Is There Carpet in Heaven?

Several years ago, when I was working as a substitute mail carrier, I got called into the Post Master’s Office.  Through the years, I have been “called on the carpet” on many occasions for various reasons.  You might say I have plenty of “on the carpet” experience from high school, college, work, and yes, even church.

In this particular situation, I was working midnights at the cement plant burning the cement kilns.  I had worked off midnights on a Saturday morning, showered at the plant, ate breakfast at Hardees, and arrived at Montevallo Post Office early.  I thought about quitting the cement plant and working for the postal service since I was a bi-vocational pastor.  Postal work would be straight days instead of rotate shifts.

When I got to the post office, I put up the mail, pulled it down, and delivered it.  That afternoon I went home slept until time to work midnight and pulled another shift.

As we all know, there are folks that know more about your business than you do.  Well, the post office Miss Busy Body informed the Post Master that I had worked the previous Saturday without a good night’s rest and was unfit to deliver the mail.

On the carpet, the Post Master informed me that I needed a good night’s sleep before I delivered the mail.  He reiterated that the mail was a precious commodity that must be delivered with the utmost accuracy and extra care as I traveled the rural roads of Shelby County.  He notified me that if I did not correct the error of my way that he would discharge me.

When I finally got the opportunity to reply, I let the Post Master know a thing or two.  I asked him, “How much sleep did you get night last night, and what time did you get up yesterday morning?”  He responded that he had gotten up at six, went to bed at eleven, and rose this morning at six.

I told him that I had more rest than he had.  I said I went to bed at eleven in the morning, slept until nine, went to work at ten thirty, got off at six fifteen, reported to work at seven thirty, returned home around three in the afternoon, and slept until time to return to midnight shift.  I reminded him that his day was from six in the morning until eleven that night, which is seventeen hours before rest.  The Saturday I worked my time starting at nine thirty and ended at three thirty the next day which was fifteen hours.

I continued to tell him that Miss Busy Body’s son, also a rural carrier substitute, bragged to me how he did not get home until four in the morning and reported to work at seven thirty and if I was not mistaken, that’s only three and half hours.

I told him that each day that the cement plant entrusted me with two cement kilns that costs of millions of dollars, used thousands of tons of coal, produced millions of tons of cement, and I didn’t believe the mail I carried cost that much.  I told him that I understood responsibility and took many safety classes that stressed the importance of rest and work.  I worked sixteen hour shifts and many occasions at the cement plant.   I worked every other Saturday delivering the mail and worked seven consecutive days burning the kilns.  Did I say he had a sheepish look on his face?

At some point in each of our lives, people trust us.  I remember the first time dad let me drive in town.  He had an injury to his hand and he needed to go to Bessemer for a part.  We loaded into a 1958 Chevy and dad said, “You drive.”  I was scared to dead, but I knew daddy trusted me enough to drive and I was not going to let him down.

Years later, I needed someone to drive my car home from Chilton County ninety-eight miles to Gallion while I drove my old truck.  My son Aaron was thirteen.  I told him to drive the car, stay close behind me, and watch my taillights.  He had been driving enough around the Gallion community that I trusted him.  We drove slowly and safely an hour and half trip late at night and in heavy fog.

God did something amazing before the cement kilns and before mail delivery.  He in trusted me with the most important task of mankind.  He called me to share the Gospel.  It is ten simple words:  Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead.  God is bringing the Lost to Jesus and I am part of the action.

 

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts (I Thessalonians 2:4 KJV).

 

I wonder if there is carpet in Heaven?

"Ability to Shoot from the Hip"

Several years ago, one of our pastors, now in another part of the state, asked me about my ability to “shoot from the hip.”  He said his church wanted to know how I did it.  I said that one should never rely on “shooting from the hip” as a way to handle life’s situation.  The ability to “shoot from the hip” is as coaches teach players.  Practice your position so well that it becomes second nature without really thinking.

I told my pastor friend that I constantly read books and articles.  I am storing information that can be retrieved as needed.  Most things we do require thinking and contemplation.
My personality in decision-making requires that I gather the necessary information, meditate, and sleep on it.  “Shooting from the hip” is more exceptional, than the rule of thumb.  It is great to have the ability, but it must be tempered and preceded by thought and reflection.  Folks up home have a saying, “He is sharper than a stepped-on thumb tack.”  All I can say is that the tack has been stepped on a lot if it is sharp.

I never will forget my first day at the cement plant.  The yard foreman was conveying to me why the plant had the reputation for high wages.  He said that it was hot, nasty, hard, and dangerous work.  Reality hit when he said, “You may walk in the plant, but if I did not work safely, co-workers would carry my dead body out.”   I responded, “Yes sir!”

We had regular safety classes.  Everyone that worked rotation had to either stay past quitting time or come in early to attend TAKE 2 classes.  Gerald Thomas from Georgia taught these classes and was a good teacher.  TAKE 2 started in North Alabama at a chemical plant.  The spokesperson was said to be a custodial worker with a very good voice.  I had my doubts, but the old gentleman did have a very good speaking voice.  The chemical plant produced a movie clip that focused on different scenarios where people would get hurt.  It was very good, but it was no Hollywood production.

There was jingle with the presentation that stuck with you after the class.  TAKE 2 meant that one would take two minutes to think about the situation before taking action.  TAKE was an acronym for T, have I Talked over the situation, A, what Actions will I take, K, do I have the Knowledge to perform the task, and E, do I have right Equipment to do the job safely and correctly.

The film would show an employee who did not take time to review the job that resulted in the employee injuring himself.  The narrator would reiterate what the simpleton did wrong and then the same employee would do it correctly following the TAKE 2 steps.

There were several jobs where TAKE 2 had to be automatic and fast reaction saved lives and equipment.  Employees had to be fast, but not careless.  At every safety meeting, Gerald would handout “Fatal Grams,” papers containing reports of fatalities in cement plants, and other related industries.  These men and women walked into the plant, but coworkers or rescue squads carried them out.

Taking 2 is important in ministry.  One of my former pastors of my home church, David Myers, talked with me about being a pastor.  He said, “Bobby, as one of your dads in the ministry, let me give you one piece of advice.  Church members will come to you with difficult problems expecting you to fix it.  Tell them that you will take it with consideration of prayer and genuinely pray.  Wait on God to solve it or give you an answer.  Most preachers run ahead of God trying to fix the problem, if they had waited, God would have taken care of it.  Take time to let God work.”  That is why so many preachers get in trouble and must find another church.

I can say that after thirty plus years of ministry, Brother David was right just as David of the Old Testament:

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;  And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.  So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.  Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.  And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.  And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.  And David inquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all (I Samuel 30:1-8 KJV).

 

King David was pretty decent at shooting from the hip in his younger years; just ask the Goliath family, but learned wisdom in seeking God as he faced life.