Where My Brother Once Stood

Where My Brother Once Stood
By George W. Beasley

2 Samuel 18:30 And the king said, "Turn aside and stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.

I write this story in memory of my brother Chris who died at the young age of 37. It’s been almost three years since he passed away. He ran as far as he could and as long as he could. His pain and suffering never left him. Finally, it took his life.

This picture is where he once stood. Chris and I had many memories on this pier, sitting there in the night hours with a dim light in the back ground, just enough to light up our faces. The sounds of the water was so calming and to this day I still hear the silence. The conversations were always light and never too deep. Home would come up every now and then, but we mostly just talked about the future. Chris talked about his hopes and dreams and I talked about mine.

Today I visited the pier again, thinking of him and recalling the great memories we had there. I usually stand right where he stood and look out over the water and listen as if to hear his voice, but there is nothing but silence now. This is truly a special place and not just because this is where my brother once stood. This is also where my girls have stood, this is where many of my friends have stood and this is where the love of my life now stands, my sweet Lisa. I love you Lisa!

As Lisa and I sat there today, I carved our initials in the wood, once again. I often do this as I forget where I have carved our initials in the past. There are hundreds of names carved on this pier. This tells me of all the others that have once stood here also. Not just boys home boys and girls, but many in the community and many who came to vacation at Lake Waccamaw. Many dreams of love and a future were born here, the carvings tell me so.

I was reminded today by an old and new friend of just how short life can be. I called her to speak for the first time in some thirty years. Her voice sounded the same as did thirty years ago as she said, “we can’t meet today, someone has died and we will be going to the funeral home.” As I listen to her explain I was sad, not to miss our meeting but for all of those who once had hopes and dreams like Chris. I was sad for those that loved her and know what pain and suffering they are going through. As I walked out to the end of that pier today and stood where my brother once stood I was reminded that life is short and it seems to take us places we never thought we would go. My journey has been so full and a life full of adventures I know am blessed to still be standing where my brother once stood.

There are so many twist and turns in this journey of life. Many people try to explain the twist and turns, but they cannot. For me, it is where my brother once stood. The memories I have will be part of me until I no longer stand. Then others will walk the same path as I have and stand where I stood and will say, “I once stood here”. The water will whisper the hopes and dreams they had and will tell stories of the many who have stood there. We serve a wonderful God who has allowed me into so many lives, both the standing and the once stood. I am thankful to each of you for sharing your lives with me, not just your hopes and dreams but what has crushed you and cause you pain and suffering, what has turned your dreams into nightmares and what has cursed you for a life time.

To end this story is impossible as life continues. To apply this story to your life and mine we must stand where our brothers and sisters once stood. Leaning on their memories, their hopes and their dreams. Remembering all the good of life and how blessed we are to still be where they once stood. I love you Chris, thank you for the memories, the hopes and the dreams of where you once stood.

Never let go of your hopes and dreams. This is where you stand today!

And On The Seventh Day, It Ended! Part 2

And On The Seventh Day, It Ended! Part 2

 4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Philippians 4 (The Message)

The question was “What would I do if I had 30 days to live?” As discussed in part one we tend to operate on a thirty day schedule. After much research, I concluded that America runs on a thirty day clock, so to make this question as close to a reality as possible, I am asking “What would I do if I had seven days to live? Asking this has stirred great emotion in me and caused me to really think about every moment of the seven days.

For me, my life is about relationships. The question is how do I end those? How do I spend the hours on the phone and in person when there are only seven days? The people I care for the most and the relationships God has allowed me to have over the years would suddenly be ending.

Now on to the question, I can say I would not travel. I would not go any place and stand in line. I would not drive anywhere that may cause me to get into a traffic jam. I would not sit in front of a speaker wasting my time away trying to get an order right at the drive thru. I would not do anything that didn’t include the fostering and mending of a relationship.

My relationship with God, I hope would grow stronger in these seven days. To be quite honest, I am afraid I may be mad at God or somewhat cheated by God. I would rest on the promise that God says, He has gone and made a place for me in Heaven. I believe my emotions would be up and down. Just thinking about it I get emotional. Seven days! I would be excited in one way, thinking of seeing Jesus, God, Paul, Moses, David, Peter and of course Esther. I believe my emotions of missing my family would be the strongest and the most demanding. I would want my family around me twenty-four hours a day, not sleeping too much, only enough to get by.

One of my tasks would be to video myself and all my thoughts for years to come, write what God would have me to write on and be able to leave a word for my wonderful wife and the girls that God has blessed me with.

When asking this question another question came to mind. “Would God be enough during this event?”

I would want them to know that “God is enough” during this time, when at the end I am going to see Him. I would want my life to reflect that of a person that loved God and that who knew God.

It reminds me of a dear friend’s dad passing last year. As I sat there listening to the preacher at his funeral, he described James Rodgers with words like, happy, loving, respected, concerned about others, a righteous man, a giving man, a man that loved God and taught his children to love God, a man that loved others and taught his children how to love others. These words were the words I would hope someone would be able to speak about me one day.

Seeing much death in life, I saw something in this family that was different. They had a peace in them that their dad was sitting right where God had promised. They have a knowledge that, “God is enough.” That is the question here. In the midst of a loss “is God enough?”

A couple of years ago I made several promises to myself. I promised to give a word of encouragement to a person, like it was my last word. I promised to give a kiss to my daughters, like it was my last kiss. I promised every time my wife went off to work I would tell her I loved her and kiss her, like it was my last time. I promised to give a hug to a person, like it was my last time to give a hug. I promised to touch someone’s life like it was the last time they would ever see or hear a word.

There is no promise of tomorrow, there is no promise of eye sight, of hearing, of smelling or even walking tomorrow. There is no promise that we will be able to go to a person and mend a relationship, life is to short for these petty fault finding arguments. Oh, she made me mad, I don’t like the way they do that, I can’t believe he would do that, look at that, can you believe that, he’s such a selfish person, I don’t like him, I can’t stand her! These words just might go to the grave with you. Life is so short but our culture has decided we can do it tomorrow. I will go to church tomorrow. I will ask God for this tomorrow. I will mend that relationship tomorrow. I will, I will, I will. What happens if you can’t? What if tomorrow doesn’t come?

So, my last days would not be spent on some of things you expected. I will not let death have influence on my story of life, it will happen. Death has only one goal for me and that is to unite me with my maker, God! Others may not know where they will go when death occurs, that is sad but none the less a reality. You have had time after time to reconsider and to stop relying on your own physical efforts to obtain a peaceful life and realize where you are going when you die, but maybe you haven’t.

I believe we don’t put a great deal of thought into this subject of death, mostly due to its nature and by being human we think in terms of tomorrow. Will tomorrow get here? Who knows, but if it does I will be ready to go another day, not in the grind but in the joy of living and in the joy of knowing God has given me another day to make a difference here on this earth, so I had better use it wisely.

Day seven, Giving God Glory...knowing God is enough! Loving on my family and knowing they know God is enough!


George Beasley, The Invisible Soul

And On The Seventh Day, It Ended! Part I

And On The Seventh Day, It Ended!

Psalm 39. 4-5

4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
      Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.
 5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
      My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

The question was asked, “If you had thirty days to live, how would you live out those days?” The question has no variables, such as healing or wrong diagnosis. It is what it is.

I must say at this time and in the midst of researching this question, I have come to a conclusion. Thirty days is too long of a time span to ask an American what they would do if faced with this tragic situation. Just after one day of asking this question I have learned that Americans do everything by the month. Nothing is done out of sequence, we live by the month so to ask this question and keep it in some type of reality, I have to ask ‘If you had seven days left to live, how would you spend them?”

Now ask yourself that. It brings more urgency to the matter. It stirs up more emotions; it brings you closer to the reality. By the way, I have also learned that unless you have been very close or known someone who has been part of an event of this nature it is very hard if not impossible to get close to the reality of this question. I do believe that you can experience some of the emotions that would be overwhelming if this event were to occur in our lives.

