Have we looked in a mirror lately? I mean really looked. Look at the clothes
we wear and the messages they send. Look at the cars we drive and what they
communicate. Look at the billboards that we display for the world to see.
What message do we send to those who are watching what we do? Greetings in
the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This past weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day. I can’t think of a group of
people as a whole that are ready to serve. God equipped them in such a way
as to be sensitive to the needs of others. Do we have the same servant
heart? Christ did.
It is no secret who we represent when we go to the track. In fact it is
advantageous to our sponsors for everyone to know who supports our racing
teams. We wear their name on our sleeve, literally. Have you ever thought
about what that communicates to others? Our sponsors say a lot about who we
are.
Sometimes I wonder if we are willing to compromise what we believe in
order to secure a sponsor. The sponsors we choose to represent become the
people we have chosen to serve. I am thankful that those who support this
ministry choose to let us serve you in the name of Jesus. They give us the
freedom to do what God leads us to do. They are also sponsors that we can
represent without sending a message that is inconsistent with what we
believe. Not all sponsors are the same.
Another way that people see who we represent is by how we respond to
situations. Are we viewed as fair and rational or do people see us as hot
heads? It makes a difference when people are searching for help. There are
some who are attractive and others that are avoided. We communicate so many
things by what we wear and how we act.
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood
street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids
darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw
something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed
into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed up the Jag to
the spot where the brick had been thrown. Now angry he jumped out of the
car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car
shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are
you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost me a
lot of money to fix. Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I
didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one
else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the
youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he
said, "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't
lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help
me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in
his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the
wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh
scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his
wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long,
slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver
never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to
remind him of this message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has
to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls
and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we think we don't have time to
listen He has to throw a brick at us.
Have you seen all the bricks flying around lately? I think more times
than not we are unaware of our surroundings. We get caught up in our own
little world and we forget about what might be happening in someone else's
life. This becomes a difficulty if we claim to serve God and are committed
to show His love to others. When we wear a uniform that proclaims His name
and act differently it gives people a reason to doubt and be skeptical about
this God we claim to serve.
It is no secret who we represent when we go to the track. Our uniforms
speak for themselves. They communicate a message to others. There is an
expectation of how we should behave, what we should say and where we should
be seen. There are a lot of things you cannot do in our Purple uniforms. But
what about our everyday life? What about when we don't have our uniform on?
Are we free to act anyway we choose?
James 5:12, Above all,
my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else.
Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
What James is saying is that there should be no
confusion. We should be straight shooters. We shouldn’t send conflicting
messages to others. We also shouldn’t make commitments that we have no power
to fulfill. We should be transparent, our motives should be clear for all to
see.
What does it mean to wear the right uniform? What does it mean to be
ready to serve? Take a look in the mirror. How are you dressed today? I
would hope that we are dressed to serve God no matter what the task might
be. I would hope that our actions match God's word and honor His name. I
would hope that our yes means yes and our no means no. Think about what
others see in you. Think about what they should see. Don't make the mistake
of getting so caught up in your own world that God needs to throw a brick at
you to get your attention.
THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD
IOWA
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR - I literally just rolled in from Iowa Speedway.
Thanks to the Grimm Gang for the ride that made it possible. Ben Rhodes is
at the top of his game, winning at Iowa over Ausie Pole winner Brodie
Kostecki. Many had problems with right fronts going down but Rhodes took the
lead and never looked back, leading the final 115 laps.
BENEFIT FOR ALLEN HINCKLEY - Allen is the son of Tracey and
Mod Driver Les Hinckley. After experiencing the normal things in an 8-year
old’s life he hit a setback. He experienced some headaches and the testing
began. They determined he had a rare Congenital Arachnoid Cyst. After two
surgeries and 17 days I the hospital a very slow recovery process began. As
this process works it way through further treatment requirements will be
determined. Please join us in support of the Hinckley Family as the raise
funds for to help offset expenses on June 7, from 4-8 pm at Sonny’s Place in
Somers , Ct. If you cannot make the event you can donate at;
www.gofundme.com/8fkgaw.
WAYNE DARLING ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE - Wayne called me over
Thursday night at Thompson and he asked if I would share this challenge with
you. The VMRS is racing at Seekonk on the June 7, the same day as the
fundraiser for Allen Hinckley. Wayne will hold his own fundraiser at his
Seekonk Grand Prix. He will open at 9 am and every dollar that comes in
until 2 pm will be donated to the Hinckley ’s, everything. If you want to
help just head to the track a little early, stop by Wayne ’s Place, enjoy
yourself while at the same time helping Allen Hinckley. Thanks Wayne for
making it possible for those racing that day to contribute.
BUSY WEEK AHEAD - With the World of Outlaw Sprint cars in
Jersey on Tuesday and the Whelen Modified Tour at Stafford on Friday, fast
race cars are everywhere! Hope to see you at one or the other.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals
and apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. Remember that
God loves you, we love you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
 Mail reaches us at Racing with Jesus Ministries, PO Box 586,
Tolland, CT 06084.
Check our weekly printed pages in "Area Auto Racing
News",
the East Coast’s largest weekly racing paper.
See our on-line Apparel
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articles.
We invite you to input your thoughts as you sign our Guest Book.
Please remember, we can only do what we do because of your prayerful
financial support.
Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
SHARE YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS WITH YOUR RACING FAMILY.
SEND THEM TO:
RACING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES
PO Box 586
Tolland, CT, 06084
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