrew Smith
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
“I can’t take it anymore.” Elizabeth slumped down in the front pew of the empty hospital chapel and looked up at the cross. “Why is this happening?”
She felt the tears start again and began digging through her purse. “Oh, come on! On top of everything else, I don’t even have a tissue?”
“Here is one you can have.” A woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt stood in the doorway of the chapel with an outstretched hand. “You look like you need it more than I do right now.”
“Thanks,” Elizabeth said drying her tears and wiping her nose. “I thought I was doing better but I guess I’m not.”
The woman sat down beside her and offered a second tissue. “How bad is it?”
“My husband is dying. The doctors have said there is nothing more they can do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bothering you,” Elizabeth said. “You didn’t come in here to listen to my problems. You probably want some quiet to pray.”
The woman smiled. “Actually, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be quiet when I came here this morning.”
“Oh, is there a worship service here today?”
The woman shook her head. “No, I just mean that it is very quiet here every time I come to pray and try to sort things out. Sometime I wish God would speak more clearly to me.”
“I know what you mean,” Elizabeth said. “Are you visiting someone in the hospital?
The woman rolled back her sleeve to show the admission bracelet on her wrist. “I have been here six weeks.”
“Oh,” Elizabeth said. “How are you doing?”
“They stopped treatment last month because it wasn’t doing any good.” She took a deep breath. “The doctors say it is only a matter of time now.”
“I’m so sorry. I just assumed because of your clothes that you weren’t a patient. I didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the woman said. “I hate hospital gowns. Putting on normal clothes helps me forget why I am here. Your husband got long?”
“They say a couple of days maybe a week. His sister is flying in tonight. Our son is here in town. He and the grandkids are with Tom now.”
“Good to have family around at a time like this,” the woman said. “Larry and I never had kids and I wish we did. I hate the thought of him being alone after I am gone. I wish he was as strong as you are. Your husband is lucky.”
“Lucky? I’m a wreck. I can’t deal with knowing that he is dying.”
The tears started again and the woman gently took Elizabeth’s hand.
“At least you know enough to come here,” the woman said. “Larry keeps searching the internet for possible cures. That’s why I come here so often to pray. I just wish God would answer.”
“I prayed for Tom to be cured when he was diagnosed.”
“Sometimes what we want isn’t what happens,” the woman said. “I prayed to be healed when they told me about the cancer too. I was so scared then.”
Elizabeth squeezed her hand. “Maybe you will get your miracle.”
The woman smiled. “I wouldn’t say no if God offered but actually I don’t ask for that anymore. I’m more worried about Larry. He can’t accept I’m dying. I’m scared for him as my time gets shorter.”
“You’re praying for your husband even though you are the one who is dying?” Elizabeth asked.
“I believe that there is something better waiting for me. I’ve accepted that I’m dying and I’ve felt God’s forgiveness. I’m ready to let go of this failing shell and move on.” The woman sighed. “All of this has shaken Larry’s faith. He’s stopped going to church and praying and I worry about him.”
“Tom tells me he is ready to go. He’s made his peace with God.” Elizabeth reached for her tissue again. “I don’t want him to die.”
“I don’t imagine he wants to go.” The woman said. “Sometimes that isn’t our choice to make.”
“I guess not,” Elizabeth said.
The woman’s watch chimed. “Larry should be back soon.”
“I should get back to Tom. The twins will probably have his room in shambles.” Elizabeth smiled.
“Thank you,” the woman said taking Elizabeth’s hand again. “You’ve been an angel.”
“But I didn’t do anything.” Elizabeth said.
“You talked to me,” the woman said as she disappeared out the doorway. “I’ll pray for you and Tom.”
“I’ll pray for you and Larry too.” Elizabeth said softly to the empty room. She bowed her head and began to pray. She didn’t bother to wipe her tears until she rose to go back to see her husband and family. They had a lot to talk about in the time they had left.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 30, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