I think for the next two stories, as I contemplate this question, I will tell you guys what I would do with my last days. As Pastor Glenn at Church Alive talked about this subject it is not to be morbid but to look at life a bit differently. This happens everyday in our society. I know some of you reading this may have gone through this with a loved one or even been told this yourself. My purpose is not to be insensitive to the people who have experienced this. The purpose for me as I heard the message was to take a good look at my life and ask “what am I doing and am I using every minute wisely?”

Our culture is futuristic; we all tend to live in tomorrow. Even in writing this one story, I told myself I would just start on it tomorrow. As I write now I am thinking, will I even make it to tomorrow? I feel like I will but based on the scripture above there is no promise. I also read that Jesus knew He had thirty days to live before going to the cross, while not knowing if that was accurate, I see the urgency He put in every word He spoke.

For those of you that have been reading my stories for the past three years realize that I have written on this subject, but in a different way. I was more focused on living in the moment, not letting anything we do get in the way of what God wants us to do.

I am sure you remember me saying as I was told by my great friend Kyle, who at the time was coaching me at my all time favorite activity, water skiing. He said, “George, you have a great passion for the sport but you just don’t have that passion behind the boat, you’re just not getting on it hard enough, you have to get into a mind set like it’s going to be your last time ever skiing, your last time in the water, your last pull behind the boat.”

Is that us, do we have a great passion for Jesus but just can’t get it done in our lives, we talk it, we know the Christian language, we know the word but we are not getting it done. We always want to wait till tomorrow. It almost seems that some of us are just faking it. You know what to do but you won’t do it. Have you ever thought about why you won’t do what God has called you to do? I hope these next few stories will help you find purpose and real meaning to life, living it as if you had just a few days left.

Kyle’s statement that day and in the days to come would change me forever. It’s funny how a few words like that work in your life. Every time I ski, I do it like it’s my last time. I took that statement and made it part of my life. I now think and do everything like it’s the last time. No promise of tomorrow. No promise that we will ever see or talk to that person again. Am I perfect at this, No! I fail more than I care to admit. It’s a mind set and you have to fight your old nature to make this work for you. Your mind will tell you that tomorrow will come but the reality is that it may not.

So today I set out to ask several of my greatest friends “what if you had thirty days to live, how would you live out those days?” As I stated before, thirty days was too long so I am now going to take some of their answers and include them here for us. I did rephrase the question for some of them and ask “what if you had just 7 days to live, how would you live them?” I am working on my statements for the next story, part two.

I believe there needs to be a statement made here that this is not just a question but a reality for many people in the world each day. I know there is no way to understand the complete reality of this tragic situation, nor do I attempt too. This is merely an exercise to get insight on how we should be living everyday. If we lived just seven days at a time, how would we live? The ideal of course is to live each day as it’s our last.

In writing this story I have become aware of every activity I am doing. Would I be watching this if I had seven days left, would I be eating this, would I be talking like this, would I be acting towards this person like this? I want you to understand the power of this mind set and the rule it can have over you. Not to mention the emotions that are moved when thinking like this.

This is what one of my friends wrote back when ask this question, she said, “I would not live my life much differently.... I guess having lost so many close people without warning and then the health scares I have had (especially last year) I really try to live each day and know each moment could be my last..... especially when I am saying bye to someone.... or dropping my son off at school, etc.... NOT in a spirit of fear (because what could be GREATER than getting to go HOME?) but with a knowledge that it's not in our hands - that each day is a gift..... So mostly the same, I'd probably pack my family up and hit the road for Yellowstone or somewhere cool like that - always wanted to see Alaska.…

Then she added, “I hope that you know that during those excursions of my last 30 days of course the hope is to be practicing my "Great Commission"... you know... going and telling... which I hope is what I do now too....I'm just not a preacher.... so saying that I'd go out and travel the world preaching the gospel would not be quite the honest response..... but just my regular hope to always "preach the gospel using words only when necessary". I just figured since you know me well enough you would know that that part of it is understood...

You know, the only real ambition/goal I'm aiming for is a "well done" at the end of it all.... Of course there are things I "want" along the way, but sure have no real NEED for them.... so I figure if I focus on getting the well done, He'll give me more than I wanted in the first place as He sees fit... which is what He's done consistently so far.

And one of my friends wrote back and said this, “in my final days. I suspect we would cook out, laugh, joke, tell stories, maybe go to a favorite restaurant, but mostly just be together. I would also have to have a big “going away party” with all my friends to say my goodbyes, but it would be fun – no tears, just good times!!! I also suspect I would do a lot of soul searching and spend time in prayer, wanting to make sure my family was prepared for my departure – I would want them to be comforted. I would also want to tie up some loose ends, make sure my dog had a good home after I’m gone, and give away things that were special to me. Would I rush off to get married? That’s an experience I hope to have before I die, but I would hate to leave him a widower – I think that would be selfish on my part.

And one of my friends wrote back and said “It's always interesting to think about knowing that you had 30 days - you'd show more love, you'd eat well (good steaks),  you'd visit somewhere cool, you’d "make things right", but I think I would have a much more repentant heart as well and I hope I would be a bolder witness.  It wouldn't necessarily be that much different, but the stakes are higher and the finality of 30 days left gives you permission to cut the unimportant and be bold. 

Another friend wrote back, here are his words “It has struck me that the only thing that has to be done is to make sure that I will be received into the Kingdom.  With this in mind, I better start making sure right now!!   Maybe this is your point?

These are just a few answers to an incredible question. One thing each person has in common is their desire to get close or closer to God during this time. Each of them has a desire to have an affect on people, either directly or indirectly. That by the way was the overwhelming response to my question. Moving the days from thirty to seven only increased the urgency of the response.

As stated before, there is no promise of tomorrow. I don’t even know if you will get to part two. So, what do we do? Do I stay up all night and keep writing until I’m finished? It depends on the desire that burns in me. If I think you really need the second part of this story I would.

It’s all about the desire to give the message, a message of hope while we are alive, a message of compassion while we are alive, a message of love while we are alive and the message of the Gospel, while we are alive.

What’s your desire? Are you living a transformed life? Who are you in Jesus Christ? “WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?” That’s especially important if this was your last day on this earth.

Thank you to my great friends for their honesty and their willingness to give the world the insight into their lives. They all are truly a blessing to me. Lord willing, you will get part two in which I promise to share my deepest emotions and you will have a transparent view of my thoughts.

George Beasley, The Invisible Soul Ministry
www.theinvisiblesoul.com

Random Acts

1 Corinthians 13
 12 We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
 13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

A random act of kindness is sometimes all that is necessary to bring someone to a point in their life that they can see things more clearly. While shopping the other night in Wal-Mart we were ready to check out. We had our focus on the twenty or less check out but in counting Lisa and I found we had more, so we moved down a couple of rows and fell in line. As always there seemed to be a hold up at the register. There were several people ahead of us so I couldn’t see too clearly what was going on. All I knew was, there was a hold up and I was ready to go.

As always, we picked the line that moves the slowest but tonight would be different. Lisa was talking to me about something and I was looking over shoulders trying to get a look at the face that was causing the delay. All I could see was an arm and the credit card machine. Then I saw this lady’s face. It looked like she was under so much distress. My heart really went out to her at this moment. I wish I could stand here and say I prayed for her but I’m not sure if I did. I was so into the event that was unfolding before my eyes. She had tried several credit cards and found only a few dollars of cash in her wallet. Nothing was working. There was no way she was going to be able to pay for what she wanted. I looked into her cart and noticed she had Easter clothes for her children and some food. My heart sank, we had been right where she was standing.

When our girls were growing up it was a blessing to have five dollars left from our pay check. We were blessed to have water and heat most of the time but we never went one day without food and clothes. I guess that’s what was hitting me, watching this event unfold was reminding me of the grace of God. I was getting excited, my soul was stirring and I was getting ready to do something that Lisa and I live to do and that is a random act of kindness.

We have this rule, if someone needs help, then help them. We ask God to lead people to us that need an act of kindness. It doesn’t have to be money, it may be a simple hug that can change a persons life, a simple word that will bring things into focus for them.

So here we are, ready to pounce and ready to experience the joy of giving without a reason, giving out of love and nothing else. As I watched, she swiped her card for the last time, she was done, her face was that of pain and embarrassment. She had reached bottom. She stood there with her eyes looking towards the floor and suddenly a voice from nowhere said, “How much is it, I’ll pay.”

