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The Bird in The Shop

One day, a bird flew into the shop. As soon as it came in, it shot up to the ceiling. Mistaking the white ceiling for the sky, it kept flying against it. Not wanting him inside, I tried to shoo him toward the open door. But to get out, he had to fly low, while his instinct told him to fly high. Instead of escaping, he kept bumping against the artificial sky—the ceiling. All day, he flew back and forth, trapped, because he would not lower himself enough to go through the door.

Do you know how I finally got the bird out? Well, I turned the lights off and shut the door. Birds will not fly in darkness. Then I opened the door a tiny bit. This caused a thin sliver of light to shine on the ceiling. The bird began to flutter in that small patch of light. He was afraid of the dark and drawn to the light. Taking a ladder, I climbed up to where he was and caught him in my hand. Then I took him outside and released him to real freedom!

The bird reminds me of human nature. So often we become trapped by our own foolishness. Refusing to humble ourselves, we keep bumping against an artificial sky of our own making. We rush back and forth, trying to find freedom, but on our own, we will never succeed.

God will show you the way, but you must humble yourself and kneel in prayer. Freedom can be yours, and your problems can be overcome if you are willing to do things God’s way. Jesus is the light. If you come to the light, He will take you into His hands and lead you into true freedom.

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

www.pavementendsministry.com

Email- douglas@pavementendsministry.com

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Call Out to the Father

I saw it at a Middle School football game. The offense ran a sneak play. After it was over, all of the players got up but one. This one boy seemed to be in a lot of pain. Lying on his back, he rocked back and forth, holding onto his leg. The coaches and trainers all ran to where he lay. We all hoped it was just a cramp, but it looked serious.

We were sitting not far from the boy's parents. Now, football parents know that you trust the coaches and don't rush to the field every time your child appears to be hurt. So, I watched Mama and Daddy anxiously, waiting and watching.

But then, raising his head, the boy let out a piercing cry that was heard all over the Granite Bowl, “Daddyyy.” Before the last echo faded, his father had jumped the wall separating the stands from the field and was at his son's side. Because that is what Daddies do. When our children call, we come!

This isn’t a parable. I actually saw it happen. But it is an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly principle. In Luke 11:13, Jesus teaches us that if ordinary men can be good daddies, then how much better is our Father in Heaven? Throughout the Bible, we are told that all we have to do is call out to God and He will answer. In times of great distress, He says, “Here I am.” Those times when we are confused, He says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and teach you things you do not know.”

The bottom line is this. While men on earth can be good daddies, we have a God in Heaven who is a truly great Father. God is good and loving. Like the football parents in the stands that day, He waits for us to call out to Him. Yet even before we call, He will answer, because that’s what God does. When His children call, He is already there.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

www.pavementendsministry.com

douglas@pavementendsministry.com

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The Corn has Turned Brown

In the cool of the morning, I sit on the back porch. My thoughts this morning are on the goodness of God. At the edge of the porch, a swarm of hummingbirds competes for sugar water. In the woods, squirrels are chattering about whatever is important to squirrels. Now, a slight breeze brings a rustling sound from the dried-up corn stalks.

A few days ago, I was pulling corn. The patch below the house produced a lot this year! We put a lot of corn in the freezer. Then we told all our friends and neighbors to get some corn. I took a lot of corn to people who couldn't come and get it. We were blessed with an abundance of corn this year. But now the corn has turned brown.

Yes, July was hot and dry. But the fact is, when the corn is ready, you only have a few days to gather it. If you don't get it when it is ready, it will get hard. The stalks will go from bright green to brown. Then it's over until next year.

The dried-up corn reminds me of my late neighbor Dan. Every year, he planted corn. Most of the time, he produced a lot of corn. One year, it was extra hot and dry. When the corn did not grow, all of Dan’s money, time, and elbow grease were wasted. But Dan didn’t worry about it. He just grinned and said, “I will plant corn again next year.”

Dan’s attitude about raising corn reminds me of Proverbs 28:25, which says, “He who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” Sometimes it rains, and sometimes it doesn’t. Some years the corn grows, and other years it won’t. So, I will trust in the Lord with all my heart because anyone who trusts God will not be disappointed.

