The Chaplain's Corner

Chaplain, Tony Pike

Assistant Chaplain, Gary Pike

Chaplain’s Notes

I hope everyone is having a happy, happy New Year! I would like to thank Assistant Chaplain Gary Pike for writing last month’s message. The article was great. I like hearing stories about how great God is and the miracles that He can work in our lives. It is encouraging to know that Gary’s mom is doing great. Myself and Gary are going to switch out months, so I hope you all enjoy hearing from both of us and we hope that we can be of some help to everyone.

In the last couple of months, I have been visiting a lot of people who are sick. All of these people had cancer. Such a sad thing to see. During the time I was visiting these wonderful people and their families, I prayed with them, I laughed with them and I also cried with them. When you visit people who are sick, it is a very humbling experience. When I see people who are hurting, I also hurt. My heart goes out to hurting people. I would ask that you pray for comfort for these families whose loved ones have passed on. Please pray for the Mike Adam’s family, Connie Horn family, Donna Cooper family, Charles Hamblin family and Daryl Lewis family.

When I get a call to visit someone, I go to try to be a blessing, but I’m the one that winds up being blessed. I’m glad that God gives me the opportunity to go and pray and spend time with these families. Everyday when we wake up is an opportunity to help and make a difference in someone’s life. There is a story I would like to share with you. It is a true story. I would like to title the story “You Never Know”.

It was May 7th in the mid 1940’s and a man had just been discharged from WWII. His name was Roger Sims. He was hitch-hiking out in the mid-west. He was a few hundred miles west of Chicago trying to get home in the Northeast. He was finally picked up by a fellow in a long black car and they began to talk on their way down the highway.

The fellow that picked him up had the last name of Hanover and he was a business man out of Chicago. Mr. Hanover didn’t know that Roger Sims was a Christian. Mr. Hanover told Roger Sims that he was going as far as Chicago because that’s where he lived. He had been on a business trip and was making his way back home. So, as they drove down the highway, they talked through the night. As they came into the edge of Chicago, Roger Sims really felt impressed to say something to Mr. Hanover about Christ. So he mustered up his courage as best he could before he would have to be let out of the car. Just a few miles before they got to that point, Roger Sims looked at him and said, “I really feel compelled that I need to ask you, do you know the Lord as your Savior?”. Almost immediately Mr. Hanover began to pull his car off to the side of the road. Roger Sims thought he had make a mistake and the fellow was going to put him out. But he didn’t put him out. Mr. Hanover pulled his car over to the edge of the road and Roger Sims looked over at him and he saw tears going down his cheeks. Mr. Hanover said, “You know, that’s been heavy on my heart for a while. No, I am not a Christian, but I know I need to be.” Roger Sims had the privilege of sharing Jesus with him that day and Mr. Hanover called on the Lord and asked Him to save him.

Mr. Hanover gave Roger Sims a business card and told him, “If you are ever in Chicago, please look me up. I own a business there. I have a building with my name on it. Would you please look me up?” So, Mr. Sims told that him that he would.

Two or three years went by and Roger Sims did have a trip to Chicago that he needed to make. He came into Chicago for business and he thought about Mr. Hanover. Roger Sims had a few spare hours, so he went into Chicago and found the Hanover Building. He went inside and asked the receptionist if he could speak to Mr. Hanover. She said, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, but you may speak to his wife.” He said that would be fine. So he made his way up to the upper floor and was escorted into a huge office. The woman behind the desk asked if she could help him. He said that he was there to see Mr. Hanover. He went on to explain how Mr. Hanover gave him a ride a few years back. The woman replied, “Well, you will not be able to see my husband. I’m sorry to report to you that he is dead.” Mr. Sims was surprised to hear the bad news. Mr. Sims said, “Well, I just wanted to tell you about what happened.” He really felt like he needed to tell her about Mr. Hanover trusting Christ.

As he began to tell the story, the woman looked at him in shock and said, “Do you remember what day this happened?” He said, “I remember vividly. The day was May 7th. I had been discharged from the Army and I was trying to get home and he picked me up.” He then showed the business card to her and she began to weep. She said, “You know, my husband was killed that day somewhere after he let you out of the car. He had been on a business trip and on May 7th he never made it home. He was killed just on the outskirts of Chicago. I have been a Christian for many years. I had prayed for my husband time and time again that God would save him. When I received the news that my husband had been killed in that car wreck, I was mad at God and I grew bitter at Him. I had grown cold towards God in the last several years because I thought God had let my husband die lost and go to hell.”

I thought that this true story was really neat because “you never know” what kind of influence you can have on someone’s life. I would like to tell you that God moves in mysterious ways and don’t ever think that God has not heard a yet unanswered prayer. Most of the time when we don’t know it, God is always up to something.

I believe in my heart that the men and women of the Boyle County Fire Department are like Roger Sims in the story above. The men and women of this department have shown time and time again the caring hearts that they have for their fellow firefighters. It is not hard to tell that we have something very special in this department. Keep up the good work and let’s make a difference.

God Bless!

Chaplain Tony R. Pike

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH:

Galatians 6:9-10
9. “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
10. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”


PRAYER REQUESTS:

James Wilcher-Chaplain Pike’s uncle
Carlos Bottom-member of Engine 5
David Smith-Chaplain of Burgin Fire Department
Chief Donnie Sexton-pray that the pain he has in his back will stop and
that his back will heal.
Pray for the department as a whole that God will protect us when we are
called to duty.