Lickley's Corners Baptist Church

            I felt drowsy as we slowly cruised the back country roads in a three mile radius of our church, doing what we have done so many times before, stuffing invitations to a church event into news paper delivery boxes. The sun was warm, and yellow leaves drifted lazily out of the trees. The sweet autumn air drifted in through our open windows.

    Out of nowhere came a resounding bass bark and a huge dog, flying at the car. I tried to put the invitation into the box before he reached us, but he was young and I am old; he is fast, and I am slow. He was such a big dog that he put his face right into the open window and looked me eye to eye. He said, “Down Girl!” and I said, “Yes Sir!” The part about the head in the window is true, and the dog was not standing on his hind legs or even on tippy dog toes.

            I said to John, quite loudly, “I am NOT putting my arm out that window.”

           John was laughing too hard to talk.

            “You might as well start driving,” I said, my voice getting even louder, “because I am NOT putting my arm out that window.”

           In my terror I had not noticed the dog’s owner. He, however, had noticed me. “Here, boy!” he ordered, two or three times, and with a reluctant look backward at his lunch appetizer, the dog went to his master. I shoved the invitation into the box and managed a weak smile and wave at the man. I don’t know if he waved back. My brain was frozen. My face was red. I felt like shouting out the window, “I really AM a submissive wife when I am not about to be eaten!”

            We have had many adventures in our tours of the roads around our church, and have seen many sights. There are mansions and shacks. There are in ground swimming pools. One house has full size beautiful tennis court with a sign on the fence that says, “Rayba’s Tennis Retreat.”

            One mail box has a sign that says, “Beyond the Wire Ministries.” I was curious about that one, but there was no one home to ask, and I could not find any information about it on the internet.

            Some of you may know that there is a rodeo on Union Road called “Wally World.”

            Some yards are immaculately landscaped. Others have as much junk as the dump. Maybe more. One house—I do not know how—still had an entire bank of lovely flowers, in spite of the hard freeze we had. No, the flowers were not plastic.

            As we studied the homes and yards and watched out for monster dogs, we did what we always do. We prayed for the people who live in the mansions and shacks, for the “haves” and the “have nots,” because they are all equal before God. They either know the Lord Jesus as personal Savior, and are heaven-bound, or they do not know Him, and are destined for hell. It makes me shudder to think of people, within such a short distance of our church, going to hell.

            We have a wonderful, warm, cozy church family, but let’s not forget those on the outside and their destination. Will you pray for the salvation of those within shouting distance of our little country church?

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous (woman) availeth much” (James 5:16).