“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, NLT).

Growing up in upstate South Carolina, my family and I used to drive into the mountains of North Carolina to go fishing. But before we could go fishing, we had to get the bait.

There was a shed behind the cotton mill where my dad worked where all the raw cotton boles would get dumped from the fields. My brothers and I would go into that shed and burrow through the cotton, deep down into the soil that had sifted beneath it, and into the rich, black base. There they were… earthworms by the hundreds!

And I HATED it! It was DARK! It was HOT! It STUNK! You’d get all kind a crud in your shoes and up your shorts! Oooooh, the humanity! But all the while, my brothers would try to weave some hope into our mission. “You’ll be OK. Just think of all those fish we’re gonna catch!”

I couldn’t wait to get out of that cotton box from hades! I tried to think about all those fish. I tried to think of sunny skies, green mountains, and smooth waters with fish that were biting. I tried to have hope, but it was in short supply.

But here’s where the story takes a turn. We did NOT go fishing. Instead, daddy took me into the mill. There were rows and rows of giant machines that CLICKED and CLACKED so loudly, you couldn’t hear the person next to you. They were taking the raw, washed cotton boles and spinning them into yarn.

Then daddy took me into another building where the yarn was being woven into cloth. Then in one more building where the cloth was being converted into oven mitts, dish towels, and ironing board covers. Lastly, he took me back outside to the cotton shed where we dug for the worms.

Suddenly, this chamber of horrors didn’t seem so bad. I had seen the bigger picture and realized that not only could the cotton shed provide the means to go fishing, but it was also the beginning of a much larger operation that held me in rapt fascination. I now appreciated the fear and anxiety of what I had to go through in order to reap the blessings of what was to come.

As adults, we are challenged to remember that when we are in the dark, depressive circumstances of our lives, God always has a greater operation going on, an operation with purpose with us in mind. A greater blessing for us, if only we’ll trust Him and grow WITH HIM through it.

David McCall

Executive Pastor