. God has shown kindness by giving us rain from heaven. Because of His wisdom, the crops grow in their seasons. This is why listening to the rustling of dried-up corn stalks fills my heart with joy.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

www.pavementendsministry.com

Email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com

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No Shoes in Heaven

I'm a tenderfoot. I have never been comfortable going barefoot. Even when I was a little boy, I wanted my shoes. Growing up, I spent a lot of time rambling through the woods and pastures. Often, you could find me splashing in the creek, chasing crawfish and minnows. But I never took my shoes off.

As an adult, I still resist going barefoot. In Northeast Georgia, we are infested with fire ants. If you go outside without shoes, the fire ants will find you, and they will bite you. Their bite feels like fire! But even when I walk around in the house, I feel more comfortable wearing shoes.

I think it is wise to wear shoes. And it is Biblical. When the prodigal son returned, his father put shoes on his feet. In Ephesians, we are told to put on shoes as we prepare to spread the gospel. John the Baptist wasn't even qualified to untie Jesus’ shoes. And in the Song of Solomon, we read that women's feet are beautiful in sandals. So yes, it is wise and Biblical to wear shoes.

However!

I have concluded that there will be no shoes in Heaven. After all, when Moses approached the burning bush, he was told to take off his sandals. He was standing on Holy Ground. When Joshua met the Commander of the Lord’s Army, he was instructed to, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” Joshua did as he was told, because he was standing on Holy Ground.

So, when we reach Heaven, to borrow a phrase from Uncle Jed, I think we will “take our shoes off and set a spell.” Maybe we will run barefoot on the streets of gold and dip our toes in the Crystal Sea. And when we raise our hands high to glorify Jesus, we will feel the wonder of God flowing from our fingertips to our tippy toes. Because there won't be any shoes on our feet to keep us from feeling the Glory as we stand on Heaven's Holy Ground.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

www.pavementendsministry.com

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The Last Mountain

The old man stands at the foot of the mountain. The way ahead is very steep. This is not the first mountain he has climbed, but it will be his last. As he looks up the path, he is leaning on a staff that he has carried for many years. He will carry it one more day.

He is not familiar with the trail on this mountain. But this is not a problem. God has always guided his steps. This journey will be no different. He has always been faithful to his God. The Great I Am has always been faithful to him. Now, with his staff in his hand, he takes the first of his last steps.

Moses was a true hero of the faith. He had climbed many mountains for God. In Deuteronomy 34, we read about his last mountain. On that day, his eyes were undimmed, and his strength was unwavering. And yet the steps he walked that day would be his last steps on earth. However, because of his obedience and faithfulness to God, his last step on this mountain was his first step in Heaven

When Jesus invites us to walk with Him, He doesn’t promise an easy life. Instead, He calls us into a journey filled with challenges. Jesus is urging us to embrace the adventure of faith. Life is filled with many mountains. And one day, like Moses, we will come to the Last Mountain. On that day, with Faith in Jesus as our Staff, we will begin a climb that will end in the Heights of Glory.

Today, I am thinking of a precious preacher friend of mine. Obediently and faithfully, he has climbed many mountains for his God. But today, the relentless nature of time has left his eyes dimmed and his mind confused. Now he stands at the base of his last mountain. It will be a difficult journey, but his spiritual strength is unwavering. God has always directed his path, and today is no different. Soon, with undimmed eyes and a clear mind, he will step onto the summit of The Last Mountain.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

www.pavementendsministry.com

email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com

Dead Last Week

Jairus stood by her bed watching as she slept. His heart was so happy it almost hurt. At twelve, she was still a little girl yet so close to being a young woman. Also at twelve, he had almost lost her. He listened to her breathing as she slept and saw a sweet smile on her beautiful face. He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks because he knew that before Jesus came, she was dead last week.

His sisters were raising a ruckus. They did not think he should be working in the hot sun. But working in the vineyard is what he wants to do. Rocks have fallen from the wall and need to be replaced. Vines have to be pruned and briars must be pulled. At the end of the day Mary and Martha will continue to nag him about taking it easy. But his sore muscles and his sweat-soaked clothes are trophies of life. There was blood trickling from a scratch on his arm. Lazarus looked at it and chuckled. He said, “Just think, before Jesus came, I was dead last week”!