My heart jumped for joy at hearing this but there was no answer at first. The lady looked up and tried to find the voice in the crowd but she couldn’t. The people in line looked like they were in complete shock. Then the voice came again, “I’ll pay, it doesn’t matter the cost, I have it covered.” The people in line started to talk, “That’s such a nice thing to do. That is so sweet.” The man ignored all the voices and walked to the front of the line and handed the cashier what was due. He had paid the entire debt. The lady looked at him and said, “Thank you so much, I will pay you back”, he said, “You can’t do that, it’s my gift to you on this day.”

The lady, the cashier, and the people in line were in shock. I was moved with compassion as if I had just seen an angel come forward and take care of this lady but what I had witnessed was a random act of kindness that moved more than one person.

While watching and listening to this event unfold, I thought of my own life. I still experienced the joy of giving the other night as I was able to witness the gift of giving. Next time maybe I will be quicker to act before a person reaches such a low point.

I believe I witnessed the perfect picture of Jesus Christ right there in Wal-Mart. You see, at our lowest moments in life when we realize that we can’t pay for what we’ve done, we need to be saved from our sins. When we realize that we can’t do all of this on our own Jesus speaks right to you and says with a loud voice, “I have it covered, no matter the cost, you can’t pay me back, the debt is too great.” Oh, what a great picture of our redeemer and how he lives today.

While knowing what Jesus did for us was no random act, it was planned before time had begun. This act of kindness was towards you and me and was meant for us all.

So how do I end this story? As with all of my stories, there seems to be no end just a question, where are you at? What point in life are you at? Are you the lady in line at the end of her rope, not able to pay for anything, needing help but not willing to ask? Are you the person just standing there watching and saying, “I’m going to do that one day?”

Let me encourage you that life is so much more than the everyday, go to work, get home, cook and eat, then go to sleep. That’s routine and confusion. Life is about love, it’s about kindness and giving of yourself so others will see Jesus. Look at the verses we started with. Sometimes life isn’t so clear, sometimes there is a fog, but in verse thirteen there are some things we can do to make life better. Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.



George Beasley, The Invisible Soul

Those Gold Shoes

Ecclesiastes 3 (The Message)
14 I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. 
 15 Whatever was, is. 
   Whatever will be, is. 
   That's how it always is with God.

I was sharing these verses with a friend the other day and realized how impacting they are. It’s not our time but it’s Gods time. I am guessing this story is going to go in the direction of doing God’s will and not your own.
Back in the day we all played flag football. As a matter of fact, we played every Thursday. Rick and I were best friends in high school and still are to this day. He had one seat at the very back of the school bus and I had the other. We orchestrated things on the bus from this vantage point. We were not bullies but knew the status and responsibility we had as being the older boys in the home. If we saw something that was out of line we were always quick to take action and correct. Looking back I wonder what the other boys must have thought when it came to Thursdays.
You see on Thursday, Rick and I didn’t talk, we just rode home from school on the bus. We played flag football on separate teams. He played on the “farm” team and I played on the home team. The farm team always recruited the tougher and stronger guys. They were called the farm team because they worked on the farm. That by the way was one of the highest paying jobs at seven dollars a week. The farm team was the best but I wasn’t on it. Don’t get me wrong now, I was as good as any of those guys but the farm thing just wasn’t me.
So, on Thursdays we would ride home and the bus was always quite. This is the day that Rick and I would taunt each other and tell each other exactly what was going to happen on the field that day. You get the point I believe. We were very specific in our language and our action. The other boys would just listen in. If you are wondering who was driving our school bus it was another home boy. We had our own bus and it was just us.
The one day Rick crossed the line. We were going back and forth, it was a very heated conversation that day and we were almost in a fight. We were screaming back and forth. Suddenly, Rick stands up and picks up his book bag. The bus driver slams on breaks. As the bus is coming to a stop I stood up gripping the back of the seat in front of me and Rick reaches into his book bag and pulls out a pair of freshly painted football cleats. He screamed “yea baby, what’s up, what are you going to do with these bad boys.” He had painted these football cleats gold and at the top of his lungs said, “today, these babies are going to fly by you so fast you ain’t going to see nothing but gold.” Then he started this taunt of “FTD, FTD baby, FTD, FTD baby.” Back in the day there was this flower guy on a TV commercial that wore these gold shoes and he ran really fast from delivery to delivery. Rick decided that if he wore gold shoes he would be as fast as the FTD guy.
The whole bus busted out laughing, the driver started the bus and we continued home. Rick strapped into his gold shoes, still taunting me. He was dead serious about these shoes. What could I say, the man had gold shoes on. I was so ready to get to the field that day. The game started and it didn’t take long for me and Rick to get matched up. He had caught a pass and was running down the side line, he looked at me and pointed down at his shoes. I was heading for him, when I got within range I dove and hit him right in the side and sent him sailing about twenty feet out of bounds. This was supposed to be flag football so while we were on the ground I grabbed his flag and said, “got ya golden boy.” We both got up and realized how stupid we were and started laughing and to this day we still laugh about the golden shoes.
So, what’s the point to this story? Sometimes when we put things on, we think we are something we are not. Things don’t really make us who we are. They may make us a picture to others but when it’s all said and done and the lights go out who are you?
As the word in Ecclesiastes says, “it all Gods time, what ever is, is and that’s how it is” maybe put in my vernacular “it is what it is.” If we would try harder at living a life of truth and not one of golden shoes maybe we could help each other more. Maybe we could team up and do something for this world, leaving our gold shoes in the closet. Be who God made you to be, find your destiny in who you are and not who you think you want to be. Find yourself and your position in life in Jesus Christ. This life is not about how much we can get and how much we can model on our backs and in our drive ways. Life is about purpose and destiny. Who are you? Where are you going and how are you going to get there? Are you going to be you or someone with gold shoes? Are you going to be real or carry a painted on person?

George Beasley, Author, The Invisible Soul

The Invisible Soul Ministry
www.thinvisiblesoul.com

Pride & Priority

Priority & Pride

What do you know to be true in your life? What drives you to make decisions in life, is it pride or is it priority?

We all talk about the priorities of our life and how they drive our schedules and dictate our time tables, tell us when to sit and when to stand, when to go and when to come. One could say that priorities are the driving force in every decision we make. I think this is a true statement but there is a great force behind each decision we make and it’s called pride. In some ways pride enters into every decision we make and whether we like it or not, pride wins more times than we care to admit.

We are all so busy and there seems to be no time left for God. There is no time left for the things in life that really make a difference. There is no time to say I love you, no time to give a hug, no time to lend a helping hand, no time to ask a friend if they need to talk about something.

Do we really have that much going on in our lives? If we say God is in control then why do we have so much to do? Why is our schedule so jam packed with “to do” things? One answer may be pride!

I met a lady a few years ago and I think she had seven adopted children, all with special needs. I asked myself, how does she do that? How does she take care of all those children plus come out to lake for the day and have fun? I believe she was just proud to be a mom. Her pride was in her children and in doing what as she said; “God called her to do.” Lisa and I had all we could do with just two healthy girls. I believe this lady’s pride was in the right place. That’s just me looking from the outside in. Things are always not what they seem when it comes to the issue of pride.

Pride is masked very easily, it can be covered quickly with a word, it can be made invisible to everyone on the outside by counter actions of “fill ins.” That’s when we feel guilty about doing something and instead of calling it pride we mask it by “filling in” our schedules to do more good things in order to justify our former actions. You are the only one who truly knows the truth and the motive behind every choice. Is it a priority or is it pride that make you decide what choice to make?

We do a great deal of things in the name of Jesus just because of pride. When God is using us in a mighty way the test is always there to see where our pride lies. The moment we step in front of God and elevate ourselves above Him we find ourselves back where we started, sometimes starting all over again. That is pride. We should always be proud of who we are and where God has brought us from and the place we hold in the kingdom but be careful in bringing the priority of pride with you.

What roll does priority play when it comes to pride? You tell me! Is it a priority that your place in the community is noticed, is it a priority that no one ever sees you as you really are, is it a priority that people only see the “Jesus” side of you? We spend a great deal of time and energy building ourselves up to who we think we are and who God expects us to be.

