Paramount

I had the privilege this past Saturday of meeting a man that had overcome a paramount loss in his life. Merriam Webster gives this for the meaning of paramount superior to all others. I was picking up some items that had not been sold in a yard sale and was taking them to Scarlet Thread Ministries where they would later be sold in their thrift store. There were about two truckloads that needed to be taken and there were 6 men that loaded and were unloading. I only had room for one in the box truck and this man who I had just met only a few minutes before said I'll ride in the truck. He jumps in and off we go. After a few minutes of conversation he began to tell me about his wife of 30 years. He told me how wonderful she was and how much they loved one another. As he talked he began to weep, he told me that he had been on drugs for 30 years and had been clean for over 2 and ½ years now. He said on March the 13^th his wife had passed away and how much he missed her. I would say that was paramount. I must say there were tears in my eyes also; doesn't the Bible tell us to weep with those who weep?

Romans 12:
15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. What he told me next with excitement also excited me. He told me about his Church and the good people there. He then told me about the Lord and said I would have gone back to the drugs and alcohol had it not been for the Lord and the great people at my Church. I tell you I wanted to pull that truck over and get out and run around it and shout. Heaven came down and filled that truck cab. As I saw the wear and tear that the drugs and alcohol had done to his body my eyes went deeper as I saw and felt that man's heart and his great love for His savior. On the second trip he didn't ask he just jumped in the truck and off we went again and one more time heaven came down and filled that truck as we drove down the road rejoicing together. As we parted company I told him that he had made my day so enjoyable and I was glad the Lord allowed us to cross paths. The apostle Paul put it this way

1Thessalonians 5:16
Rejoice evermore.

1Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

1Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I want to quote from Vance Havner's book "On this Rock I Stand." Mrs. Havner passed away on September 2, 1973 Jerry Jenkins asked him this question on page 12 of that book "Where were you when your wife died?" Vance Havner answered "I was with her. She died at two fifteen Sunday morning and I preached at eleven."(That message is worth the price of the book) How could he do that? He answers as Jerry asked another question "Did you go through real dark times then after the death of your wife set in?" Vance answered, "yes, loneliness. Human, you know. I cried like nobody's business. And that's human. And you better cry. Because God put those ducts in there for some purpose." On page 23 Vance tells about the disciple and the question the Lord asked them in

John 6:67
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

He then says "That's the number one reason I am here this morning after my wife died. Where else would I go?" So when paramount things go on in mine and your life where do we go? Answer Jesus!