Staying put where you are

As you drive down a certain street in a certain town, you will pass by all of the nice brick houses lined up along a concrete street. But after a short while there is suddenly a change of scenery. 

Because nestled among all of those fine houses is Ferguson’s hog farm. A small white framed house and a singled cab pickup with rusted fenders parked in a dirt driveway. 

Over in the pasture, behind the Ferguson house is over a hundred hogs. How did this happen? If you go ask Mr. Ferguson, he will be glad to tell you. 

“This place used to be out in the country. When I bought this place over 40 years ago there wasn’t a soul for miles around. About ten years ago, folks begin to build their big fancy houses all around me and then they were wanting me  out and to move. They even had a petition signed by all those fancy folks that said said the smell was making their kids sick. But that didn’t work,” Mr. Ferguson said, “This place is mine and no one is gonna run me off, I’m stayin put!”

Some might say that Mr. Ferguson is a stubborn old coot. When it comes to our relationship with Christ and His church, you and I should be just as stubborn. 

We should have the attitude that no matter what comes along, nothing can separate us from our Lord and His family and we are staying put! The Bible put it this way, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” 

For I am persuaded that neither death or life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, not any created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 8: 35. 38-39)