All posts by Mark Sims

ANGELS IN THE DARK

Biblical Truth, Christian Discipleship, History, Spiritual Growth, , , , ,

My wife’s parents, Bill and Frances Skinner, were missionaries in Paraguay for 38 years.  They are both in their nineties today, sharp in mind and full of faith. Their incredible stories of seeing the hand of God at work while bringing the Good News of Jesus to the people of Paraguay strengthen my faith every time I hear them recounted.  In her book, Adventures in Paraguay, Frances Skinner reveals how faith is most powerful when exercised in the dark.

Her story begins in the small, rural village of Guayaybi, Paraguay.  Only accessible by primitive dirt roads, the missionaries had established a medical clinic near the village that they opened on weekends– offering medical help together with the gospel message of Jesus.  A dire situation occurred that required a trip back to civilization, but Dr. Bill was up to his neck in medical work so Fran agreed to make the trip for him, accompanied by a friend named Ruth– a German lady that Frances had randomly met on a trip to Argentina.  Ruth, just happened to unexpectedly show up for a visit to Paraguay, and so had gone with the Skinners to the clinic at Guayaybi.

There was a problem, a big problem!  It had rained a down-pouring tropical deluge  and main road had closed to all traffic.  Since Doctor Skinner was engaged in humanitarian services, he had been issued a permanent pass by the highway authorities to travel any road at anytime.  So Fran and Ruth took the pass and sallied forth.   In her own words, the following story is an excerpt from her book:

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REFRIGERATOR PRIVILEGES

Christian Discipleship, Humor, Small Town America, , ,

(Caution:  This blog post might contain never before heard confessions.  Please don’t laugh out loud.)

I’m certain you have heard it said of someone, “Oh, they’re close. They’re just like family.”  Oh really?  Are you sure?  Here’s the way to know if they’re really “just like family”– do they have the right to walk into your house and go straight to the refrigerator and get what ever they want to eat or drink?  Do they feel comfortable doing that in your home?  Do YOU feel comfortable allowing them to do that?  If the answer to all three questions is YES, then they are indeed “just like family.”  They have “refrigerator privileges!”

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TRAINING WHEELS AND ROADBLOCKS

Christian Discipleship, Humor, Small Town America, Spiritual Growth, , , , , , ,

It has taken me fifty plus years to see it, although it was obvious to my childhood friends and family.  I never saw it in myself, but it’s true.  I was a bonafide, scaredy-cat kid.  I was overly cautious, super careful, and hesitant to take risks– at least about things that might cause bodily injury and pain.

I wasn’t hesitant to open my mouth, that’s for sure.  And I never had stage fright.  But when it came to the prospect of bodily peril, I was out.  Saying no was no problem when there was even the smell of a hazard.  It was more than just the regular childhood fears– like fearing the dark, fearing shots, fearing the dentist, etc.  Mine were fears that became major hinderances.  My fears probably kept me out of trouble in some respects, but placed unnecessary roadblocks into my life as a whole.  It was a miserable place to be, and I didn’t even recognize it.  For instance……

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AMBULANCE CHASERS

History, Humor, Small Town America, ,

When the term “Ambulance Chaser” is used, it is normally in reference to injury lawyers who make their living off of filing lawsuits on behalf of those who have suffered loss– usually damage at the hands of well-insured businesses and corporations.  They often show up at disaster sites or after tragic events, hoping to get new clients to file lawsuits.  Most people don’t like the smell of lawsuits that look like personal revenge– until THEY become injured or wronged.  Then the tables are turned.  It’s a tough call, for sure.

But growing up in the small Alabama town of Ashland, the idea of  “ambulance chasing” had nothing to do with the legal profession, or with “revenge.”  It was exactly what it sounds like– chasing ambulances.   Continue reading AMBULANCE CHASERS →

THE LADY OF THE LAKE

Humor, Small Town America, , , ,

My mother, Marylyn Sims, never learned to swim.  For some reason she had a fear of deep water, although none of us know where it came from.  Sadly, she passed that fear down to me somewhere in my childhood.  Until I was about nine years old,  I buckled myself into ski belts and life jackets every time I went swimming. (The inflatable arm swimmies hadn’t been invented yet.)  I wasn’t afraid of the pool, or of water in general; I just wouldn’t swim.  I played in the creek beside my home almost every day of my life, but the water was shallow.  When my brother or a friend would hassle me about not being able to swim, I just responded with, “So what?  Mom can’t swim either.”  I had made up my mind that swimming wasn’t for me.  And that’s the way it was until the Lady of the Lake changed everything.

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