The church people are skeptical and his friends think he is crazy. But he knows the truth. He had been sitting under a bridge with a bottle of alcohol and a bag of pills. He had a plan. He was going to drink the alcohol, swallow the pills and die. Then a hand touched his arm and he heard a voice saying, “There is a better way, come follow Me. I will make you whole again.” Yes, down at the church they are skeptical, and his friends call him crazy. But his children are no longer afraid of him and his wife now stands by his side. The bottle is broken, the pills are trampled in the mud and he is alive. And he knows, if it had not been for Jesus he would have been dead last week.

Jesus is right here. He has power over death, hell, and the grave and is victorious over modern demons like drugs and alcohol. In John chapter 6, we hear Him say “I tell you this, and you can be sure of it. If you believe in Me, you will have everlasting life.” He has shown us that he can bring hungry little girls back from the dead and call a friend out of the grave. Life is but a vapor and death is but a shadow. Put your faith in Jesus and the fear of death will be gone like last week.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

www.pavementendsministry.com

Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Trust

The other night, we ordered takeout from a local restaurant. When I arrived to pick it up, the order wasn't quite ready, so I had to wait a few minutes. As I stood waiting, I could see the kitchen area and watched the cooks prepare the meals. Seeing how the food was handled made me wonder about their cleanliness and hygiene. Despite my concerns, I was hungry and decided to have faith in the restaurant and eat the food.

Have you ever considered the various people and things in which you place your trust? When you sit down, you trust that the chair was built strong enough to support your weight. When you drive a car, you trust that the oncoming traffic will stay in their lanes. Eating at a restaurant reflects your belief in the restaurant's ability to prepare a healthy meal.

But often, the things we trust in can fail us. Chairs have broken, causing people to fall on the floor. Automobile accidents often happen due to mechanical malfunctions or driver errors, and people have gotten sick because of poorly prepared food. However, we still place our faith and trust in people and things every day. The truth is to function in life, it is necessary to place trust and faith in others.

Every day, we trust things that might prove untrustworthy. Yet, many people refuse to live for Jesus because they don't trust Him. They struggle to place their faith in a Savior who can never fail them because they don't believe He is trustworthy. In Psalm 37, we are told that if we trust the Lord, we will thrive in His faithfulness. If we commit our way to Him and trust Him, He will fulfill all His promises for us. You must trust Him. If you can trust a man in a restaurant to make you a pizza, you can surely trust Jesus to make you holy.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

www.pavementendsministry.com

email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com

Everybody is a Nobody Who Can Be Somebody

In Mark Chapter 5, there is a story about a woman who was a nobody. We don’t even know her name. If we had been there on this day, she would not have been in our field of vision. Seeing her would have made us uncomfortable, so we would have chosen not to see her. If we had seen her, we would have assumed her problems were her own fault, because that is the way we think.

She was a nobody. Most people would have avoided her. She was not supposed to be there. For twelve years she had suffered with an issue of blood. This made her unclean. Because she was unclean, she could not be around others. She could not even worship God. In her shame and grief, she spent everything she had seeking help. She has suffered all sorts of abuse and indignities. Hopeless and helpless, she spends her days and nights lonely and untouched.

She felt like a nobody. But one day she overheard people talking about Jesus. I say “overheard” because since she was a nobody, why would anyone bother to tell her about the Savior? She considers herself a nobody so she cannot even face Jesus. She hopes that maybe she will be healed if she can just touch his coat. To the world and herself, she was a nobody. But to Jesus she is somebody. He stops everything and looks for her. He finds her and calls her daughter. Her faith in Him has made her well. She was a nobody, but now she is somebody. She is a child of God.

Do you feel like a nobody? Have addictions caused you to spend all you have seeking relief from your demons? Are you broken and abused? Do you stand there weeping? Is your life filled with loneliness? Are your days and nights spent untouched and unloved? Maybe it seems that no one sees you, because no one offers help. It seems that no one cares. To the world you are nobody.

Today I hope you hear about Jesus. I hope you will push through the crowd and reach out for Him. Have faith only in Jesus. He will stop everything to reach out to the ones the world ignores. Everybody is somebody to Him. The Bible tells us that God is rich in mercy. Because of His great love, even when we are nobody and dead in our sin, He makes us somebody alive in Christ. Wow, look at the love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Anybody can reach out to Jesus because everybody is somebody to Him.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

www.pavementendsministry.com

Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com