OUT TO PASTOR: Knock, knock; Someone’s in trouble

For some reason, the last several weeks we have been getting many visitors at our door. I’m not sure if this is a general trend or if it is just our door.

Some of them have been salesmen, religious people, scam artists, and a host of other people. They only had one goal in mind, and that was to get our money.

I guess I have not realized how wealthy I am. Everybody wants my money. If they only knew how little money I had, they would be running away from our house. I can’t even get my money because I’m not sure where it is.

This year the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I will have been married 50 years. I think my wife married me for my money, but in the last 50 years, she has not found any of it. I’ll give her another 50 years, and then we are going to have to reexamine the situation. When she does find it, we will take a vacation to Hawaii.

My wife and I are very frugal when it comes to money because we do not have that much. But the money we do have will stay in our account and not be given to somebody who wants to sell us an extended car warranty policy. Every time they call about that, I have something I want to extend to them, and it is not money.

When someone calls on the phone, you can always hang up or not even answer it. When somebody knocks on your door, you do not have that kind of choice. You do not know who is there or what they want.

Because my wife knows everybody in the neighborhood, as soon as someone knocks at our door and almost before the door is closed, she has texted everybody on the street to be aware of someone coming to knock on the door. It is great when a neighborhood hangs together.

Once, two Jehovah’s Witnesses came to our door, and I happened to answer it.

They introduced themselves, then I introduced myself as a pastor and began a sermon right there at the front door. I have 100 sermons in my mind ready to use. I kept preaching, and they tried to interrupt, but you can never interrupt a preacher.

Before I got to the end of my sermon, they turned around and walked away as fast as I have ever seen anybody walk away. After all, they came to my door.

Then we had several men come by wanting to come inside and show us how solar energy could save us a bundle of money.

Fortunately, for us, it was the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage that answers the door for them. If you think you can get in our house and get by her, you really have not gotten up this morning and had your coffee.

A few weeks ago, it was getting terrible. Almost every day, someone was at the door knocking. I usually handle the phone calls, and she handles the door.

I could see she was getting frustrated, and I understood, quite severely.

She just finished making our lunch, and we just sat down and began to enjoy our lunch together.

Then, someone knocked at the door.

My wife sighed very deeply and said, “Whoever that is, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind. I’m tired of this.”

Although we had prayed for our lunch, I was now ready to pray for whoever was at the front door.

“I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what you’re selling. I don’t want it, and I want you to leave and never come back again.”

With that, she slammed the door shut and walked away.

“Who was at the door?”

She just looked at me and then said, “I don’t know, but I gave them a piece of my mind.”

I was chuckling underneath, trying not to let it come to the surface for any recognition.

“Are you sure,” I said as serious as I could maintain, “that you gave them the right piece of your mind?”

She just stared at me, “What do you mean?”

“Are you sure you did not give them the left piece of your mind?”

She finally smiled and then said, “No, I’m saving that piece for you.”

I was smiling on the outside but not on the inside. I was honored that she has a special piece of her mind for me, but I have no idea what it will be and when it will come my way.

I thought of the Scripture along this line. “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

I think this is hard to do for many reasons. God can give me the strength to do this for his honor and glory.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church website is www.whatafellowship.com.