How do you place pride in your life, what priority do you give it? It is your decision. You are the only one in control of your pride. To really sum this up, it’s a battle. We all battle priority and pride. The goal is to have pride and priority live together in harmony. While pride is always seeking to elevate self and dictate the priority we place in any given circumstance, the goal is to seek the kingdom of God first.

Pride grows from lack of setting God’s priorities in our lives. When we want something, pride steps in and has influence on this decision, an example of that is the statement “what will others think?” If you have to ask yourself this then pride is standing at the door and has already had an influence on your decision. Am I saying we should never care what others think? Not at all. Kingdom thinking requires us to ask God first, what does He think.

Remember that pride is controlling and is always seeking self centered attention while priority is more logical and thinking through a process to find just the right place in the mix of life’s schedule.

The outlook for priority is to seek first the kingdom of God and pride will always play a smaller role in life and not an overbearing role.

George Beasley

So, What Do You See

It’s not often that we ask our friends or family what they see that we could be doing better in our lives. If you want to be really honest here we don’t really ask people for advice about our lives unless we know what they are going to say. It is a rare thing to ask a friend “what do you see in this circumstance that I could be doing better?”

We are so quick to invite help into our lives only when we are in our comfort zone of asking. Take water skiing for instance, while skiing I see and feel the things that I am doing wrong or need to improve in. When I get to the end of the course I usually ask “what did you see?” You would not believe the responses I get sometimes. If the person was paying attention they will be sharp and quick to tell you, “lean more behind the boat, don’t pull in with your arms, your giving up your angle.” The list goes on and on. I won’t always ask, sometimes I will just look into the boat with a look of “help me.”

If the person riding in the boat says something like “well, I really didn’t see anything,” then you know they may not have been paying attention to your skiing. This is not a problem by the way, sometimes I prefer for them not to be watching me, I can stay focused on my task and that is simply getting through the course. Think about that statement just for a minute “I prefer them not to be watching so I can just focus on getting through the course.”

We don’t like people watching us with the intent of telling us what we need to do to become better at what we are trying to accomplish. This is especially true in the case of our spiritual lives and our family life.

Has anyone ever told you how to raise your child? I have been told and my response to them was not Christian. Has anyone ever told you “you're wrong in what you are doing, you are hurting the body of Christ with that attitude and your sin is causing problems.”

That’s a tough one I know but these are statements that we don’t often hear. I wonder why that is? I believe it’s the fact that some of us are bound by pride, some bound by embarrassment, and some are bound by fear. We may not want to know what others are think about our inner lives. This is a very trusted area and granted you shouldn’t go to everyone asking for their advice. One thing for sure there isn’t a shortage on advice. The other thing I might add is, be careful of the person who has put their life in a tiny box and if you are not working inside of those boundaries then you will always be wrong. Just be careful in who you are asking and what you are asking for.

There is a madness behind this story. I was reading in Jonah the other day and though about this. This is one of my favorite books in the Bible and holds many principles of life. In chapter one it says, “One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.”

I thought what if Jonah had a friend who he trusted and could have talked to and ask “what do you think about this?” Would the outcome have been any different? Would he still have run from God? I’m not sure what I would have said to Jonah, maybe I would have agreed with him and said run, those people are crazy over there in Nineveh. Maybe I would have said “let’s pray and seek God on this, He will confirm this for you and give you the strength you will need in this task.”

The point I am making is in life you can’t always go it alone. God has given you friends for a reason, you may need an extra set of eyes and an extra set of ears for any given circumstance. So, give up that old prideful attitude, give up that spirit of embarrassment and give up that fear of being told something you don’t want to hear. Remember you are asking them for a word of advice and what you get you don’t have to use. Before you ask anybody for anything, ask God first.

The Accident

It was one of those Friday nights I will never forget. It was a beautiful evening in October. I had the task of taking the guys to the movies on that night. Not sure how I ended up with this duty being only sixteen years old at the boys home but it gave us all an opportunity to show some responsibility. Sometimes we drove station wagons but tonight I was driving the big van, a fifteen passenger dodge van.

Whiteville was eleven miles from the lake, a straight shot on highway 74-76. I had driven this route many times, taking the guys to the movies. This particular Friday I didn't care to stay and watch the movie so I dropped the boys off and came on back to the lake. Not sure why I came back but I did.

About nine-thirty or so I was getting ready to go back to Whiteville to pick up the guys. I knew the movies would be ending soon. On the way out the door Bobby and Preston ask if they could ride. I said "sure, let me make a couple of banana sandwiches to carry with me" . I used to love those things.

Heading up highway 74-76 I would pass the grave yard and  the one-hundred acre pecan grove with Spanish moss hanging in the tress, kind of spooky at night. I would pass the the sandwich shop that was never open and then into the small town of Hallsoboro, right past our high school.

I had already eaten both sandwiches before getting to Hallsboro, this was just four miles into the trip.  When I was passing the high school I reached down for my seat belt. I had it in my hand and decided that I wasn't going to wear it. I never did, but for some reason I had picked it up and was about to latch it but then said "forget it, I don't need that thing". I had glanced at my speedometer and was at the perfect speed of forty-five miles an hour. The police were never really bad in this area I just remember being at that speed and looking at the finger printed glass on the instrument panel.

Approaching the intersection of state road 1001 and highway 74-76 everything was great. Then out of nowhere a car appeared in my windshield. Everything went into slow motion, almost like a dream. The van went into a tumble after hitting a car that had ran the stop sign. 

I was ejected out of the tumbling van through the windshield and I found myself about one-hundred feet from the wreckage. I stood up and wondered into the highway and was making my way down to the hardware store. My body was covered in blood and I was shaking violently. My destination seemed so far away. I looked over at the van which was now across the road and saw people fighting. I didn't know what had happen to Preston or Bobby. I had my eyes fixed on that hardware store. There I felt the arms of a friend come around me giving me his coat. He told me everything was going to be okay. I was slipping into shock moment by moment. My body was numb to the pain.

The ambulance had arrived and they ushered me off to the hospital in Whiteville, there they checked me out and I gave up my banana sandwiches that I had eaten earlier. My body had gone into realizing the pain. They decided to transfer me to Wilmington as my skull was crushed in one place and I had internal bleeding.

I would spend the next few weeks in the hospital. My face and body were scared from the wreck. I found out that Preston had taken several hundred stitches and Bobby had a broken leg. Bobby was also beaten up at the wreck by the family of the girl who was riding in the car I had hit. They didn't know what had happen or who's fault it was. All they knew is their sister was dead. My soul was now scared with the news of her death. Her brother was in my graduation class. My return to school would prove to be very difficult but my friends made it easier. Many of which thought I had died that night.

After many years I still have the scars of this accident, my head is still numb and my jaw still pops when I talk sometimes. The real scars are much deeper. They are the ones that wonder "what if". I wonder what if I had left just a second or two later, what if I had not made those sandwiches and what if I had reached down and put my seat belt on? All of these "what ifs" Even though I didn't know Jesus Christ at that time I believe in the total sovereignty of God. God knew then and still knows today what will come my way. He is and always has been in control of life. There are no accidents with God! Do you believe in the sovereignty of God?  Who is in control?  When trouble is in air who do you turn to? When the still voice in your heart says "buckle up, trouble is on the way, be ready" what is your response?

I didn't listen, I threw it back and said "I don't need this thing". Years have gone by now and understanding the providential will of God and now knowing Jesus Christ, He has spoken many times to me in this still voice. Sometimes I listen and sometimes I don't. He does remind me by saying "didn't I tell you to buckle up".

Life isn't an easy road but it can be a road of great journeys and many blessing. One of the greatest blessing is through relationships God has allowed me to have with many of you. God has used many of you to walk with me in trails and in glory. I am blessed but am no accident. The "what ifs" in life belong to God. Is there a 'what if" in your life? Give it to the sovereign God who created all things.

