Dave's Deep Thoughts - Fireworks in Small Town America

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

Robert Frost said he chose the road less traveled.

I say, just give me a road without crazy people.

 

I travel the same roads I traveled as a child.

Back in the day, they were much more rural.

Not so much, anymore.

 

One road that I need to travel almost daily has changed drastically in 30 years.

Restaurants and businesses now crowd out the once scenic view.

Now I am all for progress, but I wasn't quite ready for what unfolded this past summer.

 

A few years ago, a storefront opened along this stretch of now busy road.

You might think it was a business that offered products necessary to everyday living......

food, medical services,  home supplies......

Oh no.

 

We got a fireworks store.

 

That's right,  we got a 4th of July, Happy New Year fireworks store.

All the locals  wondered why the community needed a store

that sold products that were used once, maybe twice a year

when we were desperately deprived of a Burger King.

 

Back in the day, a local entrepreneur would

put up a tent for a couple of weeks at the end of June,

sell fireworks, make his profit, and then leave Dodge

 

Oh no,

we got a large store that sells fireworks.

Oddly enough, these fireworks aren't available to local residents as

sale of any explosive much bigger than a sparkler is not legal in our state.

But since we are located next to a state line,

out of staters can come and frequent our fireworks store,

 

Most of us who travel the road daily thought it was silly.

Little did we know, we were just at the beginning of silly,

and soon headed towards a cliff called crazy.

 

Across the street, a second businessman opened ANOTHER fireworks store.

And that's when the fight started.

Fireworks guy #1 placed a big advertisement on a billboard

telling motorists to turn left rather than right.

 

Fireworks guy #2 responded like any upstanding American would,

by placing a gigantic inflatable gorilla on his side of the road.

Nothing says "God Bless America" like an oversized flag-waving inflatable King Kong.

 

Game on.

We were in the midst of a fireworks war.

 

Not to be outdone,

Fireworks guy #1  placed a Miss Statue of Liberty on his side of the road

with an beacon of light directing traffic to turn left.

GIve me your tired, your poor, and oh yes.....I'll take three Roman Candles.

 

Fireworks guy #2 remained undaunted.

Knowing that he lived in the land of the free,

he did what any upstanding capitalist would do......

he put Uncle Sam on the side of the road.

Not one Uncle Sam, not two uncle Sams,

but THREE Uncle Sams asking not what my country could do for me,

but what I could do for my country.

Apparently, the correct answer to that question

was to buy illegal explosives on his side of the road.

 

Fireworks guy #1 was obviously not amused.

The tri-fold Uncle Sams ploy

was akin to a double dog dare you swear.

And so, Fireworks Guy #1 went for the jugular.

He decided to use the triple dog swear of commercial advertising.......

the inflatable arm flailing guy

This was most tempting to this civic minded proud American.

If anything was going to move me to honor America,

it would be a 20 foot piece of latex flailing wildly,

and tempting me to purchase illegal fireworks with a falsified driver's license.

All to the strains of  Stars and Stripes Forever,

 

Fireworks Guy #2 was not amused.

He put all three Uncle Sams out on the night shift.

 I drove by the next night,

and Uncle Sams  1, 2, and 3 were each illuminated with a floodlight

carrying the banner for freedom and contraband munitions in the pouring rain.
As I pondered the patriotism of these fine young citizens,

I was overcome by what young patriots would do for their country

and for a paycheck in a stalled economy.

 

In thirty brief years,

the road less traveled has changed from cornfields to crazyville.

 

Much has changed in our country, and in our world the last thirty years.

And most who have witnessed this evolution,

would likely agree that while there have been tremendous advancements

achieved for the betterment of humanity

in fields such as medicine, technology, and the sciences,

there is a noticeable decline in our country's moral and ethical compass.

 

Drugs flow freely through all areas of our society,

murders and acts of terrorism unto our own are commonplace

reverence for God and His statutes

has in great part been replaced by a spiritualism

that places human freedom before holy submission.

 

Those that call Him Lord are left with a tremendous challenge....

to follow Him in a culture where love for God has grown cold.

 

The encouragement for disciples remains the same as it did 2000 years ago.

Jesus told us this is how it would be in the last days.

 

We can't get the cornfields back.

But we can choose to drive by the craziness on a road less traveled.

 

And so I did, and what was just up the street.......

a guy dressed as a cow telling me to eat more chicken,

 

Keep your eyes fixed on Him,

and just keep on driving.......

In the end, you'll be glad you did.

 

But all these things are merely the beginning of birthpangs.

Then they will deliver you to tribulation,  and will kill you,

and you will be hated by all nations, on account of My name.

ANd at that time, many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.

And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.

And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.

But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved..

 

                                    spoken by Jesus     Matthew 24: 8-13