Day 22 – Dwell in the house of the Lord

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Before my mom moved into her new house recently, every time that we drove home to see her, we would pass right by Calvary Baptist Church. It is your textbook red brick, white steeple, stain glass window, small town church. My earliest memories of going to church are from the pews in this building.

I was saved sitting on the front row at a vacation bible school here too many years ago to remember.

Later, we moved to the church where my mom still goes to today. My best memories growing up in church are from here. We had a small youth group but we all were close, and still are today. This church became, and still is, family. We laughed together. We cry together. Even though I live hours away, it’s great to go home just to be with family.

It has nothing to do with the building.

“The house of the Lord…” isn’t the red brick at Calvary. It’s not the rocks outside First Baptist Odenville. It’s not even the large sanctuary, the classrooms or the cafe at FBCVR where my family goes every Sunday.

It’s all about who is inside that make up the house of the Lord.

God has used so many people in my life. They have poured their lives into mine and taught me how to do the same. Most of these were at church. There was always some reason or another to get together, spend time together, fellowship and of course, eat. Being raised in a Baptist church, it is said, “Where 2 or more Baptists are gathered, a chicken has to die.”  

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider together how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The house of the Lord is also a place where God shows up. He can and will show up anywhere He wants but His Word promises…

Mathew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

God will show up regardless of if you are in the largest church around or at a booth at McDonald’s. Where his people come together to be with Him, to pray or just to be a shoulder for someone to lean on. That is the Lord’s house.

Genesis 28:17 How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Dwelling in the house of the Lord to me means you are always there. Where ever the Lord’s house is, you are there as a witness and as the hands and feet of Christ for whoever needs you.

I have a very close friend that attended the same church Steph and I did years ago. So many times I have called her or she has called me for different reasons. She is my prayer warrior and I try to be hers. Many times she has called me upset just needing someone to listen and pray with her. Many times I have needed the same and called her. Even though we are miles apart, we are dwelling in the house of the Lord, over a phone line. Many phone calls between us have ended in prayers for each other, for our needs, and for our families.

It’s so amazing when you see God answer those prayers shared over a  phone line when one of us needed more than we knew.

Psalms 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

Keith

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Day 21 – And I will

Last spring, we went up to Pigeon Forge for a few days. On this trip, I was able to do something with the boys that we had not done before. We rode GO KARTS!. We had a blast racing and bumping each other (yes I know you are not supposed to bump). Once we got home, I started watching youtube videos of go carts. The next thing you know, the boys and Steph give me an adult go kart of my own for my birthday!

Yes I know, I’m just a big kid at heart.

Day 20 – All the days of my life;

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

On a summer day,  many years ago, Franklin Keith White was born. Many years from now (hopefully), God will call him home and he will pass away. He will leave behind family and friends. He will have had a great life full of blessings, laughter, good times and bad. He has run the good race, fought the good fight but now he will be be with family that has gone on before him, waiting for the rest of his family and friends to join him there.

His tombstone will read….“Here lies Keith….Wish you were here. Roll Tide!”

I have to tell you, that first paragraph was tough. Thinking about your own obituary, your own headstone, that’s a game changer. Thinking about walking toward God to talk about the life that you lived is overwhelming. Just thinking about all the missed blessings because I did what I wanted, not what God wanted for me is hard to imagine.

Our first breath, is God’s gift to us. What we do from that moment, until the day we breathe our last, is our gift to God. I know I have kept God busy. I know there will be a lot of Him saying “You did what again? Why would you do that?”

We take life for granted, not just for ourselves, but for those we love. In just the past 2 weeks, two of my friends have lost their dads. I can remember Father’s day 2013 calling my dad who had company over then. I told him Happy Father’s day, I love you, go get with your company and I’ll call you in a few days.

That would be the last conversation I had with him.

All of the days of his life, were over. One day, mine will be too.

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

I want those days between my first and my last breaths to matter. I want to know when I am standing before God, that I made a difference. I want to hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

Years ago, Steph and I did youth ministry together at a church close to our home. We connected with those kids. We shared our lives with them. Today we get to see some of the fruits of our labors. Most are now married with families of their own. Most have graduated college and gone on to their careers. Some are in ministry working with youth as we did. They are paying it forward making the difference that we made in their lives.

II Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

When “All the days of my life”  are over, I want to walk in the pearly gates, hug my 2 kids, and hold my head high with no regrets and soak it all in.

Wish you were here….

Keith

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGeOyViX5cI%5B/embedyt%5D

Day 19 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

I moved to Atlanta October 31, 1998. My apartment was a one bedroom in a suburb in northeast Atlanta in Dunwoody, a place I had been many times before. The place that I would call home for the next few years was on the ground floor and I was less than half a mile from 400, one of the busiest highways that I had ever been on at that time.