1 Peter 1 (The Message)

1:18-21Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

 

 

George Beasley

Copyright 2007  A Lake Front View. All rights reserved

Elaine's Pain Chapter Two

Elaine and I continued in our relationship for several more months. Looking back now I can see that the arguments were never about us but about what was eating at her inside. I knew nothing about her pain, only that I carried pain in my own life.

So many years have passed, I miss Elaine from time to time. I will say if you are carrying some deep rooted pain, if you are carrying a horrific life changing event please get help. These events can lead to death and destruction. They are the events that have such a hold on you it's hard to function in the world. They are the quite secrets inside of us that never are revealed to anyone. They will kill you if you let them.

Proverbs 16 says "Guilt is banished through love and truth". Condemnation is not from God, what happened in the past doesn't have to steer your life to a tragic end. As I talked with a great friend this past weekend, speaking in truth sets free a condemning spirit, this is a spirit that will ultimately wreck your life. We have to choose to speak in love and truth, every word that comes out of our mouth should be that of truth and love.

If I knew then what I know now things may have been different. But for me I know that God made everything for a place and purpose. Every event, every word, every song, every smile, every hug and every death has a purpose.

My only regret is I can't say I'm sorry, I can't say to Elaine, I can help you, I can't say to her Jesus loves you, I can't say God wants to restore you, I can't say God has a plan for your life, I can't give a hug, I can't give a smile, I can't give a kiss, I can't even give a word of encouragement. Elaine is dead.

Do you know an Elaine? Don't be so busy in your life that you can't call her, don't be so busy you can't go to lunch with her, don't be so busy you never hear her cry for help. I never heard her!

I am forever grateful to have known Elaine. One of the greatest tragedies is the fact that she lived down by the lake for so many years and her cry's were never hear. Elaine's pain died with her. I love you Elaine.

Copyright 2007 A Lake Front View All rights reserved.

Elaine's Pain

The voice on the phone said, "did you hear about Elaine?" I replied "no, what happen", she continued to explain that Elaine had died, she had committed suicide. My heart sank deep and sadness prevailed my countenance. My heart ached with pain and to this day I am still sad about the life of Elaine.

Elaine was a sweet girl, she was very pretty with her long blonde hair and perfect build but yet as pretty as she was she had some deep rooted pain that would often come out of her. Her pain usually came our in the form of rage after a few drinks. Looking back now I can see the pain she was carrying around. We often talked but the root of her pain was never reveled to me.

For Elaine it began in high school as it does with most teens. She was part of the "smoking area" crowd and ranked high in this group. Elaine was the one in the group that would call out anyone at anytime. Saying a few choice words to explain herself, but away from that she was as sweet and gentle as any one woman could ever be. Her smile was beautiful and she attracted many of the guys in the group. One was a friend of mine. His name is David.

David and I lived at the boys home together, we were really good friends and talked a great deal about the issues of life. One hot summers night David came to me and said "I need to talk with you", his voice was shaky. I could tell something was eating him up. So we went outside the cottage and sat against the house. The moon was riding high that night and I still remember the heat of the bricks on my back as this was the side of the house the sun most of the day. We both sat down with our backs on the warm bricks. He started to ask these questions about marriage and babies, things that neither of us were well versed in. It didn't take long before David had told me what all the questions were for.

"Elaine is pregnant", his voice was shaky and nervous. "What do I?" he ask. The answers were not clear to either of us. We talked for several more hours and a decision was made. David had to marry her, that was the only option, being careful to say "not because she was pregnant but because he loved her. That was my only question to him. Do you love her enough to marry her? This I knew nothing about. Love to me was a distance word, my mom was the only one who had ever told me that she loved me, to understand what love was much to deep for me at the time.

Keep in mind before you go all judgmental on me, both David and I were in our late teens and had no idea of what life was about but like most teens thought we knew it all. I was proud that David entrusted me enough to hold his story, a story as you can guess would rock the high school and all of the families involved. I was careful to guard it and not tell anyone. Even to this day only a hand full know this story. I am not even sure if my best friend Amy knows. We never talk about Elaine.

David and Elaine married and they had a son. This rocked the entire community of this small town. I was excited for David, he seemed to be happy but inside I think he was torn.

As you would expect the marriage didn't last long. Elaine would end up back at the lake and David joined the Army searching for a better life. He later remarried and then divorced again.

You see David's pain was as deep as Elaine's. The root of his pain has never been addressed. He had only been treated for his symptoms as we all had been back then. The reason I know this is I was able to meet with David last year and talk about this deep rotted pain that only Jesus can take away. We will hold David's story for another chapter.

Elaine and I remained friends through this and she would eventually move to our town and move in with us. We fell in love and planned on getting married but the story would soon take a tragic turn.

Before I go on to Chapter Two of "Elaine's Pain" I feel lead to say to all who read this.

What part of Elaine's pain are you carrying? I know you know this girl, everyone does! Her pain is deep, her laughter is sad, her strength is weak , her words are full yet empty, she is lost! Did you hear me? She is lost! Do you know her? Do you know where she is? Please find her and tell her Jesus loves her and wants to take her pain. Jesus is the only answer to our hurting and dying world.

Down by The Lake (Introduction)

Psalm 36

5-6 God's love is meteoric,  his loyalty astronomic,   His purpose titanic,  his verdicts oceanic.  Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;  Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.

7-9 How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You're a fountain of cascading light,  and you open our eyes to light.
10-12 Keep on loving your friends; do your work in welcoming hearts.

Before I publish my next series of stories I need to set it up for you. I feel the need to set it in a time and a place where I didn't know the astronomical grace of God. We all have the points and places in our lives as none of us were born into the kingdom of God.

I need the above verses to get me through the next series of stories. For so long I didn't know His plan. Looking back now, I can see what He was doing in my life. Some clear and some not so clear. The chapters in my life are being sorted and arranged in this book I have titled "Down by The Lake". It  deals with the many of my most inner thoughts and twisting turns in my life that have developed me to who I am today.  

For the past two years I have been down by the lake in order to see myself as I once was and now who I am today.  Looking into the water each day and seeing a reflection of myself, transparent and at times disturbed deep in my soul. God allowed me to travel the many highways and back roads of our great country seeing the most abused, forgotten and hopeless people in America.  I was allowed to bring a message of hope to these people through the ministry of In His Wakes with the support of my sweet wife Lisa and daughters Sara and Laura. I could mention a host of others that supported me through this but the list would be long and I am sure I would forget someone. For the most part my wife Lisa would see me at my lowest points and the rest of you would see me at my highest points. 

To make this really clear, this book is not about the ministry of In His Wakes but the way God allowed and used it in my life to bring an image to me of His greatness and the condition of real people in our land. Not only was I seeing myself in the reflection of the water each day but at each event I was looking at myself, reliving my child hood all over again.   

Some of the people you have already read about but some are still deep in my memory. It's my hope to introduce you to these people and the many that have crossed my path even before In His Wakes. As I reflect on the events leading up to and before the ministry I am reminded that it started at the waters edge.  

First at Kennedy Home, then the Haven House in Raleigh, NC and then to the Boys Home at Lake Waccamaw, NC. These group homes along with the many sessions in the "nut hut" would mold me to who I was and who I would turn out to be, so I thought. The puzzle of my life was so scattered, it never seemed to fit the way I thought it should. Until one day I was introduced to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. This journey has proven to be most difficult but God is a God of truth and has never let me go. He has always held me tight even in the most difficult circumstances. I am blessed to even write about this great journey I have been on and is no way finished.

My plan is to write in chapters, they won't be in chronological order but as God leads me to write and release them. I am not sure if the book will ever have an ending but if it does I hope it's a message of hope.

 I will change the names of some of the people so to protect their privacy and respect their families. It has taken me more than two months to write this. I have several chapters in the works and will publish them here as they are completed.

God allowed me to work with the most disadvantaged and hurting people in the world, being in front of and beside the most abused and forgotten people. These people that have names but no address, they have faces but little hope, they have finger prints but no identity, seeing myself in the mirror as I once was the most haunting experience I could have ever imagined.

I thank God for a loving family that has seen me come through this, to my wife Lisa, who watched me cry for days, who watched me in agony as I told some of the stories of my life, who watched me get so excited that I could hardly contain myself. To Sara and Laura who were with me the whole way.  I could not have made it this far with out their love and the love of my wonderful wife.

