The Journey Continues: Small towns, long memories
Recently on my journey on the east coast, Judy and I visited Plains Georgia, the home of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States. Plains is a very small town and hard to find when you leave the Interstate.
Our goal was to worship Sunday morning at Maranatha Baptist Church, where President Carter is a member and still teaches, at age 93, a Sunday School class twice a month; recently he reduced from teaching every Sunday. We attended on an “off” Sunday when there were 32 members there in contrast to the 423 visitors in attendance the previous Sunday. Jimmy Carter’s witness is a wonderful example of an intentional action to show love and share Jesus.
The young pastor, Brandon Patterson, a Mercer University graduate, came out to our car and greeted us. We enjoyed the Sunday School’s time and the friendliness of the regular members. The morning message in the church service was from Luke 9:59: “Jesus said to another man, ‘follow me’.” The Pastor identified this passage to be one of the hardest in the Bible. He said, “Being intentional means my life is yours. Discipleship may require instant action, a sacrifice of time out of our busy lifestyles. Here I am, use me and help me to keep prepared to give a good account as a Christian. Putting you first in all that I do is indeed hard! But rewarding!”
After church, we located the only open restaurant in Plains; serving a Sunday buffet. The menu was fried chicken, beef noodles complimented with pinto or green beans, corn, rice and gravy. No salad, homemade rolls, sweet tea and dessert completed the array.
Something I have never seen before in a restaurant was a table set to honor military MIAs known as the “Missing Man Table”. The restaurant owner said the missing man honored by her small table was a local MIA from World War II. The table set for one was within sight of the entrance; it was round to represent lasting concern for the MIA and covered with a white tablecloth symbolic of the purity of intentions of the MIA who answered his Country’s call. There was a single red rose in a vase symbolic of the kept faith of the family still waiting the return of their loved one. Next to it is an open Bible representing keeping the strength gained though faith. The bread plate held a slice of lemon symbolic of the bitter fate of the missing and a sprinkle of salt representing the countless fallen tears of families as they wait. The drinking glass is inverted and an empty chair both are symbolic that the MIA cannot partake. Behind the table stood the American flag and the Official MIA flag”
Small towns, long memories, worship of the Lord and undying love---that is what makes America great!
