The Front Porch

The Front Porch

Exodus 3:5

Exodus 3:5 “And He said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thy standest is holy ground”. I received one of the greatest compliments I have ever had the honor to have been given last night. We spent the evening at the funeral home paying our respects to the departed’s families and talking with a lot of special people. I was talking with one of these special friends and reader, Denise Avery Freeman. In conversation she told me what a compliment her son had given me. She said her son had mentioned that I was a guy that you would like to sit on the front porch and talk with. I don’t know if I have ever received a more meaningful compliment. After being called the things I have been called throughout my life, that was quite a breath of fresh air. LOL!!! You see, the front porch is a very special place for me. It is a place where I went from childhood to manhood listening to the wisdom of many fine men. A place where a forest of red cedar has slipped through my hands in piles of little curls and shavings. A place where the problems of the world have been repaired, the problems of the family have been settled and problems between people have vanished forever. The front porch is a place where the grandest of deer have been killed, the biggest of bears have been wrestled, the birds and the bees have been let out of the cage, thousands of squirrels have been put on the supper table, trout have been fought and rabbit dogs traded. The front porch is the place where I stood and waited on my wife when we had our first date. I remember arriving in my Jeep and the walk to the front door. I was scared and excited at the same time. But all apprehension faded away when I saw her smiling face and was granted acceptance from the front porch to the living room. And that same night I brought her back to the front porch…….. and received the sweetest kiss that has ever touched my lips. And after I asked her to marry me, the front porch is the place where we sit and made our plans for the future. The memories abound like it was yesterday. Oh……the front porch….it is a place, for me, called holy ground. Our Scripture tells us of a place where God meets us. It is a place that He Himself calls Holy Ground. It is so Holy that He demands that the very shoes you have on your feet be taken off. It makes me wonder if we will be bare footed in Heaven? I’m sure that God has a front porch because I tell our Church folks that we need to have a “front porch” relationship with Him. I love to read how Moses was just minding his own business, working in a simple job and God met him where he was. They carried on a special conversation and Moses received special instructions about a special future that God had planned for him. As I look at this precious Scripture and story, it brings up points to mind that we can look at, cherish and sit on the front porch with Him for just a moment in our day:

1. HOLY GROUND IS A SPECIAL PLACE
A. A Place Where God Met Man And Man Met God
B. A Place That Is Personal. God Meets Us There.
C. A Place Of Conversations, Hope, Dreams And Direction
2. HOLY GROUND IS A COMFORTABLE PLACE
A. God Said Take Your Shoes Off
B. Set A Spell
C. And LISTEN
3. HOLY GROUND IS A LOVELY PLACE
A. A PLACE WHERE GOD KISSED ALL MANKIND
B. THE KISS OF THE WORDS “I AM”
C. His Love For Us Is So Strong He Is All We Ever Need
D. “ I AM___________” You Fill In The Blank With Whatever You Are In Need Of

I’ve got a front porch. I hope and pray that it will turn out to be one that I can be proud of. It’s not much in man‘s eyes, but it is a place where you can take your shoes off, feel as welcome as you can be and get just as comfortable as you see fit. I believe that it is Holy ground and a place where man and God meet. So thank you for the compliments and thank you for the confidence you have in me by reading these front porch conversations we have each and every day. If I have a prayer that I can pray today, it would be that you find that “front porch” relationship with the great “I Am”. He is our everything and He desires that you meet Him in your special place. A place where you feel welcome, a place where you are the most comfortable and a place where His love abounds. I hope you have a great and wonderful day. Thanks for spending time with us, love you lots, see you later………Pastor Brion
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