I also thank God for my closest friends, who supported me even when they really didn't know. They showed me the love of Christ, they were there in my darkest hours and in my brightest hours. They loved me and love me today. I hope to mention them in the chapters to come, they are exciting and some "goofy acting" on my part went on the the early months of getting to know them. I learned through them, no matter what people do or who they are, they are still just people, all with a past, all with hurts and pain and all going in a direction and getting closer to death each day just like me.

This book will take you back to a period that most have forgotten. My intent is not to glorify this period but to give you some insight on what God has done in my life. In Psalm 36 it says " God's love is meteoric,  his loyalty astronomic,   His purpose titanic,  his verdicts oceanic.  Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;  Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks".

Can you get a hold of that?  I had nothing to do with it, it was always Gods plan, nothing is done in this universe without Him knowing, no thought, no idea, no touch, no hug, no look goes without notice from our great God. So for me to say my life has been bad would not be fair. It has been what it is, it has been what God planned.

I write with joy, I write with tears, I write for the sake of others hoping they will see there is hope. 

I was told by a great friend "George, you can never quit". I didn't understand at the time but now know what he was talking about. I can never quit!  I can never quit telling my story, it has hope for a hopeless world, it has the Gospel of Jesus, it has all the elements of His grace. 

Lets get into the stories and see what happened "Down by The Lake".

Black Creek

As we all grew into our mid teens we started to experience new and exciting things. Looking back now I guess you could call it life but for us it was not just life but an adventure. Everyday was a new adventure for us, especially in the summer. As I have said before, the summer always brought new adventures and with it came some of the greatest memories of all times. This is one of those memories.

It was sure hot that day, hotter than I had ever been before. This summer was one of the hottest on record. The lake being shallow was like a warm tub, we couldn't escape the heat that summer so we headed down to bella coola.

Bella Coola the name of the road that took us to the back side of the lake, there your would find these creeks that flowed into the lake, the creeks never seem to move, the water just stood still.

The water was so dark and the unknowns were real. It's funny looking back now, the snakes and alligators never seem to bother us. We just tried to make sure they knew we were there.

Black Creek, was our destination. The water was cool, black and deep. There was just enough room to pull your car over in tall grass before getting to the bridge. The silver guard rail on the bridge was flatten by some that went before us, their names were carved into the thick painted surface, ours were to by now. We had earned our right to put our names on that rail. Anyone who would swim there really had the honor.

At anytime there may be two or twenty of us swimming at that hole. One thing was for sure, if we were first on the scene we always picked up a large rock and threw it in. This was to announce our arrival to the snakes and alligators. The first one in was pretty much a dare thing, "you go first, no you go, no you go". Once we saw that person make it to shore with all their limbs we figured it was clear.

One game we loved to play was "under water tag". The water was so dark you couldn't see anything once you went under a foot or two. To get tagged you had to be under water, the rules were the name of the game. I would always shoot for the bottom, grabbing a log or something that was sticking up from the bottom. I would just sit there in the dark water, wondering sometimes what was near me. Every now and then something would tickle my leg or back and I would swim the top of the water, running up the shore to the top of the bridge screaming "snake!!alligator! We all would clear out and jump in again, laughing so hard sometimes we would lose our breath.

One thing about black creek, it brought out the best in you. You may ask how's that? How can you be so stupid, one to swim where you know the snakes and alligators live, two the unknown of the bottom and three the darkness of the water. Well, to tell you the truth this is life.

We live with the snakes and alligators of life every day, we live in the unknown of what's next and as for the darkness, if you know Jesus Christ, there is never darkness. As with black creek, there may be dark times but some day you will surface to the top victorious. You will surface screaming "I made it! I made it! I made it! You will live to tell others your story of the black creek you swam in.

One more thing about black creek that I need to mention, it's really quite and lonely in the darkness. When you're under the water about ten feet down, there is nothing but stillness, no sound, no light, no hope of being found, it's so lonely in the darkness. So the question to you is "are you in black creek?

If you are, there is always hope! Hope in Jesus Christ, don't let Satan keep you under that deep dark water, it will kill you, that what he wants to do!

1 Timothy 1:15-19 Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.

NOW! Fight to swim to the top, fight to get up that hill, fight to get back on that bridge and jump for joy when you reach the top, thank God for His mercy, by His grace we will make it, by His mercy we will stand and get ready for another amazing adventure.

George Beasley

Not My Plan

Psalm 31

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

I would say that most of my greatest memories were conceived in the summer months. The summers of my teen years were full of fun and what I call "life lessons". I remember all of my summers being really hot summer. Maybe it’s because I lived near the lake and could go and cool off. It seemed every summer was different and to this day they continue to be that way. No summer has ever been the same and has always had one or two of those life lessons tucked away, waiting for me.

In my later teen years we all wanted to be our own person, we were developing into what our environments had programed us to be. We were products of our surroundings. If you think about it we all are. We do and think like those that are around us. Their were few exceptions to this rule.

At our high school we were know as the "boys home boys". You could spot one of us a mile away. We tried very hard to blend in and some of us were successful in doing this. One of my best friends had helped me to make this transition from the "smoking area" group to the "A-B" group. Although I would go between groups, Amy had taken an interest in me. She says it was my curls. We never dated or fell in love, we were best of friends and still are to this day. Amy had some friends though, that were really pretty. Paula was one of them. Paula had long blonde hair, the prettiest eyes I had ever seen and was chiseled out of a mold that would melt any teenagers heart.

I was in "love". Paula and I would meet up at school and sit under this big oak tree at lunch, talking about everything in life. I was so nervous to be around her, she was so beautiful. Amy would join us from time to time, I think she was making sure I was treating her friend just right and saying the right things. Amy would often coach me on the things women want to hear, what to say, what not to say.

Amy had arranged for us to meet on Friday and Saturdays nights at her house. Amy parents were so nice. They were the first and only parents that I had known to allow a "boys home boy" into their house, let alone around their daughter. We would go over and meet up, sitting in the formal area of the house. First, just talking and then making out. Not the kind of making out of today. This was what I would call "monitored" making out. Amy’s parents weren’t stupid, they kept a close eye on all of us. They were right on the other side of the wall. If I remember correctly there were no doors on this formal living room. They had this beautiful furniture, Paula and I would take one seat and Amy and her date would take the other. I guess you could call it a double date at the house.

Amy’s mom was beautiful also, she had a heart that just breathed love. Her eyes could tell you anything. Her dad was always nice and stern in his commands to Amy. This was a model that later I would use in life.

I found myself dating one of the most beautiful girls in school. This gave me something that I had never had before, confidence. A confidence that would soon teach me a lesson about life and love. Paula and I were getting along great, loving every minute of our teenage years. Then it happened. This tall, long legged blonde walked by us one day. I had seen this girl before but never really notice her, until now. Her name was Gina. Was it this confidence of dating Paula that made me notice her? Was it the fact that she was at the top of the "A" group along with her sister? Or was it the fact that I had Paula and couldn’t have Gina.

I must omit I was happy in my relationship with Paula and had no need to try and date another girl or even look at another girl. Paula was a beauty-queen. Gina didn’t even know my name and maybe that was the problem. I did get the nerve up to try and talk to Gina. She was very shy and quite. She was not a talker and didn’t seem to be interested in me so I backed off and continued my relationship with Paula. But there was a problem. A problem that I had not foreseen.

Amy had found out that I was wanting to talk with Gina. I will never forget standing under the walk way at the entrance to the school. Amy told me that it wasn’t right to try and talk to Gina and say your in love with Paula. After all Paula was one of Amy’s best friends but so was I. Was she going to turn me in? Would she tell Paula? All I had done was try and talk to the girl, but deep in my heart if Gina would have said yes I would have ended the relationship with Paula. I think this is what Amy knew to. She knew me better than anyone.

The story goes on and Paula ask Amy for advice "what should I do, should I break up with him? Amy, without hesitation said "do it". So that ended my relationship with Paula. There were no hard feelings at all, we remained friends throughout high school and I lost contact with her after we all graduated.

Amy and I still remain best friends. When we get together, it’s always fun bringing up these stories that truly did have an impact. Looking back you can really see God working. A few years later I would meet the woman of my dreams, Lisa and I have been married for twenty-three years now, raised two wonderful daughters and have been blessed with more than enough. God used all of these little things in life to make the big things seem easier that came our way. It’s His plan after all.

I believe you can pick out many life lessons in this story. When we have all that we want we always want more. We always seem to feed on wanting some things that just aren’t meant for us.

You see, God has a plan for your life. Sure this was high school and who could have known what could of happen. Some of my best friends made the most life changing decisions in high school, some decided to have sex and have babies, some decided to kill people, some even decide to take their own life.

This story, as with all of the others doesn’t seem to end. It’s still going. So what can I used here to apply to my life. I suppose you can say two things. One, God is in complete control of your life, no matter what you think or where you are at, your plan has been set out before the beginning of time. Sure we make bad decisions and do stupid things but the God who holds the universe on it’s axis and ushers in billions of star’s every night has a plan and you really can’t mess it up.

The second thing you could say is that every experience in life is set in your path for a purpose, it may not be a mountain, it may not be a valley, what ever it is, these experiences mold us to what we become, how we think and how we react to situations.

In a final word, there is nothing wrong with wanting more, wanting something different or wanting something new. When you have what you have be content and love it, take nothing that has ever happen to you for granite, there is a reason and a purpose behind it. God will use it for good no matter how bad it was or how bad it is.

George Beasley

Hidden Sins

Isaiah 60 says "I am God. At the right time I'll make it happen."

It was a hot summer night in Lake Waccamaw, not much going on as usual. We could have walked down to "Dupree Landing" or went fishing, but this night we chose to do something that would take our summer away and change us all forever.

There were about ten of us, all in our early teens. We weren’t looking for trouble just some fun on a hot summers night. There were several suggestions thrown out but none seem to satisfy out inner craving to have fun. So we took the last request and decided to go with that. We decided we were going to "egg" the first car that came around the corner on lake shore drive. We first needed the key ingredient and that was eggs. So we raided the pantry at the cottage and got several dozen and headed for the lake.

We had our plan mapped out, "hit the car with all we have and dive into the lake, splitting up and then we would meet back at the cottage later for the laugh. That poor car came around the corner on lake shore drive and it sounded like hail hitting it, I mean we tore that thing up, laughing and running at the same time.

We all hit the lake wide open, the car didn’t stop, you could hear the engine’s four barrel kick in, they were out of there and so were we. As we all went our separate ways, Rick and I found ourselves at an old boat house, we climbed out of the water and made our way back to the cottage. Then little by little the rest of the crew showed up.

We were laughing our heads off, carrying on like only wide teenagers could do. We all retired for the evening and had a peaceful nights sleep. We knew we had done something big and gotten away with it.

The next evening, Jim called a meeting with all of they guys in the cottage, there were about fifteen of us. He suggest that a car was "egged" at the lake last night and wanted to know if any of us had involvement with that terrible act. Of course we all said "NO". He gave us several chances to confess but we all held our ground. Then something crazy happen. He called each of us by name that had been involved with this terrible act, who would do such a thing we all said. As he lined us all up in front of the other guys, we were still denying what we had done. This didn’t seem to sway Jim at all. He had already decided our punishment. He said "meet me at the tool shed tomorrow night and every night after that until I say different".

We all hung our head low and went to bed that night. Knowing that we had to pay the price for that few minutes of fun. We all were in disbelief that we got caught, thinking how did he know. Did some one tell? If so that would have been grounds for "out casting". You never told on anyone or anything!

The next evening we all met at the tool shed, lined up, he was handing out "sling blades" and "chop axes", he pointed towards the rail road tracks and said "start over there and work your way to the east". The tracks went slam to Wilmington I thought to myself. Well, that summer we chopped grass from six o’clock until dark, then ran a mile. Jim was with us the whole way, telling us we had way to much energy. I remember how hot it was and how thirsty we would get. We could see all of the other guys playing on the field, going to the gym or just sitting around. We were in a place that had not bars or fence but was unescapable.

There was a great deal of talk that summer of running away but no one ever did. Our hands were full of blisters, our backs were hurting, we complained to deaf ears. There was a great life lesson being taught to all of us and the ones to come behind us. I think this story has made it to the "book of legends". I can see the boys talking now, "lets egg a car", then silence comes around the circle of guys and one says "you remember the story of those guys back in the day, There are many of these stories in the "book of legends". I had heard most of them from my years at the home.

I heard one of the guys that was with us that night became rich and had those train tracks removed from Lake Waccamaw to Wilmington. I visit the lake from time to time driving right past the place where we worked so hard to learn a lesson that none of us would ever forget. I can still see us out there. While we worked hard for our mistake we walked away that summer with a different view of life. If you do something that you shouldn’t be doing there will be a price to pay. It’s the law of the land, it’s God’s law. You reap what you sow, or better put there is always consequences to your sins.

In the act of doing a bad thing it was fun, but just for the moment. Later we paid the price! How did Jim know? Only he knows and to this day he has not revealed to us who told.

Well, as you can guess, we never even thought about "egging" another car. We learned a great deal about respect, respecting those who knew more than we did. We learned that we did something wrong, discipline was sure to follow, a striping of our pride and bad attitudes. We learned that there are some things in life we will never know, that no matter what you are doing someone knows about it. This is a great picture of God. He is all knowing.

I think the most important message in this story is, when we are in sin, we either deny it or confess it, to deny it means we are to prideful to omit we are wrong, to confess it means we know our wrong and are willing to correct it. Pride will either take control of your life or you can control it, we all have it to some degree. When that is put into check God can do more than you could ever imagine. That my friend is a great picture of Jesus on the cross, who died for your sins and mine!

I have thought for days on how I could end this story just right. There is no right way to end it because it never ended. Most of us involved that night are still alive today and are still living out this story. There were many stories after this one, we just got smarter and wiser......we thought!

George Beasley

All About The "I"

Isaiah 55: 8-11"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree."For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

I have found myself in more than one conversation lately concerning the will of God for my life. Each time I find myself saying things like "I have tried this, I have tried that, I am going to do this, I think I will do that, I’m going to do that". All of which have turned out to be nothing but a waste of time talking and thinking about things I wanted to do. Twice this week I have been challenged on using the word "I" in these terms. If you noticed there is nothing in the statements above that lends itself to God. There is only "I".

So what do I think about this? After being where "I" have been for the past two years, by the way, was with an incredible water sports ministry called In His Wakes, I have decided that God has me here for a reason, a reason that I can not explain. There has been a great deal of thought put into the reason God allowed me to depart form this great ministry. I must omit I have tried to explain it many times, all the while using the terms "I" and "me".

This week "I" learned that God does have an incredible plan in the mist waiting for me. Do I know what it is? No! But God does and "I" am content to wait on Him and learn and prepare myself for the next chapter in the story as GOD writes it, not "I".

Isaiah 55: 8-11 sums it up. We all know these verses and are quick to make them ours but the reality is we like doing things our way, we like knowing the plan. Lets get humble in the site of God and be big enough and honest enough to say "I" ain’t got it figured out but God does.

Please visit In His Wakes at www.inhiswakes.com

George Beasley

No Where To Run

Isaiah 49: 8-12God also says: "When the time's ripe, I answer you. When victory's due, I help you.I form you and use you....

Have you ever wondered why we do things that just don’;t make a great deal of since? Is it God’s will or our will? This is an age old question that is not answered by just a brief comment or letter.
In studying this week and through conversations I have decided that it’s okay sit still for a minute or two, it’s okay to let God redirect you onto a new path. It’s very hard not to run ahead of God and start something new and exciting. I see many pieces of a great puzzle but none fit together yet. For the past few months I have been running over there and then back over here and then back to there. I am tired of running, so I am walking and listening now.

I remember a guy I grew up with at one of the homes I was in. His name was Philip Myers. If you ever went anywhere with him you had better be in shape. He always wanted to run. I remember he came over to our cottage one day and ask if we could make a trade. I said "sure, that sounds like a great deal". The only problem was, the stuff he was trading for was across campus so off we went.

The second we stepped out the door, he took off. I was a runner back in the day so it was no problem keeping up with him. In the mist of our sprint to the other side of the campus I asked "Philip, why do you run every where you go? He replied quickly "you never get anywhere in life by walking, it takes too much time. This statement I have pondered on for many years, often wondering if he is still running, or did he finally slow down and enjoy the beauty around him.

The message can be taken many ways in what he said. We can run every where we go, that can be good, but you may get tired, you may run right pass the very thing God has for you.

To live a life of victory, we need to know where to run. Once God has given us the task, take off like we did. Remember that the deal was made in the cottage and then we knew where to run, we had direction.

The deals we make with God will be on our knees, then step out, take off, run like you never have. God can keep up.

George Beasley

Shelter from the Sun

Isaiah 49 says "Nobody hungry, nobody thirsty, shade from the sun, shelter from the wind, For the Compassionate One guides them, takes them to the best springs. I'll make all my mountains into roads, turn them into a superhighway".

Let me bring you to a time in my early teen years. Haven House was my second group home. It was to be short term. I had a great deal of people who cared about me but my stubborn attitude pushed many away. Although young, I learned so many life lessons here. This was a time before the "mental games" were introduce into troubled teens lives. I call them "mental games" because as time would go forward, we all learned how to beat the system. The system being ideas like "if you let them think this, then they will act this way. Haven House was not that way at all, they taught us by life itself, teaching us that for every action, negative or positive there would be a reaction and a price to pay at some level. I hope you immerse yourself in this story as it is as true as it gets. Lord willing I will take you from this point in my life to now in the up coming stories. Here is the Haven House story as I saw it and remember it today.

What controversy there was in the neighborhood on Shepard Street. This thing called a home for troubled youth was coming. Maybe now looking back we were pioneers of our present day culture and Haven House was the pioneering concept of "fixing" us. I had already had an idea that none of the neighbors wanted us there but this was not really new to me. It had seemed for most of my life that I was just in the way.The experiences I had there would forever change me. Not knowing at the time what changes were being made but they would mold me into the person I am today. It was not the experiences to me that made the difference but the people. To prove this I have thought about all of the experiences both good and bad while at Haven House. What effect did they have? I can say mostly positive and impacting to some degree.

When I think about the people, what effect did they have on my life? There is an overwhelming deep desire to tell you that these people who gave their life to try and teach me something had such a life changing impact that it would be hard to put into words. I guess what I am saying is that it was never about the experiences but the people.To prove this after some thirty years I can tell you of only a couple of experiences I had but I can see in my mind and tell you each persons name and what I remember them doing for me.

That to me is impacting.There was Charlie, not really sure what his job was but I do remember him spending time taking to me, that's all we really wanted, just to talk and someone to listen. A lady name Anita, who did the same, always a sweet smile and a warm hello, eyes that would warm your heart no matter how bad things were. I can remember her always asking on a hot summer day "would you like something to drink?"Although not part of the Haven House my court appointed officer, Ellen. I must say she had an impact that is still lasting on me. I can remember sitting with her and talking out things, she had me do some crazy things with my fingers to test my concentration, I still do that today.

Then there were three, Michael, Peter and Barbara. They were our house parents. Now I could go into detail into each one as they each had their own special way of trying to get into my brain. They without doubt are the most interesting people I had ever met and to this day still are. I have so many wonderful memories and could write a book on my experiences with each of them but to keep this short I will just give you a brief summary of each one and the impact they had.We can start with Michael, he loved to meditate, this was his way of teaching us to relax and get in touch with our inner being if you will. We would sit for hours and just sit, sometimes talk but mostly sit. This was very relaxing and taught me a great deal about myself.

Peter I do believe loved to write, I am not sure if that is where I developed the love for writing or not. Only to say that he had this big book and he would sit and write all of what he saw going on. Peter had a heart and really loved us. As a matter of fact all three of theses shared the same heart. They truly loved us no matter what. A really good picture of how God loves us. Peter also loved to cook and grow his own food, thinking back they all three loved to grow their own food. This is where we would spend time when we did things we were not supposed to do "in the garden".

Then there was Barbara. She wore this long robe , saddles and smoked a pipe. For some reason I am hearing her say "George, what are your feelings on this". She was always caring and seemed to be very sensitive to feelings. What I remember the most about her is she cared and she loved us.I am just trying to give you some insight on Haven House, from the start. Keep in mind this was 1974 and the culture as we know it today was forever changed by the people of Haven House. It was never about the program, the event or all of the other experiences. It was always be about the people. It was always showing us they loved us. That is all we ever wanted, to be loved. It's love that make the difference.

George Beasley

Loving Me

Ephesians 3:19 (The Message)

14-19My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

I remember standing there in the hot sun that day. All fifteen of us were trying to get in the picture. We had our best clothes on, for me it was a three piece suit, black with pin stripes. I had a pair of borrowed shoes on and I had an attitude.

This was a special day at the Boys Home, picture day. The whole day taken up by some stupid picture taking. That was my thoughts then but now I look at this picture everyday in my office and thank God I have it. It’s really the only one I have of that time in my life.

I have all the names of the guys written out beside them. I think of where they all are now, so much time has past. This picture was taken more than twenty-seven years ago. I look at it and wonder what happen to the other fourteen guys. I know some have died, some have gone to prison and some are on drugs and will never be freed of that addiction apart from God. I know that a few have trusted Christ with their lives but can’t seem to get past the pain, not really letting go of the past. But that is not what this picture is about. It’s about the two people on each end, the sixteenth and seventeenth persons.

They were the young couple that sacrificed their lives and gave it all they had for all fifteen of us. Jim and Thora Maready had given so much of their lives for us. Could you imagine raising three kids of your own and fifteen teenage boys? That’s really what gets me about this picture. Jim and Thora were the best "house parents" there ever were. Believe me I know, I had seen my share come and go.

I guess you could sum them up by saying they cared. It wasn’t just a job to them, sure I have had others who have cared but Jim and Thora really loved us and it showed. It showed because the told us we were the best. Even when we knew deep inside that we were not, they had this unique gift of making us think that we would be something one day. This my friend is love that does surpass all understanding.

Jim and I were like father and son, he treated me like and son and Thora treated me the same. It felt that way most of the time. There were many life lessons taught at that cottage by the lake, many I still remember today and are part of who I am.

Last year I did get a chance to call Jim and thank him for all he had done for me, Thora I have seen once since I got married twenty-three years ago. It has taken a long time to get to the point of really understanding sacrifice. To both of them I owe my life to as I know it today. God had put them in my life then, He knew just the right people to put in my path that would make a difference. It was all part of His plan.

Thank you Lord, thank you Jim, thank you Thora for sacrificing your life for me. You made a difference!

George Beasley

History

Isaiah 48
1-11 You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it?And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed.This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up.When you hear this you won't be able to say, 'I knew that all along.'You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me,A sorry track record of fickle attachments— rebels from the womb.

But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people.

Our independent history is deep rooted. Each of us were raised in a different way. That makes our history unique. Some of us have a "civil war" type history, some of us have a "southern bell" type history and some have a "rebel" type of history. The rebel is the most sought after of all the generations today. When we think of the word rebel we think of young people but this is not the case in reality. We all are rebels to a degree. We do what we want to do and then justify it by the means of our relationship with God. I guess what I am saying is we all have a different way of making our own history.

In the above scripture there is more than enough to tell us that we don’t have a good history of listening to God. We hear this preached week after week. So, why don’t we get the message?

I do believe that the first part of the verse that sums it up. God says "You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed.

In reading this it has become apparent to me that no matter what type of history you have, it is God who can change it. If we would just put all of our energy into God, focused on Him and Him alone for all the we have, then we would be able to say our history is dependent on God.

So, if you have a history of a civil war, a southern bell, or you are just a straight up rebel, put that history in the book where it belongs, let it go. It really doesn’t matter after God has opened your eyes to His great salvation.

If you wonder why you don’t see the wonders of God in your life, look inside and ask yourself "am I being independent of God, am I doing what I want and not what He wants? The answer doesn’t come easy, we are independent and have this thing of writing our own history.

George Beasley